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When I was about to give birth, I thought I had everything I could possibly need to get through the first three months (at least). Then, baby was born and I was placing 45,000 Amazon and Buy Buy Baby orders left and right spending easily hundreds more on items I didn’t think about or replacing things that didn’t work out. Now that Savannah is three months old, I am ready to share what got us through those first harrowing weeks and months. These are my newborn must haves to keep you sane…
Now, there are SOME items on this list that I got before baby was born (either myself or from my baby shower), but I’ll be honest, about 10 of these items are things I didn’t realize I’d need or baby girl didn’t like what I had instead. So here we are. A nice big list of things you may want to order or register for NOW (if you’re expecting)… or gift for a loved one if they’re going to have a baby soon.
I’ll also be including some LIFE SAVING phone apps you NEED to download now. I promise… life saving.
WHEN YOU’RE READY FOR PHASE 2 … 3-6 months … here’s my must haves for that age!
In no particular order, here we go…
This is a fairly new baby product. It came out this past April 2018… which is why you may not see too many reviews on it yet – compared to the Baby K’Tans, Ergo Baby, LilleBaby, Moby, etc. However, this is THE BEST. I tried SEVERAL baby carriers and returned two of them before settling on keeping the LilleBaby All Seasons (for when she’s heavier and we’re going out on longer trips… think: Disney World) and this Boppy Comfyfit. The Boppy Comfyfit is the only carrier I put her in that she didn’t WAIL and the only one that I could put on by myself without also looking like I was going backpacking across Europe. It’s got the support and efficiency of a traditional baby carrier, but the softness of a baby wrap. AND this can be used facing inward or out. Best of ALL the worlds!
No, this won’t be an advertorial for Boppy products, but this was one I was surprised I’d like/need. After seeing my newborn photographer use this during our photo shoot, and how comfortable Savannah was in it, I knew I had to have it. Before this, I only had my Dock-A-Tot (more on that soon), but the Boppy Lounger keeps her propped up so she can see me better when I’m doing chores around the house.
COPPER PEARL CARSEAT/MULTI PURPOSE COVER
First of all, Copper Pearl has the cutest prints. Now that that’s out-of-the-way, I use this car seat cover constantly… not just on the car seat, but on the Uppababy Bassinet when I take her out for a walk and want to block the sun or the extra wind. If you’re breastfeeding, this also works to cover you up and even works as a shopping cart seat cover. It’s just a no-brainer.
COPPER PEARL NEWBORN SWADDLE BLANKET QUILT
Please note, this is the QUILT. Copper Pearl’s swaddle blankets are also VERY nice (and we used them more when she got a bit older). But for when she was a newborn, we all preferred the quilts as they’re thicker (3 layers), yet still so soft and bouncy of a material.
Believe the hype. Seriously. We used the Dock A Tot from Day 1 when we got home. It snuggles them so well and she took all of her newborn naps in the Dock laying next to me on the sofa while I recovered from my C-Section. Even now, at three months, when she wakes up at 7am and I’m not ready to get out of bed, I plop her in it next to me and we snuggle together. If you’re going to co-sleep, this is a MUST as it helps prevent any rolling over/gives baby her own space. Yes, I know co-sleeping is a no-no in the United States, but every family does what works for them. No judgement here.
For what it’s worth, I fully plan on splurging on the bigger, Dock A Tot Grand when she’s older and will use it to transition her into her crib when she’s a year old.
MOMMY’S BLISS GRIPE WATER (night time and original)
When they’re teeny-weeny and can’t take traditional medicines, and you just don’t know what’s wrong when they’re fussing away, Gripe Water is your best friend. I tried a couple of versions, but found the Mommy’s Bliss (especially the night-time version) to work on her gas/fussiness the best. It’s a bit rough having to feed it to her, but this homeopathic ‘water’ quiets her down within ten minutes. The night-time version is especially helpful to get her sleepy at bedtime.
MOMMY KNOWS BEST LACTATION COOKIES
Between my thyroid disease and C-Section, I had a rough time at breastfeeding and producing enough milk… and ended up exclusively pumping for a while until I had to also supplement. To this day, since I’m still pumping, these are the best tasting lactation treats I’ve tried. I bought SO MANY different brands and kept going back to these for the price and effectiveness. My runner-up are Boob Food’s brownies (but they’re pricier).
I tried the Medela ones, also… these actually have ingredients in the pad that soothe… not just a silicone patch to stick on your nip. Obviously, these are only for those of you breastfeeding and/or pumping.
MEDELA QUICK CLEAN STERILIZING BAGS
I’ll tell you right now: don’t buy a sterilizer. Biggest waste of space and not necessary. Wash everything in hot water, soak it in boiling water on your stove, or put it in the dishwasher initially… but after that, a good warm water and soap wash is just fine (this is from my pediatrician). When I *DO* sterilize things (if it’s brand new, or every other week), I throw it in these microwave sterilizing bags for 3 minutes. Each bag can be used 20 times. So easy. Also, I tried the Dr. Brown’s version first… NOT as good.
Another only for my breastfeeding/pumping mamas out there. I tried Medela and Lansinoh’s nipple creams and although they weren’t bad… I felt like the Motherlove cream didn’t just sit on top of my skin which felt weird when letting baby nurse to have this thick, stickier balm still there. Plus, when things were a bit tender, this balm definitely soothed.
PLAYTEX NURSER DROP IN BOTTLES
I can do a WHOLE blog post on baby bottles. I seriously went through bottles the way I test makeup. Ohhh did we have issues with bottles!!! We tried Tommee Tippee, Dr. Browns, Avent, Como Tomo, and nanobebe… and came down to these 50-year-old classics. The slow flow on the Playtex Nursers was perfect for baby and I loved the bigger nipple shape to help us go back and forth from bottle to breast. She also had nearly NO GAS using these with the collapsible liners. Perfect for travel/on the go, also, Very convenient and clean.
*Note, with this system, you only need 1-3 actual bottles since the liners are disposable and the bottle itself isn’t getting milk in it… invest in more nipples and rings
SIMPLE WISHES HANDS FREE PUMPING BRA
Another life changer here, ladies. Once I started exclusively pumping, this was an ABSOLUTE must. Before this, it was taking me 30-45 minutes to pump because I could only do one boob at a time. With this bra, I was done in 15-20 minutes! With the super adjustable back, this has held up very well through body changes post-partum.
ROBEEZ BABY SOCKS (with grips)
I got a bunch of baby socks (those plain white ones that roll over and slip off/get lost into the oblivion) that I hated. They never stayed on her feet! I got these Robeez socks at my local Nordstrom, but then ordered more on Amazon because they actually STAY ON.
ESPECIALLY because I had a C-Section, but even if you don’t, you’re going to want to wear nightgowns for the days and week’s after birth. Cozy and loose pajama shorts and pants seem like they’ll be no problem now (before baby), but I promise you a no-pants party is way better. I found these Gap ones to be the softest and best-price with all the sales they always have. I would stock up on 2 or more.
I thought I had it all figured out with bath products… stocking up on Burt’s Bees, Baby Dove, Cetaphil… etc. All of those dried out her skin and left her irritated after bath time. My good friend recommended Tubby Todd to me before she was born and since they’re only available online, I waited to see how things went. Within the first WEEK she was home, and two baths later, I ordered The Regulars set. Not only did her skin look calm and moisturized immediately after her first bath, the All Over Ointment cleared up her slight baby acne around week 3. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Consider this your new-mama splurge item because you’ll be wearing it a lot at home during your maternity time. This is a MUST if you’re having a baby in the fall/winter. I was shopping for a robe for months before baby was born. I don’t know why, but a good robe excited me. Let me tell you… it came in CLUTCH when I got home from the hospital and was nursing/pumping constantly. I still wear this thing every week because it’s the warmest and softest robe ever.
UPPABABY VISTA STROLLER SYSTEM
Yes, this is the Escalade of strollers. But if you play your cards right, you’ll get a good amount of gift cards for your baby shower and/or have store credit and only end up paying $150 for it like I did. But… besides the price, it’s an amazing stroller. First of all, Savannah slept so well in the bassinet from day 1 at home. Second of all, we use the bassinet to take her for walks/naps outside all the time… especially when she was a brand new newborn. Third of all, the corresponding Uppababy MESA car seat (which I also have) clicks right in… so the whole thing works effortlessly together. I get comments every time I’m out and about regarding the HUGE basket underneath for storage and it’s just so easy to use. Bonus… it expands into a double stroller if you plan on having another baby within three or four years. No regrets for this one.
You’ll see these on all the baby must have lists for good reason. They are strong, saturated and don’t irritate the skin. In the hospital, we used Pampers Sensitive… but after we got home (4 days later), I started noticing slight redness and didn’t want to take any chances. Started using our Water Wipes and the redness immediately was gone. Keep an eye out on Zulily for Water Wipes.
As a new mom, the apps I used regularly are Baby Feed Timer, Milk Maid (for pumping) and Wonder Weeks. I kept Baby Center since pregnancy because it does keep me informed with daily updates and milestones.
Baby Feed Timer is my bible, though. I track everything in there. Each bottle, each diaper, how much was breast milk/how much was formula, did she need Gripe Water, did I use probiotics, how long did she sleep… her growth. It’s endless. That’s my MVP app and one I don’t know what I’d do without.
Milk Maid (no longer using anymore) is helpful if you’re exclusively pumping. It gives you notifications/alerts/alarms on your phone when it’s time to pump again and lets you track how much you’re expressing.
Wonder Weeks has also been a life saver when you’re wondering why your baby went from happy to psychotic and it’s not farts-related :). Did you know babies have mental growth spurts in addition to physical ones? Usually, they don’t happen at the same time, either. This app helps guide you through those phases.
SleepySounds is a white noise/lullaby app that comes in clutch when you’re out in public and baby gets angry. Sometimes you forget to bring those white noise machines with you, so this is convenient to have on your phone at all times.
You’ll also see the Rest/Hatch app on here. That’ll come in my 3 month old baby must haves post 😉
Ok, wow. That was a lot to take in. I hope this is helpful and if you think it is, please share it or Pin It on Pinterest!
-Steffanie
