From a First-Time-Mom
Bringing home a baby for the first time is one of the most amazing yet tiring experiences I've ever had. Luckily we had registered or bought many things ahead of time that I found really came in handy. Some of the things here we did not have though, and I found them to be essential to the first few weeks. Especially once family leaves and you don't have help at home and do not want to venture out to the store on your own- thank god for online shopping!
These are some things I think are lifesavers as a first time mom and will certainly make sure I have for the next baby!
Some notes on my recommendations:
1. A VIDEO MONITOR
This particular monitor set is fabulous! We were on the fence about a video monitor then decided it was better if we could close the nursery door since we have cats. Although at night our 8 week old has still been sleeping in a bassinet in our room, at nap time I try to put her in her crib. This monitor has a scanning feature you can use from the video control unit and it even zooms! I can see her breathing without having to leave the living room and risk waking her!
2. WUB-A-NUB
I registered and received this gift and was so thankful to have it from the beginning. Unfortunately our baby girl wasn't crazy about pacis or binkys from the beginning, but fortunately when she did take them she liked the SOOTHIE brand, which is the type connected to the Wub-a-nubs. Not only are they adorable with the animals, but the stuffed animal helps keep the binky in their mouth, as she has grown older she can also hold onto it. It has been a savior in the car because it rests on her chest so the binky doesn't just pop out and fall somewhere!
3. A SOUND MACHINE
I actually returned a more expensive one and LOVE this one. Some say it is not loud enough, but it works for us. It has many white noise sounds, music sounds, and allows you to plug in an mp3 player or phone. It also lights up with blue light like a nightlight for baby. We keep it in our room while the baby sleeps in the bassinet. We didn't start using it until she was ~2 weeks old and it was a savior for sleeping! I know for the next baby to start using it right away!
4. FABRIC CARRYING WRAP
There are many fabric wraps out there, I do like that the Moby wrap is a sturdy cotton material. It took some warming up but now my baby girl loves being carried in this, and falls asleep. It is convenient for different kinds of carries and even breastfeeding. Again, I would start using this right away on the next baby so they get familiar with it. I waited until my little one was too big to try the breastfeeding in it.
5. INFANT TUB WITH SLING
This came recommended to me by a mom in the store, and it has been great. The first two weeks I literally washed my baby by laying her on a towel on the vanity and using a washcloth like they show you in the hospital. Again, for the future, with this tub you can just sit them in the sling and do a sponge bath. When we did get the tub she was big enough at 6 weeks to sit in the tub without the sling. It is a nice incline and the contours on the tub allow her to sit and I just hold her belly while I wash her. She loves bath time in this tub!
6. FOOTIES W/ SNAPS AND ZIPS
I packed some super cute outfits to bring my baby girl home from the hospital in, which was great, however I really didn't think about how tricky it is to get onesies over a 3 day old baby's head! The first month I rotated her snappy and zippy footies and purchased several more. They are so so much easier to dress the baby in!
7. HALO SLEEPSACK
I registered for these and ended up buying two more in the first coupe of weeks home with my baby. We had an escape artist from day one and she didn't like being swaddled in blankets. These allowed us to swaddle her safely and comfortably. She even wanted her arms out by two weeks. If we put her down in the bassinet without the swaddle sack she woke herself up very quickly, but with it she sleeps for hours now! We have a few of them since we put her in them every night.
8. CAR WINDOW SHADES
We ended up taking several car rides with our baby girl before she was even a month old, and it definitely bothered her to have the sun coming into her eyes through the window. I ordered these after a few of the car trips but they would've been great to have from the beginning! These particular ones cling and are easily moved and I liked them better than the roll down kind. Also a great bargain on Amazon!
9. NOTEBOOK!
It wasn't until about week 5 that I started wondering how mamas get their babies to sleep through the night at 6 or 8 weeks, because at that point it didn't seem like I could even get two hours still let alone 6 hours! As a career focused gal, I knew I wanted to get her on a schedule asap, so I started working on a schedule and keeping track of feedings, naps, etc. Once I decided on a schedule I wanted to put her on the notebook was essential to track day to day and got us right on track! We had a few 6 hour nights around the 7 week mark, and even some 7 hour nights just last week ~9 weeks old!
10. NURSING BRAS & TANKS
I had read to buy some nursing bras before the baby came because you don't want to have to shop for them in the first few days or weeks at home. I HIGHLY recommend this! I bought both and packed them in my hospital bag. I cant say enough about this You! Lingerie brand, they have sexy styles so we still feel like pretty mamas, and I like the Gilligan & O'Malley tanks from target. I had plenty of bras and tanks for when I came home from the hospital and it just made life so much easier for feeding!
Of course there are many other things that we had, car seat, stroller, swing, boppy, etc. But wanted to make a list of things I really didn't know would be essential until I had the experience!
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