I remember when I was pregnant and spent countless hours at night searching the web for information about new baby necessities to help myself feel prepared for what was to come. The beauty about technology these days is the unlimited amount of information available, but unfortunately that's also the down fall. During pregnancy and my first few weeks of motherhood I cannot even begin to count how many times I googled something to make sure I was doing it right and then seconded guess myself because of what I read online. Here's a couple real, honest tips before we dive into my favs:
- No matter how much you read or how much stuff you have, you're not going to be prepared for the change you're about to experience. I know that sounds scary but that is the beauty of it all. Becoming a Mom is everything I expected and so much more. I love it and embrace the crazy, stressful and exhausting moments but I also thought I was prepared. Nothing can prepare you for the emotions your heart will feel and it's truly the most wonderful thing in the world.
- Despite whatever you've read, even this list, all you need for that baby is formula if you choose not to breastfeed, some bottles, a whole lot of love and some diapers and wipes. You do NOT need a fancy schmancy $400 baby swing, or a wipe warmer, or a baby spa. BUT if you want those things than get them! My favorite part about motherhood is that we all get to do it how WE want and that's the best way. Do what's right for your family but don't be overwhelmed by everything you'll see at your local baby store, you really don't need a lot to properly care for your little one.
- Swing. Grace LOVED our swing and I was lucky enough to have a friend who had one sitting in her garage and is letting us use it. Swings can be pretty expensive and not every baby likes them so if possible wait until baby is here and see if you have a friend or family member who has one collecting dust in their garage.
- Boppy. Seriously, don't become a Mother without having one of these, or some sort of other nursing pillow. Even if you're not going to nurse, they making bottle feeding easier, holding the baby in the middle of the night when you're exhausted easier, and they're perfect for propping baby up or for tummy time!
- Sound machine. I feel like this is the only thing I didn't know to get, despite all of my pre-baby reading. The first night we had Grace up stairs in her bassinet next to us she had a really tough time falling asleep. We both quickly realized it was due to the lack of noise. Babies spend 9 months inside Momma's tummy where there is a ton of noise and then they come out where it's again very noisy but then we expect them to sleep in complete silence! Here's the one we have and we still use it nightly!
- Feeding App. Much like the boppy pillow, download some sort of app (here's what I used) before you head to the hospital. As much as you think you'll remember which side you nursed on last or even what time they last nursed or had a bottle, you won't. Trust me. Those first few weeks are a blur and sometimes I wasn't even sure if I remembered my name.
- Video monitor. We love that we can always see our little one as she sleeps peacefully and I feel like it really helped me with the transition from sleeping next to our bed to sleeping in her crib in the next room. Here's the one we picked after talking to a few baby store employees and reading reviews. It's affordable and probably my two favorite features are the ability to zoom and being able to talk to through the monitor. I can just hear myself saying "Grace it's time for a nap" as she gets older and refuses! ;)
- Blooming Bath. Am I the only new parent who thinks the bath is totally terrifying? Seriously I think jumping out of a plane would be less scary than those first few baths. The bath petal definitely helped alleviate those fears and Grace LOVED it!
- Burp rags. LOTS and LOTS of burp rags. You can purchase them, but if you know someone with a sewing machine they're super easy to make. And, if your infant is anything like my daughter, they'll come in handy for more than one reason!
- Butt paste. I'll let you guess why that's important. We loved this kind and still use it. It helped fight off some diaper rash while Grace was a few weeks old and has kept it at bay ever since!
- Pacifier. We were told at the hospital that we shouldn't give our daughter a pacifier until she's at least 4 weeks old or it may affect her latch. Well about 9 days into motherhood I caved. She needed something for comfort and we had no issue with her latch. Here's our favorite kind, but I suggest having a couple on hand because you never know which one your baby will like.
- Bumbo seat. We love this seat, and it's so great for when your little one gets tired of laying on their tummy or back and wants to feel more independent. It also allows you to get a little more done. We were lucky enough to buy ours from a friend so we saved a lot of money. You can really do that with most of these things, for example we borrowed our swing from my friend Megan, saving us at least $150! Note in this picture Grace was on the counter on her seat which I'm sure is frowned upon but we were standing right there the ENTIRE time. As with anything, you shouldn't leave your baby unattended! ;)
- COFFEE. LOTS and LOTS of coffee. If you are breastfeeding or want to breastfeed there are lots who say this is a no-no. And I know there are a million articles online of why you shouldn't drink coffee, but remember what I said above. Do what's right for YOU. I was really good about not drinking it while pregnant but let me tell you a little secret. When you haven't slept in 2 weeks, your baby is crying, you haven't showered, and you're wearing clothes that got spit up on (yesterday but don't tell anyone), you will need and want coffee. Talk to your husband or significant other and tell him one of his jobs during those first few weeks is to make sure you're properly caffeinated. Now there is a disclaimer here, and that's because caffeine affects every Mom and baby differently so watch for signs that it makes your baby gassy, or perhaps keeps them up at night because NO one wants that! I'm lucky and my little one doesn't seem to care if we have coffee in the morning or not!
What did I forget? What would you add to the list for Moms to be?
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