Being Mama: Newborn Essentials

1. Fisher Price Rock'n Play Sleeper, 2. Emerald Breakfast on the go!, 3. Solly Baby Wrap, 4. Carter's Zip-Up Sleep and Play, 5. Baby Gap Onesies, 6. Baby Gap Leggings, 7. Medela Freestyle Pump, 8. Summer Infant SwaddleMe, 9. Aden+Anais Swaddle Blankets, 10. 4Moms Mamaroo

I always enjoyed looking at other people's "essential" lists when I was pregnant with Reid so I thought someone else might enjoy it too! I plan to share more of my favorites in the future.

I was (and still am) of the mindset that babies need very little. I kept our baby items to a real minimum knowing that 1) I didn't want a lot of stuff crowding our house and 2) every baby is different. One baby might adore a swing, while another loves a bouncer seat. You just never know. With that in mind, these are some examples of the things we either used and loved or things I'll make sure to have in the event of a baby #2. (Slow the heart rate there grandparents, it'll be a while.) Really, these are mostly luxuries... but still. =)

1. You may remember the story of how I insisted Reid sleep a certain way and he refused... in came the Fisher Price Rock'n Play. Dac's cousin brought us hers after two completely sleepless nights. It quite bluntly saved my sanity. Reid loved being at an incline. He napped and slept in it at night for the first six weeks. I could rock that thing in my sleep. It was perfect to have out in the family room during the day and came right up to bed height making it a great bassinet. It folds up super easy too and is lightweight so it can be quickly moved from room to room. The one we used was first generation but I see that they now come with vibrations. That might be nice but even in basic form this thing was worth its weight in gold and more!

2. I totally underestimated how much I would need to eat to feel even remotely normal. I lived off gallons of water and trail mix pouches for the first month.

3. I did not have a wrap when Reid was born. When he was a month old I was gifted the Baby K'Tan wrap off our registry. Once I tried it, I wished I'd had it from day one. I did a lot of research and the Baby K'Tan got excellent ratings for ease of use. I think I would have loved it minus the fact I think I got the wrong size. So - with that in mind, I'd probably get something stretchy and one-size next time. Your body changes so much during those first few weeks anyway. I've read a lot of good things about the Solly Wrap. It looks similar to the popular Moby wrap. I haven't done my research to really know the difference. Regardless, being able to go about life with both hands again was wonderful.

4. I was told to stock up on sleepers and yet still seemed to acquire more onesies than anything. We definitely used both but those sleepers (I found the zip ones to be more convenient), especially those first weeks were so nice. They made for a comfy, warm baby and allowed for quicker diaper changes. Also, it's a complete outfit all-in-one but at the very least, I'd pack a couple of these in the diaper bag for the inevitable blowout. On another note, everyone says to not worry about buying much in newborn size and since we expected a pretty good size baby (toward the end at least), we didn't. Reid was fairly big but still needed newborn size at first. Couple that with the weight loss at first and the need to do laundry almost constantly... I wished we had more. My go-to brands were Children's Place, Carter's, and even a few of the softer ones at good ol' Wal-Mart for $5! Anyway, sleepers - a new parent's friend - get some. =)

5 & 6. These were some of my first "oh my goodness, we're having a baby, I want to shop!" purchases. =) I ordered a 3-pack of long sleeve onesies and a pair of these super soft leggings during a good sale when I first found out I was pregnant. They were so tiny and so soft. The onesies have nice big head holes which made it easier to dress our big-headed little guy and the leggings are form fitting without being tight. Most pants I bought him were super baggy and barely stayed on. These fit his little skinny legs perfectly and even have a drawstring. Side note: These are the only things I've bought him from Gap! I have a hard time bringing myself to pay the prices. They really are such good quality though and still look brand spankin' new. Oh, and while we're on the topic of clothing - little newborn gowns came in quite handy too. They made diaper changes super fast!

7. For breastfeeding, a good quality pump is such a help. For pumping exclusively like I did, it's a definite must. I don't think you can really go wrong with a Medela pump. My friend Cori graciously offered to let me borrow her Pump-In-Style. It was a great pump and really saved us some dough! Plus it lasted through several rounds of exclusive pumping (between Cori and me, plus a couple other people who borrowed it for a bit too...) so you know it holds up. If there's a next time, I may consider splurging on the Freestyle in case I end up having to pump so much again. Side note: She also let me borrow her manual pump which I loved - especially as I got into more of a routine. It was great to take in the car or on quick errands. Other side note: It's great to have a couple extra sets of parts and bottles so you're not constantly standing over the sink washing things. Learned that lesson the hard way!

8. I was convinced I'd be an awesome swaddle-master and planned to use Aden+Anais blankets to do just that. Confession: I was tired and found these wraps to be far more convenient and secure. We used both the SwaddleMe and the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle (not pictured) and loved them both. I'd say we used the SwaddleMe more when he was itty bitty and the Sleepsack Swaddle more as he grew. He loved being all cozy and secure in a swaddle. He loved to be held tight too. He must have been used to cramp living quarters. ;)

9. Even though my swaddle skills were sub-par, I used the heck out my Aden+Anais muslin blankets and still do! I used them as a nursing cover, carseat cover, changing pad, and lots more. Now, Reid uses them as his crib blanket. They are huge, soft, breathable, and I can't recommend them enough! They are my go-to baby gift for other moms (they were even before I became a mom too). Side note: I also loved the feeder bibs they make. They are multi-layered muslin fabric and are very absorbent which is great for all that milk the baby sloshes about. They're also big and have an adjustable neck strap. I'll still put one on Reid occasionally.

10. Ah... the crown jewel... the Mamaroo. This was still fairly new-ish when I was doing my baby product shopping and research. For one thing, I didn't even register for a swing because I knew so many babies didn't care for them. Plus, they take up so much room and aren't usually super stylish. Needless to say, I was not about to pay for this contraption. Oh sweet naive Alisha. Bless your heart. We weren't two weeks in when I was dreaming of this thing. It's a sorta-swing but moves in various ways to mimic the way a parent moves, a car ride, kangaroo, etc... all the ways babies like to be soothed. Why oh why did I try to be frugal and practical? I'm certain this would have been well worth the roo-lah. (See what I did there... funny.) =) There are plenty of things worth skimping on or skipping altogether when bringing home a newborn. I say anything that helps you get rest is not one of those things. =)

Other items I loved but didn't list above are:

Tommee Tippee milk feeder bibs. These are great for the wee ones and have a padded collar to help soak up the milk drool. That keeps baby's neck and clothes dry. Winning.

The old school pre-fold cloth diapers. They make the perfect burp cloths. Get several. Feeling crafty? Sew some pretty fabric onto the middle section. Better yet, find a friend who will do it for you. ;)

The little packs of Carter's socks you can buy at Wal-Mart. They were white with colored toes/heels. These were the only socks that would really stay on his feet. Of course, every baby is different, but I've heard lots of moms say this. They're nothing fancy but they're great.

A comfy, supportive seat. I breastfed but even if I hadn't, I spent lots of time holding Reid. I chose a recliner in the family room but any glider/rocker/etc... would be ok too. That's just what worked for me. I liked having Netflix and Hulu at my disposal. =)

Humidifier and/or sound machine. With Reid being born in the winter, the humidifier was quite handy. It also provided white noise which was very soothing for Reid. When the temperature warmed up, we switched to a sound machine. Now, we're back to the humidifier but I think Reid would be fine with no white noise at this point.

These aren't really newborn essentials, but like the snacks I showed above, they were essential to helping me function. I never got real excited about my nursing bras but loved nursing tanks. I had a few but honestly, the ones from Wal-Mart were my fav's. Shout out to Kayla for recommending those. I wore them everyday. They served as my bra for the first six months. They were soft, long, and easy to unsnap.