#TheMommyDiaries: My Top 25 Essentials For New Moms

 

#TheMommyDiaries: My Top 25 Essentials For New Moms

All baby items are not created equal! There are many items that are just not worth your money, and others that you can’t live without as a new mommy. Here are my top 25 essentials for new moms.

1. Boppy pillow – One of my hubby’s friends gave us a boppy pillow, along with a ton of other baby essentials. This is something that I use every day, and can not live without!! It makes it very easy, and comfy to feed the baby, or just lounge with the baby on your lap.

2. A&D ointment – This is great to protect your baby’s bum from diaper rash, and can also be used to heal dry skin, rashes, cuts, etc. It’s an all around awesome product!

3. Diapers – This is quite obvious. We’ve been using Pampers Swaddlers diapers so far. Partially because that’s what they used in the hospital, and we left the hospital with a TON of these diapers. But they are also very popular among moms everywhere.

4. Baby Wipes – Go ahead and take a trip to Costco or BJ’s for these, because you’re going to need a LOT of them!! I like the Babyganics brand, that’s what we use.

5. Nursing cover – I received one of these as a gift from one of my wonderful mommy friends, and it has definitely come in handy. I’m one of those moms that will breastfeed my child any time, and any where! If my child is hungry, I’m going to feed her. So a nursing cover is a must-have, so that you can feel comfortable, and modestly feed your baby on demand.

6. Bassinet – Our bassinet has been perfect with a newborn baby because you want to have the baby close to you, in your room, but not necessarily in your bed (unless you’ve chosen to co-sleep). It’s a nice cozy place for the baby to sleep, it doesn’t take up too much space, and it allows you to hold off on buying a crib for a little while. Ours plays music and has a cute little mobile as well, which our daughter really enjoys (at least for a little while lol).

7. Onesies – Babies live in onesies like women in NYC live in all black and heels! You can never have too many onesies.

8. Swaddle blankets – Newborns and swaddling go hand-in-hand. They love that warm, snug, cozy feeling that mimics how they felt in the womb. You can buy swaddle blankets that are already made for you to swaddle your baby in one easy step. Or, you can use any blanket to swaddle your baby from scratch, on your own. I was initially intimidated by the idea of swaddling our baby with a regular blanket, but the nurses at the hospital gave me a great crash course, and with some practice, I quickly mastered it. I’m sure that you can too!

9. Baby carrier – There are soooo many options for baby carriers out there, it can be overwhelming. I’ll tell you what has worked for us. One of my friends gave as a Baby Bjorn carrier, which my hubby really likes, and uses when he carries our daughter. I’ve been using my Boba wrap baby carrier mostly, because it’s comfy for me and the baby, and easy for me to take her out of it quickly, in order to breastfeed. I have an Ergobaby baby carrier on the way, that my mom bought for me, so I’m looking forward to using that too! It is pretty much the standard when it comes to baby carriers, based on my research online.

10. Diaper bag – I don’t know about you, but I like to look cute at all times lol, so a dumpy, traditional diaper bag was just not going to work for me, period! I actually ended up with more than one diaper bag (not surprising). The one that I bought looks like a designer handbag (click here to see it), but it’s actually a diaper bag, which is awesome. I also have another fabulous diaper bag that a friend gave to me by Bumkins (click here to see it) that is a little more traditional, but still quite cute, and it’s the one that I’ve been using the most lately. It’s great for running errands or shopping. I’ll break out my designer-style bag once I start going out to more places besides the local Whole Foods, and doctor’s appointments lol.

11. A breast pump (plus breast milk storage bags and Dr. Brown’s natural flow bottles) – If you’re breastfeeding, and ever hope to be able to go out for a few hours, sans baby, or you will be returning to work outside of the home at some point, a breast pump is a must! I was gifted the Medela pump and style electric breast pump by my sister-in-law, so that’s what I’ve been using. Although, I have heard some pretty strong arguments and great reviews for manual pumps too. Choose what works best for you. Whichever kind you choose, be sure to do your research, read the reviews online, and be okay with spending a substantial amount of money for it. However, under the Affordable Care Act, you should be able to get a breast pump at no cost, if you have insurance.

12. Changing pad liner – These can be placed under your changing pad cover, and on top of it as well. They’re great because they can catch those mess-ups that happen while changing your little one’s diaper. They protect your changing pad cover, so you can go longer without washing it, because it’s not getting soiled every day.

13. Sleep sack – These are great for the baby because they’re comfy, but also great for you because it makes those late night diaper changes much easier. No one wants to be unbuttoning a onesie in the dark, at 3 am when you’re half asleep!

14. Aquaphor – A newborn baby’s skin is very sensitive, and also peels a lot, and goes through a lot of interesting changes, especially during those early days, and weeks. This works really well for helping to heal your baby’s skin, reduce peeling, and make it nice and smooth and moisturized.

15. Gripe water – This is for that thing that every new parent is frightened of: Colic! Not a fun time! If you have a colicky baby, or your baby has gas, or hiccups a lot, gripe water is something that you want to have on hand. It’s safe for your newborn, and can really help to calm the baby, and relieve colic and other gastrointestinal issues.

16. Tri-vi-sol – Most doctors will recommend that you use this supplement to ensure that your baby is getting enough Vitamin D, particularly for breastfeeding moms. But it also includes Vitamins A and C. The applicator makes it very easy to give to your baby, and luckily, our daughter seems to actually like the taste of it as well. Yay!

17. Baby wash/lotion – Once your baby’s umbilical cord falls off, and you’re cleared to give them a bath, you’ll want to have some sort of body wash and lotion made especially for baby’s sensitive skin. I’ve been using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Head-To-Toe baby wash/shampoo, and lotion, and I love it! It’s all natural, and smells really sweet!

18. Hand sanitizer – Germs are not your friend, especially when you have a newborn. I bought a HUGE bottle of hand sanitizer for our home while I was pregnant, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about possibly forgetting to buy it later. With family and friends coming over that may want to hold your baby, this is particularly important, so that you feel comfortable handing the baby over to them.

19. Hooded towels – These are great for when you’re taking your little one out of the bath, to help keep them warm and snuggly while they’re wet, before you dry them off, and massage them with lotion.

20. Prenatal vitamins – It is recommended for new moms to continue to take your prenatal vitamins even after you have the baby, to ensure that you’re getting the proper nutrients. So don’t break that routine just yet. Also, don’t switch over to your old multi-vitamin just yet either. It doesn’t have as many of the key amounts of nutrients you need for your body, particularly folic acid, and Vitamin B12.

21. Infant seat – When you need both of your hands, but don’t necessarily want to put your baby down in his/her bassinet, an infant seat is the perfect solution. Plus, the vibrations and music that comes with most infant seats can keep your newborn entertained, and soothe them when they’re a little fussy too.

22. Nail file – Baby’s have some serious nails which they can use to scratch themselves, and you too! Be sure to file your baby’s nails regularly (stay away from nail clippers though, their skin and nails are attached, so nail clippers aren’t very safe in the early months).

23. Car seat – Whether you own a car or not, you will need a car seat in order to take your baby home from the hospital. Also, using your car seat with your stroller in the early months works well because it keeps the baby nice and snuggled and cozy. If you do drive, it’s ideal for transporting your baby to and fro in the stroller.

24. A stroller – Get ready to do some serious research in order to determine the best stroller for your family. There are a plethora of options out there, but at the end of the day, you have to choose one that makes the most sense for your lifestyle. If you live in the city like us, you want something that’s going to be lightweight, easy to collapse, and strong enough to navigate through the city streets. After much research, we went with the Uppababy Cruz, and we love it!

25. Burp cloths/Wash cloths – Babies spit up and drool a lot, so burp cloths are something that you will use all day every day! I’ve found that certain types of wash cloths (organic cotton ones are my favorite) work really well for use as a burp cloth, in addition to a wash cloth.

 

 One more thing….

Don’t forget to stay hydrated mommies! Hopefully, you already established a pretty consistent habit of drinking water while you were pregnant. But either way, you should keep a water bottle close by, and drink LOTS of water throughout the day. It helps with your milk supply (if you’re breastfeeding), and just keeps you hydrated as you approach daily life as a new mom with minimal sleep, and lots of things to do each day.

 

What are your new mommy essentials?

I’m sure that you can think of a number of items to add to this list, so feel free to post them in the comments section below.

Have a question? Post it in the comments section, and I’ll be happy to answer your question! 🙂

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