Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Almost time for baby! Advice...what can you not live without?
Hi Ladies!
My baby will be here any day now...the nursery is all set, hospital bag is ready, I'm good to go! I'm wondering, in those first weeks of motherhood, what could you not live without? I want to make sure I am fully prepared! It's my first baby so any advice at all for getting through the first few weeks/months is welcome 
A.
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Re: Almost time for baby! Advice...what can you not live without?
I love my itsbeen timer! I didn't have it with DS but it's been awesome to keep track of my feedings, diapers, sleep etc. I still write it all down on a chart (paper/pencil) but the timer makes it TONS easier!
A swing/bouncy seat is a great thing to have when you need a safe place to put baby down while you have something to eat or whatever. While many moms will tell you to get a Moby wrap or some other kind of carrier, you may have to try out several before you find one that works for you and baby, if at all.
Just remember to relax! As long as the baby has a safe place to sleep, clothes on his back, a full belly and a clean diaper, the only other thing he'll need is plenty of mommy snuggles and he'll turn out just fine.
Good luck and congrats!
YES! The rock and play sleeper has been a life safer too!!
I second this. We're still using it at almost 4 months.
Carina 12.28.2010 | Aurelia 9.23.12 | Chart - Round 3
Twin boys born too early at 17w4d and 18w2d in February 2010
Transabdominal cerclage placed September 2010
DS born at 35w1d in February 2011
Twin girls born at exactly 36w in February 2013
Braydon 1.23.09
Rock n' Play since LO hated the bassinet. My breastpump since I was so engorged when my milk came in. A notebook to keep track of feedings. Water and snacks next to my bed at night. Oh, and a supportive husband because the first week home was a huge adjustment!
GL!
I agree with the aden + anais swaddle blankets - they are awesome!
Ok so some of those you might not need in the first couple weeks - but these are things I have found to be SUPER helpful!
Good luck with your delivery - you're going to love being a mommy!
if you have a two story home set up a small changing area in the living/famil;y room so you don't have to trudge upstairs every couple of hours. We used our PnP.
Swing is a definite in our house.
Make sure you have lots of snacks and drinks. With DS I would set up a tray table every morning next to the couch and I would put the house phone, my cell phone, tv remote and a drink on the table and then on the couch next to me was my boppy with a bib and some burp clothes.
My favorites are:
aden + anais swaddle blankets,
cloth diapers,
easy to eat/prepare snacks,
and most importantly (for me) a bouncy seat!
For you- Quick Breakfast foods and healthy late night snacks for you (kept where you breastfeed), bottles of water for you, magazines where ever you will BF
For Baby- rock and play, newborn clothes (everyone said we wouldn't need much but DD was born 7.1 and we used them for 6 weeks), infant tylenol (this is for the 8 wk shots we didn't have any and had to buy it with a screaming infant), formula for emergencies (we EBF, but the 3rd day before my milk came in we needed to suppliment one bottle due to weight lost, I was glad we had some), an idea of a professional photographer if that's important to you
HTH
The Rock and Play
Soothies pacifiers
A+A swaddling blankets
A changing pad with lots of covers
Carters sleep and play
Swaddle Me - I can never swaddle her or keep her swaddled in a regular receiving blanket, these work great!
Sleep gowns, so much easier when it's cold to stick it on over a onesie, it makes diaper changing so much easier than when she has pants on
newborn clothes and diapers, she is 8.7 lbs and still in newborn sizes. we had to go out an dbuy more because we didn't think she would need them
We have a changing pad cover and waterproof covers that lie on top of that. I have like 10 waterproof covers, which is perfect because there are frequent accidents and I can just change them out and don't have to wash it right away. Plus if the cover gets dirty, I can just change her on those until cover gets washed.
Good luck!
My own mother! I called her on more than one occasion in tears, and she rushed right over to help. No one really warned me about the extreme levels of exhaustion from never never sleeping. Also helpful:
Aden + Anais swaddling wraps
Cloth wipes--cleans the baby WAY better than disposable. We just use Circo washcloths from Target.
A good pump--we had issues, though.
My Breast Friend
Water bottle for you.
Snacks in the house like granola bars for those times when you don't have time to eat.
Footie pajamas for LO. Socks do not stay on a newborn. And his feet were always cold.
Pack & Play so he could nap in the great room.
Dog bones to distract our furbabies
Moby wrap
Coconut oil for your nipples
Food in the freezer.
BFP#1 "Watermelon" born 3/2011
BFP#2 "Pumpkin" 7/14/12 ~ EDD 3/23/13 ~ Natural M/C 8/3/12 @ 7 weeks
BFP#3 "Pineapple" born 4/2013
BFP#4 "Grapefruit" EDD 3/29/16
Things I use every day:
- Boppy
- Blankets
- Burp cloths
- Onesies/sleepers
- Diapers/wipes (obviously)
- Swing
- Baby Care app (something to keep track of feedings & diaper changes)
Things I don't use every day but are certainly useful when I do:
- Carseat (obviously)
- Beco baby carrier or Moby wrap
- Nursing cover
- Diaper bag
- Stroller
That's it for baby!
Things for me:
- Flushable feminine wipes
- Tucks pads
- Nursing bras
- Nursing camis
- Comfy lounge clothes
- Lots and lots of maxi pads
- Hydrogel pads (in case of sore nips)
- And eventually, a breast pump
Matthew Kevin
7/31/83-7/20/11
Met 1/8/00
Engaged 4/21/06
Married 9/29/07
Two beautiful legacies: Noah Matthew (2 yrs) and Chloe Marcella (8 mos)
Day Three
This, and I would like to add you should take the squirt bottle the hospital gives you. I used this to cleanse my vag area after changing pads and using the restroom for about 4 or 5 weeks. I was sore for that long, though you might not be. If you have some tearing, you may need a "donut" to sit on as well for the first week. I'm surprised no one mentioned these things.
swaddle blankets- sooo much easier than using a blanket, especially at 2am when you just changed their diaper and need to reswaddle. I bought some from Summer Infant at Target that open separately from the bottom to change LO without waking him up all the time.
waterproof pads- we used (and still do) these for everything! Great on the changing table, especially for runny poop, and great for lap pads, under sheets to keep the mattress clean, pretty much everything
boppy pillow- this will save your back and arms, especially if you breastfeed. Later it works great as a place to prop up LO.
giant water bottle, or 4! Like a pp said, your mouth can get really dry if you breastfeed, and it's hard to remember to run to the kitchen and get a glass of water when you are sooo busy.
cloth wipes- I hated the disposable ones, and cloth wipes work way better.
sleep n plays- of all the cute clothes we have our little guy practically lives in these, since they are easy to change diapers, and he just seemed comfier and happier in them
Make a pregnancy ticker
Things we use CONSTANTLY: