On my blog I have both a pre-baby/prior to arrival list and then I posted about the things I used/hated the first seven weeks of his life. The link is in my siggy---it's probably easier to than me retyping!!
For baby: rock n play sleeper, swaddling blanket (I preferd the swaddleme when she was little, and now the miracle blanket since she got bigger), gripe water for hiccups/gas/colic
for mom: plenty of pads and underwear. Soak pads with witch hazel and freeze. Also old towels to put down where you sit/sleep in case you leak through. Disposable breast pads-you will need these if you BF or FF. If you FF you will just need a small pack.
if you are BF, plenty of little snacks to munch on because you won't have a lot of time to eat, and BF makes you very hungry and thirsty. The tap water in my town is horrendous, and I was going through about 9-10 bottles of water per day.
STEAL THE HOSPITAL-ISSUED NASAL ASPIRATOR!!! And if you can take two, do it! Even ask for another because you "lost" the first two!!You cannot buy one better than what they have in the hospital.
Gas Drops (Mylacon, but generic will do!)
Little Noses Saline Drops
Aquaphor (the ABSOLUTE BEST diaper area ointment)
SwaddleMe's (We also use the Miracle Blanket since LO's now bigger)
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Since you'll be having your baby in the summer, I recommend getting Aden & Anais muslin swaddling blankets from Target. They are the HUGE breathable kind that a novice swaddler can use with no problems since they're nice and big.
Mylicon (gas drops) was a life saver for me as well as Gripe water for when LO is having tummy issues.
I would read up on GERD or baby acid reflux just so you know to look for the symptoms. I never knew what it was until my LO started acting up with all the signs for it. I could have prevented it much earlier instead of letting him suffer.
Baby washcloths - I use alot of these for his baby puke and general wiping of his face, hands, etc!!
Saline drop - get the ones with the mister. It is really hard to use if you have to tilt the baby's head back and drip a couple drops when he's screaming his lungs out
Nasal aspirator - I actually prefer the clear tip ones where I can see what I've suctioned out. The hospital grade ones are fine too. Some folks prefer the "snort sucker" type
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One thing that I over-purchased was HUGE pads. I kept reading posts from women who claimed they used Depends or the largest pads available because they bled so much, but by the time I left the hospital (where the bleeding was really heavy, but they provided pads and underwear) I could wear regular absorbency pads without any leaks. The huge package of Always Overnights is still sitting in my medicine cabinet!
Married to my best friend 6/5/10
BFP #1 9/7/10, EDD 5/14/11, Violet born 5/27/11.
BFP #2 4/9/12, EDD 12/16/12, M/C Rory 4/24/12.
BFP #3 10/6/12, EDD 6/16/12., Matilda born 6/17/13.
Tucks medicated wipes for hemmrhoids. I would also suggest stool softeners and /or suppositories. I had a c/s so I was horribly constipated afterwards. The nurses suggested we buy some suppositories because the stool softeners weren't working. I am glad they did. With KY jelly they weren't hard to use and I got relief within 30 minutes.
Disposable plates, cups and silverware. You will be horribly tired and exhausted and the last thing you will want to do is do dishes.
Easy to make meals for those days you won't feel like cooking.
Re: Must Have List for When You Come Home
For baby: rock n play sleeper, swaddling blanket (I preferd the swaddleme when she was little, and now the miracle blanket since she got bigger), gripe water for hiccups/gas/colic
for mom: plenty of pads and underwear. Soak pads with witch hazel and freeze. Also old towels to put down where you sit/sleep in case you leak through. Disposable breast pads-you will need these if you BF or FF. If you FF you will just need a small pack.
if you are BF, plenty of little snacks to munch on because you won't have a lot of time to eat, and BF makes you very hungry and thirsty. The tap water in my town is horrendous, and I was going through about 9-10 bottles of water per day.
STEAL THE HOSPITAL-ISSUED NASAL ASPIRATOR!!! And if you can take two, do it! Even ask for another because you "lost" the first two!!You cannot buy one better than what they have in the hospital.
Gas Drops (Mylacon, but generic will do!)
Little Noses Saline Drops
Aquaphor (the ABSOLUTE BEST diaper area ointment)
SwaddleMe's (We also use the Miracle Blanket since LO's now bigger)
I could not live without these four things:
Mommy's Bliss gas drops
Rock and Play sleeper
Swaddler
Gumdrop pacifier
Since you'll be having your baby in the summer, I recommend getting Aden & Anais muslin swaddling blankets from Target. They are the HUGE breathable kind that a novice swaddler can use with no problems since they're nice and big.
Mylicon (gas drops) was a life saver for me as well as Gripe water for when LO is having tummy issues.
I would read up on GERD or baby acid reflux just so you know to look for the symptoms. I never knew what it was until my LO started acting up with all the signs for it. I could have prevented it much earlier instead of letting him suffer.
Baby washcloths - I use alot of these for his baby puke and general wiping of his face, hands, etc!!
Saline drop - get the ones with the mister. It is really hard to use if you have to tilt the baby's head back and drip a couple drops when he's screaming his lungs out
Nasal aspirator - I actually prefer the clear tip ones where I can see what I've suctioned out. The hospital grade ones are fine too. Some folks prefer the "snort sucker" type
BFP #1 9/7/10, EDD 5/14/11, Violet born 5/27/11.
BFP #2 4/9/12, EDD 12/16/12, M/C Rory 4/24/12.
BFP #3 10/6/12, EDD 6/16/12., Matilda born 6/17/13.
Tucks medicated wipes for hemmrhoids. I would also suggest stool softeners and /or suppositories. I had a c/s so I was horribly constipated afterwards. The nurses suggested we buy some suppositories because the stool softeners weren't working. I am glad they did. With KY jelly they weren't hard to use and I got relief within 30 minutes.
Disposable plates, cups and silverware. You will be horribly tired and exhausted and the last thing you will want to do is do dishes.
Easy to make meals for those days you won't feel like cooking.
We prefer the nosefrida w/saline drops.
We took the chux pads from the hospital. Those are the big absorbent pads they put underneath laboring women. We ended up with two of them.
some moms swear by a white noise machine - ie Fisher Price Seahorse, Sleep Sheep
I was starving while nursing - I craved Special K. Like pp said, have plenty of snacks that you can eat one-handed. And a bunch of easy to make meals.
ditto on Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water, and simethicone gas drops (generic Mylicon.)
For yourself, I would suggest the following:
Pads, pads and more pads. I am on my fourth package of Always Infinity Overnights.
Large underwear for pads.
Soft toilet paper.
Tucks, regardless of whether you have hemorrhoids.
Stool softener.
Nipple cream and breast pads if you're planning to BF. Relatedly, a few nursing bras.