What Are THE Essential Goods for a New Mom

LakeR2014 · January 2016

Taking @Kimmy717 question and turning it into a thread, as I've been thinking/wanting to ask the same thing:

"Can any experienced mamas recommend what is REALLY needed when baby arrives? I really don't want to invest in unnecessary items just because some book says i NEED them. And I don't want to clutter my house with junk i will never use. TIA!!!"

I'd really love to know what you thought you absolutely needed before you had your first, and what you realized you absolutely needed after having a baby. Any specific brands or names you recommend over others?

verdouxkai · January 2016

To be honest, even though it's a bit pricey, the mamaroo was a lifesaver! Like I said over in the other thread, we spent so much time and money setting up a nursery, then besides the changing table hardly used it for the first 7-8 months. DD spent her nights in the mamaroo in our bedroom, and also for naptime. It has all kinds of different motions to soothe the baby, plus build in music and white noise. It worked (for her) like a charm. If you want to put off buying new bedroom/nursery furniture, you can get that or something similar and wait 6 months or so.

TheTamedShrew · January 2016

diapers, wipes, diaper cream, swaddling blankets, onesies, co-sleeper, swing, baby bathtub, stroller, car seat, baby monitor/camera. I really liked sleep sacks or swaddling sleepers too, but my DD would never keep her arms in a swaddle. And boobs. Boobs were the most important thing.

I thought I needed a boppy, but never used it once. DD never really spit up so I didn't need burp cloths either. She also never took a pacifier. I didn't use a diaper bin either. We just threw pee diapers in the regular trash, and threw the poop ones in the outside trash. May consider cloth diapering this time around. I also plan to use baby carriers/wraps more this time around.

Kimmy717 · January 2016

Thanks @LakeR2014 !! I really have been dying to know what you experienced mamas recommend!

lovelylauren86 · January 2016

verdouxkai said:
To be honest, even though it's a bit pricey, the mamaroo was a lifesaver! Like I said over in the other thread, we spent so much time and money setting up a nursery, then besides the changing table hardly used it for the first 7-8 months. DD spent her nights in the mamaroo in our bedroom, and also for naptime. It has all kinds of different motions to soothe the baby, plus build in music and white noise. It worked (for her) like a charm. If you want to put off buying new bedroom/nursery furniture, you can get that or something similar and wait 6 months or so.

The motor died on mine and because it was over a year old they wouldn't warranty it. My mom got it for my sister but she only used it for a few weeks so it was practically unused

PSUBecky23 · January 2016

You are going to get a huge range of answers because, cliché advice ahead, every baby and mom are different. Initially, all you really need isn't much - a car seat, clothes, diapers, wipes, a place for baby to sleep (which was the rock and play for us, she didn't sleep in the crib for months) and bottles/formula if you're not breastfeeding. If you're breastfeeding, lanolin and gel soothies. I also never used the boppy for breastfeeding but it was great for tummy time and later for when she was learning to sit up. We used both the swing and bouncer but my daughter liked both. Many babies don't like either. I would also recommend a baby carrier - we loved the k'tan for the newborn days. My daughter loved the comfort of being close to me and I loved having my hands free. You will be gifted a million receiving blankets - they're great for burp cloths.

For myself after delivery, the hospital gave me almost everything I needed - sexy mesh underwear, the pain reliever spray, giant pads, etc. Make sure you have stool softener ready to go at home.

I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting, but honestly, the initial month or so, you really don't need much.

PSUBecky23 · January 2016

Also, check out luceislist.com. Tons of reviews on all of the essentials, as well as a great registry guide.

0SeaMonkey0 · January 2016

Hmmm, I'm sure I will come up with more things over time, but here's an off the top of my head list for baby AND Mom:

For mom:
Surprisingly one of the best things anyone sent us was a fruit/food basket. We had dinners frozen ahead, but without that basket I have no idea what we would have done for lunches and snacks
- healthy snacks. I was starving all the time
- oatmeal, dark beer, lactation cookies, Mama's milk tea, Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle so you can feel like you're doing everything possible to bring your milk in. This will be your #1 obsession for the first few days.
- a quiet, private, comfortable place to breastfeed. Your house will probably be busy at first and you need a place you can retreat to breastfeed in those first days when everything is so new
- a few pairs of bigger pants for that awkward time between maternity pants and pre-pregnancy pants. I bought some jeans 2 sizes up from the thrift store.
- take the DVD "The Happiest Baby on the Block" out of your local library and watch it with your SO and/or family. It will make you feel so well equipped to deal with a newborn's cries!!!

For baby:

- head/neck support, blanket and mirror for the car seat. That first drive home is the worst.
- hats- DS had a low body temp after birth and wore hats all the time for the first little while
- slippers (like Robeez) baby socks don't stay on so they need a little slipper to keep their socks on and their feet warm!
- lots of receiving blankets- DS was so tiny he leaked out of every diaper and a receiving blanket was a must for anyone holding him
- newborn sized clothes- buy them from somewhere you can return them because some babies are born big and never wear newborn, but we had to go out shopping because all the 0-3 month clothes were way too bog!!
- formula samples, just in case
- an easily movable bassinet. newborns sleep so much and we liked being able to move him around and have him sleep wherever we were and not in a room. We liked him to be nearby.
- a change table. Some people say they never use them but I don't get that. We use ours all the time!!! We had it in the living room for the first few weeks them moved it into the nursery.
- if you have a bigger/multi-storey house, a portable diaper changing kit (bucket of some sort with the essentials) is really awesome.
- baby-safe laundry detergent and stain remover
- stroller
- swaddlers or muslin blankets

Things you will need soon so might as well get right away:
- an activity mat, preferably one that will help promote tummy time
- some kind of swing or bouncer
- carrier
- baby bath, soap, wash clothes and towels
- a nursing cover

Things you do not need right away and/or are a total waste:
- books and toys
- exersaucer/jumperoo/jolly jumper
- play yard
- pee pee teepees (for boys- they don't work)
- burp cloths (too small, use a receiving blanket if you've got a puker)
- crib
- monitor

backoffunicorn · January 2016

I vote no on the mamaroo. Some babies love it and some hate it. My LO was in between. Some days she loved it and others she didn't. I'd just go with a swing. If you're planning on walking a ton, invest in a good stroller. We're in the city so I have a bugaboo and a summer infant umbrella stroller for traveling. There's a huge difference between the two it honestly depends on whether you're city living or not as to what kind of stroller you get.

@0SeaMonkey0 did a good job laying things out. I'd say the nursing cover is up to you. You can try using a swaddle blanket first to see if your LO will even eat with a cover. Also,I never had a problem with baby socks staying on. I'd also get a few burp cloths, I used them for everything. I didn't use my receiving blankets as much.

mamajen10414 · January 2016

Like PP said, every baby and mom are different. My son slept in his crib from a week on. It's what he preferred. He hated his swing but loved his bouncy seat. Don't waste your time on burp clothes, they're too small, receiving blankets are the way to go. I thought I NEEDED a diaper bag but quickly realized I liked using my purse instead. Edit: a PP said a changing table, we have a two story house and our sons room is upstairs. I do not recommend going up and down the stairs for every diaper change while trying to heal yourself. We've used our couch since day one and still do to this day. Has it been peed on? Yep! But nothing that won't wash out.

If you plan on breastfeeding great! But grab a sample can on formula and bottle just in case! At 2 wks PP I ended up going back to the doctor to receive more stitches and found out I had a UTI, I came home, felt like crap and just wanted to cry and sleep. DH was made me go lay down and he ended up giving DS a bottle because he didn't want to wake me. It's just nice knowing you have it just incase.

ElcaB · January 2016

First time mom to be here, so I haven't done it firsthand. But I love Pregnant Chicken's list of must-haves and skip-its.

Here's what I do know from many years of nannying, though.

You definitely need:

A car seat & stroller
Lots of plain onesies. I don't plan on buying too many clothes for my newborn because of the frequent clothing changes + growing rate. I've seen too many beautiful baby clothes go to waste, still with tags on, because the baby never got to them before growing out of them.
Burp cloths (cloth diapers work great)
Receiving blankets

Skip:

Wipe warmers
Baby towels & washcloths (regular will do just fine)

verdouxkai · January 2016

mamajen10414 said:

I thought I NEEDED a diaper bag but quickly realized I liked using my purse instead.

That reminded me, after about a year of fussing with the diaper bag, I opted for a cute backpack instead. It has compartments for different items, and it freed my hands! The diaper bag was always slipping off of my shoulder, and with a car seat in my hands drove me bonkers! I still use it today for trips, taking the DD places overnight, etc...while the diaper bag just gathers dust in the garage.

TheTamedShrew · January 2016

Also for breastfeeding moms: pump + pumping equipment (I never got the hands free strap/bra thing, but really wish I did and will this time around for sure), milk storage freezer bags, bottles, etc. We bought playtex bottles, and we just got lucky because DD took to them right away, but some moms have to try several different kinds to find one that works. I think we introduced the bottle when she was about two months old so that we would be able to get away for a date night or so I could have a night out occasionally. I remember being really scared of nipple confusion so I waited a little longer to introduce it. Some babies have no problem going back and forth though. DD hated the pacifier, but didn't seem to mind the bottle because there was actual food at the other end.

StellaStan · January 2016

For us we used the playpen with the infant insert by our bed for the first 3 months and it worked great. Also I absolutely loved my muslin swaddling blankets, we used them for swaddling, burping, car seat cover and a nursing cover. Other then that I think the ladies above have mentioned everything else I used.

erinmarie86 · January 2016

In my opinion, the bare minimum you need:

Clothes for your baby (you may not need newborn size...look for size 0-3months and you should be good). You also don't need an insane amount of clothes. Maybe 3 pairs of paints and 10 onsies...you are doing laundry a lot more frequently.
diapers and wipes (NO wipe warmer)--you can get wipes in bulk at costco, along with diapers. We use cloth diapers, and i wish i had done a diaper shower and just asked people to buy me one cloth diaper (provide them the brand you want. We used Kanga Care Rumparooz pocket diapers...HIGHLY recommend these)

-- With cloth diapers you definitely need some place to put the dirty ones until you do the laudnry. Kanga Care had a great small bag that zipped up. As our diaper supply grew i got a trash can and reusable diaper pail liner (from Kanga Care) here is their website https://www.kangacare.com/

Somewhere for baby to sleep (this could be a bassinet {my son fit in his for 3 months}, pack n play, crib, or w/e you want your baby to sleep in)
(1) Sleep sack--yes we used one Halo sleep sack/swaddle thing and it lasted a long time. Still only have one, if it gets dirty you do laundry in between naps/bedtime.
Car seat--i'd recommend going straight to the convertible car seat. This seat will last you from birth till about 40in/40lbs (depending on the seat)
3 receiving blankets--these can be used to wrap the baby up to stay warm, but they also work good as burp cloths

Nice to haves:

Stroller with the ability to lay flat--assuming you go with a convertible car seat, you will need a stroller with a good recline so your baby can use it from day one. Think of how you plan to use the stroller. Do you go running and think you'll run with your baby then get a jogging stroller, if you are just going on walks then you don't need a jogging stroller
Baby carrier/sling--i personally really like to wear my baby, my husband does not. Carriers/slings can be used in place of a stroller if you are going on walks. I'd recommend the ergo 360 carrier.
Bouncer/Swing--we got a used swing for like $40. My son used it occasionally for the first 4-6 months. I would not pay full price for a swing or bouncer
Changing table--we had one built in to the pack n play which we had set up downstairs and one in the babies' room. The one in the room never got used until we moved it down stairs. to this day, i'd prefer to just lay my son on the ground and change him.
Pack n play/travel bed--if you travel or visit family it's nice to have a travel bed for your baby. We started off with a pack n play that had a changing table and bassinet on top (never used the bassinet). This worked, but really is not the most comfortable for sleeping. We then purchased a Guava travel bed (this has more of a thin mattress) and is very light weight and easy to travel with. This could be used as your baby's bed/place to sleep full time

EDIT:
I forgot the white noise machine...this is a MUST!!

mommytimesfour · January 2016

I didn't realize this thread was up when I posted my other one..oops! I'll copy and paste my answer here.

-First, having two kids made me realize that their likes can be completely different. The swing was a life saver with my first baby and my second baby much preferred the rock n play which I HIGHLY recommend. Perfect for sleeping, putting baby in while you shower, cook, clean. It's very portable.

-Floor play mat for tummy time

-More newborn clothes than I thought I needed. My kids were both 8 pounders and still worn NB for a month.

-Aden & Anais swaddle blankets

-Lots of burp cloths

-White noise machine (my kids still sleep with one at 5 and 2)

-If bottle feeding, a lot of extra bottles. I formula fed but I'm sure the BF moms can chime in with the BF related necessities too.

There's actually very little outside of the necessities like car seat, grooming kits, bath supplies etc. that you'll find you truly need. I say go minimal at first, and then figure out what babe likes and go from there. Also, buying some of the big items second hand is something that saved us hundreds of dollars and felt especially good since most baby gear is used for such a short amount of time.

Kimmy717 · January 2016

@JLmama118 Thanks!!!!!

ssimon621 · January 2016

I'm going to be odd and say that I loved my wipe warmer. For me it made sense because I bought wipes in bulk and it was easy to pull them out of the warmer instead of the bag. And I wouldn't put a cold towel on me so I didn't put one on my baby.

My daughter loathed the stroller until she was over 2. I had the Britax one with the bassinet and seat and I got very little use out of it. Baby wearing was my savior and worked well for my daughter.

She also hated all bounces and swings so she did the floor playmat and boppy a lot.

Also, if you can avoid a big high chair just go with one that snaps onto your dining chair.

Of course you still need diapers, wipes, clothes, place to sleep and definitely snacks for you. For the first month after having my daughter I only could tolerate fruit. I didn't care for any meals, just fruit.

I liked burp cloths to keep baby's skin off other people's clothes. My H and I have super sensitive skin and my daughter does as well. I didn't want her face rubbing on people's shoulders.

jamielcall · January 2016

My #1 thing for me was A little portable bouncer seat.. I liked being able to move it to room to room and in the bathroom so I could shower.

Lots of bottles!! But don't buy too many of them until you find out what kind of nipple they prefer.. They are picky about it.

The underwear they give you at the hospital are awesome take as many as you can! and some comfy pants for mom as well as hair ties.

I planned on breastfeeding and ended up not being able to (low milk supply) keep formula on hand. Breastfeeding is not always easy. You get lots of free samples in the mail and the hospital take them, even if you don't want to.. It's good to have a back up just in case.

The mirror in the car is a good one! Sometimes they are so quite back there it's nice to be able to keep an eye on them for piece of mind.

vampirina · January 2016

These are all great! I'm a FTM, so I don't know exactly what I'll end up needing but this is my list as of now

Baby Carrier/wrap
Bottles
Breast pump
Extra large burp cloths (I'll probably make them myself)
Diapers (and if we do cloth, the accessories, pail, wetbags, sprayer)
Wipes
Diaper cream
Clothes - PJ's, onsies and pants, socks.
Changing table/pad
Rocker/glider
Books for Baby*
Car Seat
Stroller
Crib and Crib sheets
Swaddle sack or sleep sack
Pack n Play (or something similar)
Bouncer
Diaper bag (my purses are tiny wallets-with-straps, so using them isn't an option. And I hate backpacks, so).
Pacifiers
Baby Shampoo/wash
Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone*

I purposely plan to skip out on swings and a baby bathtub. Our bathtub is not conductive to actual baths, so I'll likely just shower with my infant (my sister did with both of hers). Seriously. I cannot emphasize how shitty our bathtub is. Even the dog ends up getting showers with me instead of baths. Swings take up so much space and our house is teeny tiny.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on my initial list!

*I plan to read to my child daily from birth. I've heard that speaking to/with your child can help with their language development and I struggle to talk to infants, so my thought is that planning to read aloud regularly and often would help with that. My friend does the same thing and she and her baby love it. I'm a huge fan of HP, so really, it's just an excuse to get the illustrated edition

Definitely not an "essential" but it feels essential to me!

wlux · January 2016

Things that I needed as a FTM:
c section underwear and a proper binder.

A long (dark color) cotton robe. I had a short one and i wish I could have hid my unshaven legs. Those first two weeks I was basically topless under the robe and was ready to breastfeed.

A station set up for recovery, with water, snacks, all the ointments, pain meds.... It will be tough with DD being 3 and into everything but I really wanted not to have to move once I sat down to breastfeed.

Freezer meals

For baby besides diaper, wipes and a few onesies:

We loved the rock n play
A&A blankets
Different kinds of bottles
We only had a swing and she liked it

Things I'm going to get with this LO:

Mama Roo
The halo bassinet, c section mamas rave
about this at bedside
We will probably FF, maybe a dispenser/maker because that stuff is a mess.

I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of stuff....

Thurstobertay · January 2016

NIPPLE PADS.

If you're formula feeding you can probably get away with a pack of disposables, and if you're nursing I'd invest in 10-15 pairs of comfortable cotton nipple pads. You want enough that you can change out a few times a day if necessary.

Kimmy717 · January 2016

PoodleDoodleOoo said:

*I plan to read to my child daily from birth. I've heard that speaking to/with your child can help with their language development and I struggle to talk to infants, so my thought is that planning to read aloud regularly and often would help with that. My friend does the same thing and she and her baby love it. I'm a huge fan of HP, so really, it's just an excuse to get the illustrated edition Definitely not an "essential" but it feels essential to me!

OMG!!! I feel the same way! My parents read to me all the time when i was little and i loved it. When i moved into my new house last September my mom gave me a tub of all my old books they read to me when i was a kid. I was just talking to my SO last night, saying baby can hear us in 10 more weeks and i cant wait to read to him/her. :-D

homebird · January 2016

Swaddle blankets, like this
Sound machine
The book "Happiest Baby On The Block" (read before baby comes)
Bread pads (if nursing)

Swing or bouncer. You only need one, imo.
A good baby carrier like Beco, not the cheap Walmart/Target ones.
Hard candy to suck on during middle-of-the-night feedings. It helped me stay awake.

PSUBecky23 · January 2016

For those looking to get a breast pump, don't forget that it's generally covered by insurance under the ACA.

COmama87 · January 2016

One of the best tips I received from a lactation consultant was to not buy the expensive special bra for hands free pumping but to just buy a sports bra and cut holes at the nipples for the shields.

camichael84 · January 2016

All they really need at first is diapers, clothes, food (boob or bottle), and a place to sleep. ETA: And carseat...

With DD, I just had to have her room done several months before she was born and she didn't use it until she was 5 months old. We had a swing and a mat before she was born as well, and she hated both until about a month old.

Other than the real essentials, what made things easier with DD were: A&A swaddle blankets, comfy clothes for me that allowed easy access to my boobs, pacifiers, and a lot of newborn clothes (poop shoots out of them at the beginning and she didn't fit in 0-3 month until well over a month).

marajay6 · January 2016

A lot has been covered here already so I will try not to be too repetitive....

People say that you go through a lot of clothes with a newborn. That wasn't the case for us. DS hardly ever spit up and we rarely had diaper leaks - if your diapers are not containing the poo either size up or try a different brand. For newborn clothes, we long sleeved, footed one-pieces. I think they are sometimes called sleep n plays.

If I had to do things again, I would skip the car seat/stroller travel system. The stroller is just very bulky. I would still get the infant seat - I liked being able to remove the whole seat from the car without disturbing a sleeping baby. I would consider getting one of those stroller frames that the seat can attach to and then getting a nice, not too bulky stroller for when baby is a bit bigger.

Swings, mamaroos, bouncers are very hit-or-miss. For every baby that loves one, there is one that hates it. DS wasn't a fan of his bouncer but did well with his swing. But when he was really crying or fighting sleep, the Moby wrap was best.

We got amazon prime when DS came along. The diaper subscription service is really nice. It comes with a discount that as far is I can tell, makes them fairly comparable in price to if you shopped the sales at brick&mortar stores like Target. We didn't bother stocking up on diapers. We got a few different brands at our baby shower and quickly became loyal to Pampers (they never leaked unlike the Huggies we ended up giving away).

frogdog06 · January 2016

We're expecting our first and haven't purchased anything. We're waiting for our first u/s...but when I do buy, whatever is available at Nordstrom I will get there. They price match and have an excellent return policy (whether item is used or not).

izzetoot · January 2016

The mamaroo was a lifesaver for us. We found it on a FB resale page for about $100 and I resold it when we were done with it, 5ish months later, for $75. But I have heard that its a hit or miss depending on your babys preference. Ive also heard that rock n'plays works miracles too when mamaroos didn't. As for my essentials, swaddling blankets! We used them for everything! We used mostly a&a but Ive since become obsessed with Kickee Pants and have about a dozen swaddles for the new baby. Also something to wear the baby is very helpful around the house when you cant put the baby down but want to just get off the couch and do something, wash dishes, fold laundry, brush your teeth. I recommend something simple like a bjorn vs a wrap bc its just easier. Def get a baby monitor that has video not just sound. A swing is important as they may sleep in that vs a crib most of the time. Mine did for about 10 months! Don't bother with a fancy sound machine, if you have a phone or Ipad you can download all that stuff for free. But white noise is a game changer. Also a baby bath you can put in the sink and lotions and soaps that don't have a strong smell bc your baby smells sooooooo good already

KimmySchmidt · January 2016

First, I'm going to tell you a book I love and may actually re-purchase since they've come out with a new version. "Baby Bargains" It cuts the crap and tells you what you need and don't, and it has great, practical product recommendations that are not influenced by advertisers.

There is a lot of stuff you need, so I'm just going to tell you the stuff that people say that you need, that I found I did NOT need.
-The most expensive version of anything (*cough cough* mamaroo)
-A bumbo
-Breastfeeding pillow (I tried the boppy and my breast friend and regular pillows worked better for us)
- Sound machine
-Blackout curtains
-Baby bathtub (we have a farmhouse sink, and putting a towel down in that worked fine and saved space)
-Happiest Baby on the block book (The ideas are great, but rent the DVD from the library for free.)
-Too much breastfeeding gear (Keep the covers and the fancy bras in their packages until you're sure it's going to work out. )
-Rock n play
-Baby towels & washcloths
-Special baby food jars
-Special baby food making system (unless you don't have a blender/food processor)
-Wipes warmers

KimmySchmidt · January 2016

izzetoot said:

The mamaroo was a lifesaver for us. We found it on a FB resale page for about $100 and I resold it when we were done with it, 5ish months later, for $75. But I have heard that its a hit or miss depending on your babys preference. Ive also heard that rock n'plays works miracles too when mamaroos didn't. As for my essentials, swaddling blankets! We used them for everything! We used mostly a&a but Ive since become obsessed with Kickee Pants and have about a dozen swaddles for the new baby. Also something to wear the baby is very helpful around the house when you cant put the baby down but want to just get off the couch and do something, wash dishes, fold laundry, brush your teeth. I recommend something simple like a bjorn vs a wrap bc its just easier. Def get a baby monitor that has video not just sound. A swing is important as they may sleep in that vs a crib most of the time. Mine did for about 10 months! Don't bother with a fancy sound machine, if you have a phone or Ipad you can download all that stuff for free. But white noise is a game changer. Also a baby bath you can put in the sink and lotions and soaps that don't have a strong smell bc your baby smells sooooooo good already

10 months is a VERY long time to use the swing. If a child can roll over easily or sit up it is not safe to continue use of the swing.

618mom22boys · January 2016

Every child is different obviously. But for us I learned that my kids loved the cheap gerber bottles, 3 pack for like $2.99! A swing was a must for us. Burb clothes, we just used the plain cloth diapers for that. I also learned real quick that we loved Target or walgreens diapers. And if you formula feed generic formula is the SAME thing as the name brand formulas just much cheaper. This time around I will also be buying most of my stuff used, minus the car seats.

We never used a bottle warmer, wipe warmer, or sound machine.

noelani42 · January 2016

It seems to have all been covered...my daughter slept in her rock in play until she was 8 months old but I want to get the fancy new vibrating one this time around

Also, it always blows me away when I see someone walking through a store holding the newborn carseat by the handle...it boggles my mind...the snap n go was the best to have so we could just snap the car seat quickly and easily into that wherever we were headed...so worth the extra $50 before we needed the full sized stroller

skooterblenny · January 2016

List is for nursing mamas:
-Brest friend pillow (take it to the hospital, it will save your back!)
-a good double electric pump if you plan to go back to work (or ever spend an overnight away from baby)
-Arms reach co-sleeper (use it for the first ~ 6months, helps with not having to get up in the middle of the night and get baby out of bassinet/crib/pack n play/rock n play/etc) - just roll over, attach baby to boob and then scoot baby back over to the cosleeper area. Cribs really aren't needed/used until
-a nursing tank for every day of the week (at least 7) - because there are some weeks where you can only get to laundry one time a week...
-nipple cream. we love Earth Mama Angel Baby for brand new baby/direct nursing, and regular Lanolin for healing sore nips and for before/after pumping

and regular Baby Stuff list:
-Swaddles!
-Baby swing
- Ring sling for the first 3 months, then an Ergo or other similar type of ergonomic soft/structured carrier
-Infant bucket car seat (we liked Chicco and Maxi Cosi) along with a snap 'n go type of stroller. Will save your sanity when your baby is sleeping and pulling them out of a convertible carseat would wake them up! We used ours for 13 months
-diaper bag (a basic skip-hop will get you through any airport or car trip as well as regular trips to Target/grocery store/park etc. and a folding changing pad
-SO MANY onesies and burp rags. More than you ever thought you would need. For real.
-diaper pail - poop is stinky. Even newborn poop. Unless you are cloth diapering, you need some type of smell management system for the poopy diapers. We used the munchkin arm & hammer pail and loved it.

and my best piece of advice:
-A journal. because the moments with your TINY BABY are fleeting. They really do go by so fast. There are several that are really easy to keep up with (low pressure when you are so sleep deprived!) and not cheesy... I like to give this one to expecting moms at baby showers:
https://www.amazon.com/Moms-One-Line-Day-Five-Year/dp/0811874907/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1V2RSR9MANK12RPNJXKP

mrt · January 2016

Rock n play was a life saver for my second. We didn't have it with my first, so we pretty much didn't sleep for the first 2 weeks.

Wrap or baby carrier. I have the ergo and moby wrap. Loved the Moby for newborn, but it's a little annoying out of the house. We still occasionally use the ergo for my 30 lb 20 month old.

Sleep sacks with the velcro swaddle. My husband calls them "baby straightjackets". Easy swaddle in the middle of the night.

We honestly almost never changed our kids on the changing table. We lay a changing pad or receiving blanket on the couch or bed or floor and change there.

I loved my breastfeeding pillow (boppy) but i wouldn't say it's a NEED.

I also loved my nursing cover for my first, but my second would not eat under it. He would kick and flail until I removed it.

bettertogether27 · January 2016

DS started sleeping in his crib during the night at two weeks, but during the day he slept in his swing. If you can only get one, get the swing, fr. We had 4 velcro swaddlers and we definitely got our money's worth out of them. The nights when you've fed LO, you've changed LO, you've rocked, you've walked, you've sung, and you just don't know what else to do, swaddle. Get many many nursing pads if you are bf. My mom got me the washable kind and I loved it. If they felt wet I could just grab one or two new ones off the stack and toss the wet one(s) in the washer, nothing worse than peeling dried pads off sore nipples. I also used lanolin cream and it brought almost instant relief —once I discovered this I kept it in the side pocket of the nursery glider so it was always there when I was done nursing. The boppy really saved my arms, I'd place it around whichever side of my midsection I was nursing on and rest my arm on it beneath DS. Once we switched to formula, receiving blankets became burp cloths. They transitioned into teething cloths when the drool came on strong. I think we have ~15 receiving blankets. We're done using them now, at 13 months, but at that time I considered buying another pkg. We bought 4 bottles and that's all we've ever needed. Two 5 oz. and two 9 oz. MAM worked well for DS, and they can be rearranged to sterilize in the microwave, so that was convenient. They're also slightly vented reduce bubbles getting into LO's tummy (supposedly). We've always used our changing table and I LOVE it, so easy with everything right there. That's a novel, so here's my summary:

1 Swing
2-4 Swaddlers
10+ nursing pads for bf mamas
Lanolin Cream
Boppy
10+ receiving blankets
4 bottles
4 pacifiers (if you're baby prefers them, they have legs and walk away)
Changing table with bins for diapers and ointments/baby powder

SuperFudge00 · January 2016

We bought the Bassinest that hot used maybe 2 weeks for something other than bedside storage.

Fisher price swing got the most use and is still serving a purpose at 10 months.

I like the diaper genie but DH moved it and I haven't fought to get it back.

DS does not sleep in his crib. I wish I had a crib we could sidecar.

No burp cloths. He tries to eat his bibs.

I wish we had the ball pit activity mat.

I'm still buying muslin swaddlers because I like their airiness despite DS being too large to swaddle.

Baby brezza and a portable fridge was a game changer. We have a two story home and DS likes his bottles cold.

The PNP was mostly useless.

Love the fast action click connect jogger.

mali0902 · January 2016

This thread has been super helpful for this ftm! I get very easily overwhelmed when I have to make decisions, about anything really. I usually end up researching the crap out of whatever it is I need to buy, and by the time it comes time to get it, I feel like I don't end up enjoying it anymore. So these suggestions have really helped narrow down my search. Thanks ladies!

noelani42 · January 2016

By the way, they now have a rock n play with a self-rocking feature!!!! I'm so getting that...

eboyd83 · January 2016

Two must haves for me are my ring sling. I made it myself and use it daily. The other thing is our co sleeper. It was like $20 or something and was so nice when breastfeeding at night.

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