Baby & Mommy Must-Haves

A few friends have asked me what I found to be the most helpful items for baby {and mommy}, so I thought I would share.  Please keep in mind the below list was built with newborns in mind.

Must-Haves for Baby

myBaby HoMedics SoundSpa On-The-Go:  This was incredibly useful in the first 6 weeks.  We brought it everywhere, and the nice thing is it clips onto anything (stroller, car seat, crib), or we would just hold it while we held our daughter to help lull her to sleep.

Fisher-Price My Little Snugapuppy Deluxe Bouncer:  We still use this all the time!  Since she’s not mobile, yet, it’s great to put her in when you have to go to the bathroom, pump, make a bottle, whatever.  In the beginning, I would bring this into the bathroom with me and put Grace in it while I showered.  I would leave the shower door open so I could see her (showers became somewhat of a luxury the first few weeks, especially after hubby went back to work, so I had to figure something out otherwise I’d go 3 days without showering!).  She loves napping in it too.

Summer Infant SwaddleMe Adjustable Infant Wrap:  These were super helpful, because Gracie would break out of a swaddle blanket no matter how tight we wrapped her.  These are the “cheat” swaddle, and they velcro shut to help keep baby in.

Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets:  If you can afford to splurge, the Bamboo ones are so unbelievably soft!  The classic muslin Aden blankets are wonderful too!  We use them for EVERYTHING!...as a blanket, burp cloth, car seat canopy (we do have the actual car seat canopy, but it’s really heavy and can get hot…this is nice and light), playing peek-a-boo…you can’t have too many of these bad boys.  Plus they have some super cute designs.  Another great brand is Little Unicorn.

Cloth Diapers for Burp Cloths:  These make the best burp cloths!  They are super absorbant, more so than any other traditional burp cloth we’ve used.

Lady Bug Development Toy:  Of all the stroller/car seat attachment toys, this one is by far Gracie’s favorite.  I think because it has so many colors, the mirror, rings, crinkle sounds, a squeaker, soft material, silky material, etc.  It has the most stimuli in one toy, and she is so fascinated by it!  You probably won’t need this until 2-3 months, but I wanted to add it to the list anyways J

And we can't forget Mom!  The list below is what I found the most helpful right after coming home from the hospital.

Must-Haves For Mom

Mesh undies:  If you are giving birth in a hospital, ask to take home a bunch of the super sexy large mesh undies.  I read about them and thought, oh I won’t need those, I’ll be in my Hanky Panky thongs in no time.  Wrong!  Those mesh undies were all I wore for the first two weeks post partum.

Tucks Witch Hazel Pads:  These were a godsend after giving birth.  They felt so good, cooling and soothing, and I truly believe they helped shorten my heal time.  Sometimes the hospital provides them, and if so, ask for an extra container to take home.

Always Extra Heavy Overnight Maxi Pads:  Along with the super sexy mesh undies, these were so wonderful the first 2-3 weeks post partum.  You bleed for weeks, like a period (sometimes heavier), constantly.  These pads were great because they can handle the amount.  I would place a couple of the Tucks Witch Hazel pads on this pad, and it was a perfect combo.

Granny panties:  For when you run out of, or want to graduate from, the super sexy mesh undies, Hanes granny panties are great because they fit the Heavy Maxi pads.

Sitz Bath Spray:  This stuff is AMAZEBALLS!  It definitely helps with healing and soreness down there, and feels so good.

Those are the items my hubby and I to be the most useful the first several weeks with Gracie, and the mommy items are a must.  Take it with a grain of salt, as everyone's baby is different, everyone's birth is different, everyone's needs are different.  I'm just sharing what worked for us/me.  And below is a picture of our happy girl :)

4 months old