this is for david and jennifer! they are having their first baby (everyone get ready to welcome anna!) and asked for suggestions here a while back. hope this helps and feel free to put me on speed dial for middle of the night questions!
this has changed greatly for me since the first baby. you might say i’ve learned a thing or two. there are necessities and luxuries. and i’m learning that much much less actually falls into the necessity category than you would think. but most people are not quite as overboard about this as i am so i’ll include and review the others as well.
starting with your pack for the hospital bag:
the reality is the hospital is going to supply just about everything you need. other than the carseat. everything else is icing. and having your first child you’ll want some of that icing!
i always carried a paci to the hospital. (they usually put one in their bassinet) it’s your preference and then eventually theirs. my first started with nuks and never wavered. my 2nd wouldn’t take anything as much as i begged him. my 3rd started with mams (i liked that they didn’t have to get them in the right way – they were always upright) but then she took any kind. still does. absolutely does not matter. my 4th only takes mams. it never affected my nursing from the first day forward. i’m sure there are some that it has – it just didn’t mine.
onesies – just go on and buy a million of them. the actual onesie brands stretch pretty badly, but the child of mine (called body suits) retain their shape pretty well. (they wrap them in little hospital shirts that you can take home) take with you a special outfit that you want to take them home in. it needs to be much smaller than you think. even big babies are tinier than you can imagine the first time.
diapers – (the hospital supplies you with a whole pack that you get to take home) my favs for newborns are pampers swaddlers. so soft. stretchy tabs. soft tabs that don’t “rub” their belly. even in our brokest these were my first choice. after about 2 or 3 months i moved to the cheapest i could get.
bath wash – i have my favorite – off-brand yellow bottle head-to-toe - but that’s entirely up to you. i do like the pump bottles because you only need one hand to get the soap out and you can keep one hand on the baby. i loved the soapy cloths when they were first born but definitely a luxury.
lotion – luxury. but one i still indulge in. i like the off-brand pink kind. again, just my preference.
nasal bulb – the best you can find come from the hospital. they just work better than any on the market. keep it and wash it. you’ll use it for a long time to come.
gas drops (mylicon) - have them in your bag from day one. if it’s not colic and it really is gas – then these are a miracle and you can safely use them from day one. get the equate. same stuff, much cheaper.
infant tylenol (not ibuprofen) – also put in your bag from the very beginning. they’ll tell you to give them to them when they have their first shots. again, buy equate.
wet wipes – (there are some at the hospital – they’ll let you take them home) my favs for newborns are the newborn kind. they really are softer. and it really does matter early on. then i moved to the cheapest. my favorites are still the “pop-up” kind and you can now get the off-brand kind at target in bulk. my oldest had such sensitive skin that any kind made his rash worse and for a while i made my own out of bounty papertowels and either plain water or water mixed with a little of his baby wash.
wet wipe containers – didn’t really use the warmer we got. it dried them out and was just more trouble than it was worth. and, really, a little cold to the bottom isn’t killing anybody. carry containers – i never could keep up with them and they dried out my wipes in the summer time. i always use gallon sized ziplocks. throw in a whole refill pack and you’re good to go for quite a while.
diaper rash creams – as i said before my oldest had such sensitive skin that he would end up bleeding with a rash in no time. all the time. we used prescription. until i found lantiseptic. miracle. and one tub will last for ever. i bought one with my first and i’m still using it 4 babies later. i only use it when the rash is severe. or on its way to severe. the other stuff i just didn’t find effective. and i liked the lanolin base of lantiseptic.
a hat – they’ll give you one, but you can bring a matching one if you like.
shoes aren’t really necessary until they walk. my youngest is 8 months old and i just started putting the one pair we have on him. for looks. as they get bigger they’ll just kick off socks and shoes and you’ll find yourself increasingly frustrated. just opt for footed jammies. if it’s really cold put socks on under the jammies. i will say, i have heard that bobux (that you can now find at target) are great. i’ve asked for some for christmas and i’ll review them when we start using them.
you don’t really need a changing table – but if you’re going for the whole nursery thing at least get a good mat (we loved our curved changing table mat) for the top of a dresser. we just use the bed most of the time. but when we had one baby and an adorable nursery we used ours always. it is great for the back when your fresh from the hospital.
diaper genie – we had one with our first. and we had the newer version this time. they’re pretty great at first when the poopie stink isn’t so strong. but they get expensive. they’re a pain to clean. and eventually you want that stink to not be there. every mom i know that’s been around the block says skip on this one, but it’s up to you. if you think you really want one – borrow or buy from a garage sale – you won’t be out much if you discard it later.
we’ve always loved our pack-n-play. enough so that when ours broke after 3 children just before the last one was born we went and bought a brand new one. i used the changing table bassinet combo for all of them. and then still used the playpen for almost 2 years with each. we got the eddie bauer this time and a really cheapie graco the first time. both served their purpose. but the cheaper was harder to pack up. so my advice on this one – if you’re going to use it like we do – everyday for 2 years – go large. buy expensive – you won’t regret it later.
highchair or booster seat. you’ll need this as they near 6 months. i’ve used a million different versions and they all were fine. i’m just not picky on this one. my favorite was the least changeable. i loved my wooden old fashioned high-chair. didn’t recline, didn’t change positions didn’t do anything other than hold baby at the table. but it sure did look cool. and when baby furniture becomes part of your decor – your going to want it to blend or be able to get out of the way easily. and the those big monster ones just didn’t do either.
ergo – absolutely. can’t say this enough. i don’t care how much money you don’t have – beg, borrow, steal. i wish i’d had it from the first child. and i had baby bjorn. not the same. must get the real deal. today. do not delay. i even put my 4 year old in it the other day at the zoo just for kicks and to see if you really could carry what they say you can carry in it. indeed, you can. i laughed hysterically, but it is possible. have more than gotten my money out of it. and still don’t go anywhere without it.
just a couple infant toys. they won’t care until they’re close to 6 months. the rattlers are too hard when they don’t have hand control and they’ll just bonk themselves. a couple of mine teethed so early that they couldn’t hold their own teethers so they were useless. i just gave them my fingers. i did always like those soft mirrors made for babies. i haven’t seen a baby yet that hasn’t loved it.
blankets. my favs were from the hospital. just the right thickness. big enough to actually swaddle them. and my friend swears by this swaddler blanket. if i’d known about it in time, i’d definitely have tried it.
a large waterproof mat. you’ll use it into the toddler years. and you’ll wish every surface of your home was covered in this.
strollers – you don’t really need the big combo thing. use the ergo and you’ll love life so much more. when they can sit up i love my umbrella stroller. i got one like this for 5 bucks at a garage sale. love it. love how it covers them. has a basket. folds. is easy to push and fits through small spaces, like when you go mall shopping.
a medicine dropper.
a thermometer – i’ve tried most out there. don’t go glass – the small chance it could break and it’s just plain hard to read in the middle of the night. tried an ear one. wasn’t nearly as reliable or easy as the plain old battery ones. get one with a lighted screen for those middle of the night checks.
the play mats are good, but luxuries. i wanted a bumbo this time around, but didn’t get one, so obviously a luxury, but one i wanted nonetheless! the one item i didn’t have this time that i regret and would recommend time and again is the exersaucer. indispensible. you can use them from about 4 months to about nine months. i used mine with the first 3 for longer than that. much longer. and even when they could walk they loved to play with it from the outside. gives you the break you’ll need when you have to run the trash out, do dishes, get a shower, cook, and on and on.
a baby bath - go as big or as cheap as you like. i had one that was given to me while i was pregnant with my first and used it all the way through. when they weren’t big enough to control their movement i put a folded towel in it to soften and mold to their bodies. but now they have things made just for that. it’s up to you.
get q-tips and alcohol for that belly-button cord.
get lansinoh lanolin and lansinoh nursing pads – if you plan to nurse (which you should unless you medically can’t! 
) these were my favs. (the hospital will give you lanolin usually.) get a pump. a hand-held one if you don’t plan to work – get this if you do. i had one because i had major issues with my second and was determined to nurse through them. get some good bottles – i have nothing to offer on this. i never used them. anyone? anyone? you are going to want the hand-held pump even if you don’t pump to bottle feed. you will get engorged. you will want comfort. anyone on the brand? anyone? also, call your hospital ahead of time and ask if they have hydra-gels. if they don’t, go to little rock to expressly for you at baptist and get some. go to the this part of the site and scroll down to ameda comfort gel pads. the hospital used them for burn patients and discovered that they ease the pain of early nursing greatly and if you happen to have open sores from early difficulty with nursing they heal them in half the time. get them. track them down. you’ll love them. also, get a nursing sleep bra like the fancee free one at the store site. expressly for you has them. i loved the cotton ones. buy at least 2 and take them with you to the hospital. you’ll never want to go back to real bras!
i’m sure i’ll remember more later. and i’ll follow up with a post about when i did what with what product. i love to answer questions of just how we do it. so please ask. and i love even more, getting good tips from those who’ve been there. so please offer up!
so to recap: you need lots of love, a little soap, mega amounts of patience (or at least the desire for it), some sort of diapers, each other, a car seat, a little bit of mercy on yourself and well-meaning others, a lot for grace for one another, a way to feed her, and a mentor you can rely on.
this is so right on, and i couldn’t agree with you more. it’s like i wrote this myself
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here’s my two cents (well, more like two dollars):
on the nursing bra thing, whatever brand you get, avoid the hook and eye closure at the top!! You pretty much have to use two hands to fasten them and if you’re nursing a baby, you never have more than one hand free (if that!).
on bottles, we use avent and like them quite well. they are wide-mouthed, though, and are not compatible with most breast pumps. this is not a problem for me because i use and love the avent isis hand pump (the one with the “comfort petals”–don’t knock it ’til ya try it!). i think i’d like to have some of those playtex ventaire bottles for trips because they seem like they would work better when my baby is sitting upright in the carseat, as opposed to being reclined. when i work, i use my electric pump–medela is by far the best on the market (and is the brand all hospitals use). if you need electric, i have the pump-and-go model by medela, and i recommend spending the extra money to get the “backpack” version that has the zippers. i’m in my nineteenth month of pumping and the cheaper bag with the velcro has long since given out!
other things to take to the hospital: for mom-to-be, take a robe and slippers. you won’t feel like wearing street clothes at first but you’ll want to be more “dressed” than those hospital gowns allow for. i like to take a little stuffed animal or lovie blanket to keep in the hospital basinette with the baby; that way when great-aunt bessie is looking at all the bundles helplessly unknowing of who to coo at, you can tell her that your baby is the one with the pink bunny (or whatever).
and that reminds me: both my boys LOVE their lovies. i had no idea what they were with my first (and if you don’t know: they are little silky squares of blanket, some have a flat stuffed animal look). i just happened to have purchased one in the crib set i got at a garage sale. i decided to try it out one day after my older son had been in the world a few months, and he took to it right away. he’s gonna be three in march and still takes it when he sleeps or needs some extra comfort during stressful situations (like the mother’s day out drop in the mornings
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and just to reiterate:
paci to the hospital–yes, yes, yes. we found the first years soothie brand (at walmart) with our second and he LOVES them. mam is a good choice too, and they make a great paci clip–this is a must have when you go anywhere because the babies do not keep them in their mouths (and fuss at YOU about it) but at least with the clip it’s not falling on the floor a bajillion times.
smaller than you think outfit to the hospital–again yes! and you’ll want it for the hospital pictures too. if you have a special blanket, bring it as well because they can use it as the backdrop.
the onesies brand DOES stretch more than others, and the material is thinner. not my favorite, but i use them as undergarments when layering and that works pretty well.
ergo carrier–i use it everyday! tisha (perry) patton goes to our church; she saw me in wal-mart a couple of weeks ago and said that she didn’t remember what i looked like without it.
i forgot one thing: i recommend taking a pair of baby nail clippers to the hospital. their little nails grow in the womb. both my boys drew blood when they scratched their faces within hours of being born!
I agree with the robe and houseshoes…and get one you like…when I had one of my babies, I actually just wore it home b/c I was too sore to change clothes!
I love the Johnson’s Lavendar…LOVE LOVE that smell….and Walmart started making an equate version.
Diaper rash….something my friend told me whose dad is a Dr…. sometimes girls get bad rashes, and they said to use the athlete’s foot cream you can buy over the counter at WM. I forgot the name of it, but it would clear those rashes up quick! Also, Gerber used to make a diaper rash cream that was AWESOME!
Diaper Genie….loved it at first….until I had 3 in diapers….then way too much trouble! LOL Plus, once the kids get bigger, and the diapers get squishier, it is much more grosser to cram them into the top of that thing!
Oh, and if you don’t breastfeed, and do bottle all the way, I can send you plenty of advice in that department.
Oh yeah, and also if your baby has reflux, and projectile spits up everwhere, I am here for moral support for that too! (all 3 of mine did that!) #1 advice, save your money on clothes, and buy cute bibs! (then start a savings fund to buy new carpet later! LOL)
love the ergo. always pack a paci, they hesitate to give the breastfeeding moms one, but use it if you need it. i also took some formula with my second. my first one cried and cried and it was because she was hungry. i know they say that pre milk stuff is enough but it just wasn’t for her.
also, i love the baby gowns when they are tiny with the elastic at the bottom.
and the camera! don’t forget that.
hey! thanks for chiming in guys!
camera! duh! how could i forget that one?
pack snacks you like. with the first i didn’t know this. with the subsequent one instead of coins for the machines just bring what you want. much cheaper and dad will appreciate not having to run to the machine when you want a twix or soda or pretzels after the baby’s born.
i forgot the squishier part of the diaper genie thing! yes! so gross!
the athlete’s foot thing – yes – some rashes are just yeast and that’s all it takes to clear it up.
nail clippers – yes – and the hospital won’t give you any and will tell you not clip their nails for 6 weeks. whatever. hate the mittens made for that reason – they want to suck their hands and those get in the way. if you’re scared to clip their nails the first time – ask somebody you trust. and even if they bleed – they will stop. really.
for nursing bras to wear out – i don’t – not since the first child. i wear a regular bra and slip it down to feed.
i never thought of the lovie in the bassinet – good idea. mine were never lovie lovers until this last one!
don’t bring overalls – if you’re nursing they’re way in the way. i brought a comfy pull over shirt for when people came to visit. pants – too much trouble until you go home and you’ll be covered up anyway with a blanket. maternity pants are also a good alternative to a robe to wear home.
keep ‘em comin’ guys!
Great post!
For the hospital, I would definitely recommend your own clothes. I knew I was going to have a c-section and my mom bought me some really pretty silk pajamas. They made me feel so good! Plus, they weren’t binding on my incision. We took our own paci, too. He didn’t use one much at all though. I could have used the advice about getting an outfit much smaller than I thought I would need. He weighed 9 lbs 10 oz and he actually wore a couple of preemie outfits for a week or so.
The exersaucer is a must! Cayson loved his so much, but when he started pulling up, he was through. We also had a bouncer seat that someone loaned us that was pretty nice, too. However, that’s probably a luxury. He didn’t use it just a whole lot. Our swing was a luxury for us. Luckily someone loaned it to us. He just didn’t like it. As for high chairs, someone gave us a booster seat at our shower and we’ve never bought a high chair. The booster seat works just as well, and it’s portable, and easier to put up.
Oh the gas drops are a must too! And I agree, get the equate. Works just as well, you get almost twice as much, and it costs about half of the mylicon. For teething, I suggest the highland teething tablets. They are awesome!
As for the bath tub, we were given 2 at our shower and on the advice of my aunt, we took them both back. Didn’t even miss it. For the first couple weeks or so, until the cord fell off, I just put a soft towel on the kitchen counter and gave him a sponge bath. Then he took baths or showers with me. Now he takes baths in the bathtub by himself, I help him, and he loves it. Get plenty of toys! Oh, and Walmart has this octopus thing that covers the spout and helps keep them from hurting their head if they bump it. And you can get these color tablets that you put in the octopus’s mouth and it changes the color of the water! It’s pretty cool.
I love the Johnson’s lavender lotion and bath bubbles. We got a ton at our shower and haven’t run out of the lotion yet. We ran out of the bath bubbles and got the equate, it’s almost as good.
As for diapers, the only ones that didn’t break him out were huggies. Oh, you can take unopened packages of diapers back to walmart, if you need to! We were given tons of diapers and once we figured out that huggies were the brand that we wanted to use, we took the rest back and got the money put on a gift card that we used as our diaper fund. We didn’t need diaper rash cream much, but I like the boudreax’s butt paste. But I never really tried anything else. It worked like a charm.
The pack-n-play was a must have for us, too. We were given a more expensive one at our shower. We liked it, but it seemed to be harder to pack up. So we bought a cheaper graco one, that we actually thought was easier. Since we traveled a lot, my parents are 4 hours away, we used that one to travel and the other just stayed up. Now it’s at Shaun’s parents and Cayson still sleeps in it when we visit.
We bought a bassinet for the first few weeks, but it was a luxury. He came here so big that he outgrew it very quickly. Luckily, we got it at a garage sale.
Nursing: yes, get a good pump. Trust me. Especially if you’re going to work. If you’re a private person like I am, make sure you have a nice sized blanket you can cover up with when you’re in public. A friend of mine’s mom made her a blanket that velcroes around her neck to keep it in place. The sleep nursing bra is amazing! I still wear mine! As for regular nursing bras, I bought the ones at walmart, but I really didn’t like them. They didn’t last very long. But I bought one at motherhood maternity and it just didn’t fit right. So I guess trial and error there.
Don’t get wet wipes warmers. It will dry them out.
A cool mist humidifier is nice for those colds.
The diaper genie was great before he started eating solids. Now, I can’t really tell that it’s working anymore.
I like the scented diaper trash bags to dispose of diapers when you’re traveling. They smell great.
Well, I guess that’s my 2 dollars worth! I can’t believe I’m about to go through all this again!
Oh, about the nail clippers…my mother-in-law would bite Cayson’s nails to trim them. We had a hard time trimming them in those first weeks, so that actually worked better, believe it or not.
I agree with MUCH of this. But I’d thought I’d add my two cents.
The BEST swaddling blanket ever is the Miracle Blanket. Yes, it is pretty expensive, but it is the ONLY blanket that would hold my houdini-boy from the beginning. He was huge, and he could break out of ANY swaddle. The problem was that if we didn’t swaddle him, he was too wiggly to sleep. SO, I highly recommend the miracle blanket, and if it works for you, you’ll need 2 (in case he poops all over the first one — he’ll need to sleep while you are washing it).
We have the diaper champ, not the genie, and I like it A LOT! I can’t smell the diapers at all, it takes a week to fill up (though my 6 mo. old is starting to eat some solid food, so this could change soon), and there are NO filters to buy, so it is much more cost-effective.
LOVE the ergo — excellent purchase, worth the money.
LOVE the bumbo. While I agree it is not a necessity, it is almost a necessity for us. My boy, even early on, loves to sit up as much as possible, and it wasn’t until recently that he could do that without some support (he still needs a pillow around him). Even though he can sit almost by himself now, we still use the Bumbo several times a day.
I really like the cotton nursing bras I got a target. I suggest avoiding the underwire completely, even if that is what you use while not nursing. The non-underwire are much more comfortable. And early on, I LOVED the gel packs that others have mentioned. I wouldn’t still be breastfeeding if I hadn’t gotten the relief offered by those gel packs early on; I definitely would have quit around week 2 due to pain.
I also use the Medela pump, and I love it. I have the backpack one, and so far, 6 months in, it is working beautifully. I also use the Avent bottles, and those are working great too; my baby seems to really like the wide-mouth and nipple on those (although there is quite a bit of hubbub about bad plastic to read about on the internet — I have decided to stick my head in the sand for now, but if I were buying bottles now, I might choose a different brand). Oh, and I would skip the microwave sterilizer. I thought I really needed it, but I actually just need a bottle brush because we just end up handwashing bottles daily (and we don’t run the dishwasher often enough to clean them in there).
We have a few different brands of pacifiers in the house that we got as gifts, but the only ones my son will take are the soothies that the hospital gave us. Luckily, they gave us tons of those, and so we haven’t had to worry about getting more.
We don’t really use our pack-n-play much so far, except as a changing table. That might change, but for now, it is simply a bin for toys (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing).
We also don’t have a changing table; we just use his dresser with a changing pad on it upstairs and the pack ‘n play downstairs.
The glider in the nursery has been excellent for our late night feeding sessions. And now that he is mr. distracted while eating, I often take him into the quiet, dark nursery and sit in the glider during the day too.
We borrowed a Graco snugride carseat from my sister-in-law, and it was fantastic before my son grew out of it (which was much sooner than most babies do due to his being extremely long); I understand the Graco SafeRide has a higher height and weight limit, so if I had had to buy this item, I probably would have gone with that one instead. We now have a Britax Marathon, which again, is pretty expensive, but this is the type of seat that he will sit in for 4 or 5 years, so spread out over that amount of time, it averages out. And it has one of the highest weight limits available. While most babies might not need that, I am afraid that my big guy just might. I didn’t want to skip this seat now just to end up buying it later. So far we are really pleased with that purchase.
I love our exersaucer, and we got a used jumperoo too. My son loves to jump, so that was a big hit earlier on, and now he loves to spin around and play with the toys in his exersaucer. Both of these fall into the category of nice to have but not necessary…and I would try to get them from craigslist or a used baby stuff store because the market is flooded with them (parents don’t want to store them, but they are in good shape because babies only use them for 5 months or a bit more).
Oh, and finally, I learned much of this from Baby Bargains, which is a book that helps parents sort through the needs, wants, car seats, strollers, etc. I highly recommend that book; I still refer to it when I am contemplating a new purchase.
I hope that helps!
oh these are all sooooo good!!
silly me reminded me of something: new moms, when you pack clothes to wear home, don’t assume you’ll be back to your pre-pregnancy clothes yet. you won’t! you’ll look four to five months preggers for quite a while. and the weight doesn’t come off very fast after the initial loss with the delivery, so don’t get discouraged. it seems like it took longer to lose the weight with the second child too. . .
i agree with brittany: scented diaper trash bags are good, especially for when you’re visiting people who don’t have diaper pails. and i recommend a fold-up diaper changing pad for the same reason. i’ve saved many-a-friend’s couch this way. they make some that are small enough to fit in your diaper bag (and some bags even come with them–bonus!).
the nursing bras i’m using right now are from target, and i love them. they’re sullivan and o’malley brand or something like that.
absolutely take a camera!! and make sure you CHARGE THE BATTERY or at least take the charger with you. pictures of our first son right after he was born were made with borrowed cameras because we neglected to do this
. i recommend checking the hospital policy on photography and videoing. some places are more restrictive about what you are allowed to document.
love the snacks thing!! wish i would have thought of that. you are voraciously hungry after you deliver because, for one, it’s hard work (they don’t call it labor for nothin’) and, for two, they keep you NPO (don’t let you eat; cruel and unusual!!) in case you have to have an emergency c-section under general anesthesia.
OMG…..I had all my babies after 9 pm…after getting to the hospital that morning…nothing to eat….and in WARREN, AR…. by the time they got me all cleaned up….no restaurants were open…..the cafeteria wasn’t open….I almost couldn’t even get a carton of milk I asked for! You would have thought I would have remembered by the 3rd baby, but not once did I think to take me some food!
But….my loving sister had cookied one time, and then another left over pizza…..I devoured both!
Oh, and if you are on WIC….they provide you with an awesome breast pump….or at least they did 4 yrs ago…..Way better than the $60 one my parents had bought me the year before.
I pretty well agree with all of this,so not really any two cents to add.
I loved huggies supremes when they were older,somewhat pricey but they were awesome.Swaddlers werent out when mine were babies….LOL.
I am sucker for balmex.I still use it for everything!I use it for windburn on the face,everything-I love it.
Hated diaper genie.
Buy extra batteries for the swings if your is battery operated…they will go fast.
I also just used one of those bear shaped sponges that lay in the bottom of the bathtub,instead of a bathtub.I am not sure you can even find them now..tee hee hee
We were fond of Playtex bottles.Cheap and easy.And I didnt use the drop in’s either-
sorry, one more thing…if you are going to get a swing (and they are nice to have around), fisher price makes one with batteries AND a plug…why don’t more companies do that for tons of other baby products??? Because, oh my goodness, the batteries!
For my baby shower for my 2nd kid….I actually had batteries on my list of need items….and I got a bunch of them!
for my 3rd and 4th baby showers (and a good idea if you’re having several showers for your first) i asked mainly for gift cards. the first one was mostly to walmart. the second, i asked for restaurant gift cards. that way in the hospital you can grab some grub and when you get home and nobody feels like cooking – you have your pick of food to have hubby go get. life-saver!
batteries, definitely, i can’t even imagine a plug-in swing! and how did i leave it off my list? good grief, it’s in every picture of my current munchkin.
oh, and welcome to the conversation, amy, i’m glad you’re here!!
i haven’t had time to read all the comments, baby boy on my lap “helping” me as I type. lol here are my recommendations!
ERGO… nuff said. lol (WITH infant insert… it’s a must in the beginning, especially if you have a tiny baby)
Avent Isis manual breast pump is the bomb! Bottles just depends on what your baby likes.. two of mine loved Playtex, my little Sam will only take Avent.
Gerber Contoured nursings pads are by far the best ever… Lansinoh come in a close second
Best diapers for fat babies are Huggie Gentle Care… TRY THEM.. I was a die hard Pampers Swaddlers fan until I used these.. I still spend the extra money for them!
Love Parents Choice Organic Cotton baby wipes. They’re just as soft as newborn wipes, for sensitive skin, and they’re FDA certified organic… I buy everything organic I can find. (baby food, cereal, food for us, etc)
Changing table can be nice at first but my big babies outgrow them quickly. I think a big curved changing pad on a dresser would work best! I’m already ready to take our changing table down and Samuel’s only 5 months.
Diaper genie is a waste of money and time. The refills are REALLY expensive and a plastic walmart sack does the same thing as far as keeping smell away.
Lansinoh for nursing mamma’s is a must… the lanolin really does heal!
I don’t take much to the hospital… If i’m going to be bleeding from csection wounds and from down below and have colostrum streaming out of me I’d really rather not be wearing anything I own. lol
exersaucer is a must… wish I’d have gotten one the first time b/c I refuse to spend the money on the last baby. *sigh*
I always loved a wipe warmer.. the newer kind don’t dry wipes out as badly… but I lost the cool pad that keeps the wipes moist to mine so poor Sam’s been wiped with cold wipes from the start. I do hold them in my hand while I undo his other diaper and such to warm it a little.
I love Huggies all over baby wash.. oh it smells SO babyish.
Johnson’s is another favorite.. I like the classic baby scents best. Same with lotion
I don’t use diaper rash cream unless a rash pops up.. which hasn’t happened yet. I have Desitin on hand.. just because.. no favorite
Nursing bras… love them! I got two fantastic ones from Mimi Maternity. They’ve got some spandex in them so they’re much more supportive than a classic cotton bra. They look like real bras too! (dh can’t tell the difference… hint hint)
Play gyms… you know, the things they lay under and toys surround them from above? From EARLY on babies love these… buy red, black, and white designs if you want your newborn to be fascinated with it. That’s what they see best for a while.
Oh, some things I do take to the hospital are: makeup (I put it on EVERY morning in the hospital and I’m always so glad later on when I see all of the pics lol), cut head wraps and clips for my hair so I don’t have to fix it, lip gloss (nursing makes my lips dry out), lotion!! Don’t forget your own pads unless you want to wear the huge diaper style pads the hospital gives you… I do however love the gauze panties they let you take home.. they’re super stretchy and don’t interfere with my csection incision at all!
Is this long enough? lol I could go on and on.. One more thing! A cosleeper! I’m all about cosleeping and The Arms Reach is the best… but I got a cheaper version (still kinda pricey though) made by Graco. Love it, love it, love it. Having baby close is the natural way to sleep
I just thought of one more thing: once your baby grows out of their infant carseat/carrier (which happened by 6 months for my big boys), and if you ever go out to eat, you’ll struggle putting them in the highchairs that restaurants provide because they’re really made for bigger kiddos and it isn’t exactly easy to just hold them the entire meal. To help with this, we have an Eddie Bauer highchair cover purchased for approx. $20 at target that we use A LOT. It covers all the yucky old ketchup and grease on the chairs (giving them something clean to gnaw on), it pads the wood so if they don’t have the best sitting up control yet they don’t bang their heads, and it fills in a lot of the gaps where they could otherwise worm out of. This is something I would only recommend if you eat out somewhat regularly. I’ve seen a few products out there that double as grocery cart AND highchair covers that might be more cost effective, though I don’t know personally about their quality. Since I use my ergo (i swear i should be getting commission for all this free promotion
, I don’t often put the baby in the cart itself much anyway.
I can’t believe I forgot to mention something I never leave home without: my breastfeeding wrap (my brother calls it a milk tent–ha
! Mine is First Years brand; it has detachable “burp cloths” and a pocket (for a paci perhaps?). I like using it better than just a blanket because it is around my neck and the baby can’t pull it down as easily.