Okay, let's be honest...being a first time mommy is tough stuff no matter how much you THINK you know or how much experience you have with other people's kids. It's a "throw you in the deep end and try not to sink" sort of thing. So here are some of my favorites from months 1 through 3, the "Newborn" phase, that kept us from sinking.
Sleeping. 18 or so hours of your newborn's day is spent sleeping. I was paranoid on multiple occasions that I was doing something wrong because Bryleigh was sleeping SO much (she comes by it honestly...I've been known to sleep 17 hours in a day myself!), but I quickly learned that if your baby sleeps fairly well at night, they're bound to spend a huge chunk of the 24 hours in a day ASLEEP. Newborn "wake periods" are pretty short, which means they're getting in lots of naps during those early days and weeks. Because of this, you're going to want lots of places for baby to catch those much needed Zzz's...maybe even a place in each room you'll be in just to make you comfortable. We set up pallets in our living room and bed room, but the best place to lay Miss Bryleigh was in "Newborn Fave #1" - The (1a)ROCK 'N PLAY. (And as the name suggests, it's not just great for sleeping!)
Bryleigh slept in our room for the first few months as we got adjusted to her sleep patterns, putting the pass back in, and any late night/early morning feedings, so the Rock 'N Play was parked right next to my side of the bed and the perfect swaddle/cradle for a newborn to feel safe and warm. It's also SO easy to move around the house, so Baby can always be right where you are. (With her sleeping in our room...that means no sound machines, video monitors, or crib accessories were part of our "Newborn Phase". And I will also note that we moved her into (1b)THIS BASSINET in order to make sure she'd be able to sleep on a harder, flat surface once we transitioned her to her crib.)
That leads me to "Newborn Fave #2" as well. During all of that sleeping, you want to make sure Baby is as comfortable as possible, which for us meant that Bryleigh was in her pajamas most of the day. We found (2)FOOTIE PAJAMAS (preferably the ones that zip) to be a life saver and a staple to our Newborn wardrobe. They were easy for diaper changes (and although we didn't have any, they're ideal for blowouts...you don't have to take anything OVER Baby's head) and comfy for her. (I would also recommend skipping the cutesy outfits when you are going to the doctor. You're going to have to strip baby down, so you might as well save yourself the hassle and take them in their button down or zip up PJs...it will save both of you a lot of time, energy, and frustration. No baby wants to be tossed around after getting a shot in both thighs!)
{PICTURES OF BRYLEIGH IN HER FOOTIES}
Changing. While we're on the topic of footie pajamas being easy for changing diapers, let's go ahead and cover the diaper part as well. Considering you use at least 8 diapers a day and as many wipes, that HAS to be on the favorite's list. We use (3)PAMPERS SWADDLERS and PAMPERS SENSITIVE WIPES. (This is all personal preference and you have to do what works best for you, but we were comfortable with the diapers from experience with my nephew. Some choose based on current sales/coupons, others on brand, others on dependability.) I know that those suckers will hold whatever Bryleigh has going on, and the Rewards that Pampers offers aren't too bad either!
One of my favorite things was (and still is) Bryleigh's (4)DIAPER CADDY. It was so great having everything in one place and we've been able to carry it with us from room to room. You can have whatever type of basket you'd like, ours happened to match Bryleigh's bedding, and just put all of your diapering necessities inside so that you'll always have them close by. Ours included an ample amount of diapers, a box of wipes, diaper rash cream, face wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels (for those messy diapers), tummy drops, the snot sucker (also used for newborns in case they're choking), baby lotion, and a changing mat. During the early days, we stayed back in our room, so the caddy was in there all day and we'd change Bryleigh on our bed. Then we ventured out in to the living room, so we'd carry it back and forth between nights and days. Now that Bryleigh is in her own room, the caddy sits up on her changing table ready for whatever comes our way!
Eating. The decision has to be made. Breast feeding, pumping, or formula...or a mixture of all of those. We started out with the hopes of exclusively breast feeding, but a difficult baby and nonexistent milk supply meant we had to make other plans. However, whichever option you choose, odds are you're going to need plenty of (5)BOTTLES at some point in Baby's life. We went with Dr. Brown's as a precaution and they have worked beautifully the whole time.
And it's also pretty likely that if you are doing any breastfeeding, you're going to want to invest in or rent a (6)BREAST PUMP. We went with the Madela Advanced Pump in Style and loved it. It was easy to use, worked great, and easy to keep clean (although that part was a tad bit tedious!). I pumped exclusively for the first 3 weeks of Bryleigh girl's life until my milk dried up. This pump was the only reason I was able to go that long! (Be sure to call and check with your insurance too see what type of support they have for you in this area. You could get yours for free!)
Bathing. Another one of my very favorite things from the early days (and still one of my favorites) is Bryleigh's (7)BATH TUB. I looked around at some various options and I loved that the Safety 1st grew with her. There are lots of different options and ways to use the tub as your baby grows, and this was something we used week 1! We were able to set it all up on our kitchen counter and bathe her in there. (I'm not looking forward to the days of bending over the regular bathtub...my back hurts just thinking about it!)
Along with a great tub, you'll always want to have all your (8)BATH SUPPLIES ready...hooded towel, wash rag, Johnson and Johnson shampoo and body wash (the yellow ones are the only ones you should be using on your new baby's sensitive skin), and a thermometer to make sure the water's temperature is safe and comfortable for Baby. (I saw recently that using the back of your wrist to test the heat is a good place to see if the water is too hot or not and have used that method every bath time since then.) You'll also want a fresh diaper and change of clothes close by and ready for when bath time is over and your little one is all dry. (I will add that Bryleigh was born in the middle of a pretty chilly winter, so we had a portable heater turned on close by and made sure the house was at a comfortable temperature so that she didn't get too cold afterwards. During the warmer months, I just make sure the A/C isn't running during bath time.)
Play time. Although Baby is sleeping lots during those early weeks, you can still get some good play time in with them. It's never too early to start reading and singing with them. Along with those two activities, we loved our (9)PLAY MAT for the bursts of awake moments that Bryleigh sporadically had. Her mat has lots of different "learning" things - colors, numbers, letters, animals - and it lights up and plays music, which always seemed to grab her attention. The mat also doubled as a great place for tummy time, which is very important to give a try each day. We also loved that our mat will grow with Bryleigh and turns in to an activity table that she'll be able to stand and play at when she's a little bigger.
On the go. We go, and we go A LOT, so one of my favorites from the early days is our (10)TRAVEL SYSTEM. I absolutely love how easy it is to use all of the pieces of our travel system. The car seat is a perfect fit and easily adjustable (although I'd recommend reading the instructions and practice on a stuffed animal before Baby arrives, no matter how simple it seems), as well as light weight and easy to load in the car. The stroller is even easier to use. I can literally open and close it using one hand, and it's light weight enough that I can also lift it with one hand. (Having a free hand will come in useful as a new momma!!) It's a three piece system - the car seat, stroller frame, and stroller attachment, which allows you to choose exactly how you want Baby to ride around on any given day. This would be at the top of my "Baby products to recommend" list!!
I could go on and on with all of the things we used to make those first days easier, but I wanted to share my Top 10 with you. Did I leave any of your "Must Haves" off the list? If so, be sure to comment below with the items you found most useful for your sweet newborns, and be sure to check back in July for months 4 through 6 favorites!
Sleeping. 18 or so hours of your newborn's day is spent sleeping. I was paranoid on multiple occasions that I was doing something wrong because Bryleigh was sleeping SO much (she comes by it honestly...I've been known to sleep 17 hours in a day myself!), but I quickly learned that if your baby sleeps fairly well at night, they're bound to spend a huge chunk of the 24 hours in a day ASLEEP. Newborn "wake periods" are pretty short, which means they're getting in lots of naps during those early days and weeks. Because of this, you're going to want lots of places for baby to catch those much needed Zzz's...maybe even a place in each room you'll be in just to make you comfortable. We set up pallets in our living room and bed room, but the best place to lay Miss Bryleigh was in "Newborn Fave #1" - The (1a)ROCK 'N PLAY. (And as the name suggests, it's not just great for sleeping!)
Bryleigh slept in our room for the first few months as we got adjusted to her sleep patterns, putting the pass back in, and any late night/early morning feedings, so the Rock 'N Play was parked right next to my side of the bed and the perfect swaddle/cradle for a newborn to feel safe and warm. It's also SO easy to move around the house, so Baby can always be right where you are. (With her sleeping in our room...that means no sound machines, video monitors, or crib accessories were part of our "Newborn Phase". And I will also note that we moved her into (1b)THIS BASSINET in order to make sure she'd be able to sleep on a harder, flat surface once we transitioned her to her crib.)
That leads me to "Newborn Fave #2" as well. During all of that sleeping, you want to make sure Baby is as comfortable as possible, which for us meant that Bryleigh was in her pajamas most of the day. We found (2)FOOTIE PAJAMAS (preferably the ones that zip) to be a life saver and a staple to our Newborn wardrobe. They were easy for diaper changes (and although we didn't have any, they're ideal for blowouts...you don't have to take anything OVER Baby's head) and comfy for her. (I would also recommend skipping the cutesy outfits when you are going to the doctor. You're going to have to strip baby down, so you might as well save yourself the hassle and take them in their button down or zip up PJs...it will save both of you a lot of time, energy, and frustration. No baby wants to be tossed around after getting a shot in both thighs!)
{PICTURES OF BRYLEIGH IN HER FOOTIES}
Changing. While we're on the topic of footie pajamas being easy for changing diapers, let's go ahead and cover the diaper part as well. Considering you use at least 8 diapers a day and as many wipes, that HAS to be on the favorite's list. We use (3)PAMPERS SWADDLERS and PAMPERS SENSITIVE WIPES. (This is all personal preference and you have to do what works best for you, but we were comfortable with the diapers from experience with my nephew. Some choose based on current sales/coupons, others on brand, others on dependability.) I know that those suckers will hold whatever Bryleigh has going on, and the Rewards that Pampers offers aren't too bad either!
One of my favorite things was (and still is) Bryleigh's (4)DIAPER CADDY. It was so great having everything in one place and we've been able to carry it with us from room to room. You can have whatever type of basket you'd like, ours happened to match Bryleigh's bedding, and just put all of your diapering necessities inside so that you'll always have them close by. Ours included an ample amount of diapers, a box of wipes, diaper rash cream, face wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels (for those messy diapers), tummy drops, the snot sucker (also used for newborns in case they're choking), baby lotion, and a changing mat. During the early days, we stayed back in our room, so the caddy was in there all day and we'd change Bryleigh on our bed. Then we ventured out in to the living room, so we'd carry it back and forth between nights and days. Now that Bryleigh is in her own room, the caddy sits up on her changing table ready for whatever comes our way!
Eating. The decision has to be made. Breast feeding, pumping, or formula...or a mixture of all of those. We started out with the hopes of exclusively breast feeding, but a difficult baby and nonexistent milk supply meant we had to make other plans. However, whichever option you choose, odds are you're going to need plenty of (5)BOTTLES at some point in Baby's life. We went with Dr. Brown's as a precaution and they have worked beautifully the whole time.
And it's also pretty likely that if you are doing any breastfeeding, you're going to want to invest in or rent a (6)BREAST PUMP. We went with the Madela Advanced Pump in Style and loved it. It was easy to use, worked great, and easy to keep clean (although that part was a tad bit tedious!). I pumped exclusively for the first 3 weeks of Bryleigh girl's life until my milk dried up. This pump was the only reason I was able to go that long! (Be sure to call and check with your insurance too see what type of support they have for you in this area. You could get yours for free!)
Bathing. Another one of my very favorite things from the early days (and still one of my favorites) is Bryleigh's (7)BATH TUB. I looked around at some various options and I loved that the Safety 1st grew with her. There are lots of different options and ways to use the tub as your baby grows, and this was something we used week 1! We were able to set it all up on our kitchen counter and bathe her in there. (I'm not looking forward to the days of bending over the regular bathtub...my back hurts just thinking about it!)
Along with a great tub, you'll always want to have all your (8)BATH SUPPLIES ready...hooded towel, wash rag, Johnson and Johnson shampoo and body wash (the yellow ones are the only ones you should be using on your new baby's sensitive skin), and a thermometer to make sure the water's temperature is safe and comfortable for Baby. (I saw recently that using the back of your wrist to test the heat is a good place to see if the water is too hot or not and have used that method every bath time since then.) You'll also want a fresh diaper and change of clothes close by and ready for when bath time is over and your little one is all dry. (I will add that Bryleigh was born in the middle of a pretty chilly winter, so we had a portable heater turned on close by and made sure the house was at a comfortable temperature so that she didn't get too cold afterwards. During the warmer months, I just make sure the A/C isn't running during bath time.)
Play time. Although Baby is sleeping lots during those early weeks, you can still get some good play time in with them. It's never too early to start reading and singing with them. Along with those two activities, we loved our (9)PLAY MAT for the bursts of awake moments that Bryleigh sporadically had. Her mat has lots of different "learning" things - colors, numbers, letters, animals - and it lights up and plays music, which always seemed to grab her attention. The mat also doubled as a great place for tummy time, which is very important to give a try each day. We also loved that our mat will grow with Bryleigh and turns in to an activity table that she'll be able to stand and play at when she's a little bigger.
On the go. We go, and we go A LOT, so one of my favorites from the early days is our (10)TRAVEL SYSTEM. I absolutely love how easy it is to use all of the pieces of our travel system. The car seat is a perfect fit and easily adjustable (although I'd recommend reading the instructions and practice on a stuffed animal before Baby arrives, no matter how simple it seems), as well as light weight and easy to load in the car. The stroller is even easier to use. I can literally open and close it using one hand, and it's light weight enough that I can also lift it with one hand. (Having a free hand will come in useful as a new momma!!) It's a three piece system - the car seat, stroller frame, and stroller attachment, which allows you to choose exactly how you want Baby to ride around on any given day. This would be at the top of my "Baby products to recommend" list!!
I could go on and on with all of the things we used to make those first days easier, but I wanted to share my Top 10 with you. Did I leave any of your "Must Haves" off the list? If so, be sure to comment below with the items you found most useful for your sweet newborns, and be sure to check back in July for months 4 through 6 favorites!
No comments:
Post a Comment