Officially one week until I’m being induced with baby boy and I couldn’t be more excited to meet him and just see what he looks like!
This post is for all my mamas out there, whether it’s your first time OR your sixth, I’ve always found it helpful to look at other mamas must-have lists as you prep for your baby to arrive. Now what works for us, might not work for you and that’s totally ok! Every baby is different and honestly, my list here might totally change after this baby arrives and we see what he likes/needs and doesn’t like. For now, here are my TOP 10 must have items for when your newborn arrives. All 10 of these items we most definitely needed and used with Eloise and they helped us SO much.
Baby Eloise less than 24 hours old!
VELCRO SWADDLES:
See that blanket above!? We LOVE it…Eloise still sleeps with it, but it’s not the most ideal “swaddle blanket”. We tried for about a week after Eloise was born to keep her swaddled in blankets and it didn’t work that well. We ran to Target, grabbed some velcro swaddles and the rest was history! SO SO EASY. Like don’t mess with anything else mamas. Eloise was also happier and able to sleep better because the velcro swaddle was so secure. We absolutely swear by the Ollie Swaddle (I think it’s one of the main reasons Eloise started sleeping through the night at 2 months old) but it can be pricey. You can find great velcro swaddles anywhere but I will say, the Ollie ones wash the best and last the longest. I also ordered one from this brand that I’ve heard great things about, so I’ll keep you updated!
Gripe Water:
You might not need this, but this was a LIFESAVER with Eloise. She has major colic around 2 months old and this is the only thing that helped her feel relief and calm down. I didn’t leave the house without it. It’s a good thing to just have in your medicine cabinet just in case.
Nose Frida:
Another lifesaver for us that we didn’t know we needed. Eloise got a cold around 2 weeks old and this boogie sucker helped us so much! To be honest, this little contraption grossed me out at first, but once you realize how helpful it is for your baby to get all that gunk out of their nose and breath better, you get past it. PS. when you are using this, nothing goes into your mouth….I’ve got that question a few times! Yuck! Haha! I’ve also heard amazing things about this boogie sucker but I personally haven’t tried it.
Zipper Onsies:
When we first brought Eloise home we quickly realized how many onsies we had with snaps….don’t even bother mamas. It takes way too long to button them all the way back up ESPECIALLY if you are tired and it’s 3am. Just go with the sleepers or onsies with zippers. Some of them even have zippers that zip from the feet up so that you can easily change the diaper while keeping them warm up top.
DockATot:
Couldn’t live without this thing! We have two this time around for baby boy…one for upstairs and one for downstairs….you definitely don’t need two BUT Eloise loved sleeping anywhere in this thing so it was a lifesaver for us. I also really think that she can STILL sleep anywhere at anytime at 3 years old because we had her sleep in this with us so early on with all the things going on around her. Instead of putting her upstairs in a quiet dark room for sleep when she was born, she slept in this next to us as we were eating dinner, watching tv, etc so she got use to sleeping with any & all noise around her. We also got the travel cover and traveled with the DockAtot so that she always had her familiar spot when we stayed in hotels. I’m hoping baby boy loves it at much as she did!
Halo Bassinest:
Eloise slept in this at night next to our bed for about the first 4 months. We won’t go that long with baby boy as we definitely feel more comfortable as parents now…haha….but it was definitely nice to have it right next to my bed for those 3 am feedings. I’ve had two friends borrow this from us after Eloise and one of their kids wanted nothing to do with sleeping in it and one of them slept in it for about 4-6 months as well. I think it just totally depends. One tip….we bought the one with all of the bells and whistles (like music and vibrations) but we didn’t use it at all.
BabyBJorn Bouncer:
Another place to put your newborn babe when you need to be hands free! This one is pricey but definitely an all around good option if you are looking for a reliable bouncer that will last.
Boppy Pillow:
Another item that Eloise LOVED! She would sit up in this and look around the room, fall asleep in it AND I would use it for nursing her. It just had so many different uses and we used it WAY more than I thought we would!
Newton Mattress:
Don’t even get me started on this one! I’m so passionate about it because as a new mom, I really didn’t do my mattress research well. I bought a $50 plastic mattress from Buybuybaby and called it a day. Don’t do that.
Yes, this mattress is expensive….BUT put it on your registry, save up for it, do what you can to have a mattress that is breathable FOR YOUR PEACE OF MIND and your baby’s safety. Not only is it 100% breathable, it’s also washable (just throw it in the shower and rinse it off) AND it’s comfortable. 100% worth the investment in my opinion! We just have the original standard crib mattress and love it. This link here will get you $50 off too!
Pack’N’Play:
Another item we used a ton and for a while actually! I know a lot of people who have bought the ones with a changing table on it too so that they had a living room/downstairs changing option! These are just easy to pop up anywhere to keep your newborn or toddler in one spot while you do something, go to the bathroom, clean up your house, etc. Us moms, we need all of the hands free contraptions we can get!
If you are new here, I have a ton of great old blog posts from when Eloise was born that you can read HERE. I also wrote this post 2 weeks postpartum and I still think it’s super helpful info for first time mamas!
Wishing all of my new mamas all the best as you start your motherhood journey! Are there 100 other items you think you are going to need, YES. Will you need them all, no, but it’s always good to be prepared. I hope this little list of 10 items we used the most as newborn parents helps you feel more prepared!
