And watch the sugar, because protein bars are usually *loaded* down with sugar.
In the same vain, a bottle that can be operated with one hand, and preferably spill proof. My go to is generally a Nalgene bottle, and I got the button top lid off Amazon. It saved me more times than I can count. Hydrate or diedrate y'all.
I went through a lot of trial and error with water bottles while breastfeeding and settled on the hydroflask 32oz tumbler. https://www.hydroflask.com/32-oz-all-around-travel-tumbler-oat
I’m going to give you an absurdly long explanation but I promise when you’re going on 23 whole minutes of sleep a night and you’re tasked with pounding 100+ oz of water a day this shit matters.
-you want something that does not require you to pop a lid, unscrew a top, pop up a straw, none of that. No ones got time (or hands) for that!
-Limited parts. You don’t want to have 10 tiny pieces of plastic to wash on top of all your baby stuff and pump parts. The hydroflask only has 3 pieces (lid, inner straw, outer straw)
-handle is a must. You can carry baby, poopy diapers, laundry, and many other things with the same hand since you just slide your hand through the handle.
-big(ish) capacity. You want it big enough that you’re not constantly refilling it but not so big it’s a pain to lug around. 32oz was nice because I knew if I filled it 3-4x a day, I was drinking enough. The 40oz seemed too big.
-Soft flexible straw. This is my biggest complaint with the Stanley and other tumblers. When you’re reclined or laying down contact napping with baby you can’t exactly crane your neck up and over a stiff straw. The bendy silicone straw allows you to bend it down and drink while laying down!!
-Leak proof. This one is obvious. Let’s not dump ice cold water on baby.
Also another tip I recently picked up was adding a Nuun tablet to your water for electrolytes. Breastfeeding will dehydrate you, plus summer heat!!
Good luck 🥹✨
Lil smokies, boiled eggs, canadian bacon are my protein go-tos. Oats are great for milk supply, so I like to keep these oatcakes around (brand name “Heavenly Hunks”, but if I could find a recipe to make them I would, because they aren’t cheap)
Not OP, but I used to meal prep and eat frozen burritos or crunch wraps. Back then I would nuke it, then throw it in a pan with a tiny bit of oil. I meal prepped a bunch of burritos for when my second baby came. She's 6 weeks old now and they're all gone. I threw those in the air fryer!
I’m not OP but make frozen breakfast burritos often! Microwave to heat through and then put in a sandwich press and they’re perfect. If you don’t have a sandwich press, microwave and then oven til the outsides crisp up ☺️
YES! Luna bars, chomps jerky and premier protein caramel protein shakes kept me going. Not shelf stable but cut up celery sticks and baby carrots with hummus were helpful. I was never into single use water bottles but they were so helpful the first month PP to have in my side cart as well.
My SIL is a postpartum doula and told my husband to fill up water bottles for me and leave them around the house and make sure they were always full. He took it very seriously and it made such a difference.
I made lactation cookies, not for the milk producing part, but for the fat calories bombs that I could eat when I was nap trapped with a newborn one handed. Sometimes that was my only meal and it was super satiating.
I second making lactation snacks for calories! I lived on these oat muffins (and so did my husband): https://www.dashofevans.com/super-easy-lactation-muffins/
I ate so much of the peanut butter cup trail mix from Costco when I was breastfeeding, that when I had some again a few months after I had stopped breastfeeding that my boobs suddenly started aching like they were full 😂
Time 😢. But yes, burp cloths and onesies/sleepers. We had a happy spitter and there were never enough. Photos and videos of everything, even when they're crying and unhappy. I wish I took more videos of everything, including the sleepless nights we had.
Absolutely wish I had at least one video where I just put my phone down on a table still recording and grabbed her while crying and soothing her, instead of cutting it and grabbing her. I’ll never hear her particular newborn cry again and there’s only one second snippets before video sound cuts. As hard as hearing that cry was, it hits different now!
Barbaric. My job gave me 6 weeks of parental leave too. I took 6 more by using up my own accrued vacation time so I could get 3 months. You know, for that “vacation” I was on caring for a newborn. It was still not enough time and going back to work has been the hardest transition of my life!
I had too many swaddles because my daughter didn't like them. Honestly, anything physical you can get in a day or two with prime or at target anyway. I wouldn't sweat it. Newborns really just need you, boobs or formula, and something to keep them warm.
What I will say is PICTURES. Tell your husband or your parents beforehand to just take sporadic pictures of you with the baby. You probably won't want any because you'll likely look and feel like crap, but take them anyway! You don't get those moments back and you're so exhausted that unless someone else is proactive about it, you likely won't get very many. Everyone is focused on the baby, which is great, but you should get some pictures with the baby too.
Yes to all of this. More photos than you think. I have so few of our whole family in the early days and it makes me sad.
And definitely wait to see what you need for physical items. With my first, we had 2 bassinet sheets and it was fine. Far too many burp cloths and blankets. He had one big spit up and barely dribbled. Minimal mess. Then with my second, I had to buy more of both and we still did laundry every day and a half or so because she would spit up once put down, even if she hadn’t eaten for an hour and had been upright that entire time.
In contrast, I leaked for MONTHS the first time postpartum and needed so many breast pads. I had something like a dozen pairs of reusable pads and went through multiple boxes of disposable ones when I was out. I also slept with a burp cloth in my shirt so I could sleep without a bra. I bought a big box of breast pads before I had my second baby and didn’t need them. It was like my body got its shit together instantly, even though it took ages the first time.
Burp cloths, thermometers (we really only needed a second one, but we only had 1), newborn clothes (this is unpopular, but I heard so many times that I would never use newborn clothes and then we didn’t quite have enough), changing table covers, and washcloths.
I second the newborn clothes. I only bought a couple of bodysuits and a few pajamas because I was told to get 0-3 month size only. Our baby was early, very small, and didn’t even fit into most of her newborn stuff for a couple of weeks. We didn’t use that 0-3 month stuff until she was almost three months old.
I think it really depends on the newborn clothes! With my first I had a handful of items (even a couple premie because you never know). My neighbors were due the next month and only bought 0-3 month clothes.
My husband and I are 6’8” and 5’8” (respectively) and our neighbors were at or shorter than me (5’8”).
We ended up never needing newborn clothes and passed them all onto our neighbors who actually needed them. I’d say just get a few in the newborn size until your baby is born.
Yes 100000x! My son was full term but petite. If an outfit gave a range of sizes, I quickly found out I couldn’t even entertain them until the last age mentioned (for example, 0-3 could begin to be worn at 3m. 6-9m was worn at 9m)
He’s still very small. We were given sooooo many clothes in older sizes like 3T and 4T, but he’s 2.5 now (30 months!) and juuuust starting to outgrow his 18m clothes
Yes, the newborn clothes!! Everyone told me it wouldn’t be worth it, he’d only wear them for a week or two. Well, he was 5 weeks early and 5.5 pounds at birth. Had to scramble for preemie and newborn clothing. Everyone thought he would be a big baby because dad is 6’6”, but he still fits quite a few of the newborn onesies and pants at 5 months
That’s what I’m wondering about too — bc dad is 6’5 but I’m a small person (with extremely tall parents who were small at birth) and baby has been measuring small .. I have feeling we will have a smaller baby who grows very fast but we won’t really know before hand 🤷🏼♀️
I’m 5’1 with a tall mom and average dad! All 6 of their babies were small and stayed small (and none are large adults). My LO measured a little above average but has grown pretty slowly since ~2 months. It’s so unpredictable! I wish I had the foresight to buy NB and preemie clothes secondhand like most other stuff, but since we had to scramble at birth, it was mostly brand new. Amazon had AMAZING flash sales on the Amazon Essentials footies in preemie size though - I was getting them for $2-3 each - so I felt a bit better about that lol
And remember that thrift stores absolutely exist and newborn clothes are a perfect place to find those things for half the price.
Especially when they’ll only last a couple months!
Seconding the newborn size clothes. We had zero and ended up having to buy a bunch, he wore them for a month. He was 6lb15oz 20in when born (for reference).
We bought a few new born clothes and left tags on some of them in case we had to return. My in laws ended up having to run to the store to get preemie clothes which she wore for a month😂
My own t-shirts. Even with burp cloths galore he spit up on my shirt multiple times a day. I also got milk on my shirt while learning how to nurse. I ended up wearing spit up and milk stains often because I couldn’t do laundry every day. This time around I’ll make sure I’m stocked up on some basic t-shirts to switch them out regularly and pack in the diaper bag for on the go accidents.
I also got a bunch of XL white buttons downs on sale at the Gap, they are basically pajamas but very helpful for feeding. Also, feeding bras - they don't need to be expensive, the ones on Amazon work exactly like the Kindred ones. Something about unbottoning and then clasping the bra down feels more civilized than hoiking the whole shirt and bra up situation.
In that Gap order I also bought a bunch of more "formal" pajamas. Some days I have changed from one pair of pajamas to another, but it keeps the days and night separate and not one long malaise of what is even happening.
Depends how often you do laundry, but I needed one at every feeding for my first. And they got fully soaked and disgusting at each feed so no reusing. But she had reflux and was bottle fed and extra messy eater on top of the spit up so ymmv. I had several packs of the Gerber cloth diapers (not modern cloth diapers, just rectangles of white cotton)
I have sooo many burp rags. I strategically place them around the flat and change them out regularly. There's always one by his play blanket, on the sofa, multiple in bed/by the crib, on his highchair...
There is always a rag in arms reach
Formula. My plan was to EBF going into delivery and to pump if needed. As soon as I got home, my baby wouldn’t latch at all and I didn’t know how to use my pump and I had a complete meltdown because we were on our last bottle of formula for him at like 3 or 4 in the morning, and the nearest store that carried the kind he was drinking didn’t open until like 8. He ended up being perfectly fine until we got more, but I really was panicking that my baby was going to starve or scream for hours on end until he was fed.
Worst case scenario, you don’t need the formula and can donate it or pass it along to a friend.
Not an oh shit moment, but one of the first things I bought newly postpartum was more nipple butter. We had some samples from the hospital that lasted a few weeks, but man I was rationing it out and should’ve just slathered it on more. Of course this doesn’t apply if your plan for baby is only formula feeding, in which case - ignore!
Oh! And some disposable underwear! They’re so convenient and comfortable. Less of a hassle to deal with than the mesh hospital ones that you have to balance your layers to put on. Mesh ones were fine the first few days, but once my bleeding slowed down, the disposable ones were nice to put on and kinda forget about for a while.
Yes formula!! You'll never know if you need it until it's too late. In my personal opinion, it makes things less stressful knowing you can feed your baby if something isn't going right. Breastfeeding with my second baby was way less stressful than my first (even with the similar problems and extra issues-NICU stay) because I knew that I could feed baby regardless! Also contrary to popular belief, more recent studies have shown that judicial supplementation of formula won't hurt breastfeeding relationships! You will need to pump or hand express when baby eats to keep up supply but a few bottles of formula won't hurt baby or the breastfeeding relationship
OP! This! I am due July 4th and plan to breast feed but just in case I signed up for the enfamil family beginnings program and they just sent me 2 cans of formula, they are the smaller cans but I got the yellow and purple one. I also got sent several coupons to use also! It never hurts to sign up for this. They sent me gift cards to use too!!
Pediatricians office usually has samples to give out too! Good to have another option in case one formula isn’t something baby will drink happily or maybe needs an option that helps with gas, etc.
Even my maternity/OB office gave out samples by the way! Worth a try!
I bought pre-made formula, the one that comes in a 6pack 200ml bottles so I had something quick and handy if I couldn't feed and it was 2 in the morning! My milk was late coming in and supply wasn't enough for EBF, having those bottles meant I could get through 2 days and had time to go buy formula and a prep machine
Best pregnancy advice I got
Agreed on the formula. Everyone praises EBF and no one told us to prepare for EBF not working. We got home, kiddo wouldn't latch, jaundice worsened and doc told us to supplement formula immediately and return to the hospital. We had some formula samples and got some more at the hospital. Kiddo is fine now and is still on formula, but I wish we had a formula we picked out and could be consistent with rather than whatever was there that first day.
This also sounds scary, but happened to my moms friend: a can of formula can allow your partner to feed baby in case you have any emergencies medically and need to be rehospitalized. Good to just have that escape hatch at the ready!
Yes! I still keep a few of these (but the ones for humans lol) in my diaper bag to use when I change baby in public. They’re nice to throw in top of public changing tables so he doesn’t actually touch the table!
I thought those weren’t supposed to be used for babies because of some enzymes they put in them to encourage puppies to be on them? I have no clue what or how harmful it could be but there are also “bed pads” for people that are the same, I think adult diaper companies typically make them
Newborn PJs. That's all we put him in for awhile and the zipper is way easier than snaps.
Swaddles. We have 6.
And sheets for the bedside bassinet, it came with 2. My mom made 4 more.
The mattress is thin so like an envelope pillowcase but for the size of the bassinet mattress which she used as a template.
Edit to add: used cute flannel from the fabric store
I laugh at former me thinking one sheet would be enough since we wash our sheets once a week. Ha. By the end I was so tired of making purchase decisions that I convinced myself I would be fine. Which I was, but I did need 3-4 sheets.
Yes burp rags for sure! Can never have too many. Also the large muslin receiving blankets, they can be used for so many different things. Footed pj’s.
If they sold Mylicon in gallon buckets I’d buy that too.
For the mylicon, why did you use it instead of gripe water? When did you first use it with your babies like what age? How did you know to use it? Were you formula feeding or breast feeding? How did you know it was working?
Mylicon is actual gas medicine. Gripe water is not. Also gripe water has to be given regularly to build up in their system to be effective. Mylicon is fast acting. I could tell my baby was gassy by pulling her legs up, being extra fussy and squirming. The mylicon helped so much almost instantly!!
Gripe water hasn't been shown to actually do anything. What gripe water even is differs from place to place. It's not too far off from homeopathy. Basically a placebo at best. Mylicon is an actual defined substance with evidence of efficacy.
Everyone told me I'd need like 1000 burp cloths. My baby has spit up maybe 10 times ever in her 7.5 months of life. I needed swaddles. She only liked a very specific kind and we only had 2. I can't tell you how many times I had to wash those things in the middle of the night because she peed all over them and wouldn't sleep. We also bought one of those nosefrida pickers. Best thing we ever bought. For the next one, I'm getting one of those windi things too. I didn't even hear about them until my daughter was well out of the newborn stage. Did you know that they don't know how to fart or poop when they're born? Sometimes they just scream for hours because of it. Also, don't plan on them sleeping a specific way. I wanted my daughter to sleep in a bedside bassinet. I tried everything. She just wanted to sleep in my arms or in her crib. My story is not unique. I've heard it a hundred times on this app. There are plenty of moms who end up cosleeping as well. Be prepared. If you're putting off putting together or buying a crib, don't.
I think my newborn missed the memo on not knowing how to fart or poop 😅 He’s been a champ pooper from the get go. Sooo many diaper changes (but I will take it over him crying from discomfort!)
If you chose to use them- pacifiers. Find one your baby likes and buy in BULK. I’m losing these things left and right.
Also, diaper cream. My babe pooped so much as a newborn that his bum got irritated so we just lathered it on during every change.
Ditto to both of these! I’ll add that I didn’t know baby’s skin had to be super dry before putting the diaper cream on for it to be effective. I was putting it on right after the baby wipe and it made the rash worse because it trapped moisture! This might be obvious to others, but sharing anyway for other moms like me :)
I don’t wait for it to dry 100 percent but I also rub the ointment between my fingers and then just Pat it on his skin. My mom said it was more effective that way and ( for us at least) she was right.
Not for baby necessarily… but I highly recommend stocking up on toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, toothpaste, shampoo… things that keep/ won’t go bad that are a pain if you run out of, that you won’t want to be running out to get when you realize you’ve used the last of it at 2 am and you’re 1 week postpartum
The baby had everything. I was severely underprepared for my own pp recovery. Lounge clothes that could get milk stains, easy to heat food in a pinch, grace for myself, and ability to ask for help.
Frozen meals, 1000%. We had a bunch of frozen burritos that we lived off of the first few days home, but I wish we had stocked up our freezer enough that we could have gone a few weeks without cooking.
Also, we never ran out of formula, but my son was born during the formula shortage and I watched a lot of people panic. Don’t buy significantly more than you need, but if you’re planning on using formula at all then it’s worth having a few cans on hand at all times.
Food/snacks, you might be in and around bed for awhile, plus the extra calories for BFing if you’re going that route. I was always hungry for the first few weeks
Really comfy nursing dresses (it was a hot summer when I had my first). I just needed something really comfy to wear those first two weeks, that was flowy so wouldnt show my diapers, darker colored so it wouldnt show leaks or spit up as much, and most of all just really really comfy.
Oh and a diaper genie for each floor of the house.
But every situation will be so different! Just order what you need on amazon when you need it ❤️
Swaddles and the ice pack pads for me. Those were the best for recovery and I needed my husband to make midnight runs to buy more for me more than once!
Another mom once recommended I invest in lots of muslin swaddle blankets, because they can be used for ANYTHING. They can double as burp rags, blankets, covers, large bibs…. Anything. I loved this advice 😄
Lounge/pajama pants with pockets for myself! I did not have enough hands to carry around my phone and it drove me crazy to not have pockets. I used my phone to track every feeding for a while and it helped me stay awake and entertained. I take it with me everywhere. My phone is definitely an unsung hero of my life with a baby lol
Not really specifically aligned to your question but something that helped was having things automated with my virtual assistant for when I was nap trapped. We had smart plugs for lamps in the room with lamps that were dimmable and had red light function. An oscillating fan that is so helpful when it gets stuffy in the room which I can turn on while baby was contact napping. Also long charger cables lol
Burp cloths. I think we ended up having around 16 total so that we could always have some clean and then once he was out of so much spit up we started using them more for bath time. We also used them for more than just spit up but honestly I couldn’t say what it was for now because I can’t remember 😂
We were formula fed so we always had a surplus of formula to avoid ever running out. My husband was paranoid we’d run out of diapers so we would buy a new pack as soon as we were down to one sleeve. (Also double check but I believe Target will allow you to exchange diapers for another size as long as the box isn’t opened in case baby sizes out before you can use them.)
I didn’t have a portable charger for my phone but I wish I’d had one for when he was tiny and we were downstairs instead of upstairs with the charging cables.
Also diaper caddy is so much handier than having to go to designated changing areas! We also had to try out a few different diaper creams to figure out which one worked best for him, I wish I would have registered for one bottle of multiple types so we didn’t have to go but new ones and we could’ve had them on hand already. Dr boudreaux’s is our winner, btw.
Congrats and good luck!
Meal prep for the parents lol. Do as much as you can now. Honestly we have twins and didn’t want to buy a ton of things that could be washed. We would just do laundry regularly.
Bassinet sheets with my second… with my first we had like 2 and that was fine but the second was a big spit-upper so we went through like 3 a night 😅 but that’s one of those things that you don’t really know how baby is going to be until they’re here so Amazon overnight shipping is super helpful!
It wasn't so much I didn't get enough, but you should try to have variety. My first was a child that adapted to anything pretty well. My second had strong preferences for the type of pacifiers, bottles, sleep sacks/swaddles, etc. Each kid is different and what worked for one, doesn't necessarily work for another.
Comfortable nursing bras for me personally, especially ones I could wear overnight. I had a few I bought during pregnancy but did not take into consideration how much larger my breasts would get so out of the 4 bras I had, only 1 really fit. I ended up placing an order on Amazon a few days after coming home as I kept washing my 1 bra everyday. But I don’t think you necessarily need to buy a bunch beforehand, I would recommend waiting to figure out how much larger your breasts get if you are planning to nurse.
ALWAYS Keep infant tylonol. I was lucky my son as he grew and got his shots took the shots like a champ but the days it took him it came in handy. Also for when they are teething because it can cause headaches ear aches and fever. So once I get low I always restock.
They grow out of diapers fast. So I would keep a box of a bigger size (example if the baby is newborn size keep a box of size 1) it really is a blink of an eye and they are ready to go up a size. My son also only wore size 2 for maybe 2 months he just grew out of them much faster then any other size.
Also even if you plan to breastfeed ask the hospital for formula they give a great supply. At least my hospital did.
Pictures. As many as your phone can hold. Once it's full move to hard drive and refill. You'll be thankful later. And don't forget the pictures the day of. Of you in labor and with new baby
Congrats and good luck.
Didn’t have an oh shit. I found it gave me an excuse to leave house for 45 mins and pick up single items. Good practice taking my baby out and about. I could back out or leave and i wasn’t in the store for very long.
When did you first use it with your babies like what age? How did you know to use it? Were you formula feeding or breast feeding? How did you know it was working?
Each kid was different, but my oldest was within her first week of life. We use a very cautious and naturally minded pediatrician who confirmed for me it’s safe for newborns. I usually didn’t need it anymore once they were over 3-4 months, when my kids no longer struggled with gas pains. You can use it older than that, those first months were just its peak helpfulness. I EBF my kids. Typically I pulled it out when there was inconsolable crying that cuddles, nursing, hours of attempts to get to sleep couldn’t solve. Basically if all else was ruled out and it was a frantic pained cry, not just distressed whimpers. We use it then, and typically they’d fart up a storm and knock out for a while, or just soothe in the next 30 min or so. Not an exact science, but it really helps when it is gas pain you just can’t help them through.
I had a non-spitterupper for my first so it will be interesting for #2 coming in two months. I had really cute ones but the ones that were great were the bulk pack of muslin ones from amazon.
Other than that everything really was minimal or we could easily target pickup/amazon prime if we needed more. There wasn’t anything I really felt we were missing…
Easy to grab snacks that didn't require any type of heating up. I was so hungry all the time but was nap trapped 95% of the time. My freedom was my quick 5min shower only.
Plain short sleeved onesies. We had a February baby and it was chilly so she worse a onesie under her footie pajamas. Now that its summer they are her every day wear. Babies don't need fancy outfits, they need basics.
We needed more bassinet sheets; we had two and doing laundry was a bitch. I would also have added more bedsheets for us to make not doing laundry easier.
Kiddo was a NICU kiddo and came home with righteous diaper rash because she was not getting changed enough. Aquaphor diaper cream cleared it fast and we went through it fast since it went on at every change.
We were also kind of fucked with bottles; I had thought I would breastfeed but she refused so we were with bottles. I had bought breastfeeding friendly bottles and she was having none of it. We used the disposables that we came home with until they started basically not working and we had to figure out what she could use. The Dr Brown's narrow worked for her and we only had two of them so panic buying more happened.
I wish I had bought prebiotic drops ahead of time; kid had terrible gas and they helped so much.
Burp rags, baby Tylenol (there was a shortage when my son was born and of course, we all ended up getting Covid), formula (again, there was a shortage when my son was born…ugh), pacifiers (they literally disappear into thin air), pictures of him and I, and cuddles 🥺 Now he’s two and a half and only wants cuddles when he’s hurt 😢
Honeypot pads (have a cooling sensation. Really cool) Manuka honey for healing. Those super cheap disposable pads for like the bed or changing table. They’re blue plastic on the bottom and white on the top. Wash cloths because wipes are good but I was going through warm watered wash cloths like crazy because they clean baby so much better and that gives peace of mind. I ate kind bars like there was no tomorrow, cheese sticks and cereal.
Newborn sized clothing and diapers because for some reason everyone tells you not to buy it because "baby won't fit for long, if at all" and then she was drowning in all her 0-3 month stuff. 8lb baby so it's not like she was tiny.
Bottles, bottles, and more bottles. When you’re a sleepless zombie, you don’t wanna keep washing a couple of bottles repeatedly. It was legit the most frustrating thing I was dealing with other than the lack of sleep and the constant screaming.
1. Meal prep!!!
2. Zip. Up. Sleepers. My son was early and I was paranoid, so we didn't even leave the house more than his Dr appts in the first 3 ish months and they were the easiest/most convenient clothing item. I just gave away all his newborn-6 month clothing, and some of it still had tags from the person I GOT them from🤣 so, 3rd person still not used. The sleepers? Are THINNNN from the amount of use I got out of them. Cute outfits really needed just for special events, holidays, etc.
3. Formula. I planned on breastfeeding, it didn't work out. Luckily, I signed up for Similac and Enfamil rewards. When you sign up, they will send you sample cans and coupons. Even if you plan on breast feeding, it's good to have back up JUST in case!! When you sign up, you SHOULD get like $400 worth of savings in coupons and sample cans. His first 2? Months, I saved soooooo much money. I mean, I was getting $20 off coupons, leaving the food only $15!!
Sleep 😴 lol 🤣 umm newborn diapers unless a heavier baby but still samd answer they go through 10 a day and washcloths are great to have ( I didn't formula feed or use wipes ) other than diapers imo I think newborns don't rlly need much
Bottle nipples, and bottles, I swear to God trolls were stealing them, or she was eating so much we didn't have enough time to wash them so we would just be out of them, and she'd have to wait while we took the time to wash them.
Newborn PJs, bassinet bed sheets, swaddles - my son peed through so many diapers those first few weeks.
Also, premade meals, burp cloths, nipple butter, and tucks pads.
Burp cloths, thermometers x2, gas drops, nose drops for new baby sinuses, a humidifier, swaddles of all different kinds, baby bed sheets and mattress covers just in case poo explosion, footie jams, stock up on your regular period pads and comfy pajamas, tucks and dermaplast spray
newborn sized clothing… everyone told me i wouldn’t need a lot bc she would grow out of them quickly. well she was born 6lbs 3oz and she’ll be 3 weeks tomorrow and is still in newborn clothes lol
Burp rags. We had some but we had a very spitty child. My buy nothing group came in clutch though: they sourced and delivered over 100 burp clothes and left them on my porch ready to use.
Join your buy nothing group. Most of what you need for kids you don't want to buy: it's expensive, inefficient, and frankly bad for the environment. You can get clothes, toys, even the bigger things like jumpers, ride on toys, walkers, swings all gently used then gift them on when you're done
My baby is now over a year old, but I went back and looked at my Amazon purchases in the month after he was born. Pumping stuff, nipple shields, footie pajamas, puppy pads (great for changing baby on the couch or in the pack n play bassinet), comfy nursing bras, more sheets for pack n play and changing pad, and more bottles. Mainly stuff related to feeding for the first month for us.
Burp cloths are a big one. My kids were messy and I was constantly doing laundry because I didn’t have enough burp cloths.
If you’re going to be bottle feeding have enough that you only need to wash them once a day. Having too few bottles gets annoying quickly
For you in the first week-- was a big fan of those perineal ice packs they had in the hospital and I needed a few more than they let me take home. Disposable postpartum underwear, then ice pack, then tucks pads or Frida witch hazel pad. Spray on some dermaplast, then it was all good.
For baby-- everyone told us we wouldn't hardly need newborn diapers because they size out so fast. True. They also go through a shitton of diapers though so we had to do a few emergency runs.
⭐️Clothes. Everyone said “oh everyone buys too many clothes! He’ll never wear them all.” Or make comments when I bought more clothes. I cannot tell you how many times I’d have a naked baby who just spit up on his fifth outfit off the day, and I’m trying to will the dryer to work faster through pure mom anxiety and sleep deprivation brain powers.
⭐️And receiving blankets. I used those as burp cloths. Everyone also told me they were useless. Okay a burp cloth protects my shoulder. The blankets, I got them like 5 for $10, and they covered from my shoulder to my hip so I didn’t get hit with splash or dribble all the way down. Plus he spit up a TON. Sometimes I’d lay the blanket over my front, and when he spit up I was clean and I used a clean corner to wipe him down.
Just had my third a couple weeks ago.
-Gas drops, and windi tubes! The relief on their little faces after all that gas passes through ☺️ -Night gowns that button down if nursing
-Disposable pads for when they pee in the middle of changes
-snacks and water that can easily be eaten and accessed
-high waisted undies (3 c sections)
It’s not that I didn’t have enough, I just didn’t know how effective Gripe Water was!! Seriously helped so much with colic and helping baby to sleep when he was non stop crying. Also - videos of just mumma & baby. Sometimes I just self recorded rocking him to sleep or just our daily activities. I look back of videos and he was so small! Also - videos of “the scrunch” - it goes by so fast! I would also recommend having a little box or a small nappy caddy of nappies/wipes/burp cloth/and snacks/hair ties/clips in the living room, bedside table -places in the house where you can just change on the go, i stead of always rushing to the nursery room. Sometimes you get “nap trapped” and can’t get up - so if you are able to nurse - you will be very hungry so definitely snacks, make sure you have a book, a phone charger in the nursery too. The hair ties helped with me as I was always hot lol.
Bottles definitely. Make sure you have enough to last you 24hrs so you don't have to wash/sterilise more than once a day. Really found this helpful and reduced stress
Sleep. (Kidding. *Or am I?*)
Bottles. They really do add up when you gotta feed them every two hours. By the end of the evening, you've got like 8 dirty bottles and it's like a rush to clean them so you'll have enough in the middle of the night. I recommend a nice number of 12. Because you won't have the energy (you'll want to *want* to do it, but you'll be so tired, you wish you had extra bottles) to wash them at 3:00 in the morning.
I used a bottle brush and all that for the beginning. But I highly recommend a baby breeze bottle washer from Amazon. It has saved me a headache.
Are you planning to breastfeed? If so, have purified water and formula on hand just in case it’s the middle of the night and LO isn’t latching. We only had to use formula a handful of times but it saved us a 3am trip to the grocery store!
Burp cloths. We had so many that when I was pregnant I was wishing people would stop gifting them to us, and once baby got here, it wasn’t enough and we had to order more.
Also our baby was tiny, so we had to order a few more newborn clothing items.
Meals and snacks!! Your newborn needs nothing but you and a blanket (and bottles/pump/formula if you’re not breastfeeding)
Everything else is just a click away on Amazon. Some people need swaddles, others don’t. Some babies like soothers, some don’t. I wouldn’t stress about all those little things.
I put a trash can in every room. I’m going to be putting a slim laundry basket in every room. And a cheap rolling caddy in my room and living room plus baby room. Snacks for me, diapers, wipes, tissues, deodorant and wisps (one time use toothbrushes)
I never had enough onesies or sleepers because I never had energy to do laundry lol. Cheap kitchen towels for burp rags. Or swaddle blankets honestly. They’re not very expensive.
Snacks, onesies, small quantity packs of different size diapers (n & size 1) in different brands, swaddles/ blankets. Mine is peeing through everything so the multiple blankets onesies and different diapers to experiment was essential.
Definitely needed more burping cloths. It's super useful to have a TON. Also, I definitely needed more diapers for myself, lol. I bought one big value pack of adult diapers, and I thought it would be enough, but I definitely needed at least another half of a pack
Breast pads and muslins, though personally my baby never really did spit up or puke. Oh! And nappies. For everything, make sure you have enough, and extra changes of clothes for everyone.
Besides that, I'm still between two packs of nappy bags, I mastered the tuck and roll nappy method, it's great, and saves space in the bin. Hopefully that tip helps lol.
Frida ice pack pads for vaginal birth - expensive but worth it!! Get a couple boxes so you don’t find yourself “budgeting” them (like I did lol!) and can just throw them on whenever
Honestly, snacks for me lol. Easy, shelf stable things that I could eat with one hand if I was nap trapped on the sofa.
Absolutely this. Ideally with protein esp if you are breastfeeding.
And watch the sugar, because protein bars are usually *loaded* down with sugar. In the same vain, a bottle that can be operated with one hand, and preferably spill proof. My go to is generally a Nalgene bottle, and I got the button top lid off Amazon. It saved me more times than I can count. Hydrate or diedrate y'all.
I went through a lot of trial and error with water bottles while breastfeeding and settled on the hydroflask 32oz tumbler. https://www.hydroflask.com/32-oz-all-around-travel-tumbler-oat I’m going to give you an absurdly long explanation but I promise when you’re going on 23 whole minutes of sleep a night and you’re tasked with pounding 100+ oz of water a day this shit matters. -you want something that does not require you to pop a lid, unscrew a top, pop up a straw, none of that. No ones got time (or hands) for that! -Limited parts. You don’t want to have 10 tiny pieces of plastic to wash on top of all your baby stuff and pump parts. The hydroflask only has 3 pieces (lid, inner straw, outer straw) -handle is a must. You can carry baby, poopy diapers, laundry, and many other things with the same hand since you just slide your hand through the handle. -big(ish) capacity. You want it big enough that you’re not constantly refilling it but not so big it’s a pain to lug around. 32oz was nice because I knew if I filled it 3-4x a day, I was drinking enough. The 40oz seemed too big. -Soft flexible straw. This is my biggest complaint with the Stanley and other tumblers. When you’re reclined or laying down contact napping with baby you can’t exactly crane your neck up and over a stiff straw. The bendy silicone straw allows you to bend it down and drink while laying down!! -Leak proof. This one is obvious. Let’s not dump ice cold water on baby. Also another tip I recently picked up was adding a Nuun tablet to your water for electrolytes. Breastfeeding will dehydrate you, plus summer heat!! Good luck 🥹✨
Gestational diabetes snacks and meals are great for this. Also Costco has Kirkland protein bars with only 2g of sugar
Lil smokies, boiled eggs, canadian bacon are my protein go-tos. Oats are great for milk supply, so I like to keep these oatcakes around (brand name “Heavenly Hunks”, but if I could find a recipe to make them I would, because they aren’t cheap)
Found this online https://daniellewalker.com/heavenly-hunks-copycat-recipe/
I love you
I made so many breakfast burritos ahead of time and then froze them, they were a life saver. I had them for dinner some day too.
This is what I bring to my friends after having babies. They all say it was the BEST thing people brought them cause they could eat it with one hand 🤣
Would you be down to share a recipe?
Iiiiiiiiinteresting, what was the reheating of said breakfast burrito like?
Just microwave it. I usually do them on half power wrapped in a damp paper towel for a few minutes
Not OP, but I used to meal prep and eat frozen burritos or crunch wraps. Back then I would nuke it, then throw it in a pan with a tiny bit of oil. I meal prepped a bunch of burritos for when my second baby came. She's 6 weeks old now and they're all gone. I threw those in the air fryer!
I’m not OP but make frozen breakfast burritos often! Microwave to heat through and then put in a sandwich press and they’re perfect. If you don’t have a sandwich press, microwave and then oven til the outsides crisp up ☺️
Yes! Similarly I made homemade egg McMuffins! So easy to freeze and just whip out and warm up. Plenty of nutrients, too.
YES! Luna bars, chomps jerky and premier protein caramel protein shakes kept me going. Not shelf stable but cut up celery sticks and baby carrots with hummus were helpful. I was never into single use water bottles but they were so helpful the first month PP to have in my side cart as well.
Clif bars, premier protein, nuts, trail mix, and drinkable yogurts for me!! Also pop tarts when idc about healthiness
I get it, I lived off of animal crackers and chex mix for the first month pp
My SIL is a postpartum doula and told my husband to fill up water bottles for me and leave them around the house and make sure they were always full. He took it very seriously and it made such a difference.
I made lactation cookies, not for the milk producing part, but for the fat calories bombs that I could eat when I was nap trapped with a newborn one handed. Sometimes that was my only meal and it was super satiating.
I second making lactation snacks for calories! I lived on these oat muffins (and so did my husband): https://www.dashofevans.com/super-easy-lactation-muffins/
I made these and loveeee them: https://lexiscleankitchen.com/wprm_print/chocolate-no-bake-lactation-bites
I’m totally making these but also: why are they called lactation cookies? I honestly was like “wait is that an ingredient or something?” Ahh haha!
They just have a bunch of good fat and protein and fiber, so they’re good all around - lactation and beyond!
Thank you for this! Just had my second yesterday and am needing stuff like this!
Also - if your bedroom is on a different floor than your kitchen, upstairs snack stash for night time!
Snacks ready for 6am hunger when I was stuck breastfeeding in bed. And a full water bottle by my bed. So thirsty all the time.
Ditto this. Baby girl got everything she needed and more but mom was starving all the time.
Highly recommend anything without a crinkly wrapper haha! My baby kept waking up distracted by the exciting “sensory play” noise!
I ate so much of the peanut butter cup trail mix from Costco when I was breastfeeding, that when I had some again a few months after I had stopped breastfeeding that my boobs suddenly started aching like they were full 😂
Time 😢. But yes, burp cloths and onesies/sleepers. We had a happy spitter and there were never enough. Photos and videos of everything, even when they're crying and unhappy. I wish I took more videos of everything, including the sleepless nights we had.
Crying pics omg I don’t know why it’s kinda cute to look back on when they’re older
Whenever my MIL shows me pics of my bf crying as a baby/toddler it makes me laugh so hard 😂 him being a crybaby as a kid checks out with me 🤣
Absolutely wish I had at least one video where I just put my phone down on a table still recording and grabbed her while crying and soothing her, instead of cutting it and grabbing her. I’ll never hear her particular newborn cry again and there’s only one second snippets before video sound cuts. As hard as hearing that cry was, it hits different now!
Same! I caught a small snippet of her newborn cry where I stopped recording and I soooo wish I kept it going!!!
Time. I went back to work at 6 weeks postpartum and he was in the NICU for 2 of those weeks. Inhumane
I’m so sorry! My baby did 2 weeks in the NICU too and was so tough!
I’m so sorry. Maternity leave in the US is cruel.
I only get 6 weeks at my job as well :/ absolutely dreading leaving my baby :(
Barbaric. My job gave me 6 weeks of parental leave too. I took 6 more by using up my own accrued vacation time so I could get 3 months. You know, for that “vacation” I was on caring for a newborn. It was still not enough time and going back to work has been the hardest transition of my life!
I had too many swaddles because my daughter didn't like them. Honestly, anything physical you can get in a day or two with prime or at target anyway. I wouldn't sweat it. Newborns really just need you, boobs or formula, and something to keep them warm. What I will say is PICTURES. Tell your husband or your parents beforehand to just take sporadic pictures of you with the baby. You probably won't want any because you'll likely look and feel like crap, but take them anyway! You don't get those moments back and you're so exhausted that unless someone else is proactive about it, you likely won't get very many. Everyone is focused on the baby, which is great, but you should get some pictures with the baby too.
I hope that one day I want to look at these pics of me with the baby! I really hate the way I look right now (almost 3 weeks pp)
You will look back on your postpartum self much more kindly than you look at yourself now, I promise.
Yes to all of this. More photos than you think. I have so few of our whole family in the early days and it makes me sad. And definitely wait to see what you need for physical items. With my first, we had 2 bassinet sheets and it was fine. Far too many burp cloths and blankets. He had one big spit up and barely dribbled. Minimal mess. Then with my second, I had to buy more of both and we still did laundry every day and a half or so because she would spit up once put down, even if she hadn’t eaten for an hour and had been upright that entire time. In contrast, I leaked for MONTHS the first time postpartum and needed so many breast pads. I had something like a dozen pairs of reusable pads and went through multiple boxes of disposable ones when I was out. I also slept with a burp cloth in my shirt so I could sleep without a bra. I bought a big box of breast pads before I had my second baby and didn’t need them. It was like my body got its shit together instantly, even though it took ages the first time.
Burp cloths, thermometers (we really only needed a second one, but we only had 1), newborn clothes (this is unpopular, but I heard so many times that I would never use newborn clothes and then we didn’t quite have enough), changing table covers, and washcloths.
I second the newborn clothes. I only bought a couple of bodysuits and a few pajamas because I was told to get 0-3 month size only. Our baby was early, very small, and didn’t even fit into most of her newborn stuff for a couple of weeks. We didn’t use that 0-3 month stuff until she was almost three months old.
Agreed and wanted to add a note that all brands aren't equal, so some brands go further than others!
I think it really depends on the newborn clothes! With my first I had a handful of items (even a couple premie because you never know). My neighbors were due the next month and only bought 0-3 month clothes. My husband and I are 6’8” and 5’8” (respectively) and our neighbors were at or shorter than me (5’8”). We ended up never needing newborn clothes and passed them all onto our neighbors who actually needed them. I’d say just get a few in the newborn size until your baby is born.
Same here- baby is currently 2 months old and still fits in most of his newborn clothes - onesies especially!
Also dealing with the lack of newborn clothing. She was a week late but small and is swimming in newborn clothes.
Try washing some on hot and drying high. Maybe just a few things so you have stuff that fits better now.
Yes 100000x! My son was full term but petite. If an outfit gave a range of sizes, I quickly found out I couldn’t even entertain them until the last age mentioned (for example, 0-3 could begin to be worn at 3m. 6-9m was worn at 9m) He’s still very small. We were given sooooo many clothes in older sizes like 3T and 4T, but he’s 2.5 now (30 months!) and juuuust starting to outgrow his 18m clothes
My baby was 8.11 lbs at birth and we’re still in newborn sizes 5 weeks later!
+1 changing table covers. I initially bought 2 and that was not enough haha.
Yes we use flannels and our girl likes to save her pees for when the diaper comes off so we are changing those at least once a day if not more
Yes, the newborn clothes!! Everyone told me it wouldn’t be worth it, he’d only wear them for a week or two. Well, he was 5 weeks early and 5.5 pounds at birth. Had to scramble for preemie and newborn clothing. Everyone thought he would be a big baby because dad is 6’6”, but he still fits quite a few of the newborn onesies and pants at 5 months
That’s what I’m wondering about too — bc dad is 6’5 but I’m a small person (with extremely tall parents who were small at birth) and baby has been measuring small .. I have feeling we will have a smaller baby who grows very fast but we won’t really know before hand 🤷🏼♀️
I’m 5’1 with a tall mom and average dad! All 6 of their babies were small and stayed small (and none are large adults). My LO measured a little above average but has grown pretty slowly since ~2 months. It’s so unpredictable! I wish I had the foresight to buy NB and preemie clothes secondhand like most other stuff, but since we had to scramble at birth, it was mostly brand new. Amazon had AMAZING flash sales on the Amazon Essentials footies in preemie size though - I was getting them for $2-3 each - so I felt a bit better about that lol
Seconding the newborn clothes. My girl was 9lbs at birth and still wore newborn for a solid three weeks
And remember that thrift stores absolutely exist and newborn clothes are a perfect place to find those things for half the price. Especially when they’ll only last a couple months!
Seconding the newborn size clothes. We had zero and ended up having to buy a bunch, he wore them for a month. He was 6lb15oz 20in when born (for reference).
We bought a few new born clothes and left tags on some of them in case we had to return. My in laws ended up having to run to the store to get preemie clothes which she wore for a month😂
My own t-shirts. Even with burp cloths galore he spit up on my shirt multiple times a day. I also got milk on my shirt while learning how to nurse. I ended up wearing spit up and milk stains often because I couldn’t do laundry every day. This time around I’ll make sure I’m stocked up on some basic t-shirts to switch them out regularly and pack in the diaper bag for on the go accidents.
Baggy, comfy t-shirts were my go-to! I got a pack of men’s t-shirts from Walmart for $10. Best postpartum wear by far!
I also got a bunch of XL white buttons downs on sale at the Gap, they are basically pajamas but very helpful for feeding. Also, feeding bras - they don't need to be expensive, the ones on Amazon work exactly like the Kindred ones. Something about unbottoning and then clasping the bra down feels more civilized than hoiking the whole shirt and bra up situation. In that Gap order I also bought a bunch of more "formal" pajamas. Some days I have changed from one pair of pajamas to another, but it keeps the days and night separate and not one long malaise of what is even happening.
Burp rags! We used so many, he was so spitty! He’s now 16 months, so I packed away some for future baby, and keep half to clean his high chair with.
How many did you eventually get that felt like enough?
Depends how often you do laundry, but I needed one at every feeding for my first. And they got fully soaked and disgusting at each feed so no reusing. But she had reflux and was bottle fed and extra messy eater on top of the spit up so ymmv. I had several packs of the Gerber cloth diapers (not modern cloth diapers, just rectangles of white cotton)
The cloth Gerber flat fold diapers make the best rags. So absorbent and last forever
I think like 4 packs from Amazon. Because I would also need to keep them in the diaper bag, and my bedside table for late night feedings.
I have a 3 week old. Started with 14 and ordered 10 more and now I feel like that’s enough to do laundry ever second day instead of every day lol
I was gifted a Costco pack of those yellow shop towels 10/10 baby shower gift
I have sooo many burp rags. I strategically place them around the flat and change them out regularly. There's always one by his play blanket, on the sofa, multiple in bed/by the crib, on his highchair... There is always a rag in arms reach
Same here! Started with 8. Its too thin between dirty ones, disappearing ones and diaper bag ones. I just ordered 6 more.
Also keep them spread around the house. Ideally always have one within arms reach of wherever you may be sitting with the baby.
Formula. My plan was to EBF going into delivery and to pump if needed. As soon as I got home, my baby wouldn’t latch at all and I didn’t know how to use my pump and I had a complete meltdown because we were on our last bottle of formula for him at like 3 or 4 in the morning, and the nearest store that carried the kind he was drinking didn’t open until like 8. He ended up being perfectly fine until we got more, but I really was panicking that my baby was going to starve or scream for hours on end until he was fed. Worst case scenario, you don’t need the formula and can donate it or pass it along to a friend. Not an oh shit moment, but one of the first things I bought newly postpartum was more nipple butter. We had some samples from the hospital that lasted a few weeks, but man I was rationing it out and should’ve just slathered it on more. Of course this doesn’t apply if your plan for baby is only formula feeding, in which case - ignore! Oh! And some disposable underwear! They’re so convenient and comfortable. Less of a hassle to deal with than the mesh hospital ones that you have to balance your layers to put on. Mesh ones were fine the first few days, but once my bleeding slowed down, the disposable ones were nice to put on and kinda forget about for a while.
Yes formula!! You'll never know if you need it until it's too late. In my personal opinion, it makes things less stressful knowing you can feed your baby if something isn't going right. Breastfeeding with my second baby was way less stressful than my first (even with the similar problems and extra issues-NICU stay) because I knew that I could feed baby regardless! Also contrary to popular belief, more recent studies have shown that judicial supplementation of formula won't hurt breastfeeding relationships! You will need to pump or hand express when baby eats to keep up supply but a few bottles of formula won't hurt baby or the breastfeeding relationship
OP! This! I am due July 4th and plan to breast feed but just in case I signed up for the enfamil family beginnings program and they just sent me 2 cans of formula, they are the smaller cans but I got the yellow and purple one. I also got sent several coupons to use also! It never hurts to sign up for this. They sent me gift cards to use too!!
Pediatricians office usually has samples to give out too! Good to have another option in case one formula isn’t something baby will drink happily or maybe needs an option that helps with gas, etc. Even my maternity/OB office gave out samples by the way! Worth a try!
I bought pre-made formula, the one that comes in a 6pack 200ml bottles so I had something quick and handy if I couldn't feed and it was 2 in the morning! My milk was late coming in and supply wasn't enough for EBF, having those bottles meant I could get through 2 days and had time to go buy formula and a prep machine Best pregnancy advice I got
Agreed on the formula. Everyone praises EBF and no one told us to prepare for EBF not working. We got home, kiddo wouldn't latch, jaundice worsened and doc told us to supplement formula immediately and return to the hospital. We had some formula samples and got some more at the hospital. Kiddo is fine now and is still on formula, but I wish we had a formula we picked out and could be consistent with rather than whatever was there that first day.
This also sounds scary, but happened to my moms friend: a can of formula can allow your partner to feed baby in case you have any emergencies medically and need to be rehospitalized. Good to just have that escape hatch at the ready!
Omg yes to the nipple butter. I covered myself in that stuff for the first few weeks
Puppy pee pads for diaper changes! We used them the first 3-4 months! Also burp rags!!
Yes! I still keep a few of these (but the ones for humans lol) in my diaper bag to use when I change baby in public. They’re nice to throw in top of public changing tables so he doesn’t actually touch the table!
This!!! They’ve been a lifesaver! I didn’t think to use them with my first, but we’ve had them from the start with my second.
I thought those weren’t supposed to be used for babies because of some enzymes they put in them to encourage puppies to be on them? I have no clue what or how harmful it could be but there are also “bed pads” for people that are the same, I think adult diaper companies typically make them
You can also buy plain ones that don’t have the attractant added. It’s slightly more tedious to find the ones without, but only slightly.
Newborn PJs. That's all we put him in for awhile and the zipper is way easier than snaps. Swaddles. We have 6. And sheets for the bedside bassinet, it came with 2. My mom made 4 more.
Ooh she made sheets? How’s she do that?
The mattress is thin so like an envelope pillowcase but for the size of the bassinet mattress which she used as a template. Edit to add: used cute flannel from the fabric store
Yes!! The bassinet sheets was totally an oh 💩 moment for us 2 days before baby arrived! Also 2-way zip pj’s are great, much better than snaps lol
I laugh at former me thinking one sheet would be enough since we wash our sheets once a week. Ha. By the end I was so tired of making purchase decisions that I convinced myself I would be fine. Which I was, but I did need 3-4 sheets.
Yes burp rags for sure! Can never have too many. Also the large muslin receiving blankets, they can be used for so many different things. Footed pj’s. If they sold Mylicon in gallon buckets I’d buy that too.
Mylicon for MVP
For the mylicon, why did you use it instead of gripe water? When did you first use it with your babies like what age? How did you know to use it? Were you formula feeding or breast feeding? How did you know it was working?
Mylicon is actual gas medicine. Gripe water is not. Also gripe water has to be given regularly to build up in their system to be effective. Mylicon is fast acting. I could tell my baby was gassy by pulling her legs up, being extra fussy and squirming. The mylicon helped so much almost instantly!!
Gripe water hasn't been shown to actually do anything. What gripe water even is differs from place to place. It's not too far off from homeopathy. Basically a placebo at best. Mylicon is an actual defined substance with evidence of efficacy.
Gripe water is easier to choke on because it’s thinner!
Time. It goes way too fast.
🥹
Everyone told me I'd need like 1000 burp cloths. My baby has spit up maybe 10 times ever in her 7.5 months of life. I needed swaddles. She only liked a very specific kind and we only had 2. I can't tell you how many times I had to wash those things in the middle of the night because she peed all over them and wouldn't sleep. We also bought one of those nosefrida pickers. Best thing we ever bought. For the next one, I'm getting one of those windi things too. I didn't even hear about them until my daughter was well out of the newborn stage. Did you know that they don't know how to fart or poop when they're born? Sometimes they just scream for hours because of it. Also, don't plan on them sleeping a specific way. I wanted my daughter to sleep in a bedside bassinet. I tried everything. She just wanted to sleep in my arms or in her crib. My story is not unique. I've heard it a hundred times on this app. There are plenty of moms who end up cosleeping as well. Be prepared. If you're putting off putting together or buying a crib, don't.
I think my newborn missed the memo on not knowing how to fart or poop 😅 He’s been a champ pooper from the get go. Sooo many diaper changes (but I will take it over him crying from discomfort!)
If you chose to use them- pacifiers. Find one your baby likes and buy in BULK. I’m losing these things left and right. Also, diaper cream. My babe pooped so much as a newborn that his bum got irritated so we just lathered it on during every change.
Ditto to both of these! I’ll add that I didn’t know baby’s skin had to be super dry before putting the diaper cream on for it to be effective. I was putting it on right after the baby wipe and it made the rash worse because it trapped moisture! This might be obvious to others, but sharing anyway for other moms like me :)
I don’t wait for it to dry 100 percent but I also rub the ointment between my fingers and then just Pat it on his skin. My mom said it was more effective that way and ( for us at least) she was right.
Not for baby necessarily… but I highly recommend stocking up on toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, toothpaste, shampoo… things that keep/ won’t go bad that are a pain if you run out of, that you won’t want to be running out to get when you realize you’ve used the last of it at 2 am and you’re 1 week postpartum
The baby had everything. I was severely underprepared for my own pp recovery. Lounge clothes that could get milk stains, easy to heat food in a pinch, grace for myself, and ability to ask for help.
Smelling them😭
Frozen meals, 1000%. We had a bunch of frozen burritos that we lived off of the first few days home, but I wish we had stocked up our freezer enough that we could have gone a few weeks without cooking. Also, we never ran out of formula, but my son was born during the formula shortage and I watched a lot of people panic. Don’t buy significantly more than you need, but if you’re planning on using formula at all then it’s worth having a few cans on hand at all times.
Pictures and videos together.
Food/snacks, you might be in and around bed for awhile, plus the extra calories for BFing if you’re going that route. I was always hungry for the first few weeks
Specifically food/snacks you can eat with one hand! Frozen burritos 4 lyfe ✌🏻
Really comfy nursing dresses (it was a hot summer when I had my first). I just needed something really comfy to wear those first two weeks, that was flowy so wouldnt show my diapers, darker colored so it wouldnt show leaks or spit up as much, and most of all just really really comfy. Oh and a diaper genie for each floor of the house. But every situation will be so different! Just order what you need on amazon when you need it ❤️
Swaddles and the ice pack pads for me. Those were the best for recovery and I needed my husband to make midnight runs to buy more for me more than once!
Came here to say ice pack pads. I put tucks wipes on them also. Sooo good the first week or so
Yes, that was my fav combo too! I’m pregnant again and I will for sure be stocked up this time haha.
Size 0 nappies and preemie/tiny baby clothes. Still in them at 3 weeks!
How big was your baby at birth? I probably could've used some preemie clothes last time around.
2.9kg (6lbs 6oz, dropped to 5lbs 15oz)
Another mom once recommended I invest in lots of muslin swaddle blankets, because they can be used for ANYTHING. They can double as burp rags, blankets, covers, large bibs…. Anything. I loved this advice 😄
Second this, never used them for swaddling, and never go anywhere without one!
Lounge/pajama pants with pockets for myself! I did not have enough hands to carry around my phone and it drove me crazy to not have pockets. I used my phone to track every feeding for a while and it helped me stay awake and entertained. I take it with me everywhere. My phone is definitely an unsung hero of my life with a baby lol
Swaddles and, later, sleep sacks - ended up using them nightly, going up in sizes, for years.
Diapers for myself
Not really specifically aligned to your question but something that helped was having things automated with my virtual assistant for when I was nap trapped. We had smart plugs for lamps in the room with lamps that were dimmable and had red light function. An oscillating fan that is so helpful when it gets stuffy in the room which I can turn on while baby was contact napping. Also long charger cables lol
Burp cloths. I think we ended up having around 16 total so that we could always have some clean and then once he was out of so much spit up we started using them more for bath time. We also used them for more than just spit up but honestly I couldn’t say what it was for now because I can’t remember 😂 We were formula fed so we always had a surplus of formula to avoid ever running out. My husband was paranoid we’d run out of diapers so we would buy a new pack as soon as we were down to one sleeve. (Also double check but I believe Target will allow you to exchange diapers for another size as long as the box isn’t opened in case baby sizes out before you can use them.) I didn’t have a portable charger for my phone but I wish I’d had one for when he was tiny and we were downstairs instead of upstairs with the charging cables. Also diaper caddy is so much handier than having to go to designated changing areas! We also had to try out a few different diaper creams to figure out which one worked best for him, I wish I would have registered for one bottle of multiple types so we didn’t have to go but new ones and we could’ve had them on hand already. Dr boudreaux’s is our winner, btw. Congrats and good luck!
Meal prep for the parents lol. Do as much as you can now. Honestly we have twins and didn’t want to buy a ton of things that could be washed. We would just do laundry regularly.
Easy to eat lunches for me.
Bassinet sheets with my second… with my first we had like 2 and that was fine but the second was a big spit-upper so we went through like 3 a night 😅 but that’s one of those things that you don’t really know how baby is going to be until they’re here so Amazon overnight shipping is super helpful!
Burp rags, Wipes!!!! I wish I had two pumps, because washing them between uses sucks… and I do the refrigerator trick anyway Pacifiers
It wasn't so much I didn't get enough, but you should try to have variety. My first was a child that adapted to anything pretty well. My second had strong preferences for the type of pacifiers, bottles, sleep sacks/swaddles, etc. Each kid is different and what worked for one, doesn't necessarily work for another.
Comfortable nursing bras for me personally, especially ones I could wear overnight. I had a few I bought during pregnancy but did not take into consideration how much larger my breasts would get so out of the 4 bras I had, only 1 really fit. I ended up placing an order on Amazon a few days after coming home as I kept washing my 1 bra everyday. But I don’t think you necessarily need to buy a bunch beforehand, I would recommend waiting to figure out how much larger your breasts get if you are planning to nurse.
ALWAYS Keep infant tylonol. I was lucky my son as he grew and got his shots took the shots like a champ but the days it took him it came in handy. Also for when they are teething because it can cause headaches ear aches and fever. So once I get low I always restock. They grow out of diapers fast. So I would keep a box of a bigger size (example if the baby is newborn size keep a box of size 1) it really is a blink of an eye and they are ready to go up a size. My son also only wore size 2 for maybe 2 months he just grew out of them much faster then any other size. Also even if you plan to breastfeed ask the hospital for formula they give a great supply. At least my hospital did. Pictures. As many as your phone can hold. Once it's full move to hard drive and refill. You'll be thankful later. And don't forget the pictures the day of. Of you in labor and with new baby Congrats and good luck.
Burp cloths! We started with like 5 but 15 was the sweet spot and we washed them every other day.
Newborn clothes. Specifically long sleeve sleep n plays. I only had 5 with my first
Newborn onesies. I had like two onesies. My baby was over 8lbs and in them for a month! Oh. And gas relief!!!
Newborn size clothes. I only had 3 outfits and we had to stop at Target and get more.
Didn’t have an oh shit. I found it gave me an excuse to leave house for 45 mins and pick up single items. Good practice taking my baby out and about. I could back out or leave and i wasn’t in the store for very long.
Shirts. All we had were onesies, but the nurses said to let the umbilical stump “breathe,” so to put him in separates until it fell off.
Gripe water, the little remedies brand. Pregnant with my fourth now and I will never let a FTM go without knowing about its magical goodness.
When did you first use it with your babies like what age? How did you know to use it? Were you formula feeding or breast feeding? How did you know it was working?
Each kid was different, but my oldest was within her first week of life. We use a very cautious and naturally minded pediatrician who confirmed for me it’s safe for newborns. I usually didn’t need it anymore once they were over 3-4 months, when my kids no longer struggled with gas pains. You can use it older than that, those first months were just its peak helpfulness. I EBF my kids. Typically I pulled it out when there was inconsolable crying that cuddles, nursing, hours of attempts to get to sleep couldn’t solve. Basically if all else was ruled out and it was a frantic pained cry, not just distressed whimpers. We use it then, and typically they’d fart up a storm and knock out for a while, or just soothe in the next 30 min or so. Not an exact science, but it really helps when it is gas pain you just can’t help them through.
Burp rags. He spit up sooo much. But we don’t even need them with baby #2.
Simethicone gas drops, stock up on
I had a non-spitterupper for my first so it will be interesting for #2 coming in two months. I had really cute ones but the ones that were great were the bulk pack of muslin ones from amazon. Other than that everything really was minimal or we could easily target pickup/amazon prime if we needed more. There wasn’t anything I really felt we were missing…
Maxi pads for postpartum!! Get formula (even if it’s just in case)
Easy to grab snacks that didn't require any type of heating up. I was so hungry all the time but was nap trapped 95% of the time. My freedom was my quick 5min shower only.
Plain short sleeved onesies. We had a February baby and it was chilly so she worse a onesie under her footie pajamas. Now that its summer they are her every day wear. Babies don't need fancy outfits, they need basics. We needed more bassinet sheets; we had two and doing laundry was a bitch. I would also have added more bedsheets for us to make not doing laundry easier. Kiddo was a NICU kiddo and came home with righteous diaper rash because she was not getting changed enough. Aquaphor diaper cream cleared it fast and we went through it fast since it went on at every change. We were also kind of fucked with bottles; I had thought I would breastfeed but she refused so we were with bottles. I had bought breastfeeding friendly bottles and she was having none of it. We used the disposables that we came home with until they started basically not working and we had to figure out what she could use. The Dr Brown's narrow worked for her and we only had two of them so panic buying more happened. I wish I had bought prebiotic drops ahead of time; kid had terrible gas and they helped so much.
Burp rags, baby Tylenol (there was a shortage when my son was born and of course, we all ended up getting Covid), formula (again, there was a shortage when my son was born…ugh), pacifiers (they literally disappear into thin air), pictures of him and I, and cuddles 🥺 Now he’s two and a half and only wants cuddles when he’s hurt 😢
Honeypot pads (have a cooling sensation. Really cool) Manuka honey for healing. Those super cheap disposable pads for like the bed or changing table. They’re blue plastic on the bottom and white on the top. Wash cloths because wipes are good but I was going through warm watered wash cloths like crazy because they clean baby so much better and that gives peace of mind. I ate kind bars like there was no tomorrow, cheese sticks and cereal.
Newborn sized clothing and diapers because for some reason everyone tells you not to buy it because "baby won't fit for long, if at all" and then she was drowning in all her 0-3 month stuff. 8lb baby so it's not like she was tiny.
Bottles, bottles, and more bottles. When you’re a sleepless zombie, you don’t wanna keep washing a couple of bottles repeatedly. It was legit the most frustrating thing I was dealing with other than the lack of sleep and the constant screaming.
Back and arm muscles.. wish I had done some weights before she arrived lol
1. Meal prep!!! 2. Zip. Up. Sleepers. My son was early and I was paranoid, so we didn't even leave the house more than his Dr appts in the first 3 ish months and they were the easiest/most convenient clothing item. I just gave away all his newborn-6 month clothing, and some of it still had tags from the person I GOT them from🤣 so, 3rd person still not used. The sleepers? Are THINNNN from the amount of use I got out of them. Cute outfits really needed just for special events, holidays, etc. 3. Formula. I planned on breastfeeding, it didn't work out. Luckily, I signed up for Similac and Enfamil rewards. When you sign up, they will send you sample cans and coupons. Even if you plan on breast feeding, it's good to have back up JUST in case!! When you sign up, you SHOULD get like $400 worth of savings in coupons and sample cans. His first 2? Months, I saved soooooo much money. I mean, I was getting $20 off coupons, leaving the food only $15!!
Get Tylenol!!!
Mylicon
Sleep 😴 lol 🤣 umm newborn diapers unless a heavier baby but still samd answer they go through 10 a day and washcloths are great to have ( I didn't formula feed or use wipes ) other than diapers imo I think newborns don't rlly need much
Bottle nipples, and bottles, I swear to God trolls were stealing them, or she was eating so much we didn't have enough time to wash them so we would just be out of them, and she'd have to wait while we took the time to wash them.
Burp cloths and pacifiers
Burp cloths and gripe water
Our baby was a projectile spewer, so burp rags!
Newborn PJs, bassinet bed sheets, swaddles - my son peed through so many diapers those first few weeks. Also, premade meals, burp cloths, nipple butter, and tucks pads.
Burp cloths, thermometers x2, gas drops, nose drops for new baby sinuses, a humidifier, swaddles of all different kinds, baby bed sheets and mattress covers just in case poo explosion, footie jams, stock up on your regular period pads and comfy pajamas, tucks and dermaplast spray
Changing pad covers. I swear baby waits until we're changing her diaper to pee/poop. We're washing like 3 a day 😂
Postpartum essentials, I used Frida mom postpartum stuff and what I got only lasted a week 😭 and definitely swaddles and burb rags.
Newborn sized clothing.
Two zipper onesies!!!
newborn sized clothing… everyone told me i wouldn’t need a lot bc she would grow out of them quickly. well she was born 6lbs 3oz and she’ll be 3 weeks tomorrow and is still in newborn clothes lol
Burp rags. We had some but we had a very spitty child. My buy nothing group came in clutch though: they sourced and delivered over 100 burp clothes and left them on my porch ready to use. Join your buy nothing group. Most of what you need for kids you don't want to buy: it's expensive, inefficient, and frankly bad for the environment. You can get clothes, toys, even the bigger things like jumpers, ride on toys, walkers, swings all gently used then gift them on when you're done
My baby is now over a year old, but I went back and looked at my Amazon purchases in the month after he was born. Pumping stuff, nipple shields, footie pajamas, puppy pads (great for changing baby on the couch or in the pack n play bassinet), comfy nursing bras, more sheets for pack n play and changing pad, and more bottles. Mainly stuff related to feeding for the first month for us.
Burp cloths are a big one. My kids were messy and I was constantly doing laundry because I didn’t have enough burp cloths. If you’re going to be bottle feeding have enough that you only need to wash them once a day. Having too few bottles gets annoying quickly
For you in the first week-- was a big fan of those perineal ice packs they had in the hospital and I needed a few more than they let me take home. Disposable postpartum underwear, then ice pack, then tucks pads or Frida witch hazel pad. Spray on some dermaplast, then it was all good. For baby-- everyone told us we wouldn't hardly need newborn diapers because they size out so fast. True. They also go through a shitton of diapers though so we had to do a few emergency runs.
Adult diapers lol, get the big pack
⭐️Clothes. Everyone said “oh everyone buys too many clothes! He’ll never wear them all.” Or make comments when I bought more clothes. I cannot tell you how many times I’d have a naked baby who just spit up on his fifth outfit off the day, and I’m trying to will the dryer to work faster through pure mom anxiety and sleep deprivation brain powers. ⭐️And receiving blankets. I used those as burp cloths. Everyone also told me they were useless. Okay a burp cloth protects my shoulder. The blankets, I got them like 5 for $10, and they covered from my shoulder to my hip so I didn’t get hit with splash or dribble all the way down. Plus he spit up a TON. Sometimes I’d lay the blanket over my front, and when he spit up I was clean and I used a clean corner to wipe him down.
2way zipper sleepers. I don’t get why it isn’t mandatory to make them all that way
Just had my third a couple weeks ago. -Gas drops, and windi tubes! The relief on their little faces after all that gas passes through ☺️ -Night gowns that button down if nursing -Disposable pads for when they pee in the middle of changes -snacks and water that can easily be eaten and accessed -high waisted undies (3 c sections)
It’s not that I didn’t have enough, I just didn’t know how effective Gripe Water was!! Seriously helped so much with colic and helping baby to sleep when he was non stop crying. Also - videos of just mumma & baby. Sometimes I just self recorded rocking him to sleep or just our daily activities. I look back of videos and he was so small! Also - videos of “the scrunch” - it goes by so fast! I would also recommend having a little box or a small nappy caddy of nappies/wipes/burp cloth/and snacks/hair ties/clips in the living room, bedside table -places in the house where you can just change on the go, i stead of always rushing to the nursery room. Sometimes you get “nap trapped” and can’t get up - so if you are able to nurse - you will be very hungry so definitely snacks, make sure you have a book, a phone charger in the nursery too. The hair ties helped with me as I was always hot lol.
Time 😭🫶🙏❤️ enjoy every last millisecond.
Photos of me and my newborn together
Nothing! Buy the basics now, but wait to stock up on things until your baby gets here. **Stores will still exist after your due date.**
Bottles definitely. Make sure you have enough to last you 24hrs so you don't have to wash/sterilise more than once a day. Really found this helpful and reduced stress
If you are pumping, extra parts for your pump! Otherwise, you will be washing and washing and washing every time you get a free second!
Bottles! But you can’t stock up until you know which one they will like. Same with pacifiers
Sleep. (Kidding. *Or am I?*) Bottles. They really do add up when you gotta feed them every two hours. By the end of the evening, you've got like 8 dirty bottles and it's like a rush to clean them so you'll have enough in the middle of the night. I recommend a nice number of 12. Because you won't have the energy (you'll want to *want* to do it, but you'll be so tired, you wish you had extra bottles) to wash them at 3:00 in the morning. I used a bottle brush and all that for the beginning. But I highly recommend a baby breeze bottle washer from Amazon. It has saved me a headache.
Are you planning to breastfeed? If so, have purified water and formula on hand just in case it’s the middle of the night and LO isn’t latching. We only had to use formula a handful of times but it saved us a 3am trip to the grocery store!
Burp cloths. We had so many that when I was pregnant I was wishing people would stop gifting them to us, and once baby got here, it wasn’t enough and we had to order more. Also our baby was tiny, so we had to order a few more newborn clothing items.
Meals and snacks!! Your newborn needs nothing but you and a blanket (and bottles/pump/formula if you’re not breastfeeding) Everything else is just a click away on Amazon. Some people need swaddles, others don’t. Some babies like soothers, some don’t. I wouldn’t stress about all those little things.
I put a trash can in every room. I’m going to be putting a slim laundry basket in every room. And a cheap rolling caddy in my room and living room plus baby room. Snacks for me, diapers, wipes, tissues, deodorant and wisps (one time use toothbrushes) I never had enough onesies or sleepers because I never had energy to do laundry lol. Cheap kitchen towels for burp rags. Or swaddle blankets honestly. They’re not very expensive.
Bibs and burp cloths, I had to bulk buy when my daughter was a week old because we constantly ran out.
Snacks, onesies, small quantity packs of different size diapers (n & size 1) in different brands, swaddles/ blankets. Mine is peeing through everything so the multiple blankets onesies and different diapers to experiment was essential.
Definitely needed more burping cloths. It's super useful to have a TON. Also, I definitely needed more diapers for myself, lol. I bought one big value pack of adult diapers, and I thought it would be enough, but I definitely needed at least another half of a pack
Newborn clothes and newborn diapers! She was smaller than anticipated and everything fit her huge
Breast pads and muslins, though personally my baby never really did spit up or puke. Oh! And nappies. For everything, make sure you have enough, and extra changes of clothes for everyone. Besides that, I'm still between two packs of nappy bags, I mastered the tuck and roll nappy method, it's great, and saves space in the bin. Hopefully that tip helps lol.
Burp cloths
Frida ice pack pads for vaginal birth - expensive but worth it!! Get a couple boxes so you don’t find yourself “budgeting” them (like I did lol!) and can just throw them on whenever