Baby Piper is 1 month old, and I don’t think I could have made it through this first month without these things. Beside the basic crib, clothes, and car seat, here are some of what I would call must-haves for moms of newborns.
1) A swing. We have the Snug-a-Bunny and she loves it. Anytime we put her down, it’s usually in her swing. Sometimes we don’t even turn it on. She just stares at the mirror or birds above her. The first week she was home, there were several nights when we slept on the couch and she slept in the swing.
2) My Brest Friend. This is so helpful when nursing to support her weight without her sinking to the middle like she does in the Boppy. The My Brest Friend straps around me and always stays put. It also has a convenient pocket where I keep burp cloths, gas drops, and the TV remote. They are always at my fingertips so I don’t have to reach and risk breaking her latch.
3) Swaddles. Everyone told me to be sure that I had swaddling blankets, but the best are the SwaddleMe ones that have Velcro to tightly wrap her without her squirming loose. We had one SwaddleMe when she was born, but after using it, we immediately ordered 3 more that are now in constant rotation at bedtime.
4) Mittens. Part of why these are essential is because of my anxiety of cutting her nails, but even the nails that don’t look like they have anything to cut will still scratch the heck out of my little baby girl who doesn’t realize what her hands are doing.
5) Cloth diapers. But not for diapering. I use these as burp cloths because they are cheap and not like some that are too cute to spit up on. You can get a pack of these and have them placed all around the house, ready to grab. And if they get too dirty, I don’t feel bad about throwing them out.
And your awesome husband…