Queen B. is TWO WEEKS OLD already!! Where does the time go??
SO. There are a million and one things that you COULD go out and spend tons of money on that may or may not make your first couple weeks with your new baby easier.
I started researching baby equipment and supplies literally the month we found out that I was pregnant, and fully used the nine months to put together a checklist and decide on the specific brands of each "necessary" item.
After two weeks with the kiddo, I can tell you that SO FAR, there hasn't been anything that I feel like I am missing, but we do have a few things that, due to Queen B.'s preference, we haven't used!
Our ABSOLUTE FAVORITE, MUST HAVE, USE EVERY DARN DAY items so far are:
This has been amazing. Those little newborn nails are so sharp, and who wants to put mittens on your baby all day every day?? The Zoli trimmer is like a buffer that is gentle enough to use on your newborn! Our pediatrician gave us the ok on this one at 1 week old, and we've been using it every day! Those little nails grow so fast!
We just started using this during week 2, and we are LOVING it. It's the perfect little item to carry around the house and provide a spot for the baby to chill for a few so that you can actually use your hands! I imagine the usefulness of this will wear off as she gets bigger and starts really moving and rolling around, but for now, we use it while I'm getting ready in the morning, in the living room when we don't want to put her in the swing / rocker, and just around the house as an easy baby dock when we need it. We have also used it at night to start trying to transition her from being a co-sleeper (like, spooning, right up against me co-sleeping) to being able to self soothe a little and nap without being wrapped up in our arms. Next step - Bassinet!
We looked at EVERY stroller system on the market. There are several awesome options out there, and your selection definitely should depend on your lifestyle! We aren't outdoor joggers in this family, so we didn't need a super lightweight jogging / active stroller.
Our main reasons for purchasing the Britax system were:
-Overall safety ratings
-All In One system (we didn't have to buy each piece separately)
-Light enough for yours truly to get in and out of the car and carry when necessary
-EASY FOLD and RELEASE stroller
-Base included! PLUS, all we have to do to allow grandma to drive B. in her car is buy another base, not a whole additional car seat!
-Glowing Reviews from other parents
After using the system for these first two weeks, we are SO HAPPY that this was our selection! The husband even has said on several occasions how thrilled he is with the ease off use! I was able to install the base myself, although I did take it to the Fire Station for an inspection just to make sure! Getting the seat in and out is SUPER EASY (literally one button to push) and the stroller is light enough and a breeze to open and fold down that two weeks in it's no big thing for me to run errands alone with B.
So. Here's the deal on this diaper pail. It's the bees knees. It's small and compact. I never EVER smell any odor from the used diapers. It's EASY to open. It's EASY to empty. The replacement cartridges are simple to switch out. What more can I say? For sure a MUST HAVE. It's small enough that we're considering buying a second one just to keep downstairs!
The Original BOPPY!
There's a reason this is a staple baby shower gift. It rocks. I will say that during week one I had a hard time with B. slipping around on it, but once she gained that extra pound, and I learned how to position the Boppy a little better it's been a dream ever since! Also, we've found it VERY useful when it comes to grandparents and older relatives holding her, it gives a sense of security and support when you have a wiggly newborn!
SWADDLE BLANKETS. A.K.A Your new EVERYTHING.
So, we read EVERYWHERE how much newborns love to be swaddled. How essential it is to swaddle them up tight at night. How it gives them security and comfort...
Yeah. About that.
B. HATES to be swaddled. PLUS, she was rolling onto her side by day 4, so swaddling her at night became unsafe at that point (if she rolled over enough she would be totally unable to reposition herself to a spot). SO...you would think the swaddle blankets that we purchased and received in bulk were about to go unused right?
WRONG!
We use the swaddle blankets for EVERYTHING....to cover her up at night (with supervision), as a burp cloth, as a nursing cover, as a carseat cover...we use them to cover her Boppy during feedings, roll them up and put under her head on her changing pad, roll them up and put them under her arms during tummy time....I mean the uses are ENDLESS. Point of all this is, even if you don't plan on swaddling....stock up on the muslin "swaddle" blankets!!!! Trust us.
Burp Cloths!
Even though we use our swaddle blankets as burp cloths...there's something to be said for the real thing. They're more absorbent, obviously, more compact, and we use them all day long. I recommend keeping a stash anywhere you have a changing station or basket, in your diaper bag...anywhere you feed the baby...heck. Just stash them everywhere. How many to buy? We have about a dozen, and that's been sufficient so far!
The Fisher Price Rock N Play Sleeper
This thing is an ABSOLUTE, 1 MILLION PERCENT, You're INSANE if you don't buy it, MUST HAVE.
We tote this all over the house, in the living room, in the dining room, in the kitchen while we cook, in our bedroom before real bedtime, in the nursery....I mean everywhere!
B. loves this! She prefers it to the way more expensive swing we bought, definitely would rather be in this than her bassinet, and we love it because it's beyond easy to fold up and move around, even when you're toting a 9lb. baby around in your other arm. B. will nap in this for two hours at a time during the day if you let her!
Skip Hop Portable Changing Pad
The name of the game in our house is compact and portable. We LIVE all over our house, so having two stationary changing areas didn't make sense for us. While we do have a full set up upstairs in the nursery, for the majority of the day we hang out downstairs. The idea of having a changing table in our dining or living room sounded awful, so we took the suggestion of a few friends and created a changing basket to keep in the living room. We used black leather magazine basket, so it doesn't look like some big pink baby item sitting in the middle of the room, and in the basket we have diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, and this AMAZING portable changing pad from Skip-Hop! It's easy to fold and unfold, and we use it on the couch and the floor all day long! Easy to store in the basket, and super practical for us!
Pampers Swaddlers and Water Wipes
Two weeks in and we haven't had ONE diaper leak or blow out! Pampers Swaddlers are the bomb.com. We started out with Newborn size, but since B. was born at 8lbs and 4 oz., we switched over to size 1 within the first two days home.
After all of our research on sensitive, natural, chemical free wipes, we decided to try out Water Wipes. While we were in the hospital they gave us Pampers wipes to use, and I've got to say that the Water Wipes beat the Pampers hands down. The Water Wipes are so much more moist and clean up even the messiest of diapers with one or two wipes. With the Pampers, we were using about 4 per diaper.
We also haven't had any problems with diaper rash or aggravated skin, and I really attribute that to the Water Wipes doing their job so well!
For real. For the first two weeks all you can do to clean that little baby is a sponge bath. We use her washcloths to make those as pain free as possible. The method we've found the easiest is to prep one washcloth with warm water and a tiny bit of baby soap/shampoo, and prep a second washcloth with warm water. We then wipe down B. with the soapy cloth, and follow immediately with the clean cloth, rinsing as needed. We even do this to wash her hair, and it works great! Also....these things are great for drying the baby too, because sometimes you just don't need those big old towels!
Nordstrom Brand Bodysuits
These were such an unexpected favorite! Nordstrom sells these in 3 packs, and we purchased them kind of as a backup in case we needed more newborn sized onesies than we had stocked up on originally.
Let us just tell you, these are the softest, best made, stretchiest, most perfect onesies that we bought! They are so much better than any of the standard Carter's or Gerber Baby basics, and the price point was super close.
The only complaint we have is that there are currently only two patterns options, the grey multipack and a pink multipack. We would LOVE to have more colors, because we would buy these and nothing but these when it comes to onesies / bodysuits.
Changing Pad Set Up
There is seriously no reason that we can think of to buy anything other than a basic, Babies R Us brand changing pad. How long is your baby really laying on this? We found no need to spring for the Serta extreme comfort blah blah blah pad. MAKE SURE you buy at least two covers and a 3-pack of the waterproof changing pad liners!!
Arm's Reach Mini Co-Sleeper Bassinet
This is the bassinet we went with, again after reading tons of reviews and safety ratings! We love it because it can be used as a co-sleeper connected to your bed, or as a traditional stand alone bassinet. So far, B. hasn't spent an entire night in this, but she has been enjoying daytime naps in it, and seems pretty darn content!
This was super easy to put together and get going, and it has wheels on one side so you can move it around as needed!
It's compact enough to not be a total eyesore, but spacious enough for your little one to really stretch out!
Those are all the items that we absolutely have been loving since B. has been home with us. Obviously you need to make sure you've got clothing for the kiddo...but that goes without saying.
Here are the things we haven't used yet / may never need:
-Pacifiers: B. HATES them. She will try one out for about 5 seconds, but then spits it right out and doesn't want anything to do with it. We really thought she would love these at night, and they would help with self soothing.
- Swaddle Me or other Swaddle specific sleepers: Any Swaddle product that is not a blanket....totally useless to us. B. does NOT like to be swaddled, and can also roll onto her side already, which makes swaddling unsafe.
- A Separate Bouncer: We had not purchased a stand alone "bouncer" when she was born, and honestly, I don't know when we would be using one if we had it. Between the Boppy Lounger, portable rocker, her swing, and her bassinet...really no need for a bouncer at all at this point.
We will keep updating as we find new faves for B., but for now this is really it! Two week olds are pretty basic when it comes to needs it turns out, but we're sure as time goes on there will be more and more added to this list!
Next up on the blog...Mommy Recovery NECESSITIES and Post Partum Body Update!
xoxo- A.
