Must Have Baby Items

Good morning!

The baby is FINALLY asleep for her morning nap after not sleeping well due to her cold, waking up at 5:00am, throwing a fit because she couldn't nurse since her nose was stuffy, and then finally pooping out from sheer exhaustion. Everything is fine (insert dog in flames meme). I have just poured myself a huge, holiday pour of wine, (I mean COFFEE!) Silly me, and realized that I have a bit of time to myself!

So, here I am at my computer going through all of the blog posts that I have backlogged in my head from the last 8 months...

One thing that I get asked a lot, as I'm sure every new mom can attest to, is what are your must have baby items if you're expecting? Now, this is a great question and I asked it myself, but I definitely realized through trial and error that the same thing doesn't always work for every baby. AND if it does work for your baby, don't hold your breath because it probably won't work next week.

However, with that in mind, here is a list of things that really helped us out when Ezmé was born:

1. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow: this thing saved my life because I don't care what anybody says, breastfeeding is hard and not intuitive at all. This pillow straps around your waist, has pockets for your phone and stuff, and is curved to fit baby perfectly. If you plan on breastfeeding, I highly recommend this pillow.

2. The Haakaa: again, another weird breastfeeding thing. Something they don't tell you about is that while you're nursing on one side, your other boob is going to leak like it's possessed and get all over the place. And let me just tell you, there is NOTHING more sad than wasted milk. This bad boy suctions on to your other side and collects the milk so that you can save it. Be beware because little crazy feet like to kick this thing off and it will go flying. Also, I always kept a mug or cup next to me to set the Haakaa in because it is weirdly top heavy. But other than that, totally awesome!

3. Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine: this thing is a lifesaver. It has so many different settings for light color, sound, and timer. It also let's you set programs to run automatically from the app on your phone. I want to get another one for my room! And I'm pretty sure the newer model has a digital clock built in.

4. Dock-a-tot: we LOVED our dock! Some people have said they weren't a fan but it worked really well for us because we could put her in it and bring her wherever we were in the house. It basically works as a portable, light bassinet and co-sleeper. When Ezmé was first born we swaddled her, put her in the dockatot and then set that in the pack in play (on the tall setting)right next to the bed.

5. Some kind of swing...we used the Graco Simple Swing but ended up going through two of them because they kept breaking, no idea why. Ezmé LOVED this swing though. She napped in it for the first 5 months of her life, and it would calm her down whenever she was angsty. But I will say it has a huge footprint and I think there are probably better options out there.

6. Tula Explore Baby Carrier: I love this baby carrier. It is so comfortable and baby is flush up against you so there's no weird pressure points. This specific one also can hold newborns, babies, and toddlers; front facing, inward facing, and on your back. It is easy to adjust, easy to wash, and perfect for every day use. We took this bad boy to Bali and it was the only thing we needed for Ezmé.

7.  Spectra S1 Pump: this pump is rechargeable, light, and really easy to use. It holds its charge for a long time, and has held up really well through our travels and getting banged around. It's also easy to figure out the settings and order new parts when you need them. 

These are the big items that we actually used every day with our nugget. There are a bunch of small items that are super useful to have too like; swaddles, nail clippers, a thermometer, butt cream, baby shampoo, baby mittens, and a soother! All of these things are linked and I am attaching my public amazon list of Baby Must Haves if anyone wants to check out the full shebang.

Just remember that you will get a ton of advice as a new parent, but you know your baby better than anyone. So just keep trying different things and see what works best for you :)

Hope this helps!