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| Some pictures from a birthday party we went to today! |
This is a post that I always wanted to write when Ayden was tiny but never got around to. Now that almost a year has past I thought it was just as good of time as any. Here were our top 10 must have items during Ayden's first month, in no particular order:
1) The Moby Wrap. Even if I weren't a "baby wearer" I would call this a necessity. Wraps really help a baby transition from womb to world and it helps your transition to parenthood as well! Hands free snuggling helps you feel productive and like your old self all while giving your newborn the cuddles he/she needs.
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| 3 weeks old, snuggled close to Mommy's heart just like before! |
2) Burp Cloths. LOTS of burp cloths! And bibs too. Ayden was the biggest spitter upper there ever was. We didn't go anywhere without several burp cloths ready for action. Our favorite were the basic pre-fold cloth diaper kind. While I'd never actually use these for diapers they are PERFECT burp cloths. Cheap, just the right size, absorbent, soft, etc. I really wouldn't bother with any other kind!
3) Swaddle Me's - When swaddled in these guys, Ayden could not wiggle out. They were perfect for sleepy middle of the night swaddling (though David may disagree due to the loud Velcro) and also were our saving grace when we needed to resort to the 5 S's.
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| 1 month old |
4)
The 5 S's: swaddle, side/stomach position, sucking, shushing sound, swinging motion. Look it up because it was a TOTAL LIFE SAVER for our fussy newborn.
5) Bouncy Seat: We liked having a light weight, safe place to put Ayden down that we could move around the house with ease. We used the Baby Trend monkey bouncer and had no complaints.
What we loved best was that we could remove the toys and switch them out with our own. We also loved that it had a pretty neutral color scheme and that it held him more upright than a lot of other bouncers we've seen since he preferred that position. He used it until he could sit up on his own (around 5 months).
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| 1 month old |
6) Swing. We used this Bright Starts travel swing.
It ran on our rechargeable batteries, was small and folded up/stored nicely. Ayden wasn't a huge swing fan but he'd snooze in it long enough for us to have a long, relaxing shower. We also liked that this particular swing was easy enough to move throughout the house.
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| 10 days old |
7) Boppy Waterproof Liners. Thanks to these, I hardly ever had to wash our changing pad cover. I had 6 and it was perfect because with how much spit up, pee and poop that would make their way all around Ayden during a diaper change, I changed this cover out every day and only had to do laundry once a week or so.
8) Boppy Pillow.
Not only was it good for breastfeeding but it was also great for when we just wanted to hold him (for David and other guests too!). It was comfortable for Ayden and our arms didn't get tired. It was also a great place for him to hang out as pictured below. In my opinion, a Boppy is definitely worth having even if you don't use it for breastfeeding. It has also grown with him because we used it for tummy time and to help him sit up as well.
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| 1 day old, lounging on the Boppy in the hospital |
9) Gowns/kimono type shirts (like in hospital picture above). Especially if you are swaddling since the swaddle will keep them warm enough without full PJs. These make night time diaper changes easy and with the shirts, you don't even have to put anything over their heads.
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Even boys can wear gowns!
1 month old |
10) iPhone. I used my phone for so many things! A snap shot camera, video camera, night light, a diaper/feeding log (I used the Baby Log app), white noise (also an app), a book (Kindle app), and or entertainment during those super long early-days nursing sessions (YouTube, Faebook, Pinterest Netflix, etc). I have also written almost every blog post with it using the Blogger app. Having a Smart Phone that could meet all of these needs in one small, handheld device made things much easier.
Daddy Bonus: Special Song. This is David's advice to all of our pregnant friends and with good reason.
Our wedding song has helped calm Ayden or put him to sleep since day one and still works today. We played it for him almost daily starting when I was 14 or 15 weeks pregnant and it really is magical. I suppose when you hear something that much when your brain is actually forming, you are just wired to be comforted by it. It has been a life saver so many times and even when we play it when he's awake and playing he smiles and just listens. He really loves it.
Okay so I know those post was about 10 months overdue but there you have it. I really enjoyed looking back through all of my old posts from the first month to get pictures so perhaps it was actually good to wait this long! I am hoping this may help some new parents out there and now we'll have something to refer back to next time around. What were your newborn must haves? Same? Different? Please share in the comments!
~Sarah
Just had someone ask me what my essentials are! We couldn't live without our Fisher Price Rock n Play, My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow, Aden and Anais Swaddlers and our Angelcare sound and movement monitor.
ReplyDeleteMy newborn must haves are very similar, but the one thing I found to be a lifesaver from the very beginning was my ItzBeen Timer. It's how I kept track of time since last feeding, length of feeding, time since last diaper change, naps when he got old enough to take consistent naps, and time since pumping and length of pumping when I was pumping. Especially in the beginning, when you're so groggy you can't think straight, the "when did he last nurse?" question can be difficult to answer. And when he got older, it really helped to be like, "he's really fussy, oh, it's been 2 hours since he last nursed."
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