Newborn Essentials

I know you're probably thinking, "newborn essentials...isn't this a little overdue?!" LOL! Why yes, yes it is.

My sister-in-law is due with their first baby in April, so I've been gathering newborn essentials for her. I thought I'd share it here, because I remember when I was expecting my first, I had NO CLUE what I really needed! 

Throughout the last 20 months, I've had a lot of time to reflect on those first few months and compile an "essentials" list for newborns. This, of course, is my personal opinion of what is necessary for newborn care in the first few months. Obviously having lots of blankets, burp cloths, bath soap, soft towels, wash cloths, etc. are all important, too. But these items are MY go-to BEST items!

 

Diapers and wipes (obv)- we've had a very good experience with Pampers. Jacob started in Swaddlers and is now in Cruisers. He also sleeps in Baby Dry at night. We also really love the Pampers sensitive wipes. I actually swear by these and will happily pay the extra $$ to avoid diaper rash! ((Jacob has never had a bad case of diaper rash- ever. Knock on wood.))

Triple Paste- on the same topic, I highly recommend this butt paste. We use it every single night. Lots of it! Works amazingly!

Zippered sleep & plays- any brand will work, and if you can find the ones with hand "pockets", that's even better! Your baby will LIVE in these the first few months!

Miracle blanket- I cannot say enough good things about this swaddle. It's truly a miracle. 

FP Rock & Play Sleeper- because of his reflux, Jacob preferred to sleep in an upright position. This thing is awesome! He slept in this, next to our bed, for the first couple months. It's also a great place for him to hangout during the day or when you gotta get something done.

Sound machine- Jacob still sleeps with his sound machine on FULL BLAST. He loves it! Even when he was sleeping in our room, we had the sound machine on the floor beside him. It helps drown out outside noises and also emulates being in their mommy's tummy (which is essentially what you're trying to duplicate for the first 3 months).
P.S.- we've owned 3 of these (they eventually die) and I would recommend buying the silver "spa" ones vs. the green "baby" ones. The spa ones get louder and last longer.

Boppy- I used this sucker multiple times a day every day for 13 months and I looooved it! It's a breastfeeding essential, in my opinion. I've heard people complain that theirs lost shape and got flat. I never had this issue. I bought the plain white one and used a couple different covers (so I could wash them easily, which WILL happen).

Puj Tub- we bathed Jacob in this, in the sink, until he was 5-6 months old. If he wasn't so HUGE, we would've kept him in there longer. It works great!

Honestly, that's it. These are the things I would recommend buying at the very beginning.

Good luck, mamas!