MY NEWBORN MUST HAVE ITEMS

OK this post is going to be short and sweet. Well I mean I’m not going to give you a list of 27 things. So the list will be short. Not sure if my fingers will follow suite though. 😛

I have to say there’s nothing like your baby coming early to make you realize what you really need. We literally didn’t even have a bassinet for her to sleep in. So we used our stroller with the bassinet attachment. That’s how real things got over here. And I can’t even tell you how many things we ordered on Amazon Prime while we were in the hospital. This list is my bare essentials that are the must haves for me, and then everything else you could maybe live without. There is one item in this list that some people are going to say is unnecessary. I’ll let you guess which one. Ok let’s get into it!

The Hatch Sound Machine: This is one of the items we ordered while we were in the hospital, and we love it so much! It’s a sound machine and nightlight all in one, and you can control it from your phone with an app! We love this feature because you can easily turn it up or down from wherever you are in the house. Or my personal favorite, you don’t have to get out of bed in the morning to turn it off when you wake up and just want a little quiet while you nurse your baby, and convince your body to wake up. We use it in our room at night and then move it into her room during the day for naps. We also got this portable noise machine for in her carseat and on the go!

Taking Cara Babies Newborn Class: Honestly I think this is hands down my number one thing you need! I cannot say enough good things about this class. It’s all about creating healthy sleeping habits for your baby. And tips and tricks to help your baby get the best sleep without having to use lots of external stimulants (swings/rockers/etc) or the cry it out method. I learned so much about newborn sleep patterns which has been one of the most helpful things. Like if she gets fussy around a certain time, I usually know exactly why and what she needs. And we have been pretty successful with our sleep. Since she was a preemie, our timeline looks a little different for “sleeping through the night” than it does according to the class, but she’s currently giving us about a 5-7 hour stretch which is about where she should be given her adjusted age so yay!

Ollie Swaddle: We tried several different swaddles, and this one is our favorite! It’s super easy to use and keeps the baby in tight! I love that it’s just a wrap blanket with velcro because you don’t want to be fussing with anything or trying to zip a zipper at 2am.

Carseat Cover: This is random but I feel like we use ours SO much! If I want her to nap on the go in the car or at the gym or while we are on a walk, it’s perfect. And you need one to keep the sun out when you’re driving too! I love this one from Spearmint Baby because its super light and breathable and fits on the bassinet portion of our Uppa Baby VISTA too! But if you just look on their site, they have tons of options!

Owlet Sock and Cam: This one may be based on your personal preference but for us this was really important. Having a baby in the NICU strapped to all these monitors 24/7 is a crazy thing but it makes you know they are OK. So then bringing her home and having at least a little bit of monitoring has really helped with peace of mind! We were planning to get it before she ended up in the NICU but after she did, we knew we had to have it for sure! As a parent, we want to make sure our babies are always doing well, so this helps to do some of the work for you. We also have the camera set up in her room for daytime naps and love it!

Wipe Warmer: I know, I know. Some of you are wondering how this made the list of must haves. Or just judging because I’m definitely setting Summer up to be a boujee baby. But you guys. WHO DOESN’T WANT THEIR BOOTIE TO BE WIPED WITH A WARM WIPE?! The answer is no one. Don’t tell me that doesn’t sound nice. 😛 And she cries when the wipes are cold, and mama feels bad. So warm wipes it is. 😛 I love that this one also has a button to push to turn a little light on for nighttime diaper changes.

Baby Bjorn Bouncer: Ok. I actually don’t have this. But I really wish I did. And I’ll probably be getting it soon! It was the number one recommended one when I asked on Instagram, and people said they have continued to use it until their babies were two years old! There are definitely cheaper options out there so any bouncer will do. I just love these ones!

Solly Wrap: I love this wrap for giving your baby cuddles or letting them nap on you at home or out! The stretchy cotton fabric is so comfortable for you and baby. It’s also the best carrier for tiny babies! Summer was only four pounds, and I still felt like I was able to put her in there in the beginning and have her be nice and cozy.

Dockatot: We love using ours just to put Summer in when we need to lay her down but she’s not sleeping! It’s so comfy and the perfect thing to move around the house when you need to shower, eat dinner, do your makeup, etc! We have used it some for sleep here and there (it’s great to bring when you’re out at family/friend’s homes) but there are mixed reviews on whether or not it should be used for sleep. I feel ok with it with the Owlet on her if I’m not in the room but otherwise not sure how I would feel! A lot of moms swear by it for sleep though! Either way, I love it just for lounging and wish they made it in my size!

Knotted Gowns: These are my FAVORITE thing for nighttime sleep! I don’t care if your PJ’s have zippers to make it easy, I still like these better. 😛 We love the ones from Spearmint! They were on our registry so we ended up with three, and we just rotated through them. I will say if it’s hot when you have your baby and you plan to swaddle them, then they probably won’t need these! It’s just too hot to wear the gown and a swaddle. Summer wore them in the beginning but now that it’s warmed up, she’s just in a onesie under her swaddle.

Ok I think that’s it honestly. Yes there are more things I could include and maybe I’ll add some things later as I’m doing mom things around the house with Summer and realize there was something I forgot but you don’t need as much as you think!

What are your top must have newborn items?!

xx,

Christine