Getting ready for a baby is the most overwhelming thing I have ever done. Completing the Baby registry was like taking a test I hadn’t studied for. I had no idea what I needed and what was unnecessary. Also, there were so many different brands for one item. Which was the best?? Now looking back there were so many things that I stressed over that didn’t matter. You really just need a few things to make it through that first tiresome month. If you could only pick 5 items…these are the only things I actually used in the beginning.
(Links will be posted to each product under their picture for easy buying access!)
1. Rock n Play: I know that doctors recommend babies only sleep on their back on a flat, hard surface. (This is to reduce the risk of SIDS.) While I completely agree, and even bought a bassinet to keep next to my bed to follow these guidelines, my baby refused to sleep like that. He hated it and I desperately needed sleep. A co worker recommended a rock n play and luckily Babies R Us was amazing at taking returns. It was like a miracle. He slept so great finally in his Rock N Play, and this momma was finally getting some sleep as well. At about 3 months I transitioned him to his crib with no problems. Highly recommend this for those sleep deprived mommys.
2. Munchkin Latch Bottles: I was lucky that my baby has thrived on my breast milk since birth. I really wanted to avoid having to use formula. (And so far so good!) But since he had his days and nights mixed up for the first week, I needed to pump and let someone else feed him sometimes at night in order to get some sleep myself. (See the bonus item about the pump!) I didn’t want him to get confused about going back and forth from the bottle to the breast, and this bottle was perfect for that.
3. Boppy pillow: Since I was nursing so much, my arms got pretty tired from constantly holding him. The boppy pillow was perfect for holding him and positioning him to feed. My husband also loved using it to hold our boy when he was so fragile.
4. Swing: Your baby will want to be held 24/7. I needed something to put him down on to get a break and the only thing he would tolerate (for a very short amount of time…) was his swing. There are a ton of different kinds. We got the Ingenuity Inlighten Cradling Swing & Rocker. At 4 months he still uses and loves it.
5. Car Seat: The one item they won’t let you leave the hospital without! Again, many different options. We were most concerned about safety, and the Chicco KeyFit 30 had some of the best ratings. It is also super easy to install.
Bonus Item: Breast Pump. This one you can get for free!! If you have insurance, contact your insurance and they will provide you with an electronic pump for free. I just had to get a prescription for it from my OBGYN and they mailed me one. I chose the Medela Pump in Style and it’s worked great.
There are some other items like diapers and wipes that you’ll obviously need as well. But for the big items, those are the only 5 I used for the first month. It wasn’t until about 2 months that he started getting bored and needing some toys.
Good luck and have fun getting ready for your own little one!!
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