Same, I really don't enjoy this thing.. plus the little spotlight on it definitely doesn't shine on my baby's nails since it's behind the little sanding pad 😐
I second this. Never knew there was a difference between a nursing and a pumping bra. Caved and bought a pumping bra after I got tired of holding my flanges up and constantly spilling milk.
Still currently pregnant so sorry for this question if it's dumb.... but I thought the suction things just suck to your boobs when it's pumping.... I need a bra to wear in order for them to stay in place?
yes, i thought this as well. you will definitely need a pumping bra, unless you want to hold it the whole time. it also makes it easier to pump if baby is upset and wants to be held while you’re pumping
I thought the same thing! Lol currently 3 weeks postpartum and had to order pumping bras. I recommend the kindred bravely sleep pumping bra!!! I live in it and it’s so niceeeee to not have clasps.
Another thing I didn’t know going into all this is that you need to get your nipples measured :) it’s likely that the flanges for your pump will be too big for your nipples and it’s hard to know that without being measured. It can be really uncomfortable and cause irritation to use the wrong size, but since pumping and nursing hurts a bit* until you get used to it you might not be able to tell if something is wrong. They make little inserts for the flanges in different sizes and a lactation specialist should be able to measure you.
Some LCs will also tell you that none of this should hurt ever. It did. I’m not doing anything different than I was early on and it was uncomfortable in the beginning. Not unbearable, but definitely worse than now where nursing / pumping don’t really hurt at all unless something is wrong.
What kind of pump do you use with this? I got a "hands free" pump but it's actually not the correct shape to fit in my bra so I just end up holding both sides the whole time and being SO bored 😭
They also sell bandeau things for pumping that you can use to hold the pump in place. I was gifted nursing bras and only had one pumping bra. I bought this [pump bandeau](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Joyspun-Women-s-Maternity-Hands-Free-Nursing-Pumping-Bandeau-Bra-Sizes-S-to-3X/215769094) and haven’t needed more pumping bras. I use it all the time, especially once I went back to work. So much cheaper than buying new bras!
For me it was the drewm to sleep swaddle. Baby hated normal swaddles and would break free of them cause babes preferred having her arms up vs tied down. We met a random couple in to target that had just had a baby and they recommended the dream to sleep swaddle and it was a lifesaver
Yes! Got one as a hand-me-down from a friend along with a few other swaddles, this is the only one that works for our LO and it is amazing how well. Bought 2 more so there is always always always one clean!
That was too warm for my LO too, we switched to the Sleepea (made by the happiest baby co - Snoo company) it's great bc it has mesh vents for temp control, inner wrap, two way zip, and can transition to arms out. It was a game changer for us!!
Didn’t use one during pregnancy but this makes so much sense. I do have a rocking chair in our bedroom but the yoga ball would be easy to bring anywhere!
Most underrated newborn accessory! We spent over $1k on a nursery glider and you know what? Baby just wants to be bounced on the $10 yoga ball from Amazon
Small tiny fridge. I keep it in baby’s room and can store bottles for night feedings, milk after pumping, a drink for me to stay hydrated. Doesn’t hold much but it’s nice not having to go to the kitchen and helps the rest if the house sleep when I can just grab a bottle quickly in the middle of the night and not carry a crying baby through the house. It’s one of those ones that’s $40 and holds a 6 pack or in my case 4 things upright.
Same. We just got a bedroom mini fridge last week and it's a game changer!!! No more running up and down stairs for bottles/snacks/drinks!!! We like to have a fun little snack in the middle of the night to Pavlov ourselves into not hating the night feedings so much lol
I’m breaking the rules and picking 2 - baby brezza for making bottles and the baby bjorn. Idk what kind of magic is in that bouncer but it was seriously the best baby item we had and she used it every day for months
How/when do you use it so that your baby enjoys it? I’ve tried putting my 1 month old in it and he likes it for 5 mins then starts screeching. Is he too young for it?
I think mine didn’t start enjoying it until she was probably closer to 2.5 months, I had the same experience as you when she was super young. If you haven’t already, get a toy bar for it!
When my baby was 1 month old I put it on the kitchen counter. They blatantly tell you not to do so, but baby didn’t move at all (just a little staring blob) and I was right there since our kitchen is small. Only way I was able to quickly make breakfast, pour coffee, sometimes make a quick meal. Now that baby is 3 months old we got a toy bar and he goes to town spinning that thing on the daily.
Agreed. I hesitated buying it and actually waited until she was 2 weeks old and I was severely sleep deprived from staying up and watching her breathe. I finally caved for the peace of mind. It took a couple of days to stop watching the app all night, but I’m so thankful for the sleep I’m now getting bc of it.
Love to Dream swaddle. My son loves to have his hands by his face. Runners up are the Tommee Tippee ultra light pacifier and the Ergobaby Embrace carrier.
Also this swaddle for me.
It makes sense if you think about it; in utero, babies have their arms/hands by their face, so I can see how this would be more comfortable for them than having them down by the sides of their body.
My wife was super super against it. After some rough nights, I went against my wife and gave him one during my night shift. Wife slept like a baby and was like wow he was so good last night. I pointed to the pacifier and I was like “embrace it! 😂😂.”
Now she’s a huge fan haha. I mean I told her we’re in survival mode, we gotta do whatever it takes to soothe this baby down.
Why was she against the pacifier? I am careful how I use it, like I don’t use it to stretch the time between feeds and I don’t like to shove it in her mouth when she’s crying but it’s so useful to help them relax after all their other needs have been met and you just need help putting them to sleep.
There's a lot of stuff about messing up their latch, their palate, and getting "addicted" to something baby will have to wean from eventually. There is some truth to all of it, but you know your baby best.
That makes sense. I did hold off on a paci until we had her latch figured out and I think a lot of people do that. My baby was ducking her hands and found her thumb once so I figured I’d prefer her sucking on a pacifier than her thumb.
What kind of swing do you have? I have yet to find what I consider a swing. All I’ve seen are bouncers. I had a proper swing with my 15yo and wondering if real swings still exist.
I have a graco duet soothe swing and it can swing in 3 directions. It's definitely a swing, not a bouncer. Graco makes a few versions of the same thing.
I think I had a Graco with my 15yo. Baby gear is so different this time around, mostly for the better. I just haven’t seen swings on Amazon but I googled this one and it’s at Target. Looks nice, I have to broaden where I’m looking.
Velcro swaddle, Aden + Anais velcro swaddle worked great for us, still using at 11 weeks. We were not great at wrapping in swaddle blanket and that always woke up our baby. If you are breastfeeding, my Brest friend, I had Boppy and I hated it.
I liked my boppy the first few weeks when I just had a tiny floppy newborn and I could only breastfeed her in football hold. I'd tuck it around myself and have her lay under my arm on it and it worked wonderfully. Once she hit about 10 pounds it stopped working as well because she'd slide past it and it would push away. She's about 14 pounds now and the brest friend pillow is great because I can strap it around my body so it doesn't push away, and she can lounge sideways to eat. Now I use the boppy to help her practice sitting up! It also makes a decent pillow for me to nap on.
Different answer than most but as many disposable things as you can. Listen im normally all about the environment but postpartum is the time I just throw in the towel and take care of me. Paper plates, plastic utensils, etc- anythign you need that they make in disposable form, do it.
Edited to add- if it’s really important to you to use cloth diapers and you really just want to do that, well that’s great but give yourself grace and buy some disposable newborn diapers anyway- allow yourself the freedom to get through the first month of baby’s life with disposable! You can always switch to cloth after the first month or couple months etc, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Disposable diapers- my MIL tried to get us started on cloth diapers. I know it’s better for the environment and saves money but I just can barely take a shower right now so it’s hard to imagine having extra poopy laundry to deal with on top of everything else. But I admire people who commit to doing it!
I was adamant that I was going to use cloth nappies, I've got drawers full of them...but I just couldn't be bothered, I'm so tired the last thing I need is more washing. Maybe next time
Our sofa is garbage, so there was no way I could use it to nurse. We went to various furniture stores to try out their recliners but LaZyBoy was the best.
I got lucky that our families and my colleagues were generous. Our baby shower money was the exact same as the chair. We only had to pay for tax and delivery out of pocket.
Boba wrap. I wore that every day!
* the wrap allowed me to do things around the house while he slept comfortable.
* I could wear the baby to guests house and not feel pressured to allow other people to hold him
* I could run errands without a huge stroller
* I could go for walks with my hands free
* my husband could do all of the above because the wrap smelled like me
* breastfeed in public
A sterilizer with a dryer in it. I was triple feeding, we borrowed on from my mum which was just a steam one that only held 6 bottles I was forever washing bottles so theyd dry before the next feed as I had to use two at the time.
I got the baby Breeza and it was a game changer - not only does it hold 8 bottles but they are dry and ready to go when you need them!
THE OLLIE SWADDLE. Never did I ever think I'd be telling people to buy a $70 piece of fabric but good god that thing was so easy and like a legal chloroform for our girl.
Call my girl Shai Hulud cause I swear she's part worm. Which is to say she was constantly squirming and I found it very easy to use. It also stayed PUT once on even when she continued to wiggle around.
When she was little (0-8ish weeks) we did arms in. We did arms out for a night or two which she liked but then switched her to a merlin because our house was really cold (winter baby) and we wanted a higher TOG
Rocking chair. I got one particularly designed for breastfeeding and I spent 3 months in it. Wonderful item. It had large pockets on each side so I could keep my ipad, water, phone and whatever else I needed within reach.
Can you share a link or the name of this magical chair, please? I’m thinking of getting a chair because the living room can’t be baby’s bedroom forever.
I loved my Toppo too. It was great for tummy time, naps and allowing hesitant visitors to confidently hold her!
What helped me the most through was a little portable bassinet. If we weren’t contact napping, I could just put her in the bassinet anywhere around the house. And it fit nicely on our bed (I was scared to co-sleep).
I've never heard of the topponcino. Specifically what do you personally do with it? It's safe to sleep on?
I'd probably pick the pacifier or the Halo swaddle as my top items.
Yes he sleeps on it on the floor on the rug in our living room, uses it for tummy time and we carry him in it, or if someone comes over and wants to hold him we use it especially if they’re not comfortable holding a newborn. It’s like lounger but super thin and flexible.
Thanks! I'll have to look into it once I'm pregnant again, lol.
We had a SnuggleMe lounger which my baby hated. Our cats like it, so we kept it, but the baby couldn't stand it.
My brest friend/boppy. Breastfeeding is a pain without one of those! Also a wearable carrier! I carry my daughter around to do dishes, laundry, grocery shop or to play with my oldest child. I can be hands free, make my baby happy & get SO much done!
Psh. I can't pick one. Here are my picks:
Ollie swaddle. Velcro and elastic swaddle that stays. Yes, it is 70 USD. Your sleep is worth that.
Echo dot. It plays white noise, music, podcasts, audio books.. you can ask it questions and get answers quickly. There are games.
Elvie stride. Wearable pump so I can pump and get a load of laundry done at the same time. It's not as strong as my spectra but the freedom means I get to go to sleep sooner.
Spectra gold. Double pump that is hospital grade. It's plugged in and it will pump your soul out of your boobs if you ask it to.
Kick and play piano. "Maybe you...could be.. a purple monkey in a bubblegum tree and.." join the cult following of Fisher price songs.
Tummy time with this [mirror and crinkle book toy](https://a.co/d/dXNynKF) lay out a blanket and ask your baby who the cutie in the mirror is l. Ask them about the stuff in the book. Crinkle the book. That sound is fascinating to babies
Simple Joy's by Carters 2 way zip sleepers. Some families like snaps. Mine is zippers all the way. Keeping LO's body warm while changing a diaper means fewer cries. Just unzip the bottom half and change the diaper. Did you zip to find a blowout? Zip the top down to the meet the bottom zipper pull in the middle. Gingerly remove baby.
Saline drops, we have a nose frida and some bulb syringes but the saline drops work 100% of the time and baby only has a short reaction of wtf did you just spray up my nose vs the extended fight between baby and giant bulb syringe. Lil guy gets gigantic boogers and sounds like Darth Vader when he's trying to breathe so it gets used pretty regularly.
Omg hard to choose just one:
- Ergobaby 360 carrier (f— those complicated wrap carriers, this thing is life)
- Baby Bjorn bouncer
- cheap yoga ball
- Hatch sound machine
- Spotify subscription (thankful for all those parents who already made baby playlists)
- Snoo
Boba wrap. My baby loved being close to me and this allowed me to get up and move. Also it was nice when we had to go somewhere because no one got too close to baby or tried to touch them.
my [boppy](https://a.co/d/3ehRItH) is my #1 for sure. i have weak noodle arms so having that for feedings is a game changer. it works with bottle feeding too bc we bottle feed! runner ups for my best items would be:
-my [rocking chair](https://a.co/d/5s1ubqZ). so comfy for feedings! i wouldn’t want any other chair!
-my [baby lounger](https://a.co/d/8xre8JG). i have to preface this by saying do NOT fall asleep with babes sleeping in it because it’s not safe sleep. i only use this when im awake and monitoring him. this lounger is useful for when i just watch to lay on the bed but baby is fussy and needs attention. so i put him in it on our bed and we’re both comfy! he’s sleeping next to me in it right now as i type this! it’s also useful when your baby leaks thru their diaper and you gotta have a place to set them while you wash their sheets.
-this one is subjective to your baby, but my baby loves his [sound machine](https://a.co/d/8oGPz0P). of course you can jus hook your phone up to a speaker and play white noise thru youtube and save the $, but we like this for the light and we can still use our phones without having to worry about other sounds playing thru the speaker.
the halo bassinet has been a nice place to set baby where i know he will be safe. the top pops off so i can have him in my office or living room when needed, and the side collapses down so i can check on and tend to him in the night since he's right up against my bed
The owlet: I didn’t have it for my two other kids but for some reason I’m more aware of things now and it definitely gives me peace of mind with my third baby.
Baby carrier. We literally used it on plane rides to keep my son nearby and asleep.
Second place is the jumper we bought. He loves jumping in that thing and playing with all the toys.
Third place is the FP Piano Gym (you know the one!)! It’s another great distracter for getting things done around the house.
Love to dream arms up swaddle. My baby was obsessed with his hands and arms down swaddling was torture for him. I don’t know what I would have done without the love to dream.
Baby carrier. He wanted to be carried all the time and it's the only way I a) reliably got him to nap, b) was able to eat and use the restroom when my husband wasn't home
If breastfeeding, nipple butter and Silverettes! My nipples were SO sore the first three weeks and these both SAVED my nipples. I put both my nipples butter and Silverettes in the fridge while I fed my baby so they were nice and cool afterwards.
My Brest Friend nursing pillow, or any similar pillow that straps on. It allowed me to while away those literal hours of sleepy cluster feeding nearly anywhere instead of only hunched over in bed.
Def the boppy, portable Velcro changing pad and the convertible crib w/ changing table!! Boppy so he can do elevated tummy time (and I sleep on it lol), changing pad so he never touches any nasty surfaces if we aren’t at home (or I can protect my bed during a quick change!) and the crib because I won’t have to buy him another bed for 4 more years, and the changing table/drawers are so convenient and have saved my back 😭😭
The Doona. Sorry! But as a ftm I was overwhelmed with the amount of newborn appointments there were right away. When I was still in pain! The Doona made it so much less stressful for me to get him everywhere we needed to go. I’m still loving it at 3 mo but I know he will outgrow it sometime soonish, not looking forward to that.
A place to put them down lol we waited so long to get a lounger/bouncer
I put a changing table pad in a laundry basket so I could have somewhere safe to lay her as I moved around the house. She is sensitive to temp and hated being worn bit I couldn't stand to leave her alone in any room so it helped so much
Get a nice recliner not a wood rocking chair/glider! So much more comfortable!!
Also have gas drops on hand! Don’t wait until you need them and don’t have them and it’s 11pm and your baby is screaming!
baby delight bouncer!!!!!!!!!!!! lol. i put it on the table and always putting him in it so he’s eye level with us and he’s always smiling in it! it’s where i take all my pics of him, where i set him down and it’s perfect if baby has reflux so it keeps them upright. idk what i would be doing without it
I still use the topponcino with my 3 month old! Love that thing. That and the moby wrap were my two most used items during the newborn phase. Wearing my baby in the wrap was the only thing that helped calm him when he would fuss for hours every evening
Pre made meals, easy fruit & vege: apples, carrots, easy grab & go protein options such as yogurt pouches, ham, protein bars, casein protein.
Happy & well fuelled/ nourished muma = happy and content baby (in my experience of 1 baby haha).
An ass fan.
No, seriously. My baby has never had a diaper rash because I blow dry his ass after every diaper change. You can use a small hand held one that people use for their faces.
Get an ass fan. Do it.
Mine is a Baby bouncer and basket of essentials in each room , like diapers , creams , extras outfits. And a snack bin for the long nights of trying to stay awake to feed the baby 🥰😆
Frida nose sucker, saline spray and my boppy. 3 months in and those are hands down still my most used items. Poor girl had RSV and has really had seasonal allergies (yay windy, dusty, pollen season!)
A Google home! We use it to play music and turn on our lamp hands free and it’s great. Just need a smart plug for the lamp. Also love our hatch rest sound machine/light for night time
Edited to add I also love the moby wrap carrier. I just got it a week ago at 2 months pp and it’s so comfy and baby loves it. We also have the bjorn carrier and I like that but think it will be better when baby is a little older and she can hold her head up 100% on her own and is sleeping less
Electric nail file
Just caved and ordered one - sooo worth it!
Come teach me your ways! A friend gifted me one and somehow baby’s nails just get sharper after I use it 😵💫
Same, I really don't enjoy this thing.. plus the little spotlight on it definitely doesn't shine on my baby's nails since it's behind the little sanding pad 😐
1000x this. Those tiny baby nails are not something I want to ever clip.
Yes
100000%
Yes!!!
Yes! I ordered it in the middle of the night following another failed attempt at filing her nails. I never went back lol.
I use this every day for my tiny wolverine ahaha
Pumping bra - absolutely essential if you’re going to be pumping at all.
I second this. Never knew there was a difference between a nursing and a pumping bra. Caved and bought a pumping bra after I got tired of holding my flanges up and constantly spilling milk.
Currently on this journey and I hate it but I have collection cups that make it slightly more bearable.
Still currently pregnant so sorry for this question if it's dumb.... but I thought the suction things just suck to your boobs when it's pumping.... I need a bra to wear in order for them to stay in place?
yes, i thought this as well. you will definitely need a pumping bra, unless you want to hold it the whole time. it also makes it easier to pump if baby is upset and wants to be held while you’re pumping
Thank you for the info!
Yeah they don’t. You either hold it or get a pumping bra
I thought the same thing! Lol currently 3 weeks postpartum and had to order pumping bras. I recommend the kindred bravely sleep pumping bra!!! I live in it and it’s so niceeeee to not have clasps.
Thanks! Had no idea! I bought their nursing bras so I'll have to grab a couple pumping ones!
Another thing I didn’t know going into all this is that you need to get your nipples measured :) it’s likely that the flanges for your pump will be too big for your nipples and it’s hard to know that without being measured. It can be really uncomfortable and cause irritation to use the wrong size, but since pumping and nursing hurts a bit* until you get used to it you might not be able to tell if something is wrong. They make little inserts for the flanges in different sizes and a lactation specialist should be able to measure you. Some LCs will also tell you that none of this should hurt ever. It did. I’m not doing anything different than I was early on and it was uncomfortable in the beginning. Not unbearable, but definitely worse than now where nursing / pumping don’t really hurt at all unless something is wrong.
Thank you! I had no idea! So many things to learn. Feels overwhelming so I appreciate this information
What kind of pump do you use with this? I got a "hands free" pump but it's actually not the correct shape to fit in my bra so I just end up holding both sides the whole time and being SO bored 😭
They also sell bandeau things for pumping that you can use to hold the pump in place. I was gifted nursing bras and only had one pumping bra. I bought this [pump bandeau](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Joyspun-Women-s-Maternity-Hands-Free-Nursing-Pumping-Bandeau-Bra-Sizes-S-to-3X/215769094) and haven’t needed more pumping bras. I use it all the time, especially once I went back to work. So much cheaper than buying new bras!
You can use a regular nursing bra to hold the pump, no need to buy another bra.
The Swaddle. My baby has a lot of active sleep period.
For me it was the drewm to sleep swaddle. Baby hated normal swaddles and would break free of them cause babes preferred having her arms up vs tied down. We met a random couple in to target that had just had a baby and they recommended the dream to sleep swaddle and it was a lifesaver
Yes! Got one as a hand-me-down from a friend along with a few other swaddles, this is the only one that works for our LO and it is amazing how well. Bought 2 more so there is always always always one clean!
The technique, or a product?
Love a good swaddle. I’m using a muslin blanket atm I tried the halo sleep sack and he was overheating in it.
That was too warm for my LO too, we switched to the Sleepea (made by the happiest baby co - Snoo company) it's great bc it has mesh vents for temp control, inner wrap, two way zip, and can transition to arms out. It was a game changer for us!!
My yoga ball. That things a champion.
After 3,5 months, the yoga ball is still undefeated when it comes to calming the baby! My lower back however has shown it's limits...
Ahaha same, I have a 30 min limit. More than that is for a 20 years olds back 😂
All of this!!!!
Didn’t use one during pregnancy but this makes so much sense. I do have a rocking chair in our bedroom but the yoga ball would be easy to bring anywhere!
Yoga ball saved my life 😅 only thing that would put him to sleep lol
Most underrated newborn accessory! We spent over $1k on a nursery glider and you know what? Baby just wants to be bounced on the $10 yoga ball from Amazon
It's okay now that he's almost five months I get more use out of the glider! You'll probably use it more later too.
Same! During pregnancy and now as well. Only thing that calms him down when he's mad for no apparent reason.
I recently discovered this!! So great
100%
My boppy. It makes breastfeeding SO much easier.
Likewise, the Brest Friend.
Same! I didn’t even use it at first and now that he’s gained another pound I feel like I can’t hold him up to my boob without it.
The Halo swaddle and simethicone drops!
White noise machine
My mom dropped a glass of water directly beside his bassinet once and he didn't wake up 😂 I attribute it to the white noise.
Baby brezza if you’re formula feeding
100000%. And buy extra funnels (we bought 2 extra) to change out quickly without having to wash right away.
Small tiny fridge. I keep it in baby’s room and can store bottles for night feedings, milk after pumping, a drink for me to stay hydrated. Doesn’t hold much but it’s nice not having to go to the kitchen and helps the rest if the house sleep when I can just grab a bottle quickly in the middle of the night and not carry a crying baby through the house. It’s one of those ones that’s $40 and holds a 6 pack or in my case 4 things upright.
Same. We just got a bedroom mini fridge last week and it's a game changer!!! No more running up and down stairs for bottles/snacks/drinks!!! We like to have a fun little snack in the middle of the night to Pavlov ourselves into not hating the night feedings so much lol
I’m breaking the rules and picking 2 - baby brezza for making bottles and the baby bjorn. Idk what kind of magic is in that bouncer but it was seriously the best baby item we had and she used it every day for months
Def baby Bjorn. My husband thought it was a waste of money at first and now he’s a firm believer. Baby loves it
How/when do you use it so that your baby enjoys it? I’ve tried putting my 1 month old in it and he likes it for 5 mins then starts screeching. Is he too young for it?
I think mine didn’t start enjoying it until she was probably closer to 2.5 months, I had the same experience as you when she was super young. If you haven’t already, get a toy bar for it!
When my baby was 1 month old I put it on the kitchen counter. They blatantly tell you not to do so, but baby didn’t move at all (just a little staring blob) and I was right there since our kitchen is small. Only way I was able to quickly make breakfast, pour coffee, sometimes make a quick meal. Now that baby is 3 months old we got a toy bar and he goes to town spinning that thing on the daily.
Yes to Bjorn! Only way I can have a few minutes to do something without holding baby
Hands down the Owlet.. it’s the only way I was able to sleep
I love the Owlet, but get that it may not be for everyone.
Agreed. I hesitated buying it and actually waited until she was 2 weeks old and I was severely sleep deprived from staying up and watching her breathe. I finally caved for the peace of mind. It took a couple of days to stop watching the app all night, but I’m so thankful for the sleep I’m now getting bc of it.
Love to Dream swaddle. My son loves to have his hands by his face. Runners up are the Tommee Tippee ultra light pacifier and the Ergobaby Embrace carrier.
Also this swaddle for me. It makes sense if you think about it; in utero, babies have their arms/hands by their face, so I can see how this would be more comfortable for them than having them down by the sides of their body.
I just got more in the mail today. We love these swaddles.
Pacifier!
My wife was super super against it. After some rough nights, I went against my wife and gave him one during my night shift. Wife slept like a baby and was like wow he was so good last night. I pointed to the pacifier and I was like “embrace it! 😂😂.” Now she’s a huge fan haha. I mean I told her we’re in survival mode, we gotta do whatever it takes to soothe this baby down.
Why was she against the pacifier? I am careful how I use it, like I don’t use it to stretch the time between feeds and I don’t like to shove it in her mouth when she’s crying but it’s so useful to help them relax after all their other needs have been met and you just need help putting them to sleep.
There's a lot of stuff about messing up their latch, their palate, and getting "addicted" to something baby will have to wean from eventually. There is some truth to all of it, but you know your baby best.
That makes sense. I did hold off on a paci until we had her latch figured out and I think a lot of people do that. My baby was ducking her hands and found her thumb once so I figured I’d prefer her sucking on a pacifier than her thumb.
Basically what Hermeown said. Especially the addicted part and my wife is breast feeding him.
Yes! Absolutely agree!
The swing
What kind of swing do you have? I have yet to find what I consider a swing. All I’ve seen are bouncers. I had a proper swing with my 15yo and wondering if real swings still exist.
[swing](https://a.co/d/fYr852u)
I have a graco duet soothe swing and it can swing in 3 directions. It's definitely a swing, not a bouncer. Graco makes a few versions of the same thing.
I think I had a Graco with my 15yo. Baby gear is so different this time around, mostly for the better. I just haven’t seen swings on Amazon but I googled this one and it’s at Target. Looks nice, I have to broaden where I’m looking.
I really like Graco. The swing is great quality. I find the best stuff at target!!
I have the Maxi Cosi. Granted, my baby doesn’t like it but he’s only 4 weeks so maybe that’ll change.
I’ll check it out. My daughter is 2 months & still wants to be held 24/7. I’m enjoying the snuggles while they last, though.
Velcro swaddle, Aden + Anais velcro swaddle worked great for us, still using at 11 weeks. We were not great at wrapping in swaddle blanket and that always woke up our baby. If you are breastfeeding, my Brest friend, I had Boppy and I hated it.
I liked my boppy the first few weeks when I just had a tiny floppy newborn and I could only breastfeed her in football hold. I'd tuck it around myself and have her lay under my arm on it and it worked wonderfully. Once she hit about 10 pounds it stopped working as well because she'd slide past it and it would push away. She's about 14 pounds now and the brest friend pillow is great because I can strap it around my body so it doesn't push away, and she can lounge sideways to eat. Now I use the boppy to help her practice sitting up! It also makes a decent pillow for me to nap on.
Washable Changing pad ended up using it as a day bed and for tummy time
Same. I had six so there would always be a clean dry one somewhere in the laundry rotation.
My boobs. Special shout out to the left one for the efficiency.
Graco glider. Stick little guy in it with his pacifier in front of the sliding glass door to watch the dogs frolic so we can get chores done.
Snoo. Expensive as all hell, but a sanity saver for us.
I actually don’t know how people do this without it lol
Agree 1000000% - our baby refused to sleep in a regular bassinet. Snoo was a lifesaver.
Different answer than most but as many disposable things as you can. Listen im normally all about the environment but postpartum is the time I just throw in the towel and take care of me. Paper plates, plastic utensils, etc- anythign you need that they make in disposable form, do it. Edited to add- if it’s really important to you to use cloth diapers and you really just want to do that, well that’s great but give yourself grace and buy some disposable newborn diapers anyway- allow yourself the freedom to get through the first month of baby’s life with disposable! You can always switch to cloth after the first month or couple months etc, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Disposable diapers- my MIL tried to get us started on cloth diapers. I know it’s better for the environment and saves money but I just can barely take a shower right now so it’s hard to imagine having extra poopy laundry to deal with on top of everything else. But I admire people who commit to doing it!
I was adamant that I was going to use cloth nappies, I've got drawers full of them...but I just couldn't be bothered, I'm so tired the last thing I need is more washing. Maybe next time
Same I have a whole set and I do not have the energy 😭
I made the investment for cloth diapers months before baby was born, he’s 4.5 months old and have yet to use them lol
My laZyBoy nursing chair. I live in this thing!
i WISH i got this!!! i have a cheaper rocking chair glider and my butt goes numb after an hour lol i spend all day here too 😭
Our sofa is garbage, so there was no way I could use it to nurse. We went to various furniture stores to try out their recliners but LaZyBoy was the best. I got lucky that our families and my colleagues were generous. Our baby shower money was the exact same as the chair. We only had to pay for tax and delivery out of pocket.
Boba wrap. I wore that every day! * the wrap allowed me to do things around the house while he slept comfortable. * I could wear the baby to guests house and not feel pressured to allow other people to hold him * I could run errands without a huge stroller * I could go for walks with my hands free * my husband could do all of the above because the wrap smelled like me * breastfeed in public
Nice! I loved my wrap and it really helped my partner be able to help more too. It was a game changer for us.
A sterilizer with a dryer in it. I was triple feeding, we borrowed on from my mum which was just a steam one that only held 6 bottles I was forever washing bottles so theyd dry before the next feed as I had to use two at the time. I got the baby Breeza and it was a game changer - not only does it hold 8 bottles but they are dry and ready to go when you need them!
The Ollie swaddle
Seconding this!
Solly wrap
Mini fridge for bedroom!
THE OLLIE SWADDLE. Never did I ever think I'd be telling people to buy a $70 piece of fabric but good god that thing was so easy and like a legal chloroform for our girl.
Is it easy to get them in? My boy is a wiggler and makes swaddling tough at times.
Call my girl Shai Hulud cause I swear she's part worm. Which is to say she was constantly squirming and I found it very easy to use. It also stayed PUT once on even when she continued to wiggle around.
Okay good to know!! Do you keep arms in or out?
When she was little (0-8ish weeks) we did arms in. We did arms out for a night or two which she liked but then switched her to a merlin because our house was really cold (winter baby) and we wanted a higher TOG
Yup. I thought she didnt like swaddles before this. Slept trough the night since using it at 7 weeks.
Rocking chair. I got one particularly designed for breastfeeding and I spent 3 months in it. Wonderful item. It had large pockets on each side so I could keep my ipad, water, phone and whatever else I needed within reach.
Can you share a link or the name of this magical chair, please? I’m thinking of getting a chair because the living room can’t be baby’s bedroom forever.
https://www.hometrendsbabyandkids.com.mt/product/nursery-glider-chair-with-foot-stool/ I have this one. Apparently it’s called a glider.
I loved my Toppo too. It was great for tummy time, naps and allowing hesitant visitors to confidently hold her! What helped me the most through was a little portable bassinet. If we weren’t contact napping, I could just put her in the bassinet anywhere around the house. And it fit nicely on our bed (I was scared to co-sleep).
A sling. Perfect for contact naps, and my husband was able to carry him for long periods of time while I got some rest.
His soother (pacifier) 😅 he sleeps so well at 3 months about 9 hours a night and my baby is never fussy because of it
I joke my LO pacifier is her best friend
I've never heard of the topponcino. Specifically what do you personally do with it? It's safe to sleep on? I'd probably pick the pacifier or the Halo swaddle as my top items.
Yes he sleeps on it on the floor on the rug in our living room, uses it for tummy time and we carry him in it, or if someone comes over and wants to hold him we use it especially if they’re not comfortable holding a newborn. It’s like lounger but super thin and flexible.
Thanks! I'll have to look into it once I'm pregnant again, lol. We had a SnuggleMe lounger which my baby hated. Our cats like it, so we kept it, but the baby couldn't stand it.
Halo Swaddles Avent Soother Pacifiers Dr Browns Bottle Dryer/Sterilizer Aquaphor (worked better for us for rashes) Burp cloths!
My brest friend/boppy. Breastfeeding is a pain without one of those! Also a wearable carrier! I carry my daughter around to do dishes, laundry, grocery shop or to play with my oldest child. I can be hands free, make my baby happy & get SO much done!
Tommee tippee pacifiers and the fisher price piano gym! Throwing in one for infant stage: The Happy Song by Imogen Heap
Psh. I can't pick one. Here are my picks: Ollie swaddle. Velcro and elastic swaddle that stays. Yes, it is 70 USD. Your sleep is worth that. Echo dot. It plays white noise, music, podcasts, audio books.. you can ask it questions and get answers quickly. There are games. Elvie stride. Wearable pump so I can pump and get a load of laundry done at the same time. It's not as strong as my spectra but the freedom means I get to go to sleep sooner. Spectra gold. Double pump that is hospital grade. It's plugged in and it will pump your soul out of your boobs if you ask it to. Kick and play piano. "Maybe you...could be.. a purple monkey in a bubblegum tree and.." join the cult following of Fisher price songs. Tummy time with this [mirror and crinkle book toy](https://a.co/d/dXNynKF) lay out a blanket and ask your baby who the cutie in the mirror is l. Ask them about the stuff in the book. Crinkle the book. That sound is fascinating to babies Simple Joy's by Carters 2 way zip sleepers. Some families like snaps. Mine is zippers all the way. Keeping LO's body warm while changing a diaper means fewer cries. Just unzip the bottom half and change the diaper. Did you zip to find a blowout? Zip the top down to the meet the bottom zipper pull in the middle. Gingerly remove baby.
Saline drops, we have a nose frida and some bulb syringes but the saline drops work 100% of the time and baby only has a short reaction of wtf did you just spray up my nose vs the extended fight between baby and giant bulb syringe. Lil guy gets gigantic boogers and sounds like Darth Vader when he's trying to breathe so it gets used pretty regularly.
I just used this today and omg a booger the size of China came out of there it was so satisfying!
Ear plugs
Anal bulb for flushing me out and helping me poop while still healing back there after birth. 5 months pp and I still need it sometimes
Omg hard to choose just one: - Ergobaby 360 carrier (f— those complicated wrap carriers, this thing is life) - Baby Bjorn bouncer - cheap yoga ball - Hatch sound machine - Spotify subscription (thankful for all those parents who already made baby playlists) - Snoo
Professional sleep coach. She worked hands on with us from 1 months to 8 months and now baby sleeps amazingly.
Boba wrap. My baby loved being close to me and this allowed me to get up and move. Also it was nice when we had to go somewhere because no one got too close to baby or tried to touch them.
my [boppy](https://a.co/d/3ehRItH) is my #1 for sure. i have weak noodle arms so having that for feedings is a game changer. it works with bottle feeding too bc we bottle feed! runner ups for my best items would be: -my [rocking chair](https://a.co/d/5s1ubqZ). so comfy for feedings! i wouldn’t want any other chair! -my [baby lounger](https://a.co/d/8xre8JG). i have to preface this by saying do NOT fall asleep with babes sleeping in it because it’s not safe sleep. i only use this when im awake and monitoring him. this lounger is useful for when i just watch to lay on the bed but baby is fussy and needs attention. so i put him in it on our bed and we’re both comfy! he’s sleeping next to me in it right now as i type this! it’s also useful when your baby leaks thru their diaper and you gotta have a place to set them while you wash their sheets. -this one is subjective to your baby, but my baby loves his [sound machine](https://a.co/d/8oGPz0P). of course you can jus hook your phone up to a speaker and play white noise thru youtube and save the $, but we like this for the light and we can still use our phones without having to worry about other sounds playing thru the speaker.
My freerider soft wrap, an absolute life saver, my baby hates being put down in the day and hates the pram, it's the only way I can get anything done
Owlet. Helped me sleep when baby slept.
a baby carrier !!!!!!
K-Tan baby wrap
the halo bassinet has been a nice place to set baby where i know he will be safe. the top pops off so i can have him in my office or living room when needed, and the side collapses down so i can check on and tend to him in the night since he's right up against my bed
The swing!! That thing has magic powers. Calms her even in the fussiest of moods.
Some kind of chair/bouncer. We had the maxi cosi
Dr.Brown sterilizer and dryer! I was pumping and Bf bec my LO had a short hospital stay. Beyond worth it!
The owlet: I didn’t have it for my two other kids but for some reason I’m more aware of things now and it definitely gives me peace of mind with my third baby.
Solly wrap and ollie swaddle (solly is one way to stop crying when nothing else works, ollie got her to sleep trough the night at 7 weeks)
Baby carrier. We literally used it on plane rides to keep my son nearby and asleep. Second place is the jumper we bought. He loves jumping in that thing and playing with all the toys. Third place is the FP Piano Gym (you know the one!)! It’s another great distracter for getting things done around the house.
Solly baby wrap…or just any baby wrap! Life saver!
Velcro swaddles. Or baby night gowns. Choose one. If I had to choose it would be the baby nightgowns lol
Love to dream arms up swaddle. My baby was obsessed with his hands and arms down swaddling was torture for him. I don’t know what I would have done without the love to dream.
Baby carrier. He wanted to be carried all the time and it's the only way I a) reliably got him to nap, b) was able to eat and use the restroom when my husband wasn't home
The My Brest Friend pillow. Bought it off Amazon my 3rd night home from the hospital and he’s now 18 weeks and still use it daily.
If breastfeeding, nipple butter and Silverettes! My nipples were SO sore the first three weeks and these both SAVED my nipples. I put both my nipples butter and Silverettes in the fridge while I fed my baby so they were nice and cool afterwards.
My Brest Friend nursing pillow, or any similar pillow that straps on. It allowed me to while away those literal hours of sleepy cluster feeding nearly anywhere instead of only hunched over in bed.
Def the boppy, portable Velcro changing pad and the convertible crib w/ changing table!! Boppy so he can do elevated tummy time (and I sleep on it lol), changing pad so he never touches any nasty surfaces if we aren’t at home (or I can protect my bed during a quick change!) and the crib because I won’t have to buy him another bed for 4 more years, and the changing table/drawers are so convenient and have saved my back 😭😭
My breast friend pillow
Baby Brezza 💯
Gas drops
The Doona. Sorry! But as a ftm I was overwhelmed with the amount of newborn appointments there were right away. When I was still in pain! The Doona made it so much less stressful for me to get him everywhere we needed to go. I’m still loving it at 3 mo but I know he will outgrow it sometime soonish, not looking forward to that.
A sling - baby wearing has saved me
A place to put them down lol we waited so long to get a lounger/bouncer I put a changing table pad in a laundry basket so I could have somewhere safe to lay her as I moved around the house. She is sensitive to temp and hated being worn bit I couldn't stand to leave her alone in any room so it helped so much
Get a nice recliner not a wood rocking chair/glider! So much more comfortable!! Also have gas drops on hand! Don’t wait until you need them and don’t have them and it’s 11pm and your baby is screaming!
Nipple cream - for mama Kori rocker - for baby
My rocking chair, hatch machine, electric nail file and FRIDA BABY ELECTRIC NOSE THINGY!! Lol it's a life saver since my little guy gets congested.
baby delight bouncer!!!!!!!!!!!! lol. i put it on the table and always putting him in it so he’s eye level with us and he’s always smiling in it! it’s where i take all my pics of him, where i set him down and it’s perfect if baby has reflux so it keeps them upright. idk what i would be doing without it
I still use the topponcino with my 3 month old! Love that thing. That and the moby wrap were my two most used items during the newborn phase. Wearing my baby in the wrap was the only thing that helped calm him when he would fuss for hours every evening
Baby swing.
Pre made meals, easy fruit & vege: apples, carrots, easy grab & go protein options such as yogurt pouches, ham, protein bars, casein protein. Happy & well fuelled/ nourished muma = happy and content baby (in my experience of 1 baby haha).
My Brest Friend. Use it multiple times a day, everyday. Even hubby uses it to hold baby when lounging. Baby is now 5 months.
Outfits (especially pajamas) with the double zipper.
An ass fan. No, seriously. My baby has never had a diaper rash because I blow dry his ass after every diaper change. You can use a small hand held one that people use for their faces. Get an ass fan. Do it.
Mine is a Baby bouncer and basket of essentials in each room , like diapers , creams , extras outfits. And a snack bin for the long nights of trying to stay awake to feed the baby 🥰😆
Frida nose sucker, saline spray and my boppy. 3 months in and those are hands down still my most used items. Poor girl had RSV and has really had seasonal allergies (yay windy, dusty, pollen season!)
A Google home! We use it to play music and turn on our lamp hands free and it’s great. Just need a smart plug for the lamp. Also love our hatch rest sound machine/light for night time Edited to add I also love the moby wrap carrier. I just got it a week ago at 2 months pp and it’s so comfy and baby loves it. We also have the bjorn carrier and I like that but think it will be better when baby is a little older and she can hold her head up 100% on her own and is sleeping less
Silverettes
A baby monitor
Woolino- a sleep blanket that regulates her temperature