First of all, assume that none of your newborn size clothes will fit! Chances are you'll get some use out of them, but only for the first week or two. Odin was born 10 pounds and immediately fit into 0-3 months/3 months. Which was interesting because I had two whole drawers of newborn clothes folded and ready for those first few weeks. Luckily he was born at home and I didn't leave my bed for the first 24 hours (except to visit the loo!), so baby boy was naked and wrapped in blankets until I managed to pull out the bigger gowns and onesies.
Which leads to- I recommend using gowns for the first few days. I still prefer to use them at night- makes night time diaper changes easy. Gowns are warm enough for a newborn while still providing easy accessibility for diaper changes and as a new mom, you're going to want to try and make everything as easy as possible.
We had no problems breastfeeding but I definitely recommend having Lanolin available. I did use it for my poor boobs for those first few days! I know a lot of mums use it for quite awhile after babe is born. I also recommend going to a local LLL meeting if you plan to breastfeed, BEFORE babe's born. They're very informative and it's nice to have some mommas to talk to about breastfeeding before it happens! (And read loads about it too! There are solutions to problems you may encounter and there are tons of support groups on Facebook that allow you to talk to other moms.) Breastfeeding is way too important to give up on! Nursing pads were definitely needed too!
We got loads of receiving blankets before Odin was born and we most definitely used them all. (A lot of them were cut into baby wipes, but we used them for swaddling and spit ups for the first few weeks.)
We had a bouncy seat that we received at the baby shower. It's nothing fancy and Odin's really indifferent about it, but I use it ALL the time. First thing in the morning when we're making coffee and breakfast and I don't have a play area set up on the floor, I put Odin in his seat. I use it for any transitional phases during the day (bathroom, lunch, setting up a blanket on the floor for him, packing the diaper bag, updating le blog, etc.). I use it when I shower so that he can be in the bathroom with me. I thought it was pointless and that I was going to hate it because we live in such a small house but it's proved to be something I use quite a bit. I even bring it outside when we work in the garden if it's too difficult to wear him.
One of the most important things for me was my carrier. We had been given an Ergo (front backpack carrier, which I now use on my back) and a Moby Wrap. We used the Ergo with the infant insert for our first walk and loved it. It was really warm in the chilly Spring weather which was perfect. The Moby Wrap is super supportive and really comfortable on, but EXTREMELY intimidating. It's like 12 feet long and you have to wrap it in this silly way which takes about 5 minutes, but I get why- it's comfyyy once it's on!
My absolute favorite carrier is and always will be my Maya Wrap ring sling. It's easy to put on and take off, comfortable, fits in the diaper bag, and has a zippered pocket! I wish I had this early on. I got it when Odin was a couple months old though and I'm so glad I did. I use it a ton now that he likes to sit on my hip and go with me everywhere. It's like a third arm and it will always be the first I recommend to anyone. If you want to use a carrier, I recommend starting as soon as possible, even if you just let babe nap in it while you do things around the house! They usually love it because they want to be close to mum and dad more than anywhere else.
Odin has a doorway jumper, which he likes a lot. I've read a lot about how they can affect bone development so we don't use it a ton (even though it's a hand me down and not so springy anyway) but it's smaller than a stationary jumperoo and works really well for cleaning the living room or making dinner. It seems to entertain him for just enough time.
We have a Graco swing up in the studio as well as a Skip Hop playmat that he really loves. He didn't like the swing in the beginning but now it'll entertain him for a bit. It's definitely not necessary but it lets mama get some art time in! The play mat is an interesting one- I had to take it apart. He loves to lay on the mat and play with the toys but he hates having them hang overhead. The play-mat is very convenient for the first few months before they start rolling around. It could be folded away and I could bring it back out with one hand (Odin's ALWAYS in that other hand).
We co-sleep so we don't need a crib, bassinet, or anything like that. If we had the room, I think i'd really like to try out a co-sleeper. Our bed is pillow-topped so it's hard to get into or out of bed without Odin stirring.
I feel like diapers should be an entirely different post, but we cloth diaper and LOVE it. I recommend it to everyone! I'll make a post about that sometime soon. <3
WHEW. I think that's everything. Please ask questions! What were some of your necessities for the first 6 months? Things you had but didn't use?
love that you linked everything to amazon, makes it so much easier to add to my baby registry! your list was amazing and had some great insight. can't wait to read more, especially about the cloth diapers!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add in the Bumbo baby seat. There was a recent safety issue and they sent out little seatbelts, but honestly, its safe if you're supervising and have common sense! The bumbo's been super helpful for us.
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