The things you actually need for baby (& you!)

Until about a month ago I thought I was totally ready to bring this little baby in to the world. I had her changing table, her crib, the rocker I plan on sitting in to feed her. I had all the clothes I could imagine and the nursery was decorated.

It wasn't until my gf's came in town and started looking through the stuff I had, that I quickly realized how much I didn't have to bring a human home. I had all the pretty stuff, but I didn't have the realistic stuff. Plus I didn't realize there are certain things I needed for myself. I thought I had that part all figured out. Welp, turns out, mama needed some things just as much as baby.

I cannot be the only mama out there who has no clue what she'd need. This is the list, most of which you can get on Amazon, that'll make your life and babys life easier as you both transition in to this new phase.

PS. I updated this blog post as of April 27, 2020, on the eve of my third trimester with baby #2!

For Baby: 

1. Nose Frida (or steal all the blue nose suckers from the hospital). I seriously stole like 10 and I love them more than the nose frieda. Adam prefers the nose frieda! 
2. Diapers in size newborn, one and two. We skipped right over newborn (Quinn was 8.8lbs) and I'm so thankful I had a variety of sizes! 
3. Wipes - I love the Costco ones, but if Amazon is easier, these are the best. You can also have them come in a subscription! 
4. Aquaphor. Quinn is 20 months old and I still use this for everything.
5. Rectal Thermometer (for under 6 mo) and forehead thermometer (for over 6 mo). True story - I have three different types of thermometers and they will at any given point give me a different reading. Having a bunch is nice but not totally necessary. Trust your gut. 
6. 5 ounce and 9 ounce bottles + different nipple sizes - I LOVE the comotomo bottles. 
7. Nose Frieda Saline nose spray.  This was originally on this list, and I have never used it ever. Maybe I should? 
8. Grooming Kit. This safety first grooming kit everyone will recommend to you. I love these simple tweezerman nail scissors. You can see what you're doing and they are very gentle. 
9. Boon Bottle Drying Rack. I still use this for Quinn's sippy cups! 
10. Munchkin Bottle brush. Literally have never used it. 
11. Butt Paste (small one for diaper bag and big one for changing table). This stuff is good for when they are little little. But as Quinn got legit diaper rash, I used and still use Desitin.
12. Infant Tylenol and Motrin. For Quinn, Tylenol works better than Motrin. But some people swear by the switch on and off method between the two. Better to be safe than sorry, have them both on hand for those late night fevers. 
13. Shampoo, conditioner, baby lotion. We love Honest brand wash, no fragrance. I've used it since she was born and haven't switched. We don't use lotion, because aquaphor has worked magic for us. 
14. A bunch of plain onesies: I love these little Gerber ones! My most favorite is a rec from my friend Summer. The Cloud Island onesies from Target. They come in a three-pack and are ah-mazing! They have full body onesies, bodysuits, separates, and beanies. 
15. Travel Bottle Cleaner. Literally never used this. But if you travel a ton, might be a good idea? 
16. Pacifiers. This is the fun part. We tried a bunch of different pacifiers and ultimately Quinn gave them up around 3 months. When she did like them, she liked the Wubby Nubs. Plus they are so cute. 

For Mama: 

1. Pumping storage bags. I started pumping around 3 weeks and I was fortunate and had a lot of milk, so I started storing right away! I used the Lansinoh storage bags. 
2. Breast Pump sterilizing bags. I never used these. I just sterilized in boiling water on the stove. I work from home so this was an easy option for me. But if you work out of the home, these would be great!
3. Baby carrier. My Solly baby is my fav. I used this one when she was teeny tiny. I also loved my Ergo Baby Omni carrier. I used this one in the airport and for long distance carrying because it felt a little more secure. Before 6 months, there is an infant insert. 
4. Nipple pads that freeze. Trust me on this one. Your nips will hurt and your boobs will leak. Nippe pads that can be frozen are so money. It's a little awkward at first, but man it will calm your boobs. I love these Lansinoh ones. 
5. Disposable and Non-disposable breast pads. When you nurse, your boobs leak. Glam, I know. These Medela ones are great. I bought a few non-disposable ones and honestly having to wash them kind of gagged me. I loved being able to throw them away when necessary. 
6. Lansinoh Nipple Cream. See #4 and #5. I'm just being honest here peeps. The perks of the specific nipple cream is its safer if your baby gets a little. I would have rather used Aquaphor but I didn't want Quinn to eat it obviously. 
7. Cozy undies, bras, jammies and robe. For the first few weeks, you are either in diapers (my preference, these are the best), or you are in undies and pads. Get comfy undies. I seriously thought I could wear boy shorts and I was quickly proven wrong. You want full panties, and I loved these, Hanes® Premium Women's Smoothing Seamless 3pk Briefs! I also preferred wearing "PJ dresses or robes." In those first few days, there is a lot of nursing, diapers/pads, etc. Being as comfy as possible is keyyy! I loved these dresses and robes from Milkmaid Goods.  
8. Hand sanitizer. Now that we are in Covid-19, you probably already have this. I love this Babyganics foam. 
9. Dishwasher cage (to wash all those small parts!). Never used this. 
10. Adult Diapers. Let's talk about adult diapers for a second. In the hospital, they give you mesh panties and these HUGE pads. They were fine for the first few days in the hospital, but once I got home (and more mobile) they were terrible. They rubbed/chaffed/etc. I bought these diapers and loved them. They are big enough that you can still put the tuck pads in them, etc. Not to get too gory, but they were better for me than the huge pads. 

Happy Shopping mamas!