Five newborn/new mommas MUST HAVES

I had a friend recently tell me we should write a blog post on some MUST haves that have been tried and tested by new mommas. Jill and I will both have newborns again soon and since Abby is just wrapping up month 3 with her fresh cuddly newborn, I figured this was a great time to visits the subject of newborn necessities!  Each baby and each mommas needs are  a little different so here are the top 5 must haves in each of our mommas opinion!

1. Sonia’s top 5

Aiden and Anais Swaddle Blankets — I can’t rave about these enough! They work great as swaddles, play mats, carseat covers, stroller cover, nursing cover and I’m sure many more things! They are super breathable, soft, huge and the adorable designs don’t hurt!

Arm’s Reach Co sleeper- This is by far my #1 favorite baby item for those first few months! Not only is it SUPER convenient to have baby right next to you..literally you can roll over and pick up baby for those late night feedings! No need to get out of bed  multiple times a night. It also has mesh sides for safety and a strap that hooks under your mattress to keep the sleeper secure. We LOVE this!

Nursing Pads— Noone told me to stock up on these, but boy are they a MUST! I tried a few different kinds, but the Johnson and Johnson were my favorite! After your supply regulates the Bamboobies are my favorite reusable pads!

Swing- Cannon loved this swing and took many naps in it those first few months!

Boppy– The boppy really helps during breastfeeding, tummy time or just to let baby lounge without being flat.

2. Jill’s top 5

Fisher Price- Rock and Play- if you are going to buy any contraption for your baby, make it this one. They are less than $100 bucks and so worth it. These babies have an incline and snug your new little bundle just right. If your baby has reflux or colic it’s a lifesavers when they sleep. They also collapse by holding two buttons and are lightweight so if you travel or even go into another room you can easy transport it and set it up. Like I said this is a must, especially if you want your baby to sleep without you holding him/her sometimes.

Puj Bath- When Amelia was born we were living in a house with no dishwasher, so giving her a bath in the kitchen sink wasn’t an option (because yes there were dirty dishes in there!) And we only had one bathroom with absolutely no counter space or storage. The Puj bath was a lifesaver. It fit snugly in our bathroom sink under the faucet, it was shallow and the best part was once her bath was done, I unfolded it and hung it in the shower to dry! The other cool thing is it didn’t mold or form scum or grime. We definitely used this product,but by the time Amelia was about 4mo we did buy a different bathtub because she was too long and her feet stuck out a bit.
J.J. Cole Car seat cover- Have you ever tried putting a winter coat on a toddler? It’s like wrestling a bear! Putting a coat or clothes for that matter on a newborn is just as challenging! The coats never fit and your child just looks like the down comforter that’s bunched up at the end of your bed because you didn’t have time to make it in the morning before work. Amelia was born at the end of August and Keir’s ETA is 12/26, so this product was and will be a must for both of my children! If you’ve never seen one it reminds me of a Snuggy, and really does keep your child warm and comfortable if you have to brave the winter months.

Swaddle Me blankets- When we first brought Amelia home we thought she hated being swaddled. She would scream and cry while we were trying to swaddle her, so we just didn’t. Until my friend bought me some of these blankets and I read a blog about how babies typically hate the process of being swaddled, but once they are swaddled they actually like it. So one night when Amelia was having one of her crying fits I whipped out a Swaddle Me blanket and wrapped her like she was in a straight jacket. She cried at first, but quickly calmed down and fell asleep shortly after. We used these until she was about 2 1/2 months.

Moby Wrap- Like the Swaddle Me blankets, Amelia hated the process of being placed into the Moby Wrap, but once she was in and comfortable she enjoyed it. I didn’t used this very much and I wish I wore her more when she was little, but I am sure once Keir is here, I will be getting my usage out of my Moby wrap with him. Especially since Amelia will still hold me accountable to playing with her. I really enjoyed this product, the only thing I didn’t care for it that it is a lot of fabric and you have to adjust it just right otherwise the baby doesn’t feel secure. This can kind of be a nuisance especially if you are out running errands and getting in and out of your car.

3. Abby’s top 5

Kickee Brand Clothing http://www.kickeepants.com/shop/pc/home.asp
We have a local boutique in Oakwood called Sugar and Spice. That was the first I had heard of these soft and adorable clothing! Did I mention the clothes are Thee softest ever! In my house we call them the “magic ” pajamas. It might sound crazy but both of my children have better night sleep when wearing their Kickee! It is worth the expense

My second favorite MUST HAVE is the Motorola wifi video camera!
We have tried multiple video cameras including summer infant and we had 2 that broke! So we moved on to a different type! This is literally a lifesaver. When I am at work, or a date night with my husband or just out it is the best feeling that I have the chance to take a look at my babies while not at home! Now I know some worry about hackers being able to spy on children or see inside the house. But we continue to change the password and have had nothing bad to say about this product. It has other nice features on it as we’ll such as playing music. We loved ours so much we bought my Mom one because she watches her 3 grandchildren. – And she loves it!

Baby bjorn is essential ! I never got crazy into the Moby wraps however I swear on my baby bjorn. We decided to get the more sturdy one for your back. http://www.babybjorn.com/baby-carriers/baby-carrier-miracle/
I use this all the time! If I need to get house work down or going on a walk around the block. Now with our second child ( he is already bigger) than Elle- it comes in handy bc he is bigger so with my bjorn there is a lot of support for my back. The baby wraps are nice but sometimes I think it’s just a lot of material.