PART ONE
Hello Mommas!
Hello Mommas!
With newborns still fresh on my mind, I thought I would go over all the essential, must have, baby gear I absolutely loved. There are some repeat items that I bought with each additional pregnancy, some I saved from each baby, and some items that were all new products at the time each new baby was born. Most of these items can be found on Amazon so to make it easier, I have listed an affiliate link to start your Amazon Baby Registry. It is free to set up! This is a great way to keep track of everything you want or need for your new baby and it will be easy to share with friends and family.
- Diapers
Okay, so baby will definitely go through some diapers. Google suggests one child will use at least 1,500 diapers in one year! But, how many of those diapers will be the newborn size? Well, honestly you will not need to over buy really anything in the newborn size (unless of course you are prone to having smaller babies and/or babies born premature). Since the average baby is between 6 and 8 pounds at birth, having a stock pile with about 84 newborn diapers or the less than 10 pound size should be enough to get through the first couple of weeks. You should, however, stock up on size 1! I would say about 300 diapers in the 8-14 pound range would be a good start. One of my favorite budget friendly brands is Luvs and an easy Amazon link can be found here:
- Wipes
There are so many wipes out there! So how do we know which ones to use?? Try getting a small, travel pack from each brand. Don't forget to pick up store brands too. You will quickly see that some can be super soapy, some are very thin, some are scented (I do not recommend scented wipes), some you will just hate, but some you will love. I always liked Equate unscented from Wal-Mart, Sam's Club unscented, Kroger Brand unscented, Up and Up by Target and my most favorite was
the Huggies Brand: Simply Clean and Natural Care. You can add them to your Amazon registry here:
- Bedding
There are so many options for baby bedding and sleeping arrangements. I always tried to keep a smaller bassinet in the main part of our house and a crib in the room where baby would be at night. Other moms use pack-n-plays, cradles, or mini-cribs. Whatever works best for your household and budget is the way to go. I will say that anywhere you plan to have baby resting, has to be safe. Make sure you check recalls, and never have anything in the actual sleeping area with baby.
I also suggest having at least three sheets and three water proof pads on hand. A good plan is to have two sets layered (sheet, wp pad, sheet, wp pad) actually on the mattress at all times. It makes it so much easier on a sleep deprived parent to peel off the messy layers in the middle of the night (and trust me, there will be a ton of messy moments in the middle of the night). Then, yucky sheets in the wash, and new sheets are already on the bed for you. If you need to add a waterproof mattress pad to your registry (or three), click on the link here:
I also suggest having at least three sheets and three water proof pads on hand. A good plan is to have two sets layered (sheet, wp pad, sheet, wp pad) actually on the mattress at all times. It makes it so much easier on a sleep deprived parent to peel off the messy layers in the middle of the night (and trust me, there will be a ton of messy moments in the middle of the night). Then, yucky sheets in the wash, and new sheets are already on the bed for you. If you need to add a waterproof mattress pad to your registry (or three), click on the link here:
- Feeding
Baby has to eat. In reality your new bundle of joy will be eating every two hours at first whether it be by breast or by bottle. I have been blessed to experience both types of feeding with my children. There are a few items that can help a new momma out along the way. If you choose to bottle feed formula or pumped breast milk, look into these two types of bottles: Playtex Drop Ins and Avent Natural. These were my favorite bottles for my children. I tried SO MANY with my first son. He finally decided he was okay with the Playtex Drop Ins so I continued to use them with my second son twenty two months later. Little brother was also breastfed but had absolutely no nipple confusion while using these bottles.
Five years later, when we were prepping for a baby girl, of course I bought the Playtex Drop Ins, but I also discovered another brand when gifted a small baby blessing bag from Target called Avent Natural. The nipples were similar in shape, but the base was wider and shorter. You might have to try a dozen different type of bottles to find the right one for your baby and maybe even a dozen more for your breastfed baby, but if you want to try the two that worked for me, you can add them to your Amazon registry by clicking here:
Five years later, when we were prepping for a baby girl, of course I bought the Playtex Drop Ins, but I also discovered another brand when gifted a small baby blessing bag from Target called Avent Natural. The nipples were similar in shape, but the base was wider and shorter. You might have to try a dozen different type of bottles to find the right one for your baby and maybe even a dozen more for your breastfed baby, but if you want to try the two that worked for me, you can add them to your Amazon registry by clicking here:
Okay Mommas, This has been part one of my best newborn essentials list. I hope I have put your mind a little bit more at ease. If you are just now starting your registry as a first time mom, don't stress. I know there are so many brands to take into consideration. These are just a few suggestions from a ten year veteran momma.
Don't forget to subscribe to This Wife and Momma Life Blog so you can get email updates for part two of my newborn must have list.
Best Wishes,
S. Auchter
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