When you become a new mom everyone insists you need the newest, greatest crib, bottle warmer, baby food maker etc. I’ve listed out 10 things that you might not have heard about that you actually need! Stock up on these to make those first few months of caring for your newborn easier and more enjoyable. What did I miss that you couldn’t live without those first few weeks? Mention it in the comments for all the new moms reading this!
10 Things New Moms Actually Need
Hand Lotion
You always hear about all the hand sanitizer you need for when you have a newborn, but no one tells you about the lotion. After washing your hands hundreds of times and sanitizing in fear of your newborn getting your germs… your hands are left cracked and dry. Pick up some lotion and keep it accessible. We use Burt’s Bees lotion for us and the baby version for Lottie, but any good lotion will do. I also suggest getting a travel size to keep in your diaper bag for when you are on the go.
Burt’s Bees Shea Butter
Burt’s Bees – Radiance Body Lotion
Large Waterbottle (at least 1 liter)
Not just any water bottle, find one with a straw, a tight lid and one that can hold a large amount of water. When I was breastfeeding I was insanely thirsty. Just the thought of breastfeeding makes me want to chug a gallon of water. Also, staying hydrated is vital to maintaining your milk supply as a new mom. It is proven that if you keep a larger cup or bottle of water near by, you will naturally drink more than if you have a smaller water bottle. I use this Camelbak 1 liter water bottle and carry it with me everywhere. It’s huge, but it keeps me hydrated.
Camelbak Eddy Water Bottle
I also use this 1 liter Vapur Element Bottle
Netflix Subscription
You are doing a lot of sitting and feeding those first few weeks and my favorite way to pass the time was my Netflix subscription that every mom should have. Orange is the New Black, Cakeboss, Dexter, House of Cards… I could go on. I was not a huge TV watcher pre baby, but during those first few months it was a lifesaver! Especially if you have your baby during the winter when it is harder to get outside!
iPad
Ok, so this is a bit of a splurge, but at 3 am it’s necessary. I have mine permanently next to my rocking chair for the nighttime feeds. I google so many of those mom questions like “what does it mean when my baby hiccups too much” and read way too many mom forums that tell me my baby should be sleeping through the night during the second week (not true). I also use Pinterest way too much, but it gets me through some of those sleepless nights!
A very comfortable nursing chair
It doesn’t have to be one from Buy Buy Baby or Pottery Barn Kids. I spent hours searching for my dream nursing rocking chair. My top two were:
Newco International Grand Glider
Nursery Works Empire Rocker
In an attempt to be budget friendly I ended up with my parents hand me down (very comfortable) recliner. It gets the job done, but isn’t one of these cute nursery chairs I always had pictured having.
Good Nursing Clothes
If you’re breastfeeding, nursing takes up A LOT of your time, so having good clothes to nurse in only makes your life easier. I don’t think you need to spend hundreds of dollars on clothes specifically built for nursing, but you do have to think before you get dressed every morning. If you are going out in public make sure to have easily accessible clothes that allow you to comfortably nurse wherever you are.
I get my nursing bras at Target and typically wear a tank top under everything for easy nursing.
When I first heard about Bamboobies I never thought I would love them as much as I do. The disposable nursing pads are scratchy and uncomfortable. Those first few weeks of nursing my nipples were raw and bamboobies saved my nipples. They are so soft and exactly what I needed. You can easily throw them in the washer and dryer and they come out softer than they started.
Bamboobies: Ultra Soft Washable Nursing Pads
I’m tall, so I need long tank tops and layering them under my clothes makes it easy to nurse anywhere. You can get nicer tanks like the Ymmie Tummie brand made for breastfeeding mamas, or you can simply go to H&M, they make cheap long tank tops that also work for $5. The H&M tanks don’t have the nursing clasp, but you can pull down the tank easily and still feed your baby the same 🙂
Yummie Tummie Nursing -T Long Tank
Mommy Spa Day
You’ve been showering on average once a week and you probably can’t remember the last time you went to a salon, you deserve a mommy spa day. Plan to pamper yourself with a message, hair cut/color, mani and pedi, the works. I always schedule my massages for the end of the day, so you can come home and relax instead of having to be productive the rest of the day. Let your husband know that he will be on baby duty that night so you can come home and climb into bed with your favorite book.
A Meal Train
If you’re friends with a new mom and want to give her the best gift a new mom can receive, start a meal train for her. No new mom wants to cook, and having meals delivered on schedule for the first few months is pure bliss.
What was your favorite meal to receive as a new mom? Leave a recipe or suggestion in the comments!
A Good Pump
Don’t skimp on this. When you’re exhausted from caring for your baby, the last thing you want to worry about is getting your pump to work. When you travel without your baby or return to work, your pump becomes your new best friend and you don’t want to stress about it not working. You want an efficient, easy to use pump that can travel easily with you in any bag.
Medela Freestyle Breast Pump
Nosefrida
When a friend described to me what the nosefrida is my first reaction was NO WAY. I love my baby girl, but do I really need to suck the snot out of her nose, isn’t that what the suction bulbs are made for?
At two weeks when Lottie was congested the nosefrida was the hero of the week. She couldn’t breathe, which means she wasn’t sleeping, which means we weren’t sleeping. As you suck the snot out, you see globs of snot come out. So there is no doubt it is working, it’s easier to clean and you can hear it instantly clear up the congestion. The suction bulb just didn’t get the job done the same.
Invest in one of these and learn to use it – you will love it.
Nosefrida Nasal Aspirator
Support Group
The chaos of those first few weeks and months are tough. Being a mom is HARD. The physical exhaustion teamed with the mental exhaustion and roller coaster hormones is unimaginable. Find other moms in a similar stage of life, start a weekly play group, go to a mommy and me yoga class, do anything that gets you around other moms. The support will carry you on the hardest days and make you laugh when nothing seems to be going your way. If you don’t get anything else on this list, find a group of moms you can connect with whether it be online or in person!
What did I leave out? What could you not live without those first few weeks/months? Leave it in the comment to help new moms prepare for their babies arrival!
I give the Nose Frida at every baby shower I attend – yes, the thought is gross, but it’s seriously a holy grail for me! We also couldn’t have lived without our Rock N’ Play!!!!
The Rock N Play was a standard for us too! She slept many nights and days in that thing!