my must have baby items.

we’re 7 weeks in and a couple of people have asked me “what are the things that you thought you would need, but didn’t?” and “what are the things that you’re so glad you had?”

first, things i thought i needed, but didn’t – so far i can’t really think of anything.  it’s crazy how much STUFF a little person needs (and i use the term “need” loosely).

second, here is my list of MUST HAVES so far:

swing – ethan hated it for the first few weeks, but now it’s his FAVORITE and i’m pretty sure the batteries are going to need to be replaced soon.  he loves napping in the swing and when there are nights when he just won’t sleep, i bring him downstairs to the swing and just sleep on the couch next to him (don’t judge – you’ll do whatever you can at 3:00 in the morning).  we even took it with us to a cocktail party and put him in the guest room with the video monitor on him – worked like a charm.  this one is nice because it has 2 heights and folds up easily.

breast pump – i’m all for breast feeding your baby, but it is A LOT of work.  as in every 2-3 hours (if you’re lucky) around the clock even when you’re tired, not feeling good, in pain, in the middle of running errands, can’t get a break – A LOT of work.  i love the opportunity to feed my baby during this short time of his life, but (in my opinion), it is SO NICE to get a break every once in awhile and let daddy or nana (or anyone that wants to for that matter) feed the baby a bottle.  it takes me about 45 minutes to feed ethan and it takes me about 10-15 minutes to pump, so when time is of the essence, it is a life saver!

bottle warmer – get a good one!  we had a bad one and it overheated the bottle so you had to sit and wait for it to cool off (no fun with a hungry/screaming baby) and was super complex with how much water you put in it.  so spend the extra $$ and get a good one.  i recommend this one:

boppy – this has been so wonderful to have!  i splurged and had a custom cover made for it and it is super soft.

iBaby Feed app – keeps track of how long the baby feeds, how often, which side and even runs summaries – it’s so handy!

video monitor – SO NICE to be able to SEE your baby.  ethan makes ridiculous dinosaur-like noises and instead of running in to check on him, i can just quickly check the monitor and see that he’s sound asleep : )

swaddle blankets – ethan LOVED to be swaddled when he was first born and now it’s a necessity to get him to sleep soundly.  aden + anais have THE BEST blankets – they are SO SOFT, big enough to get a good tight swaddle and lightweight which is nice during the warmer months.

burp cloths – i can’t believe how many i go through each day.  i often just do laundry JUST to wash burp cloths.  i think we have 12 in rotation and i’m debating on getting more.

third, things that make life SO much easier:

pack ‘n play – this wouldn’t have been something i thought i’d use, but since someone gave it to us, we put it to use.  we used it as a bassinet when he was sleeping in our room (there’s a bassinet attachment) and it will be handy when we travel.

BOB stroller – we splurged on this stroller and i’m SO glad we did.  we use it as our every day stroller as well as a walking/jogging stroller (even though i have yet to jog with it).  it’s definitely a luxury, but (in my opinion) worth every penny.  AND when you’re done with it, they sell for nearly full-price on craigslist.

wubbanub pacifier - the pacifiers from the hospital are so nice, but ethan hasn’t figured out how to keep it in his mouth.  the wubbanub is nice because it stays in his mouth easier and when he is sitting in his swing or carseat, i can tuck the elephant in his blanket to keep it from falling out of his mouth.  plus, it’s cute : )  they come in an assortment of animals.

COFFEE!!  you gotta have it!  i recommend Peet’s : )

i would also recommend having baby medicine (i have used gas relief drops and saline nasal spray so far) and diaper rash cream and/or vaseline on hand before you need it.  i also had to run out and get a humidifier – i should have put it on my registry.  i’m sure more experienced mommies would have others to add to this list.

if you’re a mommy, what were the things you couldn’t do without?  inquiring minds (and upcoming mommies) need to know : )