baby / newborn essentials part 1

when i was pregnant i researched everything - what i needed to have, what a normal schedule for a newborn is, best ways to get your baby to sleep, what the latest and greatest gadgets are, etc. i bought stuff like crazy. i kept telling my mom and mother-in-law how unprepared i was because i didn't have the nursing pillow i wanted, or the video monitor i needed. they looked at me like i was crazy. i had already bought a ridiculous amount of stuff; way more than what i needed for the first month. i know i will use everything eventually, but these are the things that i am really using all the time right now. i'm thinking it might be helpful for anyone who wants to space out their purchases (because really, monitors can wait and breastfeeding pillows are not at all necessary).

sleeping:

1. nightgowns- these are the best for overnight changes- you don't want to have to fuss with snaps when you're half asleep!

2. swaddles- i have this thing against anything carter's baby brand - i generally think most of it is ugly and cheesy and (used to) refuse to even consider buying anything from them. but my mother-in-law gave me some gift certificates to kohl's so i picked the least offensive carter's things i could find. they happened to be baby blankets and i'm so glad i got them! i know aiden and anais is the common favorite for swaddle blankets. but if you're actually trying to tightly swaddle a newborn- the carters blankets are the best. they are just the right size- not too big to where you have a ton of extra fabric. and the fabric stretches so you can get it super tight. you can usually find a good deal on them and get 2 for $10-$15.

3. rockaroo- i'm not saying that i or doctor's recommend this - but jay has been sleeping in his rockaroo for about a month now. we have a cute cradle that both jarman and his dad slept in when they were newborns - but jay doesn't sleep as well on flat surfaces. he likes to be cozy and cuddly. we don't turn it on at night- we just put a soft blanket in it, then stick him in with his tight swaddle. he usually gives us a good 6 hour stretch this way so i am going to fight the flat-surface battle some other day!

4. white noise machine- you don't even know how obsessed jay is with white noise. it seriously chills him out when he is fussing and helps him sleep so much better. we have one that stays next to his bed, and then have this app on our phones that we use when we are out and about, or just anywhere else in the house. 

eating

1. burp cloths- do yourself a favor and go to target and buy two 10 packs of flat cloth diapers. i started out with one, but we go through them so quickly i'm so glad i bought another. we pretty much use these for everything- burp cloths, changing stations, toys, washcloths (when all our real washcloths are dirty). they are the best and we never worry about ruining them.

2. electric breast pump- most insurance providers cover pumps now. i didn't get mine till a month after jay was born and my life improved so much once i did. breastfeeding takes us a while - usually about an hour including a diaper change. at first, jay was eating 8 times a day. being able to pump and give him a bottle cuts that time so much and makes it so other people can help out. be sure to get a breast pump bra too.

3. bottles- we use tommy tippee. i read a lot of good reviews about them. we haven't tried any others but we like them so far!

4. formula- going into this i knew i didn't want to make myself have any serious opinions about breastfeeding because i know some people don't have the best experiences. i always said i planned to breastfeed as long as it works. so naturally i was open to supplementing with formula. the only reason we even tried it was because we somehow got similac samples in the mail and had some on hand. now we usually give 1-2 formula bottles a day. it just makes my life easier sometimes- especially when we are out.

travel-

1. wubbanub- if you plan to use a pacifier you have to get one of these. it helps the pacifier to stay in their mouth so much easier. 

2. carseat + stroller- jarman and i are obsessed with our stroller. it is not bulky. it attaches directly to the car seat. it's just pretty awesome all around.

3. diaper bag- pretty much everyone will tell you that petunia pickle bottom bags are awesome, and i would have to agree with everyone. i love my diaper bag. it has a pocket for everything.