I loved reading reviews of baby items while I was pregnant to try to figure out what we really needed and what was a waste of money. I started this post months ago, but I finally got around to finishing it. Hopefully, it will help at least a few people out!1. Velcro swaddle suits
Everyone told me how awesome these were. I made sure to register for a bunch and I ended up with 3 different kinds so I'd be prepared. Turns out, Connor needed his hands free at all times so he didn't like being swaddled. Now that he's 10 weeks old and we're transitioning him to his crib, I started to realize that swaddling is necessary now. His hands are keeping him awake! So I'm glad to finally be able to use all the different swaddling products we have. I'd suggest getting a few, but don't wash them all ahead of time like I did in case you don't need them.
2. Hands-free bra for pumping
I didn't even buy a pump ahead of time because I figured I didn't need it right away. But engorgement kicked my butt and I was crying in pain for 3 days. The pump did wonders for me, but it was hard to sit and hold the bottles still. I finally invested in a hands-free bra with a BRU coupon and it was amazing! Best invention ever! It's so nice to be able to do other things while I pump (like hold a cranky baby) and it will be great when I'm at work and need to get finished quickly. You look ridiculous wearing it, but who cares?!
3. Pacifiers
I didn't want to have to use them, but I caved in. Connor must have something in his mouth at all times. Because I didn't want to use them, I only registered for the Avent Soothie Pacifier because I heard it was the best and it's what they use the in the hospital. Turns out, when we got home and tried to use it, it seemed too big for his mouth! Fortunately, I was given some Gerber First Essentials Pacifiers that we were able to grab quickly in the middle of the night. After about a week, he was able to use the Soothie as well. However, I started to get annoyed of the "pacifier game" when it would fall out and I'd put it back in for hours at a time. After some research, I found out a lot of moms loved the MAM brand because it stayed in better. I ran out to Target to buy some and I'm very glad I did. While they do fall out, they stay in a lot better. Very important!
4. Snap or zipper pajamas with feet
I did not understand this until I had a baby. When I was shopping while pregnant, I just wanted the cutest baby clothes I could find. I didn't care about buttons, snaps, or how the clothes would have to be put on the baby. Now I get it. You want something easy to take on and off especially in the middle of the night when you're tired. I also realized that baby boys tend to pee on themselves and their clothes. So when you change their diaper, you need to take of their clothes too. After a few days, I realized that over-the-head nightgown type pajamas are nice because they're easy to get to the diaper. But, if you have to take it off every time you change them, it gets old really quickly. For baby girls, I'm guessing this isn't an issue and the parents are lucky! The nightgown also leaves a baby's feet out and they tend to get cold easily. And again, I learned that socks don't stay on a baby's feet, so those don't work too well. So the snap and zipper pajamas with feet are the best bet for baby boys. Buy a lot of these!
5. Fisher Price Rock & Play
I didn't want a bassinet because they seemed like a waste of money and you couldn't use them for very long. I heard a lot of great things about the Rock & Play and it seemed like the perfect thing to put in our bedroom with a newborn. It's great that you can rock it while laying in bed during those first few weeks when you're super tired. It's also really easy to travel with because it folds up and it's lightweight. People say a pack & play is easy to travel with, but really, have you ever picked one up and carried it around? Heavy and bulky. The other great thing is that the Rock & Play is on an incline so it works well for a spitter. We've gotten so much use out of ours and we still use it all the time for naps.
6. Waterproof mattress pad for your bed
I should have done this earlier, but it's never too late. The best time to get one of these is when you're almost due and you're worried that your water is going to break when you're in bed. Then keep it on because you'll need it once you give birth and have quite a mess to deal with. Between the post-partum recovery, baby spit, and baby pee, your bed will get very dirty. The mattress pad has saved us from a ton of laundry and completely ruining our bed.
7. Maternity pants
I was able to wear my normal pants until about 12-14 weeks when I couldn't take it anymore. At that time, the pants with the low rise smaller band fit great and felt SO good! The pants with the high panel wouldn't stay on and they were all too big on me. But as time went by, those low rise pants started to get tight and the high panel pants fit much better. By the end, I couldn't even wear the low rise pants because they were too tight. Even some of the higher panel pants were killing me. So the moral to my story is: buy different styles of pants because you'll need them and don't buy everything at the beginning because your body will continue to change throughout your pregnancy.
8. Burp Cloths
I started out with only a few of these. I didn't really think too many were necessary. I quickly learned that you go through a LOT of these if your baby spits up a lot. I had 9 when we got home from the hospital and I ended up making 10 more. I end up having to do laundry just because I run out of burp clothes before anything else. I'd say you need about 20 to last about 5-7 days. Also, I learned that the larger burp cloths are much better because they cover more of your shirt. The thin ones shown below are not as easy to use because they're so small. The larger ones (cloth diaper size) work much better.
Good-bye, my friend.
