Must Haves For New Moms

So you're pregnant or just welcomed a new baby, congrats! I remember being pregnant and registering for everything under the sun for my new little squish. I knew exactly what I wanted and needed for her and my family and friends were able to get those items for me. But guess who I forgot to register for, me! I truly did not realize that I would need a few essentials to make my life a little easier for the postpartum time period. I'm sharing the items that saved my new mom life, have a look.

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Reusable Sanitary Pads - These are a MUST. Nobody warned me that my privates would be so irritated from wearing a disposable pad daily for weeks!! Save your vagina and get cloth pads. They are so comfortable that you almost forget you are wearing them. Just rinse the pads in the sink under cold water before throwing them in the washer machine.

Washable Reusable Bamboo Nursing Pads - These nursing pads were one of the best gifts that I received. As a first time mom, I had no idea how much my breasts would leak breast milk! You will have to change your nursing pads multiple times a day. Reusable nursing pads were good to have so I didn't have to buy disposable pads over and over again.

Soothing Wash - I've been using this brand for years for feminine care. The ingredients are stellar and beneficial for a post-partum mother.  

 

Contigo Purity Glass Water Bottle - It was really convenient to have a water bottle by my bed. I think I was exhausted for about a year after my daughter was born lol, so not having to get up often to get water was great.

Snack Bars - Again, you aren't going to want to keep getting up over and over again, especially in your first days after having baby. So keep some snack bars by the bed to eat in between meals.

Post-natal Vitamins - After giving birth, my eating habits changed, I was eating everything in sight! Nursing makes you hungry, and sometimes I was so tired that I just ate whatever I could get my hands on. Post-natal vitamins were a big help in getting me the vitamins and minerals that I needed to produce milk for my daughter. 

 

Nursing Nightgown - I wish I had a nightgown or two specifically for nursing. I had no idea that nursing nightgowns were a thing! I mainly slept in big t-shirts and when it was time to feed, I just removed my shirt. Had I known about nursing gowns, I probably would have had one for every day of the week. There were many cold nights where I'm sitting the the bed topless and freezing lol. Don't be like me, pick up a few nursing gowns!

Ring Sling Baby Carrier - When I first had my daughter, I still had my dog (he passed recently). And I quickly realized that I didn't have anything to hold my daughter in for a walk around the neighborhood. The stroller was too complicated to pull out for a quick walk, so I ordered a sling. A sling is great for quick trips to the store, a casual walk outside, and even in home use for soothing baby while getting chores done.

    

Even though I had experience caring for infants, I didn't have experience caring for my own infant, 24 hours a day! Here are a few books that were life savers for me:
1. Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, 6th Edition: Birth to Age 5- I still refer to this book and my daughter is 5 years old now.

2. The Happiest Baby on the Block; Fully Revised and Updated Second Edition: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

3. The Wonder Weeks: How to Stimulate Your Baby's Mental Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Great, Fussy Phases into Magical Leaps Forward

 

I can honestly say that if you are about to give birth, you NEED everything on this list. If I had to re-do my birth experience over again, I would have these items before  my daughter arrived instead of scrambling to order them when I got home from the hospital while in a daze from pain medications lol. You can see the full shopping list HERE or click the pictures to see more information n the products. Do you have anything that you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time.

April K.
Check out A Few Of My Favorite Things shopping list HERE! 

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