Congratulations to you on your next journey of becoming a mother! What an exciting journey ahead of you! You may be scared, excited and nervous at the same time. I am sure your emotions are running high as we all went through all of these as new mommas! You may be struggling to figure what your bundle of joy needs upon his or her arrival and may have already started to buy a few items like a mad woman, I certainly did. I personally rushed and bought all stuff I never even used and later just gave them away simply because I found them cute, but they were useless. Let's discover together what you truly need in those first few weeks after you bring your baby home? Your little one will require a few basics: a safe place to sleep, and a few key items to keep them happy. To help you streamline the amount of information you can find out there, I recently asked the question in a local mommy group for you, as there is no one else whose advice could be better than an already experienced momma! With the help of other mommy's, we gathered information's for you with the absolute must haves for a newborn baby as essentials!
Here is a list that I hope will help you prior to your new bundle of joy's arrival!
For your newborn we recommend the following baby essentials:
Infant car seat (you will need to leave the hospital from for safely move your newborn baby)
Receiving blankets
Swaddles
Cotton Muslin burp cloths
Organizer basket
All these items you can find in local boutiques recommended in my previous post on my blog called Chicagoland Baby Boutiques! WIPE WARMER -(babies hate being cold and the shock of that cold wipe on their butt is the absolute worst thing to hear at 3am)! Wipe clean changing pad-easy to clean in a bathtub and grows with your baby I personally had one at home and one for travel and its super useful especially when you need to change baby during a trip to the store in your car! Sleepers with 2-way zipper-make midnight diaper changes so much easier. Yoga sleep hush machine-great for travel or even around the house for naps. Odor Locking Diaper pail. Baby cradle cap set for bath time-Baby Essential for Dry Skin, Cradle Cap and Eczema.
Eczema Cream (Eczema Gold by I'm Fresca created by a mom for her son who struggled with this skin condition! I'm Fresca skincare products are toxin free and all natural) https://imfresca.com
Nail clippers
Hatch sound Machine-help with baby's sleep routine
Lactation massager (if breastfeeding this applies heat and massages if you get clogged ducts when breastfeeding
Baby bottles-wide mouth nipple baby bottles that will simulate the breast.
Bottle warmer
As we cannot disregard us strong mommas, we created a smaller list for you mommy as well, this will help you to recover and adjust to your new life as a mother:
Large Water bottle-To stay hydrated (I remember I used to finish while pregnant and after post-partum everyday 1 and half bottle. I purchased the largest one at that time which was a 64oz drinking bottle) I got mine from Amazon.
Nipple cream, there are so many out there what worked for me was organic coconut oil placed on a nursing pad in my nursing bra, it was giving a constant relief and kept my nipples moist which was amazing, as I did not feel any irritation between nursing. Nursing pillow (I simply used a large pillow, but some mommas swear by it)! Nursing pads check my other post Chicagoland Baby Boutiques where I recommend an organic solution from local boutiques. Nursing bras (there are so many out there as your breast enlarges and becomes more sensitive during breastfeeding even just by a touch of a material you definitely need something more on a comfortable, I love Simple Wishes, they have many designs, and you can find a nicer looking one as they are also fashionable) Post-partum underwear (I would recommend asking for extra from your hospital you will need it a week or two)
**post-partum doula for physical, mental and emotional support**
See separate post where I recommend some of the local Doula's services for you!
Hope you will find this blog helpful I tried not to overwhelm you with long phased sentences, but rather stick to the point so you can easier read through the recommendations!