a successful first month of parenthood

SITZ BATH

A sitz bath is an essential oil and mineral blend that you can put in your bathtub that will help your vagina heal faster, relieve itching, and aid in relaxation. I considered making my own blend with Young Living oils, but this blend was so much cheaper and worked amazingly. If you have any tearing, I can’t stress enough buying this blend. Also, you don’t need to buy the special basin. You can add this to your normal bath.

DEPENDS OR PADS

I was very thankful that I purchased Depends before delivery. You only will need 15-20 for the first few days when you are bleeding a lot. You don’t have to worry about the sticky pads getting stuck to your stitches or anything in your underware.

BUTTON UP NIGHT GOWN

This night gown or something similar with buttons down the front is wonderful for easy access while breastfeeding in the late night.

DIMING LIGHT FOR LAMP

You won’t want to wake your baby anymore than necessary during nighttime feedings. This bulb and remote has been wonderful to add a little light so I can see but also keep our baby asleep.

postpartum belly wrap

Belly Bandit has some great wraps, but this one was my favorite because you could really cinch it down after a few days, but it was still comfortable at the beginning. This wrap helps your abs and stomach shrink down faster and helps your organs go back into place.

NURSING TANK TOPS

These tank tops are awesome! They aren’t super tight, so don’t have to think of your postpartum belly all of the time. Also, I wear a tank top over a nursing bra so you can’t see my belly while I’m nursing in public. These are also wonderful to wear at night.

somewhere to sleep -

You don’t need anything special. We opted to forget the crib and buy a pack n’ play instead because we travel all of the time. We wanted something that could go with us. The bedside sleepers are great, but we just set up our pack n’ play beside the bed with a changing table on top. Night time feedings are easy because we have everything in one spot.

SWADDLES -

For first time moms, I would recommend Halo Sleep Sacks for night time. The muslim blankets and stretchy swaddles are great during the day, but the sleep sacks are idiot proof and keep your baby’s Houdini arms from coming out in the middle of the night.

trash can -

I vote that you can skip buying it until your baby’s poop starts stinking. If you are breastfeeding, it will be months away, but if you are using formula, you should buy one for birth.

ROCKING CHAIR -

Even if your baby isn’t fussy, get something that you are really comfortable in. I love our glider and I look forward to using it for months to come while reading books and snuggling.

changing table/mat -

We really like ours that is on top of our pack n’ play, but all I advise is to have one that faces you. Most people set up their changing tables/pads sideways so the long side is perpendicular to you. It’s so much easier if you can arrange your mat to have their feet closest to you.

BOTTLES -

Check your bottle nipples! Even if you purchase new ones, put some water in the bottle, turn it over slowly and see if any water comes out without you having to shake it. If water comes out immediately, then throw it away or return it. Your baby will get too much milk and they’ll get gassy and fussy because of it.

Haakaa -

This device suctions onto your other breast while feeding to catch any excess milk. It’s incredible and worth every penny!

DIAPERS -

If you are using cloth diapers, more power to you! We would have if we stayed home more and had the cleaning tools aways at our disposal. After reviewing all of the brands we could find, we settled on Dyper. It’s a company that makes bamboo, compostable diapers that are shipped to you.

CLOTHING -

Don’t stock up on newborn clothing because you don’t know how long you’ll be using them. It’s cheaper and easier to buy more clothes after you need them than to have too many. Have mostly sleepers since that’s pretty much all they do the first month. Carters has been my favorite brand of clothing with Cloud Island as my second favorite. The quality of zipper, snaps, and fabric is nicer than other brands. Finally, don’t buy sleepers with snaps. In the middle of the night you’ll thank me when you have a zipper vs. snaps.

WATER BOTTLES WITH STRAWS -

While you’re pumping or breastfeeding, you may not be able to use your hands until you get the hang of it. Have water bottles all around your house with long straws so you always have water at your disposal. Your hospital will likely give you a bottle to take home. Feel free to take a couple more if they ask.

BREAST PUMP -

I purchased the Medela Sonata and I absolutely love it. It’s really quiet and portable. You can purchase your breast pump with your health insurance. Aeroflow Breastpumps handles all of the insurance questions for you and tells you the price of every pump option. The company also sells other postpartum supplies. Fill in the blanks in this link, and they’ll send you a breast pump to your door.

BABY MONITOR -

All of the wifi capable options on Amazon will work great for you, but if you need one without wifi because you’ll be traveling, consider Infant Optics monitor. It’s expensive, but it’s the most durable and has the best range.

BABY CARRIER -

This is based upon your preference, but I really like the Ka’tan wrap because I don’t have to worry about making sure it’s tied tight enough. It’s also really easy to pack up or store in your baby bag.

NORWEX WASH CLOTHS -

Almost all babies have some form of baby acne. Their skin is getting used to all of the different toxins and pollens in the air and on your clothing. These wash cloths are interlaced with silver so they are anti-microbial. They are great to use for your baby’s first sponge baths before you use soap. They help cure and prevent the green gunk in your baby’s eye, and they help heal baby acne and keep it from coming back.