Newborn Essentials

I recently read an article that detailed the "Baby Essentials" that every new mom should have. As I skimmed through the list, I definitely agreed with many of the listed items, but there were an equal amount that I have absolutely no use for. It made me realize that the things you need really do vary from child to child and mom to mom. I've even noticed differences myself, from things I used for Stephanie that I don't for Joseph, and things I use for him that I didn't for her. Below, I've listed 5 things that I couldn't live without for this new baby.

Essentials:

1. Boppy Pillow.
    I'm not breastfeeding, however I do use the Boppy on a daily basis. Joseph is a baby that LOVES to be held. I'm talking all day every day. My arm gets tired, so while i'm sitting down with him, I use it to help support them. I also use it for propping. If I need to put him down and don't feel like strapping him into his swing or vibrating chair, I just prop him up on the Boppy on the floor.

2. Baby Swing
     Stephanie didn't use the swing much at all. I remember thinking it was a waste of money because she honestly wasn't thrilled with it, instead preferring the vibrating bouncy chair. But Joseph adores his swing, and it's one of the few places that I can put him down and have him be content for 15 minutes or so. He'll also sleep in it on occasion, which is helpful when we're trying to eat dinner as a family and he's napping.

3. Playtex Drop-In Bottles
     We live in the dark ages around here, meaning we don't have a dishwasher. We're also bottle feeding, which means we have to take time to wash bottles. (I also have to say that I wouldn't put bottles in the dishwasher anyway. I'm much too picky, and prefer to hand-wash so I can be sure they're completely cleaned and rinsed.) Anyway, these bottles use disposable liners, so the only parts that need to be washed are the nipples and rings. Once a week I give the actual bottle a scrub, but for daily use, it doesn't need to be washed since it never comes in contact with any liquid. It is a huge time saver, especially since most other bottles on the market have 6 or 7 parts that need to be washed every time.

4. Waterproof Changing Pad Protectors
     When Stephanie was a newborn, we had to change her velour changing pad cover at least once a day, because I never realized that they make protectors that you can use to cover up the velour and keep it clean. I bought some before having Joseph, and it is truly a lifesaver. Instead of having to take time to change the whole cover while wrangling a squirming, screaming baby, I just fold it up under him if it gets dirty, and take it off and replace it with another one when he's dressed again. Easy and so helpful!

5. Halo Sleep Sack
    This is another item that I never had for Stephanie. She was born in February, and was swaddled at night, so the issue of blankets was never a problem. But we don't swaddle Joseph, and it's starting to get cold at night so I went out and bought a Halo Sleep Sack. It was an awesome purchase! It's basically a wearable blanket that you put over the baby's jammies, and it zips from top to bottom. Then, when you do middle of the night changes, you don't need to worry about taking it off, because you just unzip a little of the bottom, lift his legs out, and re-zip when you're done. It keeps him warm and snug at night, and there is no concern about suffocation from blankets. This is by far my favorite new discovery!

I'm sure there are other things that I find invaluable, but right now these are my top 5. I also wanted to list some things that I have no use for, but since both kids and my husband are sleeping, I think it's time for me to get some much needed mommy down time! And hey, now I have a blog topic for next time!

*UPDATE!*
I'm linking up with Melissa from Growing Up Geeky today (8/21/12). Even though this is an old post, it still holds true as my list of best-loved newborn items. I teared up a little as I read it, because he doesn't use any of these things anymore (except for the bottles) now that he's a big 10 month old.

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