Bringing Home Baby: Everything You Really Need (& Want) the First Two Weeks
Bringing Home Baby
I divided this post up into:
NEEDS
WANTS
JUST FOR MOM
PUMPING & NURSING
I really feel like throughout my pregnancy I did so much research-I knew every detail about being pregnant, what to expect each week, and all about the dreaded labor & delivery. What I really didn’t do? Prepare for what was to come when the baby was actually here! Those first few weeks were a blur of sleep deprivation, learning all about milk and newborn snuggles. Yes, your natural instincts will kick in, but there are definitely some things that you’ll need and want on hand! So many people told us during our pregnancy: “You don’t really need much for a baby!” but my philosophy is, if it makes your life easier in those first few weeks, why not!
P.S. I started this out as a simple list of products & as I started to write, I realized there was so much more I had to say about those first few weeks! I learned so much as a new mom & hopefully you find some tips that will help you on this crazy/amazing journey into Parenthood!
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Needs
We have a sound machine built into our baby monitor but in his crib, in the nursery. Of course the first few months (up to a year recommended) the baby is in your room in a bassinet or mini-crib. This sound machine has an amazing battery life & you can use it on the go as well!
#2: Swaddles
The startle reflex those first few weeks is crazy! It will quickly wake the baby up. We started swaddling right away in the hospital & he loved it from the beginning! I truly believe it is what helped him become a better sleeper & I could go on for days about swaddles :)
Our favorite for the first two months:
Swaddle Me Easy Change-these are really easy to use & just fit him nicely. I like the zip at the bottom for easy changes. These ended up being our very favorite swaddle!
Halo Sleep Sack/Swaddle-I like these a lot because you can unswaddle to feed at night but keep him zipped in the sack. The zipper also makes for an easy change!
Love to Dream Swaddle Up-we like these because they are so easy & he likes his hands by his face-some babies definitely prefer this, so if they are really rejecting the traditional swaddle, I’d try these!
They also have great transitional swaddles that you can zip off the sleeves one at a time! We still use these for naps at 6 months!
The Dreaded Swaddle Transition
Something I didn’t know was that as soon as the baby hits 8 weeks or shows signs of rolling over (whatever comes first) the swaddling has to stop! You really don’t need the larger sized swaddles because of this!! When this transition happened, it was tough!
These two transitional swaddles got us through:
Merlin Magic Suit-We used this from 2-4 months
Zipadee Zip-As soon as they show signs of being able to roll even in the merlin suit, you need to change yet again. This was our next step & we love it! It is so soft and easy to zip him up in. We like that his hands are covered so that he doesn’t scratch his face, but it is safe for rolling! Babies can wear this pretty long term!
Hopefully, none of these are needed the first few weeks, but definitely good to have for peace of mind! You’ll definitely want the baby Tylenol for the first round of shots! (PS. Children’s & Infants’ Tylenol are exactly the same, one just comes with a cup & one with a dropper-the difference? Price!)
#4- A Place to put baby down safely in your living area
Most of Graham’s naps the first month happened in the living room! We were definitely glad we had the Pack n Play set up for this! Later on down the road you can use it if you travel, or even for a play pin!
The Podster- We love this to just sit the baby in to rest our arms when sitting on the couch or feeding! Keep in mind these are NOT safe for sleeping & the Boppy Lounger version has been recalled!
#6-Caddies
I think one of the most life-altering things about having a baby is losing the ability to have two hands all the time! Your hands are ALWAYS full. Just going from the living room to our room at night & vice versa in the morning was a monumental task-carrying diapers, wipes, bottles, the breast pump, water for mom, and of course the baby… you get the idea! In come diaper caddies. We called it the “night purse” haha. It's great to have multiple of these:
One for Breastfeeding supplies: Pump & Parts, Haaka, Burp Cloth, your phone, water bottle!
One for Diapering that moves from room to room-Vaseline (if your baby is circumcised), diapers, wipes (buy a few of the wipe containers to have & then you can just use refills after that!), diaper paste, etc. We had one “mobile” diaper caddy & one that stayed in our bedroom by his mini-crib!
One for Postpartum Supplies-peri bottle, pads, etc. (You will get most of this from the hospital!!)
#5-Boppys
Great for breastfeeding and also for bottle feeding & just holding your baby! Your arms are tired (and that really never goes away!). We loved having two-one for the living room, one for our bedroom! As said above, your hands are ALWAYS full & this is one less thing to carry back & forth!
As you can see, our Marshall thought the boppy was for him!
All of these items are great on your Baby Registry!
The Wants
Very quickly, we learned that night wakings were frequent in those first few days & fumbling with buttons at 3 in the morning was not our forte! We very quickly started dressing him only in the white night shirt from the hospital under his swaddle every night because-well, no buttons! These side snap shirts are perfect (& so cute)!
#2: Extra Sheets for YOUR Bed!
Everyone talks about having plenty of sheets for the crib (which you definitely will want!), but what they don’t tell you is how often you’ll be changing your bed! From milk spills, to leaks, to baby accidents…trust me you’ll want an extra set of sheets on hand!
#3-Night Light
those said night wakings & feedings are so much easier if you can actually see what you’re doing! But… you don’t want the baby to wake completely up with bright lights. The first couple of nights we kept our en suite bathroom light on with the door cracked, and then finally found a great nightlight. A red light is recommended!
If you plan on bottle feeding, or supplementing, this thing is a lifesaver! We started supplementing a little bit of formula around one month. You can make
#5-A place to store milk!
We had lots of bottles and all different types, but we didn’t really have a place to store breastmilk. These medela bottles with caps are a great solution. We ended up liking them so much for travel & on-the-go that they became our go-to bottle all the time too!
This is great for when you’re out and about- can cover the car seat so people don’t try to touch him (and they do even in a pandemic) and is super easy to nurse or pump on the go with this-it’s also great when people are at your house and you need to nurse!
#7 Milestone Blanket
You’ll definitely want something to track all of those little moments from the very beginning. They aren’t kidding when they tell you it goes so fast! We have an Adventure Awaits Milestone Blanket to take weekly/monthly photos! I’m taking a photo of Graham in his diaper each week for the first year & I can’t wait to see how much he’s changed by the time he turns one!
For our Adventures with Baby Graham, Follow us on Instagram @theduhlsdo
This is the thing that I will always buy for a new mom now. Taking Cara Babies has changed our lives! She has a great approach to helping your baby sleep. All of her courses are developmentally appropriate for your baby and we didn’t just learn about sleep but all sorts of ways to just care for baby Graham! A great one to add to your registry. I loved our Amazon registry because we could just add in links to anything!
Also pictured: My “night purse”
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Mom Only
Don’t forget about YOU! Not only will you be taking care of a newborn, but you’ll be recovering from a major body-changing event or surgery! These things are just great to have ready to go!
The hospital will provide you with adult diapers & plenty of them, but they’re not really conducive for wearing around other people. However, these boyshorts are AMAZING! They don’t even show under workout tights! I also wore these to the hospital when my water broke at home.
#2 Medicine for Mom
I was shocked when they didn’t send anything home with me for the pain! They told me to take extra strength Ibuprofen, but I didn’t have any since we weren’t allowed to have it when pregnant! Make sure you have some of this on hand!
#3 Snacks
When breastfeeding/pumping, you’ll be starving all the time because of the calories you’re burning-I love having fruit snacks, Kind breakfast bars/protein bars, fruit, and easy stuff to eat handy! I also have heard good things about Body Armor Drinks for hydration & supply-they are really yummy too.
Also, try these Lactation Cookies-be warned, these are like crack haha-SO good. Nate did say they were the most time-consuming thing he’s ever baked.
#4 A Great Water Bottle
You’ll be drinking a LOT of water. Have something that you can fill up, will fit in your breastfeeding caddy & one that has a straw! This one is so cute!
#5 Nursing Friendly Shirts/PJS
I lived in these for a month (ok, maybe more!)! They’re cute enough that you don’t feel like a complete bum, but are also so very comfortable! This was also all I wore while I was at the hospital!
Nursing & Pumping Supplies
Pumping & Nursing Bras
I have gone through many different pumping & nursing bras. My favorites are these:
Momcozy Pumping bra-also doubles as a nursing bra. This has no padding & is a no-frills bra!
Auden Nursing Bra-This works with the hands-free Willow Pump (great for travel!) and nursing. This does not work with the traditional pump! This is hands-down the most comfortable bra & looks the best under clothing.
Kindred Bravely-Works for pumping with traditional, hands-free pump & for nursing!
Manual Pump
A few weeks in I started also using the Medela Manual Pump. This is great for night time as he starts sleeping longer you can pump to help with engorgement; also great for on the go & travel- I took it on a 4 hour hike and was able to pump halfway
I didn’t start having a need for this until about 10 days in, but I would get about 1-2 oz. each feeding from this! Get the one with the lid to avoid spills. A mom hack I learned early on is to also put it in a coffee mug on your nightstand to avoid knocking it over! The phrase “Don’t Cry over Spilled Milk” really hits home when you have a new baby!!
Bringing home a baby is something that will change your life forever. There are so many wonderful memories to be made & I hope that these items & tips will help your first few weeks go as smoothly as possible. When you’re prepared, you can really take the time to enjoy your little bundle of joy!
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