First things first as far as the nursery goes Cutes Patoots didn't spend the night in there until she was two months old (when she started to sleep through the night. We are blessed and we know it.) Two months seems like a long time and I know half of you are thinking "MY baby will be in their own room in two weeks." I'm laughing at you right now. We said the same, but understand that when you are sleep deprived and have to feed and change the baby at minimum every 3 hours even ten feet down the hall is too far to walk. So if you don't have the nursery ready don't sweat it. You've got time, and as long as you have a crib, matress protector, and 3-4 sheets by the time your baby is ready for their own room you are good. Everything else can wait.
The true essentials are in this list:
- Pack-n-play with a bassinet. These are great for putting in your room for baby to sleep. You can even move it into whatever room you are in during the day. We mostly used her cradle swing during the day, but sometimes we moved the pnp downstairs during the day too. It's also nice because it serves for a longer time than a bassinet or co-sleeper. You can go with one of those if you like, but understand that you will end up buying a pack-n-play at some point. Save yourself some money. You are going to need it for diapers. Just make sure you get a pnp with an insert to bring baby up closer to the top. Don't worry if it doesn't have the "newborn napper" or a changing table. We only used the changing table once before it was removed and relegated to the closet and ours didn't have the newborn napper. It was fine.
See no newborn napper and she is fine. - 3 pack-n-play sheets and 3 multipurpose waterproof pads. This seems silly but trust me you don't want to have to clean the pnp at 4am when you were just up at 3am after the baby pees while you are changing their diaper. Yes, that happened. Yes, we bought pads and sheets the next day. It's much easier to swap out sheets and pads then to scrub the pack-n-play. With all bedding, including swaddles I like to live with a minimum rule of 3: one in use, one in the laundry, and at least one clean. You will be doing a lot of laundry the first few weeks. Just trust me.
- Breast pump if you plan to breast feed. I had two, one manual and one double electric. I got the Medela double electric. It's expensive but if you can swing it it is worth EVERY penny. Once my milk came in I am convinced this pump helped me to establish an over abundant supply. I would nurse her then pump even in the earliest days. Now I pump exclusively because she is such a vigorous nurser. I swear she bit me at two days old. My nipples couldn't handle it, but I wanted her to have breast milk. My pumps allowed me to have the best of both worlds.
- Formula and bottles. Whether you plan to breast feed or not PLEASE have some formula on hand. In the first couple of days to a week your milk is coming in. Most likely , especially if you are a first time mom, you will not have enough milk. The "experts" tell us not to give them any formula it will "damage" your supply. But here is the thing breast fed babies lose weight, more weight than formula fed babies. Breast milk IS best, but if there isn't enough milk to fill your little ones tummy they may lose too much and that is no good. Not to mention you end up with a very cranky baby and very sore nipples. Don't be afraid or ashamed if you have to give your darling bundle a few formula bottles. Lactation consultants made me feel like a villian when I caved and gave Cutes formula in the earliest days, but she she only lost 8% of her birth weight, 10% is about average and more than that is considered not good. So if you FEEL your child is not getting enough milk don't be afraid to give a formula bottle in between nursings. So I didn't damage my supply I would pump during or after a bottle feeding. It wasn't much to start with. I was excited if I managed to pump 2oz, then 4 was exciting now it is between 15-25 oz in a sitting. So supply NOT damaged. Also don't feel bad if your supply is not as abundant as mine. Honestly there are enough things you will feel guilty over, don't go looking for more. Lactation consultants are great and I highly recommend making use of them if they are an available resource in the early days to help with latch, answer "my boobs are doing this" questions, and then more latch issues. Just don't allow them to make you feel bad for giving a bit of formula. To avoid nipple confusion, another "big" issue get something with a more natural shape to the nipple. I prefer the Playtex Drop-In's . If you push the air out it seems to eliminate gas problems. But get what works for you. Don't buy too many of any bottle you never know what baby will prefer. Also sign up for the Similac Strong Mom's program. They will send you a new mom package with full size samples of formula and coupons, plenty for the early days and if formula feeding free is free.
- Swaddles. Make sure to have blankets for swaddling and/or something like the Summer Infant SwaddleMe wraps. The wraps come in a variety of colors, patterns, and sizes. Start with the small, and again have at least 3 swaddle wraps and 3 blankets that are made for swaddling.
- Diapers lots of diapers. Have a box of newborn and then stock up on size 1. You may need to buy more newborn diapers. It's hard to tell how many you will go through. We went through 15 diapers a day at least. You could go through more or less. Another hot tip: don't open the diapers until you need them. This way if lets say you get 5 boxes of newborn diapers as gifts you can go to the store and trade them for the correct size. Most stores if you tell them you got the wrong size and need to get one size bigger are fine with it as long as the box is still factory sealed even without a receipt. NEVER trade in the bigger sizes unless you absolutely have to because of money. You will use them eventually. As for brand that is a presonal decision. We used Huggies Little Snugglers. We loved the wetness indicaor and they have a cut out for the belly button. We also used the Pampers they gave us at the hospital. They have the same features. Once you get into size one if you have a Costco membership the Kirkland diapers work just as good as Huggies but are cheaper. However diapers as I said are a personal preference item.
- Wipes. We like Huggies because the are thick and soft. Every parent has a preference. I had a friend that swore to me Huggies wipes were awful we love them. Take a gamble, try a few brands.
- Diaper Cream. We use Boudreux's Butt Paste. It prevents diaper rash nicely and if she happens to get a touch the paste clears it up in 24 hours or less.
- Gas Drops. Better to have them and not need them than to need them at 3am and not have them. I like Little Remedies Gripe water. It's natural and safe for use for newborns.
- Cotton Balls, Q-tips, and Alcohol Swabs. The cotton balls are good for drying bottoms and washing faces with water. The Q-tips for cleaning small crevices like the outer ear. And the alcohol swabs for belly button care.
- Soft Towels and Wash Cloths. A bath tub is nice but the first few weeks you will mostly do sponge baths only. So until that little stump falls off you can get away without one. If you feel you must have one I like the Fisher Price whale tub, the bumper keeps baby from sliding if you have to take your hands off of your LO for a second. Also a nice unscented or lightly scented baby wash is nice ( I used Aveeno's lightly scented) but not a must have. For the most part there is not much a newborn can get into you can't get off with water. Towels and wash cloths on the other hand you need. They can be the special baby ones but any soft towel material will do. You want to have 3 of each.
- Lanolin. I'm sure you read how it is great for cracked nipples. Honestly a little bit of breast milk spread over the nipple and left to dry will do more for your nipples than the lanolin or it did mine anyway, but this stuff is still great. Cutes Patoots had a little bit of cradle cap behind the ears and on her forhead (yes it can appear there. Yes it will still freak you out). A little lanolin once to twice a day cleared it right up. It's also good for moisturizing baby because it doesn't have a bunch of harsh chemicals if they oh say put their hand in their mouth. You can also use a thin application on baby's bottom to help keep that sticky meconium from sticking so bad. I have used glues with less sticking power than newborn poop. Lanolin rocks is the long and short here.
- Nail Clippers. Baby's nails will be paper thin, but sharp and can scratch delicate skin. These are important to have. I have still not used ours. I am a big chicken and make Papasaurusrex do it, but they are still important to have.
- Pajamas. Preferable with fold over mitts for the hands. This will prevent scratches while you work up the courage to use the nail clippers. Also we prefered the kind that snapped up both legs. Yes the zippers seem more convenient, but getting those squirmy little legs back in is hard. Some how the snaps are just easier. You only have to undo them enough to change the diaper, not completely undress them. You worked hard to get them in that cute little jammie you don't want them to come out of it again until they have too. This is the one time I am going to say more than 3. 6 is good. I would focus on size 0-3 months before baby is born. You don't know how big your little bundle may be and you don't want to have a bunch of clothes baby never wears. I have found the clothes from Wal-mart run big. Also Disney runs a little larger as well.
- Onesies, 3-4 of these are a good minimum. As you learn how to change diapers you do laundry a lot because sometimes baby goes before you are done changing the diaper. It won't however kill your LO to be in just a diaper if they are swaddled up while the laundry finishes. You will find out that is how they prefer to be. Onesies are awesome but our little darling mostly wore the pajamas and we live in Hawaii. If you have to choose between buying onesies or footie pajamas go for the jammies!
- Thermometer. It can be a fancy temporal scanner or an old school rectal, doesn't matter. Have one on hand though just in case. If you have the rectal make sure to have probe covers.
- Overnight Maxi pads. I liked the Always Infinity. They had a high capacity but did not make me feel like I was wearing a diaper too. You will need these and it would be nice if you didn't have to run to the store the day you get home from the hospital.
- Hemmroid Cream, just trust me. If you don't use it for it's intended purpose good for you! Use it to hide the bags under your eyes.
- Yoga Pants. You won't go home and miraculously fit into your pre-pregnancy pants. It could be weeks or (sorry) months before that happens. Things take time to get back to the way they were and honestly they may NEVER be exactly what they were. You just grew a human. It's okay. Yoga pants are nice because they fit loose but will still fit as you shrink over the coming weeks and (bonus) you can use them to work out once you are cleared for physical activity. Buy a pretty pair with bright colors and have a plain pair you can pretend are "real" pants.
