As a second time mom you really have gathered some wisdom about what works for you and what doesn't. What you should splurge on, what you should save on, and what you should not even bother with!
Here is a list of essentials that are not only for baby, but for momma too! This time around I'm all about being prepared. After having a baby you are so exhausted, I want to be prepared for everything and anything because honestly I probably won't be getting out of the house for like two weeks. Not even joking!
1. Solly Baby Wrap: I never ended up getting a wrap with Jake... but I can totally appreciate baby wearing now that I will have two kids. The idea of having my hands free so I can help Jake AND do things around the house (or anything for that matter) is super appealing! I know Jake will be totally obsessed with her... which will be adorable but will also mean if I turn my back for a second he will be picking her up in who knows what manner. Also I'm super paranoid about people sticking their dirty germy fingers near newborns mouths (why do they do that?! Shhhhtop it!) so I've noticed that when mama's are baby wearing people just recognize that as baby/mama time and don't feel the need to do that. Win win! At $65.00 it is admittedly a steeper essential for me, but to me it's about quality. I'm going to get the grey and white stripe one as seen over here ----> so it's gender neutral and I will be able to use it with all of my babies. I've decided to get the wrap for the convenience of it, BUT there are also many benefits of baby wearing for mom AND baby. Both physically and emotionally!
2. Owlet baby monitor: As a former mother/baby nurse this is one product that I am so passionate every newborn should have, even while they are in the hospital! This is a new baby monitor that monitors your newborn's heart rate and oxygenation level. It uses hospital technology to monitor baby's breathing and is designed to alert you if something is outside of normal levels. The sock is a pulse oximeter (same that they use in the hospital) with two velcro straps that keep it on your baby's foot. The "sock" transfers your newborns data to both the base unit and your phone. I love that it transfers to the base unit and your phone because then if you put baby down for a nap you can be away from the base unit with peace of mind that your baby is sleeping soundly and safely.
I remember being so paranoid with Jake about him sleeping. If he slept through the whole night I would wake up in a panic... is he ok? Why is he still asleep?! The owlet monitor silently watches over your baby to give you peace of mind and MAYBE a full night's sleep. ;)
I remember when I was a new nurse on the mother/baby floor we had a dad run into the hallway with his brand-new newborn... I looked at the newborn and he was blue and dusky. We called a code and ran into the room and began stimulating the newborn (rubbing it's back vigorously to stimulate him to breath) and suctioning his nose and mouth. The newborn began to breath and pink up and then we sent him into the nursery to be monitored. Ever since that incident I have become so paranoid about those situations. Can you imagine if your newborn was to stop breathing at home? Not only while around you but when you've put him/her down to sleep? Literally a parents worst nightmare. You can never put a price on your child's safety.
On that note, I have never seen the Owlet baby monitors go on any kind of sale BUT I do have a link which enables you to get $25 dollars off the purchase of your monitor. If you click here it will bring you to the shopping cart with the 25 dollars off automatically applied. Make sure to share to share the link with all of your expecting friends!
Have more questions about the monitor? Refer to this video below!
3. Nursing Gown: Note to first time moms, do not bother wearing a cute hospital gown DURING your delivery. There's a lot of stuff that gets... everywhere. And when I say stuff I mean... blood, vernix, poop sometimes?! Just being honest guys! As a nurse on that unit I recommend wearing the actual hospital gown during your delivery because then you can just take it off and they bleach the heck out of it. Once you have delivered and get to get cleaned up, change into a cute nursing gown! I've done some looking around and these nursing kaftans are some of my favorite ones I've come across. I have ordered one and am waiting to receive it... but they have a lot of good reviews on easy so I can't imagine I'll be disappointed! When you and your new babe are trying to master breastfeeding easy access to the "goods" is crucial... I'm so excited to have a robe like this this time around!
I also have purchased this robe below and it's a good one! I got the purple. It's an instant confidence booster... so sleek!
4. Blooming Baby Bath: When Jake was a newborn we had one of those big bulky baby baths. We would set it up on the counter, fill it up, and put him in it. I can't imagine it was comfortable for him, plus it was a pain and a mess! Storing it was a annoying because it was so big and bulky. I came across these blooming baby baths and I'm obsessed with them. Genius! You just put it in your kitchen sink and then bathe baby, how easy is that? And comfortable!
5. Ergo Nursing Pillow: I'm sure you've heard of the Boppy nursing pillow, this pillow is similar but designed to tilt baby skin to skin with momma, which is super beneficial for effective breastfeeding. I asked my friend who is a lactation nurse (on instagram @lactationlink) which pillow she thought was the best and she loves this one the most! First time mamas, you will want a good nursing pillow because it saves you from back pain from hunching over! The one I got for Jake was a knock off boppy and I hardly used it because it would go so flat, this is one thing I'm planning on splurging on!
6. Covered Goods Nursing Cover: This cover is awesome because it offers 360 coverage AND triples as a carseat cover AND shopping cart cover! With Jake I had one of those bib nursing covers and it was a joke... no one wants side boob hanging out! With this cover even the most private mama would feel more comfortable nursing in public, because no one knows! It looks like a baggy shirt. I got the black and white stripe one, but they have lots of cute gender neutral options!
7. Portable Bassinet: A bassinet is another thing you can get sucked into thinking you need to spend a lot of money on. Trust me mama, you don't need that 700 dollar one from West Elm! We found that a big bassinet was a pain in more ways than one, it's bulky to store AND whenever you go out of town you feel like you need to bring the big bassinet! I don't know about you but when Jake was a newborn there was no way I was going to get him to sleep in a big empty pack and play. That's why I love this bassinet, it collapses down and is easy to store and move! Want to go on a road trip? No worries where baby will sleep, just fold it down! Sure it's not the cutest most trendy looking bassinet ever.... but it's definitely the most functional!
Those are just a few of my essentials this time around, I probably have quite a few more I could add! 29 weeks today and I'm all about getting everything ready now. My hips have been hurting pretty bad and I get fatigued easily so I don't want to put it off and then be completely overwhelmed. Plus it helps to spread the cost out of these things week by week instead of all at once, your husband will thank you for that... haha!
Hope you enjoyed!
XOXO Britney Munday
Instagram: @BritneyMunday
Thanks for the great post on your blog, it really gives me an insight on this topic.
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Thank you for the $25 off link! I am 34 weeks pregnant with my first baby and am ordering my Owlet today. :)
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Thank you very much for this great list!
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My newborn baby is now two weeks old and many things of this list look very practically. I also found some nice stuff at myorganicformula.com.