Newborn Must Haves

Hi there soon to be moms! The next few posts are just for you. Here is my list of must haves for your newborn.

1. Any bassinet will do but my preference is the arm's reach cosleeper. It was great having my daughter next to me for those late night feedings. Although my model is a little bulky there is a more compact version available (pictured).

2. The boppy is great for tummy time and for the little one to lounge in but I really liked the breast friend for breastfeeding. My lactation consultant recommended it to me and I am so glad that she did. It has a flat surface which allows you to lay the baby on there comfortably for feedings and it can be adjusted easily for football hold.

3. I really wanted a Stokke or Uppa Baby for my stroller but unfortunately by wallet disagreed. I settled for the Graco Modes stroller and I am surprisingly really happy with it. It is a travel system that can be used several different ways.  It was great being able to snap in the carseat to the stroller base and not have to wake up my sleeping baby. It is light and very easy to use with a HUGE storage bin. YAY!

4. My best investment was a pack of muslin blankets. I went for the Aidan and Anais brand but in all honesty any brand will do. These are so versatile and very breathable. I use these for swaddling, breast feeding, as a stroller cover, blanket, and even somewhere clean to set my baby down when we are out and about.

5. Dr. Brown's is hands down the best bottle out there. Yes, it has a lot of parts and it's a pain in the butt to clean but its worth all of the effort. Keep an eye out of Babies R Us coupons... they give away free bottles on holidays.

6. My daughter had a tough time latching on when she was born. My lactation consultant recommended using a nipple shield to "trick" my daughter since she was accustomed to drinking from a bottle. This really helped her learn to be on my breast during feedings and eventually she transitioned to breast feeding without the shield. Disclaimer... the nipple shield prevents the baby from getting all of the milk from the breast so make sure to keep pumping to maintain production.

7. Mittens are a must have for newborns. I really liked the Koala brand at Babies R Us. The other brands kept sliding off my daughters hands. I even resorted to using socks at one point until I came across Koala.

8. Honest company is my go to brand for lotions, shampoos, diaper rash cream, bottom wash and laundry detergent. I love the sweet orange scent of the shampoo and of course it is as natural and safe as it gets.

9. Definitely invest in a swing, rocker, or bouncer for your baby. You will thank me later. I really liked the Graco Duetconnect swing and bouncer combo. The only downfall is the mobile wont spin but everything else about this duo is great. I also used a rock and play for my daughter when she a newborn but the Graco duet is a lot better.

10. My daughter is 6 months old and she still loves the Rainforest Jungle Gym. As a newborn the lights amazed her, at about 3 months old she started batting the toys which really helped her motor skills and now at six months we use the mat to practice crawling. This was hands down one of the best purchases we made.

11. My daughter had a lot of gas from the time she was a newborn to over 4 months old. Hyland's gas drops saved me from a few major melt downs. These all natural which is my number one concern and they really did help her.

There you have it.. my list of MUST HAVES for your newborn! Hope you enjoyed today's post Moms!