Newborn Necessities and Niceties

Now that we're on our third newborn (Annie, Nikki, Baby C) I'm rethinking all the baby gear. Of course with Annie we got everything. And we used a great deal of it. But here are the things I find myself using daily.

Bouncy seat. Because you can't hold your baby all the time. There are days when you really do need a shower. :) It is more portable than the swing and I find myself moving it from room to room all day long. Also, Baby C is sleeping in it at night. He doesn't like laying flat on his back. We're going to transition him to the cradle next week. Wish us luck.

Boppy pillow. Great for breastfeeding babies, and handy for bottlefeeding, too. Baby C weighs over 8lbs already and he gets heavy after a while!

Moby wrap. This is nice to have for your first baby and essential for future babies, because you need to be able to use your hands to corral the toddler(s). Baby is snug and cozy nestled by your heartbeat, and so far all three babies I've used it with fell asleep within five minutes of being wrapped. It does take a little bit of practice to get used to wrapping it, but you get the hang of it after about five times and by the five hundredth time you can wrap it in about 15 seconds. I love the Ergo carrier once baby gets a little bigger (around 5 months). 

Clothes: Gowns for nighttime (easy diaper changes) and footed sleepers for daytime (no need to keep up with socks). Nothing fancy, just soft and cozy for the newborn days.

Halo swaddle sleepsack (aka the magic swaddle). Makes baby feel safe and secure and sleep better (hallelujah). And the velcro wrap keeps baby from breaking their arms out and waking themselves up.

Lots of diapers, lots of wipes, and A&D ointment. For newborns I prefer Pampers Swaddlers, once baby grows into size one I like Luvs. Cost effective and they don't leak. I use Huggies Natural Care wipes. I buy the huge box at Sam's Club. With three kids in diapers it lasts about five weeks. A&D is great at preventing diaper rash.

You also need a good car seat and stroller. I have the Chicco ones (single and double strollers, actually) and I love them. They are holding up well and are easy to use. The car seat is one of the heavier ones on the market, but it is supposed to keep your baby safe in a crash so you want it to be sturdy!

Things that are also nice to have that we have gotten a lot of use out of--play gym, monitor, receiving blankets, and the baby bathtub.