The Necessities: Must Haves for Baby During the First Month

Hi Everyone! This is the second post in my series of "must haves". Here I've listed my top ten must haves for baby during the newborn stage. Please remember these are just items that I considered necessary for me and baby. A lot of these things just made my parenting experience easier and more enjoyable for both me and my son. So with that being said lets get started!

HUGGIES LITTLE SNUGGLERS:

For Braydons first month I tried a couple different brands of diapers, because he ended up having a sensitive bottom with a constant rash. I had tried the Pampers swaddlers which are amazingly soft but I had a few diapers leaks with them. Eventually I found that the huggies brand works best for his sensitive bottom, for the first month I used the Little Snugglers because they have the wetness indicator and still have a good amount of absorbency. Eventually I switched to the Snugg & Dry when he grew into size 1 diapers because they just whisk the wetness away so much better and I have never had a diaper blowout with these diapers. He hasn't had any sign of diaper rash since I started using the Huggies.

GRIPE WATER/GAS DROPS

I cannot express enough how much I love both of these products! They work like magic and have made Braydon such a happy little baby, and me a less stressed mommy. I first started using gripe water for Bray when I switched him to formula at 2 and 1/2 weeks old. I used it because it has no active ingredients and had heard a lot of good things about this product from other moms that I know. Maybe he is just a champ at taking medicine but he loves it its almost like he thinks its candy! I tasted it and it has a ginger ale sort of taste; anyways it calms his stomach instantly. The gas drops I was sort of hesitant to  try because it does have active ingredients and I didn't want to over do him on medicine in his first month of life. But after consulting my doctor I found that it is safe to put 1 infant gas drop into his bottle at every feeding, that way I don't have to wait till he is in pain from gas and have to calm him down or give him the gripe water. These products worked for me at different stages during the first month, if your baby has gas troubles or you're switching up their diet you should definitely ask their pediatrician about both of these products. The brand of gripe water I use is by Little Remedies and you can also purchase gas drops from them as well.

BABY EMERY BOARD:

I have been super afraid to clip Braydons nails since he has been born, but its something that has to be done because newborns like to scratch their faces up! It's terrible I know. Instead of using nail clippers I found that filing his nails down with a baby emery board works just as well and you dont have to live in fear of clipping your poor baby's finger off.

BLANKETS;

This one seems like a silly item to be on my top ten must haves but trust me baby blankets are a necessity! They are the one item that I feel gets dirty the quickest. They sometimes double as a burping cloth, or a sun shade, a nursing cover, you name it. Having a lot of them on hand will save you in doing a thousand loads of laundry and have a good variety for different needs. I've linked one of my favorite sets of receiving blankets up above and it is also pictured here.

NIGHT GOWNS/SLEEP SACKS:

My favorite piece of clothing to have Braydon in when he was a newborn was nightgowns! I just find them to be so easy to work with when you are a new mom and have trouble dressing your newborn. They also make diaper changes so much easier and they are way cute! To me it really isn't that practical to have a bunch of outfits for newborns because realistically you wont even be leaving the house with them that much in the first month and they grow out of that size so quickly. I've put a link to the cute set from gerber pictured here.

LAUNDRY SOAP:

I go through so many loads of laundry, having a baby. They spit up, and sometimes pee (especially boys!) all over, so its nice to have extra laundry soap. I use the Dreft brand because it smells like "baby" and is a gentle detergent that wont irritate Braydon's skin.
Ya can't live without laundry soap in your life when you have a newborn! (or at least I can't!)

BABY TYLENOL:

If you have a boy like I do then you may have him circumcised. Braydon was in a lot of pain due to his circumcision and therefore needed pain medicine. Hid pediatrician recommended he take some baby Tylenol for the first couple days. It sure helped him through that and I didn't have to hear his heart breaking cries for too long either. Obviously if you have a girl this won't be necessary but baby Tylenol is always good to have on hand in case of fever. Again this item is specific to my top ten must haves I it came in handy for Bray's first month. Remember to consult your pediatrician before giving your child any medications.

SOOTHER TOY:

One item that has become one of Braydon's soother's is a glowing seahorse that plays music. He loves that thing and it helps put him to sleep and keep him asleep! I think part of the reason for that is that we consistently put it in his crib and press it's tummy and it has become a predictable part of his bedtime routine. On the rare occasions where I have had trouble getting him to sleep this tow has come in handy. They way the sea horse's stomach glows is suppose to remind the babies of what they saw in the womb which is pretty neat. This is the exact seahorse that I got for Bray by Fisher Price and it plays soothing music and glows for five minutes.

SWING:

Since newborns sleep so much, it's nice to have other places to set them down other then in your bedroom so you can easily keep an eye on them but don't have to constantly be holding them. Having a swing for baby Bray has helped me get so much more done. It's nice to be able to set him down, do my housework and know that he is comfortable and occupied. The swing I have I got from my sister at my baby shower and I love it! It's the SnugaMonkey swing also by Fisher Price with three directional settings. I like that I can turn it to face the bathroom door so when I am home alone I can still take a shower but not be freaking out over whether or not the baby is okay.

NON-STICK GAUZE:


My final newborn must have is non-stick gauze pads!! Once again this is an item for circumcision care. After my Sons circ. his doctor had put plain old fashion gauze on the area and changing it was really painful for him because it stuck. It was bad enough that he was in pain without changing the gauze so I really didn't want to add to it. Jake and I went out and picked up some of these non-stick gauze pads and they work soo much better then regular gauze! They truly don't stick, which means less pain, and they are perfect size to cover the area. These were a life saver and an absolute must have if you are having your son circumcised. You can purchase these at almost any drugstore or grocery store. The brand I used was the Johnson&Johnson.


Thank you everyone for reading this little list! I hope it gives you some ideas of what you might want to have on hand if you're expecting. and please comment your must haves or what you used. I love hearing other people's opinions and sharing ideas! Stay tuned for my next post which will be all about Braydon's two month update! I am also thinking of doing a spring haul for mommy, and a consignment baby store haul here in the next couple weeks! Until next time!