First Month Favorites for Mama & Baby

I've officially made it through ONE MONTH as a parent! 

This has been a whirlwind of emotions, a learning rollercoaster! There are some parts of becoming a parent that you can kind of prepare for...but for the most part, it's a learn-as-you-go type of trade.

Babies don't really come with an instruction manual (don't we all wish!?) and aside from the advice we get from our parents, relatives and friends, some things we're just left to figure out on our own.

I've done a lot of 'figuring out' this past month, along with a lot of taking precious, treasured advice from my beloved network of bloggy/IG/local mommas. (Seriously don't know what I'd do without you guys).

I'm passing on some things I've learned--products that made our first month a little easier.

1. Cloud B Gentle Giraffe

Most wonderful 'toy' ever made! This little stuffed guy comes with a sound machine with several different soothing noises to help baby sleep. It's pretty small, (we got the travel version) so it's easy to grab and set in the carseat/stroller where ever we go, plus Liam sleeps with it every night. There's one sound setting called 'calm' and it calms him down almost immediately.

2. Fisher Price Rock & Play Sleeper

LOVE this. I had this recommended to me by so many other moms, and I'm glad I took the advice and got it! It's relatively inexpensive, but we actually decided this was something we could find on Craigslist for even cheaper. (Especially since they'll only use it for maybe 6 months.) This is the most perfect contraption to put right next to your bed. It folds up easily if you want it out of the way during the day, and it's super light. You can rock it back and forth to help baby sleep, and from the reviews I've read, most babies love sleeping in it. (I know for sure ours does!)

3. Huggies One and Done Wipes

Can I just say Glory Hallelujah and a standing ovation for these wipes! 

I'm actually mad I bought anything else (I have about 5 months worth of wipes in Liam's closet...and I wish they were ALL THESE!!) Ok, first of all, the scent. I got the cucumber and green tea, and I could seriously rub them over my body as perfume. I'm not joking. 

Second of all...the name 'One and Done' don't lie! These pups are so so thick. One wipe does the trick. I don't feel like poop is going to jump through the wipe and attack my hand like I do with some other wipes. 

Once I run out of my Doomsday Preppers stash of other insignificant wipes, these are all I'll ever buy again!

(Our favorite diapers are Pampers Swaddlers. They fit him very well, and we love the little wetness indicator that changes color when he's wee'd.)

4. Sleep Gowns

At first Keith was like, 'Uhm, why did you get Liam nightgowns?' And I was like, when it's 3 a.m. and you don't have to unsnap anything to change his diaper, you'll thank me.

You're welcome. :)

5. Cloud B Twilight Turtle

We originally put this in our room since Liam was sleeping in there because we thought it was cool and we're kids at heart. 

Turns out it not only seems like Liam sleeps better with that tiny bit of light, it's provides just the right amount of light for us to see anything in the room and not wake him up, or in the middle of the night when I want to nurse and not be blinded.

6. Flannel Receiving Blankets

Listen to me closely when I say:

You will never have too many of these.  

We use them for everything! They're in every room of our house. I'm not exaggerating, we have at least 20. And you will probably dirty 3 or 4 a day. Like I said....You. Will. Not. Have. Too. Many.

They work great as burp cloths, we add them to his swaddle if he seems cold, they're small and compact and fit perfectly in the diaper bag. The uses are about as endless as the amount of laundry a newborn produces!

7. Boppy

Ahh, the Boppy pillow! So many great uses. Perfect for those just learning to nurse that aren't very coordinated (like me!) It really does help to have that extra support to hold him up. The boppy is also perfect for sitting/propping up baby for awake time.

1. Lansinoh Gel Soothies

And all the hurting nipples of the world breathed a sigh of relief!

These things are AHHH-maze-ING. If you're breastfeeding, your nipples will be sore, especially the first few weeks! (trust me...it does get better)

These things were my life support. Just when you think, omygodmynipplesmightfalloff, slap these suckers on and it's a whole new world.

2. Lanolin

Again, your nipples will be sore! This stuff is like chapstick for the nipple. Slather em' up, you'll need it. Might as well buy several of these, one for each room you plan to nurse in. It will prevent any additional chafing from bras/clothing, and it's safe for babe to ingest.

3. Nursing Pads

You will use them in groves. It's been a month and I've gone through two boxes of 60 each. One night, I thought, oh my boobies don't seem that full tonight, I'll skip the nursing pads.

BAD IDEA. I woke up in, literally, a pool of milk. It looked like I peed the bed from my boobs.

So, yeah. Nursing pads.

4. Water Bottle

My trusty Starbucks Tumbler is always by my side. Whether you're nursing or not, you need lots of water. It's important to stay healthy and keep up whatever energy you possibly can.

Besides. I don't know any new mom who has the time to take herself to the ER due to dehydration. :)

5. Reading materials

These books have been recommended to me by someone along the way, and all three have taught me something valuable so far. Happiest Baby is really good for learning ways to soothe your crying newborn. Definitely learned things I'd never even heard of! That one comes in DVD form as well. Ina May's Guide to BFing really helped me when I was trying to get Liam to latch properly. Babywise I'm currently reading through--I've had so many people suggest it to me for sleep training, and so far I really love the things I'm learning from it! In just a day of really trying to get Liam on a schedule and implementing suggestions from the book, I can already tell a difference.

All these books are relatively easy reads. I typically just skim over the parts I think I'll get the most out of while I'm nursing Liam.

6. Nursing bras.

At first I thought, 'I won't really need a nursing bra, will I?' Wrong! You will. Though they're far from sexy (let's face it, if you're breastfeeding, it'll be awhile until you're back in your sexy bra collection) these are sooo commfortable. Anything that is comfortable on your boobs will have you jumping for joy. At night, I often only wear a bra to bed, and these are perfectly soft and not too tight.