Here we are and it’s already mid March.  Where does the time go?  I’m coming up on the three month mark as a new mom and I wanted to share some of my favorite baby products that I absolutely could not have lived without these past few weeks.  When I created my baby registry I didn’t have a clue where to start.  The lady at Babies R Us didn’t help either.  She said “just register for everything… you never know what you’ll need.”  Excessive much?  I think so.  I’ve always been one to keep it simple so that’s pretty much what I did while prepping for Asher.  And, I’m glad I did.  I picked products that I read about in baby magazines and heard about from friends and I can honestly say I would 100% recommend each and every one of these items below a million times over.  So, if you’re at a loss on where to begin your baby registry, I’ve outlined 21 must have baby essentials new moms need in the first few weeks and beyond. 

1.  Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper.  The greatest invention for new moms everywhere.  This bassinet butts up against your bed so that baby is within “arm’s reach” of mommy at all times of the night.  I love it because I can see Asher whenever I open my eyes and I don’t even have to sit up to feed him at night.  If you only buy one thing, buy this.  I got mine at Buy Buy Baby.  Sidenote:  I discovered this product from a qtr page print ad they had in Fit Pregnancy magazine.  And people say print advertising is out.  Whatever. #printlives

2. City Select Stroller by Baby Jogger.  I am a stroller snob.  I had originally picked out the Uppa Baby and Stokke strollers but common sense got the best of me so I opted for a regular Graco Jogger stroller that I found online.  Once in the store and saw it in person I realized it was too heavy and cumbersome so I returned it and the salesguy at Buy Buy Baby recommended the City Select Stroller over all the brands they carry. And… they carry a lot.  This thing is the Mercedes-Benz of baby strollers.  It’s beautiful, rides so smoothly, has a minimalist color scheme (nothing too outrageous), easily converts to a 2-child stroller, and has the largest storage basket of the other comparable brands.  It’s not cheap at about $499 + extra $100 cost of the bassinet but it’s soooo worth it.

3. Brica Car Mirror.  Makes driving with baby much easier when I can see his smiling face staring back at me.  Comes in black and tan.

4.  Diaper Dekkor.  This diaper pal does it’s job… keeps the stink of diapers contained.

5.  Udder Covers Nursing Cover.  Great for nursing in public (NIP as the cool kids call it) with it’s neck strap and and sturdy neckline that make it easy to look down and see baby while feeding. Pretty much any nursing cover without a sturdy neckline is useless if you’re really trying to be discrete. But then again you know how I feel about the whole “discrete nursing thing”.. see here.

6.  Maxi Cosi Prezi Infant Car Seat.  The SOFTEST, most comfortable carseat on the planet.  Seriously.. just go into Buy Buy Baby and rub your hands on all the carseats in the store.  Nothing compares to how soft this thing is.  Asher loves it and mommy loves it because of it’s clean, simple design and basic color scheme.

7.  Seventh Generation Baby Wipes.  These are organic, fragrance free and super sturdy.  They are the thickest ones I’ve found and most importantly they do the job while being gentle on baby’s bottom.

8.  Changing Pad.  Save your back and your wallet buy buying one of these and putting it on your dresser to change baby.  I don’t think a changing table is necessary. If baby has a dresser… just pop this on top.  I use it multiple times a day.

9.  Baby Born Baby Sitter.  Probably the second most used item besids the co-sleeper.  This bouncy chair goes everywhere in our house.  It’s super lightweight, easy to clean and it bounces with baby’s movement.  Asher sits in this chair while I shower, while we cook in the kitchen, in my office, in the yard.. everywhere.  And it grows with baby.  Not cheap, but worth it in the long run.

10. Nasal Syringe.  No need to buy, the hospital will send you home with one. I use this every day.

11. Burp clothes.  You can never have too many.  I have burp clothes sitting on every chair and piece of furniture in my house.  They’re great for spitup and drool clean ups.

12.  Baby Aquafor.  Great to keep baby’s skin moisturized and protected at the first site of diaper rash.

13. Gas Relief Drops.  Otherwise known as miracle drops.  These magic little drops help to ease gas and move it along.  I keep a bottle in my purse and by our bed at all times.

14.  Swaddle blankets.  While I did not swaddle Asher (he hated it and I felt like swaddling made me miss his hunger cues)… these light weight blankets by Aden and Anais are soft and handy to have around.  They aren’t bulky so they roll up easily to stick on in the diaper bag, have on a chair, cover baby at night, etc.

15.  Lansinoh Lanolin Cream.  The only thing that keep my nipples moisturized and pain-free during the first few weeks of breastfeeding.  I’d say don’t try to go for the plant-based nipple creams either… they aren’t as thick and don’t work nearly as well as this stuff does.

16.  Baby Tub.  I’m not partial to this particular one… it’s the one we got, but any baby tub will due.

17.  Huggies Pure and Natural Diapers.  For moms looking for the best organic diapers… this was the best option I found.  I tried Honest Diapers but Asher got a rash as soon as I put them on… so I opted for these and they are wonderful!  Super soft, no fragrance and they hole a lot in!

18.  Sound Machine.  Sounds of the womb and white noise drown out distracting noises and help baby sleep!

19. Noodle and Boo Baby Bath Products.  If only you could bottle up the sweet smell of baby and sell it in an all natural lotion free of chemicals and parabans….. apparently you can.  Noodle and Boo Baby Bath Products are hands down the BEST baby lotion and baby wash on the planet.  Not only do I love the cute packaging (see sucker for pretty packaging in my bio), but the fragrance is soft and sweet and derived from all natural ingredients, and there are no harsh solvents, sulfates and parabens included.  People.. that Johnson and Johnson garbage they sell is full of preservatives!!!!  Opt for this stuff.. I even use it on me!  You can’t get it at the big box baby stores so buy online here.

20.  Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads.  Don’t let anyone tell you different.  Disposable nursing pads are the only thing that kept me dry when my girls were leaking like crazy. And yours will leak like crazy too.

21.  Motherhood Maternity Nursing Tank Tops. Pretty much the only thing I wear anymore these days.  And why? Because it’s convenient as all get out to upclip, whip it out and feed baby in an instant. They are great for momma’s mental state of well being because the ruching on the sides makes them fit great and they accentuate your assets that start showing back up when the baby weight comes off.  DO NOT buy the nursing tanks at Target.  You will feel like a friggin frumpy monkey.. they have no shape.  You can get them here.

The one thing I neglected to add here was a rocking chair.  That’s because you should NOT DO what I did and buy a rocking chair.  Biggest mistake.  Instead BUY A GLIDER.  We bought an expensive rocking chair from Pottery Barn and I hate that thing.  I finally broke down and ordered a new base from an upholstery supplier that makes it a stationery rocker and now I can handle it.   It’s ghetto as can be, but at least now I don’t rock into the wall every time I sit in it.

And there you have it.  Besides baby clothes, I can’t think of anything else I truly needed during the first 6 weeks of sweet Asher’s life.  This was it.  As he grows and his needs grow I add to our baby gear arsenal as needed.

Something I missed?  Mamas…. what products do you recommend to new moms that I haven’t listed here?