My top newborn must-haves, V.1

I thought I would write up a post sharing the items I have absolutely been loving during these past weeks of being a new Mom to Henry. It's funny- before he came along I thought I was totally prepared. I felt like I had all the must-haves, but when he actually was here, I found that I actually had too much of things I didn't need, and not enough of the things I did! Go figure. When it comes down to it, all you REALLY need is a comfortable place for them to sleep, diapers, some warm outfits, and food, be it breast milk or formula...so in essence these really are all extras! But if you want more than just the bare necessities, you may be interested in some of these items. Feel free to add to the list in the comments- I love sharing info and what better resources than each other! This is part one, and I'll be back in a week or so with a few more items in part two.

1) Snuza Mobile Baby Movement Monitor

This is probably my favorite thing in the whole world and it's allowed Hank and me a lot more peace of mind while Henry is sleeping. Because we are new parents, during the first week there was definitely still that "check to see if he's breathing" thing going on, but as time has gone by I've relied more on this device and it's made both of us feel a little more comfortable. We also have the Angelcare monitor for his crib, but because Henry is sleeping in his pack 'n play this mobile monitor is an amazing option. It is a bit pricey, as it retails for about $130, but I don't really think you can put a price on feeling safe and keeping your baby safe, so we definitely had to purchase this item as soon as my friend Kristan told me about it.

Some info from their website:

Snuza safely and conveniently monitors your baby’s every movement.
Clip the Snuza onto the waistband of your baby’s diaper and switch on.
The flexible sensor detects your baby’s tummy movement.
A built-in vibrating stimulator on the Halo model gently rouses baby 15 seconds after movement stops.
If there is still no movement after 20 seconds, an alarm will sound to alert you to take immediate action.

I definitely recommend it to all new parents. It's amazing!

2) Fisher-Price Lamb chair

Henry love love loves this chair! It vibrates and plays music, and the second we put him in this chair he calms down and often falls right asleep. I really like that I can bring this chair in the bathroom with me and have him close by as I get ready for the day; it's light and easy to move around the house.

3) Breast Friend nursing pillow

So many people recommended the Boppy to me, which we also got, but I am SO happy we ended up purchasing this pillow. I use it constantly, and I really love it. It's basically a pillow that straps around your middle and allows your baby (and you!) to breastfeed more comfortably. It was great for after my c-section because it keeps him (and the pillow itself) away from the incision, and nursing was pain free. After I burp him he usually likes to fall asleep right on the pillow, and sometimes I'll keep the thing strapped on for an hour or two while H. snoozes away. I didn't use the Boppy at all until recently, because I found that Henry would fall into the space between the pillow and me. The Brest Friend never had that issue, although now that Henry is bigger I do use the Boppy from time to time to nurse.

4) pre-fold cloth diapers

This may seem like a strange thing to have on my must-have list but we've been using these for everything- lining the changing table, wiping off Henry's face when he spits up a bit, as burp cloths, you name it!

5) Total Baby app on Iphone

My friend Katie recommended this iPhone app to me, and I am so glad she did! During the first couple of weeks I used it every single time I breastfed, and it helped me stay on track with times, sides, and progress. Some people may prefer to use good old fashioned pen and paper, but because I usually have my phone with me when I feed Henry (I often check email or catch up on texts in the middle of the night while feeding him), I found it very convenient to just use this app. It tracks everything from diaper changes (wet/bm etc.), feeding, sleeping, you name it. If you're a bit of a tech nerd like me this is a wonderful tool. Thank you again Katie for recommending it!

6) simple long sleeved t-shirts

We got a million items of clothing before Henry was born, but interestingly enough, all he really wears around the house is a simple long sleeved shirt and a diaper. We change his diaper a million times a day, so it's just not practical to have on a fancy outfit. Oh, and it's important to note that even though he wasn't a super small baby (7 lb. 11 oz. and 21 inches long), he was fitting into newborn clothing up until about one month. So, I recommend having some plain NB sized tees on hand; Gerber makes some cheap, plain white ones that have been very useful. I save the cute outfits for when we have company or when we go out.

7) sleep sack

I assumed that Henry would LOVE to be swaddled. We got a few swaddling blankets, a couple of the fancy swaddle pods, and we were ready to wrap our baby up! What we found was that Henry does NOT like it at all, and prefers to sleep with his arms and legs stretched out, like in the photo below.

At first we decided we'd swaddle him anyway, but he would scream bloody murder until he a) got out, or b) he'd just keep screaming until we got him out. If he was swaddled and got out, he'd sleep just fine, but I was concerned about the loose blankets in his pack 'n play. So, we decided to go with the Sleep Sack. The good thing about this "wearable blanket" is it keeps him warm, and there is no potentially dangerous extra fabric around him while he sleeps. It's very easy to change him in the middle of the night because it zips from the top and bottom, and he's able to move his arms and legs as he pleases. It looks kind of funny, but it does the job!