Favorite Newborn Essentials

Silverettes: These were so essential to me in the early days of nursing/pumping. I was in so much pain and these prevented my nipples from rubbing up against anything, giving them time to heal and adjust to what was happening.

Appropriately-Sized Flanges: Most breast pumps come with 24mm and 28mm flanges, but not all women fit those sizes. It’s important to use appropriately-sized flanges for maximum comfort during pumping. The hospital at which I gave birth used Maymom brand which is what I linked above. You can get sized at a prenatal lactation consult or at the hospital after birth with the on-site lactation team.

Earth Mama Nipple Butter: This is an organic nipple butter that is quite versatile. In addition to using it on your nipples, you can apply a small amount to the inside of your pumping flanges as lubricant, and it can also be used on dry lips and skin. Most importantly, this is a lanolin-free nipple butter. Lanolin is a sheep byproduct that many people may be unknowingly allergic or sensitive to. Bring this with you to the hospital!

Nursing Pads: Leaking is going to happen and a day hasn’t gone by that I haven’t worn these.

Muslin Burp Cloths: These burp cloths from Comfy Cubs are my favorite and you can’t have too many. I find the muslin burp cloths are more absorbent than regular cotton. These are soft and wash well – and they have been washed countless times already.

My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow: A flat top makes it easier to hold baby while nursing, and is also a great way to hold them upright if they have reflux. It also doubles as a little tabletop. As I’m typing this, my baby is sleeping on my chest with her butt on the pillow and my laptop is behind her on the pillow. The Boppy is still a good investment, too. I use it for nursing in bed but in our case it works best for tummy time.

Bumco Baby Bum Brush: When they taught us how to change a diaper in the NICU, we were applying diaper cream with our hands. The Baby Bum Brush from Bumco is a game changer. This is a diaper-cream spatula that keeps your hands clean and away from any surprise projectiles. If you have long nails, it also keeps those clean!

Peekapoo Disposable Changing Pad Liners: Whether you have a fabric or solid changing pad, these changing pad liners will help keep things clean. Our baby has a lot of surprise pees and poos in the middle of her diaper changes, so being able to remove her from the mess and keep the mess contained is incredible. It’s also great to keep in your diaper bag for on-the-go changes. You can alternatively use puppy pee pads but the ones for animals are made to attract animals, and I wouldn’t want our cat going out of the litter box. Maybe it wouldn’t happen, but it’s not worth the risk!

Keekaroo Peanut Changing Pad: This is a nice, sturdy changing pad with raised edges and is easily cleaned. I never knew changing pads could cost this much money but it’s worth it for us to not have to have a ton of fabric changing pad covers or launder them daily. It also has a safety strap for when Baby gets a little bigger!

Oxo Tots Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser: This wipes dispenser makes it easy to pull out wipes with one hand and believe me when I tell you, unless you have three arms, that will be essential! It even fits a full package of Kirkland wipes (100 total). We’ve never had issues with wipes drying out and the unit itself stays in place.

The Ollie Swaddle: Out of all the random swaddles we have, our baby responds best to The Ollie. In addition to it being a nice cozy space for her, it’s also easy to take on and off. We have used it as a double swaddle in the Snoo, as well.

Hatch Rest Go Portable Sound Machine: White noise is a great tool to use for baby’s sleep. We love that this one is so small, keeps a long charge, and has multiple different white noise sounds with variable volume control. Since it’s portable, you can bring it to wherever Baby is sleeping to ensure sleep is always associated with white noise. It also comes in multiple colors if you are decor conscious!

Stroller Fan: Perfect for walks on warm days but also clutch during labor. I had this fan wrapped around the hospital bed and it was awesome! Multiple fan speeds and spider legs make it super versatile.

Muslin Swaddle Blankets: These can be used for swaddling, but they are so, so versatile. I use one of these to cover my nursing pillows, we use it as a blanket in the car seat or stroller, and it can wipe up spit-up. The muslin fabric is lightweight and the pattern options are very cute.

Baby Bjorn Bouncer: This didn’t work for the first month of her life because our baby had no chill, but once she could start observing things, it became an essential tool. Sometimes she can just hang in it and look at the toy bar, or grab onto the toys (you can get an off-brand toy bar for half the cost), and other times she will need the bouncing motion to soothe her. Fortunately, it is mindless to put your foot at the bottom and bounce it. I often do this while eating at the kitchen table.

Electric Nail Trimmer: Our baby came out with long nails, just like Mommy! We need to trim them weekly since they grow so quickly. Baby fingernails are so tiny and we didn’t feel comfortable using clippers, so the electric nail file is a great option. It has a bit of a learning curve but there are different files for different ages, and the newborn one is super soft and hasn’t hurt her skin at all.

OxiClean Baby Stain Remover Powder: You might have an angel baby, but angels still go #2 and there will be a time you will experience a blow-out or mishap of sorts and need to remove poop stains from your baby’s clothes (or maybe even your own). When this happens (like twice this morning for me…), I rinse off the stain in cold water, spray it with an OxiClean spray and let it sit out for awhile. Then I add a bunch of this powder to the wash and voila! Stain removed! I actually put this powder in every wash since I feel like it helps make all the burp cloths and clothes with spit-up a lot fresher. Just add a little more for stain cycles.

Frida Mom Postpartum Underwear: These are thin, disposable boyshorts that are very comfortable postpartum. Use with the maternity pads of your choice.

Witch Hazel Perineal Foam: This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I did not like the Tucks Pads because they would get stuck to me. Spraying this foam onto the pad offers the same relief but nothing is going to get stuck to me and fall off in the toilet. Pair this with Dermaplast for optimal relief.

Upside-Down Peri Bottle: The hospital gives you a squeeze bottle but this upside-down version allows for better cleaning. It’s kind of like a handheld bidet. You won’t want to be without!

Maternity Pads: These were the ones the hospital gave me and I was able to find them on Amazon when I ran out and needed more. These were perfect from around 4 days postpartum until I could transition to regular pads. Nice and long, super absorbent, but not as thick as the ones needed immediately following birth.

Donut Pillow: My husband had to run out the morning after I gave birth to buy me a donut pillow. I was in so much pain from delivery that I needed it to be able to sit down at all. I used it on the hospital bed, in the wheelchair, in the car, at the kitchen table, and on the couch. In fact, I still sit on it at the kitchen table because it’s so comfortable. We were limited in options because we needed it right then and there, but this coccyx pillow from Wal-Mart did the trick! Buy one in advance and bring it with you to the hospital!

Something Nice For Yourself: You did a hard thing! Not just birth but the whole pregnancy! You deserve to treat yourself to something nice. I got a pair of shearling slippers that help keep my feet warm during overnight feeds and they are extremely comfortable.