New Baby & Mama MUST HAVES

Everyone loves to tell you what you absolutely do and do not need for a baby and I’m here to do just that. okay not really, but here are the things I found that were life savers for me and maybe they’ll help you out too!

Disclaimer: I’m not sponsored for any of these items, I just love them and think you might too!

Also, if you’re reading this on your phone, please ignore the weird spacing, I’m still figuring out this whole blog thing! xx

For Your Mini:

Swaddle Me Swaddles

For those who don’t know, swaddling is HARD, unless you’re one of the few who are good at it, but for me it’s difficult; so difficult, that once we got home from the hospital we stopped swaddling entirely. BIG mistake. Newborns have a startle reflex. This means that very randomly their little arms and legs will jolt out. You know that feeling when you’re about to fall asleep and you think you’re falling? It’s like that. This reflex easily wakes them up, and if they’re awake, so are you mama. Swaddling keeps them feeling secure and stops that reflex from happening, which is why it’s so important. My favorite kind of swaddle for when they’re little is the Swaddle Me swaddle. They have a pouch for the legs and the upper portion is velcro, which means no more trying to get a blanket as tight as you can just to have your mini wiggle their way free. I was gifted these when she was 3 weeks old and that first night she slept for 6 uninterrupted hours. I felt like a new person when I woke up and was given a new found love for swaddling.

A Swing

 I cannot express enough how much a swing is necessary. Raelee slept in her swing for literally the first month (long stretches are not recommended for sleep but since she was only sleeping 2 hours at a time it was okay). Beyond just sleeping though having a swing is incredibly useful. Although it took Rae a good amount of time to actually like being in it awake (try 2 months), now she LOVES it and that means mom loves it. The swing allows me to get stuff done without a fussing baby and also just gives me some time to myself when I need it (she’s happily swinging away as I’m writing this)  There are also SO many different kinds so there’s bound to be a swing that your baby will like the movement of.

Binkys

Okay so I know pacifiers are controversial and blah blah blah, personally, with having a colicky baby, I love them. I love them to the point that we have them in every single room of our apartment. I’ll deal with weaning another day. The one thing with binks however, is that you have to find one that works for you. We started off using the Avent Soothies… I wanted her to want to use her little elephant WubbaNub so badly but that just wasn’t the case. She would take it if you held it in her mouth but if you let go, she’d let go. Next I tried Nuks, and she definitely took to Nuks better than Soothies but it still wasn’t working how I envisioned it would. You really had to sit with her and hold it in her mouth for awhile before she’d hold onto it herself. Then one day, while I was out with a mommy friend, Raelee was inconsolable. Nothing was working. My friend handed me a Tommee Tippee binky and Rae took to it IMMEDIATELY. If you read the packaging I believe it says something along the lines of there being like a 97 or 98% acceptance rate with babies? I can’t remember, but I do know I’m obsessed with them. What I also like about them, beyond the fact that they’re adorable, is that they’re symmetrical so you don’t have to worry about if you’re putting it in upside down (like when you’re in a car and can’t see what you’re doing). If you’re truly dead set on having a stuffed animal binky, Dr. Brown’s makes animals that you can attach to any pacifier… basically a DIY WubbaNub! Long story short, I know some babies just don’t take to pacifiers, but before you entirely give up, try a few kinds, they might surprise you!

Bibs

Now, I know this is something that not everyone deems a must have, especially with young babies that aren’t eating solids yet, but for my family we need them! Rae is a happy spitter and bibs save us from having to change her outfit 20 times a day. Seriously, this girl can’t go 5 minutes in an outfit without spitting up so we just throw a bib on her and we’re good to go! There are also so many cute kinds! I personally love the bandana style, so cute!

Gripe Water

Now gripe water, (not grape water, I was confused at first) is something that I wish I would’ve known about BEFORE Raelee was born. This is something I would recommend building a stock pile of. Basically, it’s water with a bunch of different herbs in it that are good for hiccups, upset tummy, colic, excessive fussiness, etc. I cannot explain how helpful this was to have with a colicky baby. It would help calm her down. There was a point in time that I was just keeping it in her system because she was so uncomfortable and unhappy otherwise but I didn’t even know that it existed for the first few weeks.

Gas Drops

Again, another item I wish I would’ve known about so I could start a stock pile. Sometimes babies get gassy and by sometimes, I mean like a whole freaking lot. We use gas drops often with Rae. Once again, Rae was quite a fussy baby for the first couple months and gas drops would help her to calm down when her tummy was bothering her. This girl’s gas is on ANOTHER LEVEL, and there are times you can tell that it’s really hurting her. These give her so much relief that there are times she’s a brand new baby after giving it to her.

Sit Me Up

So this little device is actually new to the Eynon household but I’m already obsessed with it. Raelee loves sitting up like a big girl but she doesn’t quite have the core strength or balance to be able to do it yet, even though the head control is there. This seat allows her to sit up, assisted and be able to see everything that’s going on around her and she LOVES it. The little toys on the front were actually the first toys she was able to grab onto and play with herself. It’s clearly comfy too as we have caught her sleeping in it a few times now. I love the fact that it just gives me one more place to set her where I know that she’s safe, but where she’s happy and content. It’s also nice because it folds up to lay flat so it’s relatively easy to store.

For you, Mama:

Haakaa

Okay, I know what you’re thinking… a what? For you breastfeeding mamas out there, this is a MUST. For those of you that don’t know, when you feed on one side, the other side leaks and this little device keeps you from losing that precious, leaking, liquid gold. It suctions to the side you’re not feeding with and not only catches the milk thats leaking but will actually pull out the milk and give you a letdown on that side. There are times that I have gotten more milk from the side I’m not feeding with than from the actual pump and it’s awesome because you don’t have to do anything other than what you’re already doing! The only thing I have found is that the ounce measurements aren’t exactly correct, they’re more an estimate and off by half an ounce to an ounce, but that isn’t a big deal.

Nursing Pillow

Another must have for you breastfeeding moms, at least in the beginning! A nursing pillow. Holding up a baby while feeding is a sure fire way to build up that arm strength but it also gets exhausting so a nursing pillow to prop up your arm is incredibly useful. I love the Feeding Friend Self Inflating Nursing Pillow. It’s great, the wedge shape makes it super comfy and the fact it’s self inflating makes it super practical. Yes, you read that right, self inflating. This pillow deflates and rolls up small enough to fit in your diaper bag and when you’re ready to use it you just take it out, twist the dial, and it inflates in seconds! It’s so nice as a new mom for feeding literally anywhere because of it’s deflating capabilities. Now that I’ve got the nursing thing down (well seem to, she could change her mind at any time) I find I don’t really need it anymore but for those first few months this pillow made feeding so much easier. Before, I was fighting with pillows trying to find the right position and with this pillow there is no fight, you can immediately get comfy and nurse!

Nipple Shield

Another weird one… but yes, a nipple shield. Breastfeeding is hard and never let anyone tell you different. Eventually I will tell my full story but for now I’ll stick to the basics. This little piece of plastic made feeding for the first month, not only possible, but easy. We had issues when we got home from the hospital and feeding which happens every two hours in those first few weeks was a time that my husband and I DREADED because it was such a fight. After a lactation consultant gave me this all of our problems went away and feeding became stress free. Basically, it just allows for the baby to latch on more easily. We no longer use it, but I will be forever grateful for it and will recommend one to anybody who’s having issues. Another perk is because of how wide it is, it helps train for a good latch once retired. Keep in mind I am no expert, this is just my personal experience. If you’re struggling to breastfeed I would highly recommend seeing an LC.

Pumping Bra

Okay, last breastfeeding/milk related item… for now at least. And another new addition to the Eynon household. Now, this bra is something I wish I had LONG ago, nursing bras are important too, but this bra is basically magic in mommy world. It allows you to pump without having to actually hold the pump up to you and I cannot express (pun not intended) how much easier and less of a pain pumping has become since having it simply because it allows me to use my hands and while I’m being milked.

Nose Frida 

A boogie sucker. The Fridababy Nose Frida is all the craze among mommies right now. Basically, it’s a contraption that allows you to suck boogies out of your little one’s nose. You simply stick the blue part into the end of their nostril and suck to your hearts desire on the red piece and out will come the mucus that’s causing your baby to be cranky because they can’t breathe. Is it disgusting? Absolutely. But, I promise you’ll deal with nastier things as a parent and the end result is so worth it.