Before Layli was born, I was so overwhelmed by all the baby products that are out there. And then having to register for what Layli “needed” was almost silly because I really had no idea. So I thought it would be nice to come up with a list of items that have been really useful to me as a new mom for all my future mommy & daddy friends. So here it goes:

Swaddle-if you are a nurse in a maternity ward, then you can probably just use your own receiving blanket to swaddle your baby, but if you’re like the rest of us, you’ll find that swaddling your baby properly is nearly impossible. You can buy this ready-made swaddle that has velcro to keep your baby swaddled nice and tight which really helps them sleep!

Breast pump- if you’re going to be working just break down and buy the expensive breast pump…see my previous post on the subject here.

Cloth diapers/wash cloths-There’s a lot of fluid action with little ones and these provide a little protection to your clothes/sheets/furniture/friends. We were given so many wash cloths and cloth diapers I thought for sure we wouldn’t use them all, I was wrong.

Breastflow bottle- Layli wouldn’t take a bottle for several weeks. This was a problem since I work in the office three days a week. We finally tried this bottle which worked like a charm. It’s made to feel like a breast and Layli took to it pretty quickly. You’ll probably have to try several bottles until your baby finds one she likes, but you may just want to start with this one.

Boppy- this thing has so many uses!  It was a great help when we were first learning to nurse. Before she could sit up it was a nice place for her to lounge if she didn’t want to be on her back and I couldn’t hold her at the moment. Now that she’s sitting up, it’s great to put around her so she doesn’t keep bopping (pun intended) her head every time she falls over.

Nursing Tank Top-this is really great because you can look stylish by layering it under your shirt and also stay pretty well covered when you’re nursing. It’s also nice for just lounging around the house.

Co-sleeper-this is wonderful! Layli slept in her co-sleeper for the first 4 months and it was so nice. I could just roll over and nurse her at night when she was hungry. I could also make sure she was breathing at ever moment, which is a common occurrence as a new mom.

Pack & Play- make sure you get one with a changing table. This is very useful when staying over at someone else’s house.  It’s also helpful if your house is two stories, because we have a place for her to sleep/play/change downstairs as well as upstairs. This is the one we have and it works just fine.

Preemie clothes- if your doctor thinks your baby will be average size when she’s born (Layli was 7 lbs 14 oz) then you may want to buy some preemie size clothes. For the first few weeks Layli was swimming in all her “newborn” clothes.

Nasal Aspirator- make sure you have one of these. Life can be very difficult for your little one if she has boogies….

Swing- you may want to get a swing, many moms feel it’s a necessity. If you do, make sure you control when the music turns on and off. Also, you’ll want a variation of sounds, not just classical music (i.e. white noise, water falling).

Slings/Wraps/Carriers- this is really a matter a preference. But you’ll probably need a few. We have the Snugli, which is great for hikes or long walks. We also have the Moby Wrap which is really comfortable once you get the baby in it, but it takes a lot of practice getting it all wrapped around you properly. I also have the hotsling which is great because you just put it over your head and you’re ready to go.

Gdiapers- if you haven’t decided what kind of diapers you’re going to use, you may just want to buy a gdiapers starter kit to try them out.

Toy links- you will probably be given a lot of toys which are a blessing and a curse. It’s nice to have these rings so you can hang the toys around which makes it easier for your baby to play with them before she can grasp. Billy’s aunt gave us some at our baby shower and I thought “what the heck are those for?” but they have really come in handy.

Soap- there are a lot of choices out there for baby soaps. I really think it’s a crime that so many of them have dyes and perfumes. Your baby really only needs mild soap and water. Personally, we use California Baby and a tiny bit of Canus Li’l Goat’s Milk Body wash just to give her a little sweet smell.