My Favorite Newborn Items

Favorite Items - Newborn Edition 

I can remember when I was still a few months pregnant and I am pretty sure I researched just about every link available on Google about which products I needed to buy for my newborn. I even watched endless YouTube videos about essential products, products you don't need, etc. It turns out I may have gotten a few extra products that I don't tend to use very often, but it's better to be prepared than not at all, I suppose.. I'm going to show you Piper's essential items that have made life easier for not only her, but her mama bear as well! 
(Pictured above) I met with a lactation consultant the first few weeks after Piper was born and we quickly found out that I was going to have to use formula to feed instead of breastmilk. I did some research and found some bottles for her to use. They seemed decent, had good reviews, but unfortunately, those particular bottles didn't work for Piper and she was spitting up a lot. When I met with Abby, our lactation consultant, she suggested these Dr. Browns bottles to help with colic or spit-up. They have definitely made a difference and I'm so happy Abby told me about them! 

Our next favorite is the Boppy Pillow. 
Piper absolutely LOVES this thing! She naps so great in it and sometimes I'll feed her while she's sitting in it as well. We have a few rocker seats, but those don't seem to impress her just yet but this Boppy Pillow always does the trick if she's a bit fussy, needs to nap, or even just to hang out in while her father and I eat some dinner!

I saw so many moms on Pinterest suggest to set up a diaper "station". I ran to TJ Maxx and bought these adorable pink baskets and filled this one with our favorite diapers and wipes, along with some creams and baby powder. I have been loving the Pampers brand diapers for Piper. We tried a few others, but she either leaked through them or they weren't absorbent enough to keep her sound asleep throughout the night. Pampers fit her just right and are super absorbent for her 6-8 hour sleep stretch she will take every night! (Pictured in the basket above: Pampers brand diapers, as well as Hello Bello Diapers- which I use for day time, shorter changing intervals) 

One thing dad asked about was a pacifier. I was so unsure about this one- there's so much controversy about it. (There's controversial topics about a lot of things when it comes to being a mom and how to take care of your child....) I agreed to use one, but we generally only use it when we are out in public and she's really fussy or at home when we can't get her to go to sleep. It has certainly saved us from a few public squawking fits! I found these Soothie Pacifiers from Avent on Amazon and they work really great for her! 

From day one since we brought Piper home, I decided I wanted her to sleep in her own crib. To help her sleep a little better (to feel more comforted) and to help my sanity, I bought this crib insert of Amazon! (Similar to the Doc-A-Tot)- I wanted a Doc-A-Tot so badly but couldn't justify the money at the time and wasn't really sure if she was going to like it or use it. I looked on Amazon and found this crib insert! Piper sleeps so peacefully in it and at night, she will sleep anywhere from 6-8 hours! Thankfully I haven't been missing out on too much sleep just yet all thanks to this crib insert.
To help even more with my sanity, and because we have Piper in her own room, Billy and I decided to by a video monitor. Originally I was going to just buy a cheap-o one that just had audio and no video, but I can tell you right now, it's more than worth it to spend the money to get a video monitor. The one we bought is by Hello Baby and its AMAZING! You can control the camera from the monitor screen and it also has night vision so her picture is crystal clear when her room is dark! Definitely one of my favorite newborn purchases that I love!

I'm totally a girl that's all about convenience and these easy swaddles are just that- they have a little pouch for her legs to slide into and then two flaps with velcro attachments that wrap super easily around her and everything stays in place. We have a few different kinds of easy swaddles, but my favorite swaddles are the ones from the brand Golden Phoenix. We received these from a good friend but you can find them on Amazon and they have adorable patterns for boys and girls! Piper LOVES to be swaddled, so these easy swaddles are perfect. I keep one laid out on her crib insert for when it's time for bed, everything is ready to go and she's swaddled up in two seconds! 

These first few months have been such an adventure and a total trail and error of many products. Among all the things we've tried, these products are the ones we absolutely love and that I would recommend to any new parent (or parent in general)! These things have worked great for Piper and I and I hope that you're able to find this post helpful! I assume you're a new parent or grandparent if you're stumbling across this post; don't worry- you got this! Newborns don't need TONS of products for their first few months of life, just a few essentials and that's it! Since I've gotten a trial two months or so, I figured I'd give my insight on which products have worked best for us in hopes to help any of you decide what you need for your little love bug. Happy Parenting! 
Love Always, 
​- Jacqueline