Mom to Mom: Newborn Necessities

This is the last installment of “new mom” topics (hey what can we say, we are new moms!). We hope this helps out all the expecting moms out there and maybe those going through it again.

What were your must-haves at the hospital?

Lauren: My hooter hider (hehe) got tons of use with so many visitors in and out of our room over our 5 day stint. I also loved having comfy dresses to wear that weren’t tight on any body parts that hurt (which was pretty much all body parts). Other than that, I ended up not even using most of the things I brought, I spent all my time cuddling with my new baby, sleeping, and recovering. I didn’t even need my boppy with the 5,000 pillows they surrounded me with.

Casey: My robe (I feel like I should hyperlink that to keep up with Lauren!) I bought a new one before Halle was born and it was perfect for when visitors came. I think I wore that thing for a month straight! Although this was not a baby necessity, but I couldn’t have gone without the peanut butter crackers that I actually had packed for Gabe. I was starving all through the first night and ate those about every hour.

Which baby gear were your best friends those first few weeks?

L: A bouncy seat was a huge life saver for us. It allowed us to eat dinner and for me to shower (sometimes). I also loved my Moby wrap which always lulled him to sleep if I walked around with him in it–probably even up until he was about 4 months old!

C: A pacifier, which next time I will take to the hospital and not wait 3 days with a screaming baby. And this is where we differ, Lauren, but I HAD to have bottles. I didn’t have one bottle in the house before she was born, but lo and behold, she didn’t nurse well and we used all the ones the hospital sent home with my pump. Oh yeah, my pump! It was great and I’m so glad we rented first!

What could you have done without?

L: Where do I start? Kyler never slept in the swing. He never took bottles or pacifiers….probably half the stuff I registered for! And if you read my mom lesson on my hospital diaper bag, you’ll see that I had a lot to learn!

C: Yeah, I could make a long list too (if you’re pregnant and curious, comment and I’ll go into details.) One thing I would change was buying nice and cutesie clothes that were 0-3 months. Babies that small are so scrunched up; they need to be in sleepers all day, everyday.

How did you deal with the lack of sleep?

L: I did what every responsible, loving mother does…became cranky and cried a lot. Although I do have to give mad props to the hubs, who helped out with almost all the night feedings (diaper changes, bringing me snacks and water, etc.) and would even let me sleep in after the morning feedings occasionally.

C: Honestly, you don’t. People say “sleep when the baby sleeps” but if it’s your first baby, you feel like you’re going to miss out on something. I had that “I just chaperoned a junior high lock-in” feeling for about 6 weeks. I knew it was nap time for me when tears were welling for no reason at all. Gabe better get ready because when baby #2 comes around, he’ll be on duty a lot more!

What will you do differently next time?

L: I’m going to stock up on even more baby wearing devices (Ergo-here I come!) and maybe try introducing a bottle sooner. Although I must say, not having to deal with cleaning any bottles was pretty nice.

C: Well, first, I won’t be buying any “must-wear” outfits that are smaller than a 6-month size. I will also be packing a family-size lasagna in my hospital bag, not just peanut butter crackers! (I hear that you can burn as many calories through delivery as you can running a marathon! I have no difficulty believing that!) And last, knowing that she won’t make any major developments while I’m sleeping, I will make myself nap more.