NEWBORN MUST HAVES (FIRST 4 WEEKS)

I’m back again with a complete list of items we used in Quinns first month of life! Every parent is different, and every baby is different but these are the items we have used in her first four weeks. If something is straight forward I’ll just link the item, but if we use an item for a specific reason I’ll list why so you can see if that scenario seems right for you as well.

NIGHTTIME/SLEEP

  • Arms up Swaddle : We switched to this one on night two at home because she could roll on her side and it scared the heck out of me! She was born with a large head (don’t worry she is back down to 52 percentile - haha) and the arms up swaddle keeps her head from rocking her to the side.

  • Halo Bassinet with this mattress cover (x2) and the SOFTEST sheets : She sleeps in her bassinet exclusively at night and I LOVE it. It swivels 360 degrees, has mesh sides incase she were to ever get pressed up against the sides she could still breathe, the side comes down to place her in, and the adjustable height allows you to have baby right next to you in bed.

  • Hatch Sound Machine : I know this seems like an expensive purchase but I love it so much. You can make multiple custom settings so all you have to do is tap the top. For example, I have three settings set up for nighttime feeding - sound + brighter light, sound + dimmer light + and sound with no light. You can also use it when they are older and make a setting for colorful lights to come on and off to tell them when it’s time to get up.

  • Owlet Sock : Lots of controversy around this item but we are big fans.

  • Zipper PJs : Double zip PJs or magnetic Pjs all of the way!

  • Travel baby monitor : I use this baby monitor when she naps in her bassinet during the day and will take it when we start traveling. No wifi needed!

  • Books : I highly recommend asking your baby shower host to do “books instead of cards” because we have a great library of books now and reading to her at night is our favorite time of day! I also got a library card and have stocked up on more books to read to her because that’s how much we love it.

  • Crib / mattress / sheets: she has technically taken one nap in her crib so I’m listing that, the mattress, waterproof cover, sheet, and monitor (I don’t love the monitor to be honest).

BATHTIME

  • Bathtub

  • Water Thermometer : This gives me peace of mind knowing the water is the right temp. We use it every time.

  • Shampoo : Your choice on what you use, but this is what we currently have.

  • Swaddle Blanket : We use a swaddle blanket in her bath and she loves it. She screamed before we started doing this. This is my favorite swaddle brand here but any swaddle blanket will do!

  • Rinse cup

  • Spout Cover

  • Kneeler and Elbow Rest

  • Toy Bin for bath toys that drains the water out.

  • Bathtoys

COMFORT/PLAY

  • Solly Wrap : These wraps take some learning to use, but I love them because it keeps baby warm and snuggled up against you like they were in the womb. Perfect especially when they are super new.

  • Ergo Carrier : We only started using this now because she is getting used to life outside of the womb and is more aware.

  • Boppy with Covers : We use the Boppy, the waterproof cover, and the regular cover for feeding and to prop her up for tummy time.

  • Bouncer : Hands down my most used item!! It’s incredibly compact, can be folded flat, and she loves it!

  • Swing : Not her or my favorite item (because it’s massive), but we occasionally get her to use it.

  • Lovevery playgym : (shop here or on Amazon) This gets used EVERY day - we love it so much I have this extra sensory strand to go with it! I know it’s pricey but it comes with mirrors, black and white cards, tons of sensory items and can be turned into a tent.

  • Oball Rattle

  • Safari Block from WeeGallery

  • Mombella Mushroom

  • Musical Star Toy

  • Crinkle Book for entertainment out and about

DIAPERING

  • Diaper rash cream : We tried several but are liking this one the best so far.

  • 2 sizes of diapers : Find what diapers work best for you but hold off on opening your newborn ones until you know for sure your baby can fit in them. Quinn was 9lbs+ so she used newborn diapers for a veryyyy short amount of time. You can exchange any unused diapers at Target.

  • Diaper Cream Spatula : We keep the large one at her changing table in her nursery and the smaller one in the changing basket in our room. I’m about to buy another small on for my diaper bag.

  • Ava + Oliver Changing Mats : We love these vegan leather changing mats! So easy to wipe clean. We have three of them!

  • Wipes : So far Water Wipes and Sensitive Wipes are our favorites.

  • Ubbi Diaper Pail - We have no issues with smell and you don’t need special bags.

  • Wipe Dispenser from Ubbi

  • Plum and Sparrow Changing Basket : This is the one in her room.

  • Diaper Caddy : We keep this in our room for middle of the night feeds and change her on our bed. During the day we change her in her room at the changing table. It holds our diapers, diaper cream, diaper cream spatula, changing mat, and wipes.

TRAVEL

MISC

  • Nail Trimmer : Using clippers is scary so I recommend this nail trimmer 100%!

  • Neeva Sanitizer : You definitely don’t need a sterilizer this big, but I do use it often and like it.

  • Newborn Milestone Discs : I use these for cute photos.

  • Burp cloths : I have several but these are my favorite so far.

  • Booties : I use these booties from Amazon and these booties from Goumi (code MAE for 15% off) way more than socks.

  • Hats : babies need to stay warm and I used these hats - here, here and here.

  • Thermometer : this one and this rectal one.

  • Fan : We used this fan when it was still warm outside. Mostly for me, haha, but I plan to attach it to her stroller when it gets hot again.

CLOTHING

FEEDING

MAMA RECOVERY ITEMS

  • See this blog post for a complete list of my c-section recovery items!