Annie is six weeks old! Her current interests include sleeping, not sleeping, pooping, not pooping, and making funny faces. And while no day yet has been easy, every day has gotten easier. I’m more comfortable, more confident — and then the minute I think we’re starting to find our groove and get into a routine, everything changes. But those funny faces. I can’t get enough of them.
THOSE FACES! (This onesie actually fits her now!)In other news, I am so excited to have so many pregnant friends right now! It’s wild being on the other side of pregnancy. Wasn’t I just obsessing over everything I absolutely needed (and, uh, still haven’t used), and frantically Googling things like “does UppaBaby Vista bassinet need mattress pad cover???” and “best baby carrier for big boobs.”
I loved scouring the internet for advice from new moms about what they deemed must-haves for the first few weeks. (You’re welcome for my Amazon addiction, Jeff Bezos.) And now that we have survived those same first few weeks of our own, here are my newborn must-haves!
Seriously, Annie, be cuter. JUST TRY.FOR ANNIE
The Uppababy Vista stroller: We do a lot of walking where we live, so having a great stroller is key. At one point, I convinced myself (and Brian) that we needed three strollers: the Vista for everyday use, an umbrella stroller for I’m honestly not sure what at this stage, and a jogging stroller. We’ll get a run-friendly stroller eventually, but for now, we just have the Vista and it’s working out great. I love it. Plus, Annie sleeps in the bassinet from the stroller at night, which is handy.
THEY SEE ME STROLLIN!Aden & Anais swaddles for covering the bassinet mattress: We don’t use these swaddles for actually swaddling, but we use them to cover the bassinet mattress (wrapped super tightly!), we throw them on top of the changing pad so we aren’t constantly washing it, and we use them as giant burp cloths. I thought they were way too flimsy to function as actual swaddles, but they’re otherwise lovely multi-use giant pieces of fabric.
These velcro swaddles: So much better than swaddling with a blanket! These swaddles are so great and so easy and Annie sleeps really well in them.
And they’re so cute! Just like Annie!The Boppy Newborn Lounger: I love putting Annie in this when we’re on the couch and I’m pumping, eating, or getting work done. And I think she likes having her head propped up a bit so she can see stuff!
Thanksgiving loungin’!The Rock n Play swing: We mostly use this in the evening when Annie falls into her last deep-sleep nap of the day.
You can’t really tell, but Annie is in her swing!DockATot: This is the most-asked-about item on the internet, it seems. “Is the DockATot worth it?” People who have it love it. People who don’t have it say it seems stupid and overpriced and unnecessary. Both sides have a point, TBH. But we have used it a lot as a place to put Annie, just like the lounger.
Docked!Onesies with feet: Must have feet! Pajamas and any types of clothing without built-in feet are dead to me. Baby socks are adorable, but useless. Annie can ditch those things faster than I can say, “Where’d your sock go, Annie-mal?!” Carter’s makes great ones, and I love Annie’s hot pink Hanna Andersson pair.
Love these cozy jammies WITH FEET!This Little Giraffe blanket: I bought it as a gift for a friend and then bought myself (uh, Annie, I mean) the same one. I love all things Little Giraffe. We use this one to keep Annie cozy when she’s in the swing, lounger, or Dock, or to bundle her in the stroller for chilly walks.
This Pottery Barn Kids blanket: Same as above. This blanket is so soft, and when Annie was brand new, she loved being in nothing but a diaper and this blanket. It calmed her immediately.
Burt’s Bees burp cloths: I tried lots of different burp cloths that enthusiastic Amazon shoppers and reviewers insisted were “the best ever.” I didn’t love most of them, but I love these Burt’s Bees ones. They’re thin, absorbent, and a good size.
Love a good bandanna bib!Water Wipes: IDK. I just like them. I hate super scented stuff, and these have no scent.
Huggies diapers: I really wanted to like Honest Company diapers, but found them to be too stiff, and they irritated Annie’s skin a bit. Then we tried Pampers Swaddlers, and they were OK. But Huggies are my current favorite. Annie is still kind of small for newborn-sized diapers, but the Huggies ones are the softest and seem to fit her the best, at least for now.
This Carter’s bear suit: It’s adorable, but it’s also awesome for cold-weather baby-wearing and strolling.
I WANT ONE, TOO.Soothies pacifiers: “I don’t want my baby to become addicted to a pacifier. We’ll probably hold off a while before we give her one.” LOL. Famous last words. She loves this shit.
Dr. Brown’s bottles: We’re using these ones with slow-flow inserts and preemie-sized nipples.
FOR ALI
Spectra breast pump and a ton of extra parts: Order your pump through Aeroflow! They were amazing and so helpful and made the process so easy. I never had to call my insurance company directly, which is always a pain in the butt. So if you’re pregnant, Aeroflow is the way to go. I put in all my information and got an email breaking down all my pump options and how much they would cost. Some would’ve been free! I went with the Spectra S2, which has been great. I paid $29.99 for it. (I wish I had gotten the Spectra S1 so I didn’t need to be plugged in all the time, but that one was like $130 and, at the time, I figured I’d be breastfeeding not pumping ’round the clock. Oh well!) And lots of extra parts so I’m not washing stuff every single time I pump.
This hands-free pumping bra: No hands, no problem.
Motherlove nipple cream: I was using a different kind the first few weeks, when my nipples were in really rough shape, and it didn’t help. Then I tried the Motherlove brand, and bam. Mostly fixed!
PAUSE FOR CUTE ANNIE PIC.Soothies gel pads: I don’t think these do anything, and it hurts a tiny bit to remove them. But I keep them in the fridge and it feels so good to put them on after I pump.
Stroller mittens: These are the best ever.
These sippy cups for stroller walks: I am not so great at hydrating, but I am so thirsty all the time these days. I drink more when I drink out of a straw, so bringing these cups on our walks has been crucial.
These cozy PJ pants: High-waisted stuff FTW.
The Happiest Baby on the Block: Excellent soothing techniques in here! Highly recommend! Obviously. (I didn’t read the book. I purchased and watched the streaming option.)
The happiest baby! Except when she’s hungry. Or needs to burp.So yeah. Alison Feller, single-handedly keeping Amazon in business every day around 11 PM!
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Ali on the Run! And Annie…
ANY NEWBORN MUST-HAVES YOU’D ADD TO THIS LIST?
6 Responses
NOTE: You can put your pump parts in the fridge between pumps too so you don’t have to wash them as frequently!
As for my must haves:
Someone already said this, but: Zutano booties! I was the same as you re: footed pajamas until Elizabeth (my 4 month old) started getting too long and growing out of them faster than her footless PJs.
My Lillebaby carrier. Elizabeth hated her car seat for the first two months and was NOT a sleepy newborn. The carrier meant I could get out of the house without her crying, and I could walk the dog much more easily (he needs loooong walks, even though he’s almost 11! I keep waiting for him to slow down…).
Hanna Andersson PJs. Ugh I love them so much, particularly the Pima cotton ones. I also love Kissy Kissy ones, but they’re stupid expensive. And then Moon and Back onesies and pants. They’re thicker than Carter’s and not expensive (and you can get them on Amazon, aka my new best friend).
Tubby Todd all over ointment. Elizabeth has mild eczema, and I really think this stuff makes a difference.
Finally, any sort of baby stasher. Current favorite is the Baby Bjorn bouncer.
Oh, and the Christmas tree, because lights.
I love these lists even though I am not at all close to having a munchkin (totally saving to my secret baby board on Pinterest)
We have a bjorn bouncer, serves the same purpose as a doc a tot but you can use it for much longer and it’s a little safer. I also second the Velcro swaddles. My guy was born breech and had crazy legs for the first month and could bust out of even the most professionally wrapped swaddle. The Velcro keeps him locked and loaded!
I have the Uppababy Vista, an umbrella stroller, and a running buggy ha. Each one ESSENTIAL. Well, actually we’re about to lend the Vista to friends as we don’t really have room for it and it’s SO good with the bassinet. We got the umbrella for daycare….
She’s adorable! Look up zutano baby booties in Amazon. They’re pretty cheap, fleece, and they snap shut so they never fall off! Perfect for winter and colder weather.
Ok, I have to know.. what baby carrier did you end up with by searching “best baby carrier for big boobs??” I will need something similar in a few months 🙂 Thanks for the recommendations and I’ll definitely be using a few affiliate links!