infant must haves (that worked for us)

The first year of parenthood is such a big transition for every family whether everyone admits it or not. While it’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to you, there is no real way to prepare for what is about to happen when you become a parent. I put together a list of all the items that helped us in our first year with an infant. Anything that helps make the transition smoother for you and your family is honestly a no brainer. At 3am with no sleep for 2 days straight, you’ll need and want all the helpful tips! Keep in mind, every baby is different, and so is every mother. But, from one mama to another...you got this!

1. Some sort of swing. Mamaroo, Graco, Fisher price, any kind of motorized swing. PSA: NOT ALL BABIES SLEEP IN A BASSINET. We brought Scarlett home from the hospital and had the cutest bassinet for her....she hated it. Screamed her head off and refused to sleep in it. We then bought the halo bassinet that vibrates and swivels and basically sits in your bed (great for C-section mamas- no sitting up and down) but no dice. Girl needed motion. THEN, we got smart, I went to babies r us (rip) and bought like 5 different things and we tried them all. The best hands down for us was the graco soother swing. Scarlett slept in that every night until we moved her to her crib in her room at 3 months. It was a literal lifesaver.

2. Shusher. Scarlett loved the loud shush and my throat and mouth would get so dry shushing her for hours a day. The shusher was a game changer and we still use it to this day to help her fall asleep sometimes if she’s wide awake when she goes down.

3. A sound machine. Similar to the shusher, only the shusher only runs for 30 mins max. A sound machine that runs white noise all night is a MUST HAVE. We still use it every night and it’s really soothing for her. Wombs are loud and then we expect them to sleep in dead silence? Get a white noise machine.

4. Nursing mamas- ALL. THE. NURSING. BRAS. Seriously, stock up. In the first few weeks or even months you’ll be soaking thru things if you have a good supply. Just trust me. Have at least 5-7 bras so you have one for each day of the week. Even if you can’t squeeze a shower in, changing your bra will help you feel better.

5. Nursing mamas- nursing pads. Some will tell you to use the rewash-able ones and not the throw away kind...well I tried those and my milk leaked right thru them. I went with the throw away and used them at night once Scarlett was older and night feedings stopped. If I didn’t use them I would wake up with a soaked bra and shirt.

6. This is less a particular item and more an idea. Have a space downstairs (if you live in a multiple story home) where you can change diapers. We had our pack and play set up in our living room and it had the changing station on the side. For a c-section mama it was crucial for me because I was supposed to limit going up and down the stairs to once a day for two weeks. That’s a lot of diapers.

7. Different brands and types of pacifiers. Until you find “your” brand. We started out with the brand that the hospital had and learned quickly that this kind popped out of her mouth really easily and we were up and down all night putting it back in her mouth. We then tried out Avent and had the same problem. I then found (thru a lot of research) BIBS pacifiers. They are amazing and stay put. They are honestly the closest thing to the actual thing out there. AND they are cute and trendy. Win Win.

8. The moms on call book. I swear by this book and still follow their schedule corresponding with Scarlett’s age. Their schedule and sleep routine helped us get Scarlett sleeping thru the night at just TWO MONTHS. Seriously. Even if you don’t use the schedule, they have a lot of helpful tips and tricks. It’s $20 on amazon. WORTH IT. There are so many books and methods out there so you have to do your research and figure out what’s best for you and your baby. But everyone I talk to that used this book all had great experiences.

9. Sleepsack or sleepsuit. Scarlett LOVED to be swaddled and when we had to transition her out of it she was not a happy camper. I had seen and heard about the magic merlin sleepsuit and ordered one in the middle of a sleepless night. It was the best 3am buy ever. It looks like a snowsuit ha ha seriously, but surprisingly really breathable and so comfortable. She slept like a dream in it. Once they start rolling over to their tummies in their sleep, you have to transition out of it. She now sleeps in a halo sleepsack, it’s basically a wearable blanket.

10. Ceiling fan or floor fan or some sort of circulation of air in the babies room or where the baby is sleeping. Just something to keep air moving in there. I read a statistic that a fan in your babies room decreases the chances of SIDS by like 85%. Every time I flipped that fan on, I breathed a little easier knowing she was too.

11. The wonder weeks app. It’s super helpful when you know when your baby is going thru a developmental leap and may be a little more cranky than usual. It’s nice to get a heads up. Every single time Scarlett seemed to be going thru a fussy phase, I checked the app and sure enough she was going thru a leap. It also walks you thru exactly what your baby is discovering and different ways to interact with them to help those developments along and encourage them.

12. Black out curtains in the nursery. We didn’t get these at first but let me tell you, it was a must have. We got some that go behind her pretty curtains! You’ll need it to be dim in your babies room during the day for naps. We still have them and it really helps cue Scarlett that it’s time to rest.

13. Stroller system. We went with the NUNA PIPA series and it has been amazing. It came with a carseat, a base, stroller, bassinet for stroller, and rain cover. The carseat clicks into the stroller which is great if baby falls asleep in the car. It’s really lightweight and that is a great quality because once that baby starts gaining some pounds woooo girl, it’s a workout carrying that thing around. It is a pricey system but it has 5 stars and rave reviews. There are many many brands to choose from but after a lot of research that’s what we ultimately went with!

14. Bèaba baby food maker. Once your baby starts eating solids, and if you want to make their food from scratch, this thing is a godsend. It makes food prep so easy. It steams and purees all in one. You steam the food for 15 minutes and then puree. Easy Peasy. I watched a few youtube videos which was super helpful at first!

15. Nursing Mamas, invest in a GOOD PUMP. I went with the medela pump in style advanced and it was good but I wish I had done a little more research and found one with better reviews. Pumps are a commitment because once you buy, you can’t return in most cases. Check with your insurance, some will cover your pump! I have since heard amazing things about the willow pump. It is super pricey but it’s great for pumping on the go which is perfect for new mamas. It will allow you to do things around your house, pump while driving or lay down while pumping. Because the last thing a new mom has is TIME. And sitting down to pump takes time.

16. An infant bathtub, listen guys...there are a million different ways to give an infant a bath and the bathtub we had made it so easy. Baths can be a little daunting at first and anything that helps it go smoothly, well, just go with it. Is the temperature right? A question you will ask yourself time and time again...this one has a thermometer!! AND, it's also a scale! It's very helpful to track their weight gain in the beginning when it seems like that's all you worry about. We just stopped using it when she was about 11 months old so it really took us thru almost the whole first year!

Ok that’s all my MUST HAVES that helped us get thru the first year with an infant! Good luck mamas! Also, remember to give yourself GRACE because it’s a HUGE transition and trust me you’re doing the best you can!!!

All items we used or similar is linked below! Just click the photo and it will direct you where you can buy these items.

xo- Sarah