Mommy Must Haves: The Early Months

This post has been months in the making. Back when Ethan was a newborn, I'd planned a post about what baby gear was invaluable, what stuff we used occasionally, and what we could have done without, not including obvious necessities like a car seat, crib, diapers, clothes, etc. Yeah, it never got written, except for in my head. So instead, I'm going to do a 3-part series to see how my Mommy Must Haves changed over the course of Ethan's first year. The Early Months will cover the newborn stage to 4 months. The Middle Months will cover 4-8 months. The Later Months will cover 8-12 months. And perhaps there will be a final installment entitled Toddler Edition. So here goes!

Must Haves:

1) Moby Wrap


Hands down the best baby gift ever! I've already detailed my love of the Moby in previous posts, but not only did it save my sanity on many occasion, it also served as my introduction to the world of babywearing. Further exclamations of adoration will be saved for another babywearing post, though, so suffice it to say it's my #1 newborn must have.

2) Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Swing


This was also essential to our sanity because Ethan slept exclusively in his swing at night for the first 3 months. He also sporadically slept in it for naps, which was the only time we actually turned the swing on. It allowed us to cosleep safely (until he began rolling back-to-front at least), and its rocking enabled him to put himself to sleep on several occasions. However, it did become a bit of a crutch, so I'm not sure what our plan will be for future kids. At the very least, I may want to try out the bassinet of the Pack-n-Play with #2 and attempt a crib transition a bit earlier.

3) aden + anais SwaddlePlus Wraps


Talk about a baby-multitasker! These light-weight muslin blankets are perfect for swaddling, of course, and Ethan was swaddled in them every night for the first 3 months. They were also great blankets for the car seat and out and about. When rolled up, they made a great head-support for the car seat. They doubled as nursing covers for times I felt modest about nursing in public. They served as burp cloths when a cloth diaper wasn't at hand. They kept baby warm during sponge baths. We have 8 of them, and honestly, we needed that many, especially in the beginning. I cannot say enough about how much I love them!

4) Boppy Pillow


Another versatile item. The Boppy is of course great for supporting a baby during breastfeeding, but it also serves as an infant "chair" before they can roll. If he was content to just sit and smile, we could plop him in the Boppy on the couch and sit with him without needing to hold him. It also kept him stationary when I was getting ready to feed him or when I needed to pump afterwards. Definitely one of those baby items I didn't expect would get as much use as it did. We actually have two (one a shower gift; one a yard sale find) so that we can keep one in the nursery by the glider and the other downstairs.

5) Dutalier Comfort Plus 2 Post Glider


I spent many hours nursing and rocking in this chair. In the beginning, Ethan would often nurse for over an hour, so comfort was important, especially for those night feedings when I really didn't want to get up to begin with. Even now, I often read to Ethan in the glider, I rock Ethan before bedtime, and he has his first nursing of the day in the glider. It's also the stage for his monthly photos. Well worth the investment to have a custom glider!

We also liked:

1) Dr. Brown's BottlesWe hadn't expected to need these very much since I had hoped to exclusively breastfeed. However, my body had other plans, so starting a little after the first month, we began bottle-feeding supplements. We still only have the newborn starter kit, which means I wash bottles on the regular, and all of the parts of these bottles can get a little tedious. Nevertheless, Ethan took them immediately, which makes them winners in my book.

2) Tiny Love Gymini Super Deluxe Lights and Music Activity Mat


Ethan loved staring up at the dangling toys and eventually batting at them, too. And I loved having a soft place I could put him while I folded laundry. The utility of a quilt with the engagement of a toy. I'm not sure I would have purchased one if we didn't receive it as a gift, but we definitely got a lot of use out of it!




I may add a bit more to second part of this list later, but for now, it's time for bed!