Newborn Essentials for Mom & Baby

Nov 19

Written By

Taz is just about six weeks old now, and while we are nowhere near experts in this whole parenting thing... we survived the first month! I wanted to share Taz's cute newborn photos along with some helpful newborn essentials for both mom and baby that really work for us. We shot these photos when he was nine days old and I can't believe how tiny he is in these... he's grown so much since! If you're local to Arizona, I highly recommend hiring Shannon to shoot your newborn photos. Her studio is beyond amazing and she truly is a baby whisperer!

Essentials for baby:

Taking Cara Babies newborn class: We did this class when Taz was three weeks old and it was a game changer! This is not a sleep training class, this is a class on how to read baby's sleep cues, how to soothe baby, how to help baby put themselves to sleep, etc. It even includes several loose "schedules" for those that need an idea on how to get their baby on one {aka get their days and nights straight!}. It's an incredible class, Cara is so knowledgeable {she's a neonatal nurse, certified pediatric sleep consultant, and her husband is a pediatrician}, and it's just as much for parent's well-being as it is for baby's! Taz slept six and a half hours straight last night...!
PS: Cara was just on Good Morning America! She's the real deal!

Ollie swaddle: We used a few different swaddles at first, but this is the one Cara recommended and it's SO good. Keeps baby nice and snug, and the velcro makes it super user friendly. Taz sleeps in this for every nap and at night.

DockATot Deluxe: Taz has been sleeping in this since we first brought him home from the hospital! It's cozy and perfect for supervised sleeping during the day. I love that the cover comes off and you can easily wash it {our exact cover here}.

babyshusher: Shushing is a huge part of getting babies to sleep, and this does the work for you! It only stays on for about a half hour or so, so we have both this and the white noise machine going at the same time when putting Taz to sleep.

Portable white noise machine: This is the one Cara recommended, but in all reality we've been sleeping with a white noise machine since we were married haha. It's nice to have a portable one though for running errands! White noise helps babies sleep because it reminds them of the womb and the rushing of your blood.

Pampers Swaddlers: The only diapers we've used since day one! Taz only wore the newborn size for a few days {he was almost 9 pounds when he was born} and has been in the size 1 ever since. We've had some major poopy diapers, but not a single blow out!

WaterWipes: Our faves! They are 99.9% water {and a drop of fruit extract}, so super pure and soothing for baby.

Aquaphor Baby: Robbie and I have raved about Aquaphor for years {we both use it every single day}, so of course we would use Aquaphor Baby on Taz's little bum!

Onesies that zip: There's nothing worse than trying to snap up a onesie in the dark. I found this out pretty quickly and purchased more jammies that zip! My personal favorite brand is Kickee Pants {here, here, and here}. They are so soft! I was gifted a few from the brand and have since purchased more! I remember Emily saying it's all her kids wear when they are little and I totally get why.

NoseFrida: FridaBaby products are amazing {as are the newer FridaMom}, but the NoseFrida is what we use the most often! It's a super easy snot sucker that's safe for baby. We just put a few saline drops in each nose first and then suck out Taz's congestion {newborn congestion is very common}.

Comotomo bottles: I exclusively breastfeed, but Taz has taken a bottle since he was just a few days old and we love these ones. That way, Robbie can feed him when I'm out and about! I feel very lucky Taz has always taken a bottle so well!

gripe water: Helps soothe Taz's tummy when he has air bubbles! Works likes a charm and almost immediately.

tub: I used a different one at first that he hated, but this one is great because you can easily set it inside your kitchen sink and fill it up! The sling makes is really easy and comfortable for a newborn, too.

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Essentials for mom

Motherlove Nipple Cream: I went through my first jar of this in the first two weeks... my nipples looked like open sores at the beginning! This cream saved them {totally safe for baby to feed on, too}, along with these nipple shells that kept my raw nipples off of the fabric of my clothes/bra to help them heal between feedings.

Comfy cute pjs: I'm still wearing lounge clothes most days, but having cute pj sets the first few weeks made me feel a little bit put together. I love these cooling fabric ones so much! I have them in a ton of various patterns. Tip: get tops that button-up and are easy for breastfeeding.

Nursing bras: These are my very favorite since you don't have to deal with any clips, but this bra is the best one for pumping with my Willow Pump {full review of that coming soon!}. I haven't found a really great more structured nursing bra yet {the above ones are more like bralettes}, but will share when I do!

Always Discreet Postpartum Underwear: AKA adult diapers! I wore these exclusively the first three weeks after delivery. They are the best! Just trust me, you need them.

Washable Nursing Pads: I bought a few packs of these! There's disposable ones on the market as well, but these are super easy to wash and reuse over and over. I wear these all night and all day to prevent leakage!

Lactation cookies: If you're breastfeeding, it's a great idea to eat foods that help keep your milk supply up. I've been ordering cookies and brownies and mixes {all healthy!} from this local brand, but they ship nationwide! I also love the chocolate lactation bites from this brand!

witch hazel pads: Any brand will do {here, here, or here}, but these are a must the first few weeks postpartum! The hospital might send you home with some {I had to ask}, but definitely have these on hand.

Stool softener: Start taking these a week or two before giving birth! You do NOT want to deal with constipation after. I was anemic during some of my pregnancy, so I was taking iron + a stool softener for months before giving birth, and I continued to take my stool softener after. I never had any problems going #2 {even with a 4th degree tear!}, so trust me when I say these are worth it.

Perineal spray: I loved having this one hand for postpartum! It was part of my healing routine and helped soothe my lady bits.