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There must be a million posts out there with lists of what to buy before baby comes, and I think I read and pinned every single one of those nursery essentials posts in the months before our little boy arrived. As a first-time mom, my mind was spinning with anxieties and fears about my abilities to care for a tiny human around the clock and I grabbed on to any shred of advice I could find to better prepare myself.
There were plenty of baby items we bought that helped my son to sleep and eat better in those first few months, and I’m sure you could find post after post describing all those items. But these five things below? They helped me as a mama. They made those long nights more bearable and helped me to grow in my confidence during those first few months. If you are a nervous new mama like I was (and still am at times!), I hope these things can bring you some peace and comfort like they did for me.
1) A Comfy Glider
Oh man, I spent SO much time in my glider in those first few months. I know some mamas feed their little ones in bed, but I always scooped Caleb up and carried him across the hall to the nursery so we wouldn’t wake up the hubby. A nice glider is a bit of a splurge, but I am so glad we got one. It made me so much more comfortable during those long nights and I still love to sink back into it when I feed Caleb before bed or in the mornings. Like just about everything in our nursery, we got this one on major sale from Target and it is one of the best purchases we made.
Sidenote – doing our baby registry through Target helped us to get all the items we needed for Caleb, ranging from cute nursery decor and furniture to diapers, clothes, and bottles. Target is also just about everywhere and has a super accessible website with great shipping options, which meant friends and family members across the country were able to buy us gifts. And don’t we all want as many baby gifts as possible? 😉
2) A Velcro Sleepsack/Swaddle
I know that there are birthing classes and a million Youtube videos that are supposed to teach you to swaddle your baby like a boss, but I never managed to get it right. I would spend 20 minutes trying to swaddle Caleb in a soft, pretty blanket and it would take him approximately 30 seconds to ninja wiggle both his little hands out of it. When you are trying to swaddle your baby so they will go back to sleep at 2:30 AM, do yourself the favor of getting some sort of swaddle that simply zips or velcros. There might be some moms who can swaddle like nobody’s business using just a blanket but I am NOT one of them and having velcro and zippers to help me cheat was just was I needed!
Notice the loosely wrapped blanket – swaddling is not a life skill of mine, apparently.
3) Playtex® Diaper Genie® Complete
When we originally designed Caleb’s nursery, I picked up a tiny little trash can and figured that newborn diapers were little so we could probably just empty this one once a day and be fine. Oh my heavens, I was SO wrong. This may be TMI, but we (sometimes) affectionately referred to my sweet son as our little “poop smear” because every single diaper he had was a dirty one for the first two months of his life.
After about one week of constantly emptying a stinky trash can that made our whole nursery stink, we followed the advice of so many experienced mamas and ran to Target to pick up a Playtex® Diaper Genie® Complete. It took Jordan less than five minutes to get it set up next to the changing table in Caleb’s rustic, neutral nursery and we immediately loved it.
Unlike the tiny trash can we had before, the Playtex Diaper Genie Complete has a built-in carbon filter that helps absorb and lock in all the stinky smells my son manages to create, so all that dirty diaper yuckiness stays locked within the 7-layer refill bag with a double Air-Tite® CLAMP. I also didn’t have to reach down and open it to put in the dirty diaper. I could keep making eyes at my sweet boy on the changing table while I quickly opened the lid using the foot pedal and then tossed the diaper in. And who wouldn’t want to keep looking at this sweet face?
Maybe my favorite part? This bad boy can hold up to 270 newborn diapers, and now that Caleb is in bigger diapers we still only have to empty it once a week (this is an excellent job for husbands, ladies – even though it is super easy to refill thanks to the front that easily pops open so you can take out the full bag).
Those first few months of waking up constantly with a newborn are rough enough as it is. Buying a Playtex Diaper Genie Complete helped save me the trouble of constantly emptying a little trash can so I could instead spend time snuggling my baby (or doing everything in my power to make him sleep). I think it’s safe to say that snuggling a squishy little newborn is ALWAYS better than emptying diaper trash, so this one was one of our best purchases!
4) A Quality Video Baby Monitor
Every new mom knows the fear and anxiety that sweep over you when you put your baby down to sleep. The absolute best thing to help me with this anxiety has been a nice video monitor. I know it’s kind of an investment, but being able to click a button and see exactly what Caleb was doing in his crib at a given moment has been so important for my mental health. I felt more comfortable switching him out of our room and into his crib because I knew I could keep an eye on him. It has also helped me a ton as I try to figure out his general nap routine because I can see when he actually wakes up and falls asleep (versus just wiggling around quietly in the crib). For my anxious self, this one was a non-negotiable.
There is NOTHING cuter than a sleeping baby – how could you not watch this sweetness all day?!
5) Clothes That Fit Your Postpartum Body
So this one isn’t really a nursery essential, persay, but it is definitely a new mom essential! After Caleb was born, I lived in lounge pants and a big soft robe for about 4-6 weeks. Once I finally decided to emerge out of our little baby cocoon and reenter the real world for important outings like wandering the home decor aisles of Target with a coffee in hand, I realized that the only pants I had that fit were my elastic waist maternity pants. One of the best things I did for myself after Caleb was born was to buy two new pairs of jeans that actually fit me (okay, one was jeggings, but good enough, right?) and a few loose, flowy shirts that worked well for nursing and made me feel like a human again.
Please take the pressure off yourself to fit into your pre-pregnancy clothes and buy a few inexpensive, well-fitting items that you can throw on for those miraculous days where you make it out of the house! You might eventually fit into your pre-pregnancy clothes, but don’t suffer through uncomfortable, too-tight clothes until that day comes.
I own this flowy shirt from Target in FIVE different colors. I love it!
Now that I’m six months in, I feel a little bit more confident in this whole mama gig. Caleb is constantly changing and keeping me on my toes, but some of the nerves have faded and I’m starting to wear my mama role with a bit more confidence and a lot more joy. Even so, I’m grateful for these items and how they helped me to grow during those challenging first few months.
If you’re a mom-to-be, what are some of your biggest fears when it comes to those first few months? Experienced moms, what were some of your favorite baby products that you always recommend for new moms?
P.S. Are you using Cartwheel to save when you shop at Target? If you’re not, you definitely should! They’re having a great deal on the Playtex Diaper Genie Complete from 8/21-9/3. Make sure to check out that deal on Cartwheel or follow Playtex Baby on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube if you’re looking to prep your little one’s nest with some great products!
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Ditto on the Velcro swaddles! Both my kids could bust out of a hand-swaddle job so we got some with snaps and Velcro and that did the trick. Also ditto the clothes for a postpartum body. Things are NOT in the same place anymore so get things to compliment your new figure and you feel confident in!
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Amen! Everything got, um, “rearranged” a bit after pregnancy and delivery so new clothes that fit were a must for me. I can fit into some of my pre-pregnancy bottoms now but I have a feeling my top parts are never going back to the way they were…
I bought a diaper pail but didn’t buy the bags that go with bit because a normal trash bag would fit it and it’s one of my biggest regrets. I finally splurged after a year and it’s 100% worth it to buy the bags to go with the diaper pails just so you don’t have to have a constantly stinky room!
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Yes, it is SO worth it! I love the smell of Caleb’s nursery now. I think it will be one of the things I’ll miss one day when he’s a stinky little boy!
Such adorable pics! Your glider looks so comfy. I only wish I had a nursery that looked as beautiful! Well done.
Thanks, Maria! The glider is super comfy. I love how the nursery turned out!
My husband is the swaddle king. I’m okay at it, but David is so good at it that he didn’t like the Velcro ones since there was no challenge, haha! And 5 is SO TRUE. I know we talked about it before, but getting clothes that fit, even if you don’t like the size, is so necessary. We shouldn’t punish ourselves for being a different size than we were before creating a human! I am slowly (sloooowwwwllllyyy) losing the weight, and I can’t imagine how miserable I’d be if I hadn’t gotten myself some new clothes for this transition time.
Seriously, how do husbands get the swaddle superpowers and we don’t? And I know you agree with me on the postpartum clothes…glad to know someone else is right there with me!
I LOVE the glider so pretty and classy! And we live by the swaddles! I would never sleep, and neither would he, without them!
Thanks, Kabrina! I agree…swaddles were so important for our little man when he was a newborn!
Caleb is so precious! Congratulations!! I totally agree about postpartum clothes. You really don’t feel the greatest, cleanest, or sexiest after having a baby and clothes that fit and help you feel confident are much needed!
Thanks, Elizabeth Ann! So, so true!
The diaper genie has been one of our favorite purchases! I need to look for a glider like yours. We have an oversized chair in Bensen’s room that I’ve loved having with him because we read stories in it now and it’s just one of our favorite places to hang out so I don’t want to move it into baby girl’s room like I had planned on doing originally.
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We looked at a few oversized chairs like that and I would have LOVED one but we just didn’t have space for it. They look so comfy!
These are fantastic tips for new moms!!!! And GREAT JOB on your first SoFab post! <3
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Thanks, Susannah! 🙂
OH my goodness, Caleb is such a cutie! These really are great tips. I say anything that helps you feel more comfortable as a new mom is so important. Your mental health is worth it! And no stinky diapers is a HUGE plus. 🙂 {client}
Thanks, Cristi! I totally agree!
Yes to all of these!!! Especially button-down shirts (like my Target chambray) to make nursing easier!! We didn’t have a diaper genie for the first few months and then all of a sudden his poops STANK and we were dying. Those things save lives haha.
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Target has the best clothes for nursing! I think half of my new mama wardrobe is from there. I did waaaay too much shopping those first few months!
YES to Halo sleepsacks, haha. We actually had the SwaddleMe ones for newborn, but I wish I had just done all Halos. Really, the only other must haves for me were my waterproof pads and simple onesies. I still won’t put Jackson in anything fancy and we JUST bought his first pairs of pants and they’re like, baby yoga pants, hah. All the kids at daycare get dressed all cute and J is just over there in some PJs. Actually, my nail clippers with a light really came in handy for sneaking in to clip his nails. We still cloth diaper so we have some wet bags, but I should buy some sort of pail to put them in. One day maybe… 🙂
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I totally agree on the simple onesies…we had hardly any fancy newborn outfits for Caleb since we pretty much just stayed home and snuggled/slept all the time. Comfy clothes for the win! Ahhh baby nail clipping was the worst in the beginning. I’m a pro now and Caleb just watches as I do it but in the beginning I was so nervous.
My husband can swaddle just fine with blankets but I always end up with a jumbled mess. HA!
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YES! I’m convinced all husbands are blessed with swaddle superpowers upon becoming dads. I don’t know how they do it!
This is so helpful!! I’ll definitely think of you (and my other current new mom friends) if and when we reach that season!
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The Diaper Genie is a must. At first, we just used a regular garbage can too, and then quickly realized the huge error of our ways. Stinky! I absolutely love Target and use Cartwheel all the time! Caleb is adorable!!!
Thanks, Shann Eva! Yes…that smell is the WORST!
Can I ask what video baby monitor you purchased? There’s so many different conflicting reviews on everything!
Yes! It was actually given to us by a friend of ours but it’s a Motorola one. I think it’s this one in the link below! We’ve had a great experience with it and have no complaints so far 🙂 https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-MBP25-2-Wireless-Monitor-Cameras/dp/B00G80HVTY/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1473381162&sr=8-5&keywords=motorola+baby+monitor
Your comments about your intentions not to wake your husband were eye-opening. You really went above expectations when it comes to providing the best experience for both Caleb and your husband.