I love him more than I ever thought possible and am losing as much sleep as expected — but here’s something I DIDN’T expect — I rushed to get a bunch of clothing, gear, and fancy organic diapers that either didn’t work, weren’t practical or weren’t needed… Here’s to the only extra space in your closet being taken up by diapers (because trust me, you’re going to need them!).
When I last wrote, I was so extremely pregnant that I felt more stuffed than the turkey we didn’t eat on Thanksgiving (when I was four days past due!) and looking for creative ways to pass the time.
Today as I write, my baby boy has officially grown out of most newborn onesies (he is over a month old now) — and I cried.
“Stop growing, teenager!” I said in my cooing voice as I kissed his cheeks.
He gave me his sweet smirk smile:
This sweet little face has taught me so much. From how to snuggle him to sleep to how to handle his little hangry face at 3 am.
I love him more than I ever thought possible and am losing as much sleep as expected — but here’s something I DIDN’T expect — I rushed to get a bunch of clothing, gear, and fancy organic diapers that either didn’t work, weren’t practical or weren’t needed.
Let’s save you from that same fate. When our baby came home from the hospital, here are the five things that saved us as new parents.
Here’s to the only extra space in your closet being taken up by diapers (because trust me, you’re going to need them!).
1. Zipper & Button-Up Sleepers
Middle of the night diaper changes are hard… pulling a cute onesie over your baby’s head is harder.
To rock every “Roarly Cute” onesie, I had to struggle for it.
Granted, my son has a larger head like his mama (more room for that big brain, right? :)), but I don’t think any newborn loves not being able to see for a minute!
Anything that snaps or zips becomes your instant favorite. For the record, I’ve kept the onesies, they’re just going to have to wait until we get a bit more settled in.
We have LIVED by Sleep N’ Play onesies. Just zip or button-up, and you are done. BONUS POINTS for fold-over sleeves and no need for socks, like this Simple Joys by Carters 3-pack for under $25.
We’ve also been big fans of Gerber Baby clothes and their Sleep N’ Play Onesies like this cute 3-pack in soft neutral and blue colors and even softer fabric.
For the rest of my survival recommendations, find more Sleep N’ Plays here.
2. A Simple Fabric Baby Carrier
I went all-out in the baby wear department, and while I love the feel and sturdiness of my ErgoBaby Embrace Cozy Newborn Carrier (linked but not pictured), I have to admit I haven’t used it yet the way I know I will in the coming months.
That’s because I’m reaching for what’s easiest to use around the house and what my baby prefers. And right now, it’s this WeeSprout Baby Wrap Carrier, below. It supports him while making him feel extra close to me. And even when he’s at his fussiest, it soothes him to sleep. The best $31 I’ve ever spent.
While it can be a little tricky to get the hang of at first, I promise it’s so much easier than it looks! Also, enlist some extra hands (for me it was his Dad) the first few times until you get the hang of it.
3. A Handy Newborn Lounger
I’d heard how I must get a Boppy (which I’ll write about in a future post), and so I was dutifully looking for one when I ran across a newborn lounger by the brand.
Something in me told me to buy it, and I’m SO glad I did! We have used it NON-STOP since he was born. Here it is on Amazon for under $35! He prefers it to anything else right now (so the bouncer and swing are waiting for him). He loves it THAT much.
Although we have less than two months left of use, especially with how tall he’s getting, it has been worth every single penny, 100 times over!
4. Good Old Fashioned Pampers
I wanted the best for my baby, and I thought that meant fancy designer diapers from a top celebrity brand. I still love this celebrity, and their diaper paste is amazing, but their diapers just didn’t work for us. They looked SO cute, but they leaked almost every single time.
Translation: their cuteness didn’t matter after the 5th diaper blowout…
So we made the switch, and Pampers wins for absorption, every time. Plus, those cute little patterns I splurged for got covered up by clothes, anyway. 🙂
So here’s my simple and cost-effective recommendation, Pampers Swaddlers, $35 for 120 of them.
Much more for much less is always a win-win in my book. Which brings me to bottle feeding. I started with the best starter kit out there by luck, and want to share that good fortune with you!
5. Newborn Baby Bottle Feeding Set
Let’s face it, breastfeeding is tough. For me, it was painful very quickly, a COVID surge made it hard to want to bring in a lactation consultant, and so I started pumping a lot of the time. (More about my journey soon.)
I wanted a starter set that had everything in it for me so it was one less thing to think about, and I’m so glad I did!
This Tommee Tippee Newborn Set has just about everything I could ever need! On sale for just over $68 on Amazon at the time of writing, it comes with everything from bottle warmers to bottles featuring different speeds of flow so you can see which works best for your baby.
The best part for me is that it didn’t cause nipple confusion because these particular bottles are supposed to be ‘closer to nature’. I’ve found that to be true so far!
For more options that might be more specific to you (like anti-colic starter sets), check out Tommee Tippee’s Starter Set page. And in case the deal has expired, try Tommee Tippee’s direct site and a bunch of other tips for savings I shared in this money-saving post.
Go Get Em’ Mama, You’ve Got This
The bottom line is that no matter which products you get or don’t get, you are enough.
My pediatrician said it really well when she told my husband and I, “The baby won’t remember what you bought, and usually, a tub of Vaseline will do it!”. A little old school, maybe :), but it rang so true to me!
Because it’s not about the stuff, it’s about YOU, and your baby is going to love you, because you are perfection, mama! As-is!