POSTPARTUM UPDATES & NEWBORN ESSENTIALS
How are we nearly 6 weeks postpartum?! It’s cliche and true that our whole world has completely changed and we can’t imagine our life any other way! Becoming a mom has been the most transformative experience and our baby boy is everything and more to us. I am really grateful to have had a relatively smooth pregnancy and postpartum experience. With that being said, postpartum is still a whole challenge to navigate. Physically you still don’t feel like yourself, emotions are all over the place, you’re learning an entire new routine all while operating on no sleep and caring for a life 24/7. It’s the best thing ever but it is a lot. I continue to remind myself that everything is temporary, I will feel like myself again, I will sleep again and I am SO proud of all I have overcome!
Currently baby boy is 6 weeks old, 9.6lbs, 22ish inches and loving walks around the neighborhood, coffee runs, multiple outfit changes a day, couch naps with his brother Dutch, late night cuddles with mom and reading with dad. He is becoming more active and expressive each day. I can’t wait to see more of his personality come to life but I know one day I will look back and miss his little scrunches, coos and cries. I am trying to be extremely present as these newborn days are so short and fleeting!
Top 10 newborn Items
While it’s true that babies don’t need a ton of things in the beginning, you do accumulate a lot of items you didn't previously need. Some items in particular are absolute essentials for us and are used on a daily basis!
Doona. Pricey but by far our most used item. This acts as our car seat for my car and converts to a stroller which makes getting out the house, running errands, etc, easy and seamless. Also great for travel!
Snuggle Me lounger. The lounger is great for us in a small space since we can easily move it from room to room. Instead of worrying about putting him on all our furniture (mostly because of the dog), this is convenient to wash and keep clean.
Keekaroo changing pad. It’s comfortable, wipeable and looks great in our nursery. We already produce so much laundry I love not having to constantly swap sheets on our changing pad.
Lovevery play gym. We loveeee this! A realization I had these past few weeks is how important it is to have a place to spend wake windows, tummy time, activities, etc. We spend lots of time here everyday on the mat- he loves all the stimulating elements and the tent. We were also gifted the monthly subscription (great gift BTW!!) which sends us new items every few months which are catered to where he’s at developmentally. I love how this helps support his growth and bonding time for us!
Baby Bjorn mini carrier. We were gifted several carriers (Artipoppe and Solly wrap) in addition to this one however it is currently our most used. We utilize this everyday- for walks, running errands, contact naps, or even just to free up our hands to get chores done around the house. It is designed to be worn from the newborn days. Super soft and cozy- he typically always falls asleep in it. While I love the idea of the Solly wrap, it’s just not as functional/easy to use- and not great for walks in my opinion because of all the fabric. Artipoppe we will use when he’s a bit bigger!
My Breastfriend pillow. Great for feedings. Brought this to the hospital as well and was glad to have it!
Hatch Rest. A sound machine is a MUST! We used white noise machines prior to pregnancy but this is great for the nursery. It connects to your phone, has lots of customizable sound options, and acts as a night light. We also use the portable Hatch for on the go and travel.
Miss Mouth’s stain treater. This is by far the best stain treatment out there. I use for all his items as well as our own. I have several and keep them in the diaper caddy, purse, car.
Mustela cleansing water. Charlie had a bit of baby acne/heat rash on his face and body. While my doctor said it would go away naturally (it’s already gone for the most part), this was the only thing I did put on as a treatment and I think it helped a bit! I’m hesitant to put anything on his skin still and this is the only thing I’ve used so far.
Pointelle blankets. We were gifted so many beautiful baby blankets but I consistently gravitate toward these pointelle ones from Amazon. They’re super cute, a great size and 100% cotton. Since they’re inexpensive, I’m less worried about getting them dirty and washing them.
In terms of postpartum-specific things, I really haven’t done much differently. I would recommend the entire postpartum line from Frida Mom- the quality is much better than what you get at the hospital and the items were essential for the first few weeks in postpartum. I also have been taking the Ritual postnatal and love the belly bandit wrap to keep my core tight and supported.