Now that I've been a mom for all of seven weeks (almost!), I thought I'd share some of the essentials that have made my life just a little easier this past month-and-a-half.
First of all, the swaddling situation is not always the most fun because you not only need to know how to wrap your baby tightly and comfortably, but your swaddle needs to stay in place. To assist with this all-important task, I highly recommend the aden + anais swaddlers which are super soft and super big. They make the job completely manageable, not to mention their designs are adorable. There's also the SwaddleMe option which has been a dream because no wrapping skills are necessary. It's just a little bag with velcro - anyone can do it!
My husband and I were surprised by the stuffy little nose Camille developed a week or so after bringing her home. The nose drops and suction only work so well on such tiny nostrils so we bought the functional and stylish Crane humidifier. We noticed a slight improvement within a week and deemed it a winner.
Pacifiers and bottle-feeding are apparently a bit controversial when it comes to newborns but I am utilizing both (don't judge). I recommend MAM pacifiers for their cute designs and because Camille seems to love them. As for bottles and pumping paraphernalia, whichever you use, you'll want to have a boon drying rack on your kitchen counter. They're wonderfully convenient and charming to look at.
My mother-in-law gave Camille a pink Fisher-Price musical seahorse for Christmas and I didn't realize how much we would use it. I had only been a mom for a few days and had no idea that gentle music would be such a welcome addition to nap time. But it is! And this toy was a great gift.
Finally, the Skip Hop activity gym is Camille's favorite. She spends quite a bit of her wake time wide-eyed and cooing on that mat. She loves the jingle of the owl, the tweeting of the bird, and the bright colored hanging apple. It is so fun to see her enjoying a little play time.
Obviously there are plenty of other wonderful items I am using as a new mom and maybe I'll share about them later. But for now, these are my best recommendations. And I truly wouldn't have known about most of them if it wasn't for my sis adding them to my registry. (Thanks Kate!) Get them for yourself or gift them for a friend and make mom and baby very happy!