My top 13 Mommy must-have's!

01.  Lansinoh Breast Pads! (Or, really any breast pad that you like!)

I've tried the Avent breast pads and as much as I like Avent, Lansinoh definitely makes a superior breast pad.  They are comfortable and are a bigger size than Avent with two adhesive strips (Avent only has one).  Breast pads are a must for me because I would hate to have a leak or mess anytime of day.  I've also tried washable/reusable breast pads and I didn't care for them at all.  So I highly recommend Lansinoh!

02.  Avent Pacifiers!

Classic pacifiers at the top & soothie at the bottom!

We use the classic pacifiers in addition to her soothie pacifier that they gave us from the hospital.  She uses her soothie at night and the classic paci's in the daytime as needed.  I really thought that we wouldn't introduce her to pacifiers but they have really helped us at bedtime or naps during the day when she is overtired and upset and having a hard time relaxing.  As of now, I don't really foresee her being one of those kids who NEEDS one though because often times she'll end up falling asleep with it out of her mouth.  But we'll see!

03.  A nice, new car seat (with a base) & stroller combo!

We bought the baby trend expedition travel system and absolutely love it.  We also have a convertible car seat without a base that is extremely hard for me to figure out setting it up, especially in an older car.  So, with the nice base, it's super easy to set it up and it's nice to take the carrier out and into stores with her in it.  Not to mention, I am in love with our jogging stroller.  It has real tires that are durable, unlike those fake plastic "tires" on most strollers --not sure why but I really don't like those.  Another nice thing about this stroller is built in speakers so we can plug in our iPod and listen to music... that's been really nice when we go on our walks outside.  I feel that this set is very safe and that is honestly most important to me and has given me a great deal of peace of mind!

04.  Luvs & Pampers!  (Or really, find out which brands of diapers you like and stick with them!)


We've found out that we absolutely love Luvs and Pampers diapers!  We have also tried Huggies and Babies R Us brands and have liked them a great deal less (poor fit on the Huggies and poor quality on the BRU brand).  Luvs seems to have a great fit and Pampers offers wonderful protection & we love their indicator strip!

05.  Pack & Play with bassinet! 

Ours looks very similar to this!

We've been using this in our room for Presley to sleep in the past 5 weeks and it has worked wonderfully for us.  It's been a great bassinet for her and what's nice about the pack & play is that we can use it differently as she grows.  I can't imagine not having Presley in our room this past month+ while breastfeeding, it's been so nice to pick her up at the foot of our bed to get ready for the nighttime feeding.  Since Tony's such a hard sleeper we're able to feed in bed next to him as he sleeps so we're pretty lucky there.  We were lucky enough to get our pack & play from a friend and I cannot imagine having a little one without it!!!

06. 07. & 08.  Nice, sturdy changing table, a dependable diaper pail, and PEE PADS!!!!

Diaper pail to the left, our great changing table, and our pee pad up top!

These things have been such a big help because - really - this is where we spend most of our time, I swear!!!  Newborns mess up their diapers around the clock!  At first we were just using a changing pad on top of a dresser to change her but that just wasn't sturdy enough so we broke down and got a fabulous Delta changing table.  Our diaper pail is AWESOME because it doesn't take expensive refills for the bags, instead, we use 10 gallon trash bags that are totally inexpensive.  Plus, our specific diaper pail (Safety 1st Easy Saver Diaper Pail) comes with a deodorizer disc that really helps keep the smell down.  So far, once the diapers go in the pail, we do not smell them!  And lastly, our beloved pee pads!  When she does have accidents on the changing table, it is SO NICE to just pick up the pee pad and throw it away!  Totally worth it.



09.  Prince Lionheart wipe warmer!

Oh gosh, this has been such a wonderful thing.  Before having Presley I heard that a wipe warmer was one of those things that you absolutely don't need... but since having her and changing her so many times a day, it is VERY necessary in this household!  It has helped cut down the amount of time Presley pees or poops on the changing table now that we're wiping her with warm wipes rather than cold ones!  (Presley says, "Thank you for my wipe warmer, Grandmommy!")

10.  Body carrier/sling!  (We are lucky enough to have a crafty friend who sent us a moby she made herself!)

Not the best picture, but this is me wearing Presley :)

Man.  It's been so wonderful having this because now instead of having Presley nap on my chest ALL afternoon and being stuck on the couch, now I can do things hands free while she naps -- like writing a blog!  It's seriously been priceless and I would suggest the Moby or whatever sling/carrier works for you and your little one.

11.  BOPPY PILLOW!

We'd certainly be lost without her boppy pillow.  I use this pillow for every single feeding.  When I've had to feed without it, it's fine but it's certainly not the same and not as comfortable.  In addition to feeding, Presley loves to relax on her Boppy!  And I love being able to take the cover off to clean it if we spill on it.  HIGHLY recommend it!!!

12.  Johnson's hand & face wipes!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.  Again, these were given to us as a gift from a mom who has been there, done that, and GOODNESS... do I love these!  I've fallen more in love with them since Presley has gotten thrush and has to have medicine 4x's a day.  Her liquid medicine is very goopy and sticky and these wipes have really helped keep her face clean afterwards and are safe on her face (and neck, as she has a tendency to spit out her medicine often).

13.  Avent Microwave Sterilizer

This is a great, quick, and easy way to keep Presley's bottles, nipples, breast pump parts, pacifiers, etc. all clean and sanitary.  Again, it's come in handy so much more now that we're needing to sanitize things more often with treating Presley's thrush.



Other things that have come in handy over the last few weeks for myself:  the water jug from the hospital, Carnation sugar-free instant breakfast, my iPod, and our Wifi at home.  You drink TONS of water while breastfeeding, so having this big jug to fill up a few times throughout the day is perfect.  I don't have a huge morning appetite or tons of time to fix anything, so instant breakfast has been absolutely wonderful.  I use my iPod during feedings to keep me preoccupied or while Presley naps on me and since we have Wifi I'm able to stay connected to the internet so I don't drive myself crazy!

I hope some of these things help you out if you're a new mom or becoming one anytime soon, otherwise, I'd love to hear things that have helped you throughout raising your children!