It’s hard to believe that we are a couple of months into being parents! When they say time flies they really mean it! Brooks’ is now 8 weeks old and now that we have some time under our belt I’m sharing our mom and baby essentials as well as our newborn photos!
When Brooks was 13 days old we had the talented Alea Moore come over to the house to capture our life with our precious newborn. She spent three hours capturing our little family during it all! Naps, wake time, diaper changes, and a feeding. It was so special. I’ll treasure these sweet photos forever!
Newborn Essentials
Nursing Pillow – This is extremely helpful especially in the beginning to help with positioning during breastfeeding. Since we spent the first three weeks in our bedroom this helped prop him up while I was still in my bed.
Changing Pad + Scale – This has been a game changer for us. During the first two weeks we would track every single feeding, diaper, nap, and his weight on the app. It really helped us discover patterns and get on a loose schedule. I can’t recommend this enough.
Night Light + Sound Machine – This is a two in one! After a week of Brooks being in his crib I realized we didn’t have a soft white light to turn on for the middle of the night feeding. I did a little research and found this night light that can be controlled by your iPhone. It’s made a huge difference.
Portable White Noise Machine – You must purchase this item! It’s perfect for on the go naps. We don’t leave the house without this and once we turn it on Brooks now knows its time for a nap and falls right to sleep. Y’all it’s magic!
Baby Wipes Dispenser – This item may come as a shock, but hear me out! Since this dispenser is weighted and has a lid the wipes are easy to pull out with one hand and they don’t dry up! It’s a must, I promise!
Bath Toy Organizer – Holds all of the essentials for bath time and is easy for water to drain so there isn’t buildup or mildew.
Carrier – My favorite baby wearing wrap so far! It’s so easy to put on and has the perfect amount of head support so that you can still get everything you need to get done! I use this EVERY SINGLE DAY! He naps in this, we take walks in this, he absolutely loves it and so do I!
Soother – the Bibs are our favorite. This helps with soothing Brooks before he goes down for a nap or bedtime.
Zip-Up Sleepers – The only sleepers you will want are ones that zip up and have footies, trust me! It makes for the middle of the night diaper change so much easier at least for the first 3 weeks! Our favorites are linked here.
Stroller – The stroller comes with a bassinet and that’s what we used for the first 3 weeks when he was sleeping in our room. I love everything about this stroller, but especially love the amount of storage it has. It makes shopping so much easier. I just put everything in the stroller then check out.
Play Gym – Our favorite tummy time mat! He started rolling from tummy to back at just 4 weeks! This mat is perfect for every stage. They even have a subscription box that is perfect for each month which is on our Christmas wish list! Check it out here.
Swaddle – This one is my favorite so far! Brooks loves having his hands by his face and with the two-way zipper it makes the middle of the night feeding easy. I just unzip his hands out and then zip them back in without undoing the whole swaddle.
Diaper Pail – This diaper pail is hands free and lightweight and blends in with our nursery décor perfectly. It also holds so many diapers!
Cradle ‘n Swing – Brooks loves looking up at the little animals going around and round. We keep this downstairs for when we have to occupy him while we eat.
Bouncer – I keep this upstairs in our master bathroom for when I shower, get dressed, or do laundry! He loves lounging in this. Now that he’s a little older I want to get a toy bar to attach to it, but haven’t found a neutral one I like…would love your suggestions!
Lounger – This lounger is so lightweight and easy to carry from room to room when you need. He loves spreading out in this and has even taken a couple of naps here.
Essentials for Mom
12 ft iPhone Charging Cord – Since you spend most of your time either breastfeeding or rocking your baby to sleep having a long charging cord in the nursery is a must. My husband would say differently with the amount of online shopping I now do, but hey!
Diaper Bag – This is my new purse. I absolutely love this diaper bag. It has the perfect number of pockets and keeps all of our diaper bag essentials organized.
Nursing Pads – These and these are my favorites.
Nursing Bras and these
Nursing Cover (I bought two Carseat Covers that can be used as a nursing cover too!)
My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow
Pajamas (my favorites are these and these)
Loungewear (favorites linked here)
Lightweight Robe (gifted to me by PinkBlush)
30oz Yeti with Metal Straw
photos by Alea Moore Photography
Inspired, Maryashley