there is so much out there
My kids are 2 1/2 years apart, and I remember things changing so much just between them. New things came out that I’m sure would have been helpful for our firstborn!
It’s been a *cough* long time since I was a new mom, and I asked my new moms out there what their favorite things were during pregnancy and postpartum. Here are the top things they said they couldn’t live without!
number one
By far the most recommended thing was this manual breast pump.
You can wear it discreetly on one side while you nurse on the other to collect let-down. Because it works by suction, you don’t have a noisy breast pump grunting away. I’ve had moms wear them while I photographed their newborns and I didn’t even realize it!
I think this would have been a lifesaver, especially when you’re trying to build up a supply of breast milk, and it was recommended by just about everyone who commented!
number two
For her third baby, mom invested in a sleep pillow and she said it was a game changer!
I have a lot of hip pain every day and that definitely got worse with pregnancy – and worse with each pregnancy, too. I used a pillow between my knees to alleviate some of that, but a pillow like this looks *amazingly* comfortable.
The best part is she said her baby is a year old and she still uses it, so you’ll definitely get your time out of it!
number three
Several people recommended a baby carrier. One recommended a Tula which I’ve always heard great things about.
Someone else said her favorite one had a hip seat – we all know how fast little ones get heavy, and this takes some of the weight off your arms. This particular one has a few different ways to wear it too – and you can never go wrong with extra storage, right?
I had a few different baby wearing things when my kids were little, but they were hard to figure out and uncomfortable. If there had been options like these I think it would have made life easier!
number four
A weighted sleep sack was top of the list for one mom – she said it literally saved her life, and her baby went from waking up every hour, to sleeping 6 hours straight!
This one is a little pricy for just a sleep sack, but my first born was up every 2 hours until he was 10 months old and I think I would have tried anything to soothe him to sleep longer!
number five
There’s a bunch of other type of swaddles out there too of course – swaddling is one of the best ways to soothe your newborn. They like being wrapped up tight because it mimics the coziness of being in mom’s stomach.
I hear a lot of parents say that their babies don’t like to be swaddled, and for some that is absolutely true! But I also get some that, when I wrap them up while I’m rocking them in my lap and patting their backs, fall right to sleep. It’s important to make the swaddling process itself soothing, and not just depending on the swaddle.
When my kids were little Halo was the main brand around. I also had moms recommend Swaddelini.
you’ve got this
You’ll definitely learn as you go what is essential and what you don’t need, but these things were all stated as “must-haves” by my local upper peninsula moms!
I hope this list helps, and if you have any questions or anything to add to it I’d love to hear from you!
And of course, if you’re expecting, or are a new mom and realize you need pictures before your baby gets any bigger, get in contact and we’ll start planning your session.