Top Ten Must Haves for a First Time Mom (or Sprinkles)
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Hello mommies!
Before we get into this list let me first say that it is perfectly normal to feel completely lost when it comes to deciding what you need for your first child. Trust me, I’ve been there.
When I read that pregnancy test my mind was already reeling on what all I would need to welcome my little tiny human home. I remember googling every article and asking around so I could write a list of all the items that I may need. I had it taped to my fridge and I slowly crossed off the items as the months went by. However, there was plenty of this that soon went to the Goodwill because it was never used… Like the diaper Genie… Ugh, I hated that thing. I don’t know if it’s just me, but they needed to create one that was like 3x times the size of that thing to cover the number of diapers my children had every day.
On that note, I wanted to list my top ten must haves that I considered essential when it came to both of my children.
I’m a very cost conscious type person so I tried to find the best value for my money when considering these products. I tried a few different brands, and these were my favorites.
OMG, this is an absolute must for me! Both of my children were incredibly messy eaters (daughter still is). And these have saved me so much time with getting them cleaned up after every meal. Plus, their clothes don’t get stained, nor do I have to strip them in order to eat. I mean my daughter was able to wear her Easter dress and eat BBQ pulled pork and mashed carrots, and never got a drop of anything on her clothes. I’m telling you, these are definitely worth the money. They are also super easy to clean. I usually just wash them in the sink, or if they had an especially messy meal, I’ll wash the food off and throw them in the washer.
These go right along with the bibs above. With my son being Autistic, utensils were always difficult for him and I loved them because they let him have the option to play with them without worrying that he was going to push them too far back in his mouth. He did that once with one of the other toddler spoons I had and it scared him (and me). My daughter is almost a year and a half old and I’ve always given her these from the beginning. Now, she’s very comfortable with using utensils and is almost able to eat a bowl of cereal without spilling. I definitely believe these contributed to her success.
So I didn’t actually have this with my first child because I didn’t know it existed. With him, all I had was the typical mirror that you attach to the headrest. I found this by accident when looking up must-have products when I was expecting my daughter. It was super easy to install and the quality of the video is no different than that of a baby monitor. It has a 4.3” display and I have it attached right to the center of my dashboard so I don’t have to turn my head from the road. Just a quick glance and I can see everything. Now that she is front facing, I have the camera on my headrest and I situated it so I can see both of my kids. To give you an example of the field of view, I have a Chrysler Pacifica and it shows the entire backseat. I plan on purchasing one of these for any of our friends who are expecting.
This co-sleeper was fantastic for the first couple of months with both of my children. Neither of them would sleep in a crib or bassinet when they were born. I guess they really enjoyed the little bassinets the hospital had lol. After a couple weeks with our son, we decided to buy this on a whim to see if it would help and he slept so well in it. Plus, we were able to set it in between us in bed so we could both help to soothe him to sleep, and later my daughter. It’s easy to transport as well and I used to bring it to my in-laws so my daughter always had a safe place to sleep.
Zipper footie onesies are my absolute favorite! No one wants to be fighting with those little snaps in the middle of the night when your eyes are already half closed… and I swear those snaps never line up properly. These are super soft and have really cute designs for boys and girls. Also, my daughter has suffered from terrible eczema since she was born and the cotton used in these PJs didn’t irritate her skin.
I’m going to be honest with you. I have two kids and I still cannot figure out how to swaddle properly no matter how many times the nurses or youtube videos showed me. I just could never get it as tight as them and both of my kids would find a way to houdini out of them. These were a life changer. Plus, the cute little starfish look is absolutely adorable.
I believe a sound machine is a must for any child… or adults for that matter. I still have a sound machine in both of my children’s rooms because it helps them fall asleep and blocks out any extra noises in the house. Also, my son has always needed a nightlight in his room and I love the antique glow this one has and that I am able to set the brightness level. It offers the perfect amount of light in his little room.
I think everyone would agree that a Pack N Play is important to have with a little one, especially for taking on trips. However, I loved this one because of all of the little attachments. Having a diaper changing table built in as an attachment was incredibly helpful. Also, the dome worked great for a little play area. I used to take it to the park, beach, and even just when visiting family. The bassinet area let me transition both of my children from the co-sleeper to a bigger bassinet, without it being the intimidating crib. I transitioned them to the Graco bassinet in our room, to putting the Graco bassinet into the nursery, to eventually putting them into the crib in their nursery. It helped the step-by-step process tremendously.
I don’t know what it is about these teethers, but both of my children absolutely loved them. Especially when paired with the Dr. Talbots Teething Gel. The teething gel combo was my favorite since it was an all-natural solution to their teething pain. They would chew on these for hours, and it really helped the dreaded teething phase. It also helped with the back molars as well, which can be the most painful for them.
10. Owlet Dream Sock
This one is the priciest of the items that I have listed but again, I really loved this product! I mean just the piece of mind it gave me with my children was enough to warrant the amount of money it cost. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I read one too many of the SIDS cases, and when I saw this product, I knew I needed to invest in it. I already slept better knowing that I had a monitor on them at all times. It also helped with the slow process of sleep training by showing me the exact times of their sleep cycle. I honestly cannot say enough about this sock! The creator of this was a genius!
Looking for some ideas for toddlers, check out my blog post where I list my top products for toddler moms!
I hope this was helpful for you in deciding on products for your beautiful little one. If you have any questions about the items, feel free to contact me at thecomtoislife@gmail.com.
Check out my shop for more ideas for little ones!
I wish you all the luck with your little, tiny human and just know that no matter what, you got this!
All the best,
Lexi Comtois