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I’m not a doctor and I don’t appreciate when new moms start getting preachy on the internet so I will just say that everyone transitions into motherhood differently. I probably didn’t bond as strongly and as quickly as some people do and I definitely came home from the hospital feeling like my life was over. My personal experience is there is about 100 days of darkness. I can say that period did not last forever and I was quick to tell my doctor, husband, and mother exactly how I was feeling. As I became more confident, we developed a schedule and let’s be honest the baby started giving something back to me, I felt like I began to enjoy motherhood the way people talked about it. As awkward as it is to feel like I am airing my dirty laundry here, being open and honest with the people around helped me move through those feelings. If you are a new mom and having a hard time please don’t hesitate to reach out to someone. IT TOTALLY GETS BETTER. PEOPLE HAVE TONS OF KIDS. They mostly block these first 90 days out. Hang in there.
Keekaroo Peanut Changer
A wipable changing pad.
Skip Hop Silver Lining Cloud Baby Play Mat
The little cloud is a pillow for their head. Gave him something to stare at so he wasn’t always staring terrified into the distance behind me and convincing me the house was haunted.
” IT TOTALLY GETS BETTER. PEOPLE HAVE TONS OF KIDS. They mostly block these first 90 days out. Hang in there.”
Dr. Brown’s Formula Mixing Pitcher
I WOULD BE DEAD AND GONE WITHOUT THIS. Find a clear plastic cup and then once very carefully measure the formula scoops for one pitcher (however many bottles that is for you) and mark with a sharpie. That way you only have to scoop to that line and don’t have to count scoops anymore.
Moms on Call Basic Baby Care
This was my schedule bible. I may have gone overboard but it worked for us.
Gerber First Essential Clear View Plastic Nurser
These were the bottles we used. They’re cheap and around 10 weeks I finally came to my senses and bought enough to be able to wait and run them through the dishwasher. When I had only about 8, I was hand washing them like a damn handmaid.
“Start out how you can hold out.”
Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack
Never even bothered putting bottles away. Just left them on the drying rack until they were used again.
VAVA VA-CL006 Night Lights
Great dimmable night light for middle of the night feedings.
DockATot Deluxe+ Dock
I had so many friends swear by this and for about the first 8 weeks I didn’t get it but then overnight we couldn’t live without it. You can put the baby anywhere. We also traveled with it and used it for the baby to sleep in on vacation.
Baby Care Play Mat Foam Floor Rug
This was so much easier to clean than blankets on the floor and the foam made it so much more comfortable for us to be on the floor with him.
Triple Paste Medicated Ointment
When nothing else worked for diaper rash, this always did.
Ubbi Baby Wipes Dispenser
I loved Water Wipes but their dispenser is absolute garbage. This has a weighted plate to hold the wipes down so you can pull them out one handed. This does not heat the wipes because my child became familiarized with the cold reality of the world quickly. Start out how you can hold out.
Ubbi Diaper Pail
Like a diaper genie but without the ‘special bag’ long con those people are running.
Thanks for your honesty! Even though my husband and I had been trying for a while when the stick turned positive I had a panic attack. I for sure felt like my life was over and all I could think was, “What have we done?!” That feeling didn’t go away until maybe halfway through my pregnancy but even when we checked into the hospital to give birth I started crying mourning my previous life. Thankfully once she arrived my transition was smoother than I was anticipating (however we splurged on a night nanny – worth every penny) but I always try to be honest with people about how I felt because I think more people than not feel this way. Love your blog and I buy all the things!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I also had a very dark few months…actually probably more like 6 months. But I reached out for help and it was so worth it! My little man is 5 now, and the light of my life. I am proud of myself for having used many of these products way back when – if you have them, it must mean I had some smart, good taste! The Keekaroo Peanut changer was the best! I gift them to all my mom friends now. Love following you on Instagram!
Yup same here. In the hospital I had the feeling of “is it too late to call an adoption agency?”
Would recommend one product you don’t have here which is the Baby Brezza formula maker. It’s like a Keurig for formula. I stopped breastfeeding at about 4 months and the Brezza was a lifesaver. They are expensive but you can buy used on eBay too.
I’ll take all this stuff once you are done lol!
I have a different experience from most- I was airlifted to hospital at 27 weeks where my twins were born by emergency c-section. Literally went in with crocs and pjs I was wearing. All I really needed was a toothbrush and my babies. 74 days in the NICU was rough, but it created in me a desperation to mother my children without medical intervention!
Just wanted to say thanks for these posts for baby gear. This really helped me build my registry with sensible stuff. We ended up with a lot of these exact items for my son. Thanks!