When you’re expecting your first child you have absolutely no idea what you are doing. I remember registering for my son and as I walked around the store I was so lost and confused. How was I supposed to know what to get and what would be best for our child when I had never even had a child of my own?
Well, when you do have your baby, you quickly learn what the essentials are. There are so many things I registered for that I never even used, and then there were those items I had seen before but never got them because I didn’t understand how truly amazing they were until I actually had my child.
If you’re expecting your first child, you may need some extra guidance on what products you will really want. Here are 9 baby products for first time moms that would have made my life so much easier.
1. A Better Nursing Cover
When I had my son, my friend offered to make me a nursing cover. I was so excited and thankful and got to pick out my very own fabric.
When I actually started using the nursing cover I realized that it was pretty unrealistic. It was the kind that only covered the front of you and had a strap that clipped around your neck to keep it secure. Even though it covered the front of me where my breasts were, it didn’t cover my back and if I had to pull up my shirt to nurse, everyone could see my bare back. I hated it.
Also, as my son kicked and moved around while nursing it would always move and sometimes ended up flashing people. I wish I had had a nursing cover that went all the way around my body, completely covered me and wouldn’t flash anyone as the baby moved. It would have made breastfeeding a lot less stressful and more enjoyable.
Source: petunia.com
2. A Bigger Diaper Bag
When I bought my first diaper bag I was beyond excited. It was the perfect print for me and I absolutely loved it. Then, I actually started using it. I couldn’t believe it was actually sold as a diaper bag. It was so incredibly small. I couldn’t fit everything I needed.
You don’t realize how much stuff you have to carry around in your diaper bag: diapers, wipes, change of clothes, burp cloths, bottles, snacks, nursing pads, nipple cream, diaper cream…I could go on forever. If you think your diaper bag may be too small, it probably is. Go as big as you can because trust me, you’ll need all that room!
Source: target.com
3. Video Monitor
When we had our son, we registered for a regular noise monitor. I didn’t register for a video monitor because they were so expensive and I felt bad asking for anyone to buy us one.
Well, a few months into having our son, I realized that we definitely needed a video monitor. He was starting to move around a lot more, we were trying to get him to sleep better at night, and I needed to know if he was actually sleeping and without having a video I had to walk into his room and if he saw me it was the end of the world.
We ended up breaking down and buying a video monitor and I’m so glad we did. I would never, ever recommend any monitor for a baby other than a video monitor.
Source: bedbathandbeyond.com
4. Co-sleeper
Being a new mom is exhausting. You hardly get any sleep. For some reason when we had our son I started him off sleeping in his own room from day one. I don’t really know why I did this, but I did.
Getting up every few hours and having to walk across the hall into his room to nurse him and change him really started taking it’s toll on me. I felt like I hardly got any sleep. I really started to wish I had a co-sleeper so we could have our baby right by our bedside so I could easily grab him while in bed to nurse and still catch a few winks while he nursed.
5. My Brest Friend
When I registered for my first child, I registered at Target. They had those cute Boppy nursing pillows with the cute covers. I loved the, so I registered for them. That was the only nursing pillow Target had, so I just assumed it was the one I should get.
Then, a few months later I was at a friend’s house, and she let me use her My Brest Friend nursing pillow. It was such a difference! It actually supported the baby and was secure around my body. I didn’t feel like the baby was slipping down while nursing and there were little pockets and compartments to hold little essentials you might need while nursing.
6. Humidifier
Ok, I’ll admit I actually did buy this before our son was born. However, I didn’t actually think we would really use it. I only bought it because it was so dang cute.
Fast forward to the first time our baby got sick. My doctor and lots of websites all recommended using a humidifier to help keep the air in the room moist for relief from nasal congestion, dry cough,s and cold and flu symptoms. I ended up using it every time our son got sick, and it really did help him sleep better at night.