My baby’s first birthday is a week from today and although I have no idea how that happened, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to list my must-haves for the first year as a new mom.  Since parenting is a moving target, I don’t use all of these things now but at some point in the past twelve months I’ve desperately needed each of these items and have been so grateful for their existence.  Whether it was bouncing my newborn to sleep on an exercise ball (which just so happens to be a fab ab workout), soothing diaper rash or testing my breast milk to make sure it was safe for my little to drink after a glass (or two) of wine.  See my favorites as a first-time mom!

XO, Libby

1. Rock N’ Play || 2. Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit

3. Lactation Support Supplements || 4. Lansinoh Therapearl Breast Therapy

5. Breastmilk Home Test|| 6.  Honest Healing Balm

7. Back Pack Diaper Bag (as seen on my Instagram)  || 8. Animal Pacifier

9. Bring Up Bébé || 10. Stability Exercise Ball

 

Much to my dismay, Carter preferred sleeping in his Rock N’ Play over the beautiful, wicker Restoration Hardware bassinet I had been given as a gift.  To get him to sleep I would nurse and swaddle him, give him his favorite pacifier and then bounce him in my arms on our exercise ball.  It was the best trick ever!  When he was nodding off, I would always start him in the bassinet and then inevitably when he would wake in the middle of the night, I would resort to the Rock N’ Play and the vibration helped lull him back to sleep.  The Rock N’ Play comes in so many patterns and colors which is awesome for decorating purposes – I really love this geometric version, this chic Jonathan Adler version and this sweet, floral version.

Nothing is more important to a new mom than sleep.  So when we had a hard time getting our son to sleep for more than two hours at a time we Amazon Primed Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit and tested is ASAP.  We like to joke that Carter looks like he is going to space in his moon suit.  Houston, we don’t have a problem now that our baby sleeps through the night all thanks to Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit and a little bit of sleep training.  If you’ve tried what seems to be everything and your baby still won’t sleep of extended periods of time, it might be time to try Merlin’s Magic.  The sleepsuit was a serious game changer in our home.

I’m wrapping up my year of breastfeeding, (YAY!  I did it!), and I was able to make it this long in large part due to these lactation support supplements.  They greatly boosted my milk supply and made it possible for this mama to nurse her baby through the first year!  I had the best of intentions to make lactation cookies and even bought all of the special organic ingredients, but those ingredients are still neatly displayed on the top of my refrigerator unopened.  You can buy these supplements on Amazon or I also found them at Natural Grocers.  These hot and cold breast pads also helped a ton, especially in the beginning.  For the first few months I would microwave them and stick them in my bra to “warm up” Carter’s meal… in reality it just helps your milk flow.  I actually got a second set that I would keep in the freezer to relieve any pain from constant breastfeeding and/or pumping.  And since I am the queen of pumping since I’ve gone back to work and I’ve literally put in hours and hours of QT with my pump, I suggest you make sure that you have something to read.  I highly recommend Bring Up Bébé,  which I really enjoyed and which influenced a lot of my parenting practices.

Brunching with my babe at Sarto’s Social Italian Eatery, one of my favorite spots!

And since anyone who follows my blog or Instagram knows that I love some bubbly, these test strips make sure your milk is safe to feed your baby after you’ve indulged.  (I’ve also used this brand as well.)  I always felt like I was testing the pH levels at the pool… anyone who was a lifeguard growing up knows what I’m talking about! 🙂

Carter in Honest Company diapers when he was itty bitty.

This mama is a big fan of the Honest Company.  I love their adorable printed diapers that can be bulk delivered to your home directly from their website.  But even more so I love their Healing Balm which cured Carter’s newborn eczema and relieved his diaper rash overnight.  It is a miracle worker and I think every mom should have it on hand just in case.  I also carry their backpack diaper bag everywhere I go.  The backpack helps to keep you balanced while toting an unbelievable amount, so you’re not lopsidedly carrying a diaper bag and a car seat.  Plus it’s very chic, and even has an insulated compartment for bottles which is so convenient!  We also use their wipes, overnight diapers, bubble bath, lotion and multi-surface cleaner.  It’s the best stuff.

What are your favorite mommy must-haves?  I’d love to hear!