Hello. Are you a first-time mom?
I’m you, you’re me. Being a first-time mother comes with its own set of anxieties and excitements. You’re filled with so much joy to welcome your first child but you’re also a bundle of nerves, hoping to get everything right for your precious little one.
Granted, today my son is 1 and a half years old, but when I was expecting, I had to read ALL the books, all the blogs, all the articles and all the social media posts to prepare. Yep, just. to. prepare!! Today, I know that no amount of reading prepares you for real-life experience, especially when it comes to products for newborns.
In my readings before giving birth, I read a lot of articles on what items a mother should buy for her newborn. I sieved through reviews to find out which items were highly recommended and had raving reviews and which were rejected and useless. I wanted all the stuff that were “award-winning” just so I had the best of options for my child’s development.
Knowing which item worked for my child was eventually a process of trial and error. While some stuff had great reviews, they didn’t work as well for me and my baby. After all these hits and misses, I now have a list of products for newborns I swear by.
And so, I lived the mom life. Through it, I gathered the 5 products for newborns that I really wish I had purchased way, way earlier (if only some guardian angel had told me about them earlier!).
5 Products To Buy For Your Newborn Baby
Diaper Genie Diaper Pail
Garbage is garbage, right? Why do I need to purchase a fancy system that collects trash if it’s going to be thrown out anyways?
Well, because baby poop is not your average garbage! Yeah, you need a separate trash system for collecting and discarding your baby’s poopy diapers. No flowers coming out of that butt! Here is the top recommended one. It actually works and will keep your nursery smelling fresh, not like the trash dump.
Light Stroller
I got the fanciest stroller there ever was. Big shiny wheels. Jogger.
With a matching car seat!
I thought this was a total must have product for newborns!
After some time, I couldn’t use the fancy stroller either because the tires needed gas. From an actual air station at the gas pump. I know, the nerve! We new parents just do not have so much time to just take our stroller to the gas pump. In the end, my husband and I didn’t even touch the stroller for MONTHS. When we FINALLY did, it was so darn big and clunky, it barely fit in the trunk of our SUV. And when we finally managed to fit it in (after multiple attempts!), we could not put anything else in the trunk.
Moral of the story? Don’t get attracted by shiny objects. Get yourself a lightweight stroller that doesn’t take months to assemble and does not require a medical degree to open and store – like this one.
Car Seat That Grows With Baby
That fancy jogger system stroller that came with a convenient car seat?
Yeah, that only lasted a couple of months. Get a car seat that will last longer and grows with your baby. Here’s one I love and recommend.
High Chair That Grows With Baby
There are some products that you use for a few weeks, maybe a few months if you’re lucky and then your baby is growing faster than you can keep up with! A high chair is something that you will need several times a day, every day, all the way up until your little one can sit at the grown-up table with you.
I really am grateful that I decided to go with this one that is adjustable and easily adapts. Plus, it comes with an easy peasy booster seat when the high chair is ready to go and your little one is not so little anymore.
Changing Table With Extra Tray
Did you consider the fact that when you change your baby, you will need about 100 other products than just diapers and powder? I hadn’t.
Initially, fooled by reviews, I got a small dresser that could only fit the changing tray on top but no space to put the wipes, the diaper rash cream, the lotions and the powders.
Fortunately, I found a workable option quite fast. Love this changing tray with an extended tray to put your top products! You’ll need this, trust me.
Something For The New Moms
I was super anxious when I found out I was becoming a mom for the first-time. I wanted to focus on my journey as a mother, bonding with my child and loving every moment.
But let’s be real. While there are products that can make our life easy, and our baby’s development safe and comfortable, we moms need a bit of tender-loving-care to be sane enough to enjoy the joys of motherhood.
Here is a list of items that gave me some peace of mind from a wailing baby and allowed me to focus on the gift that is my lovely son.
Lanolin Cream for Nipples
This belongs on EVERY first time mom’s list! I had not read about this anywhere and I sooo wish I had. Nipple care is SO important!
How Important? You’ll know after a week of breastfeeding, trust me! If you choose not to continue, more power to you momma! But if you do, you’ll need to slather this all over your tender, cracked and yes, bloody nipples for some soothing relief.
PRO TIP: Don’t skimp on the lanolin cream.
A First-Time-Mom-Friendly Self-Care Checklist:
- Slow your skin care. We all have to clean our faces. Slow this process down. Really touch your skin when you are using your products. I use a Korean skin care routine (which is really not that tedious if you start getting into the rhythm of it!). I love to take my fingers and tap and drum them all over my face to get the circulation going. Oh, and always upwards strokes and gentle pressing into the skin of course!
- Take 5 minutes to write in your gratitude journal. Bookmark your days with gratitude and watch your mood change. No matter how hard it gets, I take a moment to think deeply about three very specific things I am grateful for in the morning and at night before I sleep. To create this habit, I used the 5-minute journal, LOVE! Pretty soon, I started doing the exercise mentally automatically. Now, I can’t start my days without showing gratitude.
- Meditate in the shower. This might be the only place moms can be alone … maybe. Savor it. Take a mindful shower. Inhale the hot steam deep into your lungs and take it easy when you exhale. Let the water run over you and don’t move. I like to let my mind take charge in the shower and let it guide my reflection and meditation.
Naturally, there are so many ways a new mother can choose to learn and go through the process of mothering her firstborn. The above are just some suggestions from my own experience, but you need to know, most importantly, that you just need to do you. Take whatever course you think is right, trial and error different products, have a support group and enjoy every moment of solitude you get. As a health insurance specialist, I know how important our personal health is, so remember to focus on it so your baby can grow up healthy, too!
Let me know if you have any mom-friendly products or self-care tips to share.
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