Must Haves for Every New Mom

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So you’re expecting a baby, maybe your first! How exciting! You’re probably making lists and pouring over your must have items adding them to your baby registry. You’ve probably remembered the stroller, car seat, crib, and all those adorable baby clothes. But what do all of these things have in common? That’s right. They are all for your baby! But what about you? What new mom must haves should you be adding to your list?

Sometimes, as new moms we tend to forget about ourselves as we pour everything we have into our little ones. But before your new little bundle arrives, make sure you have everything you will need for yourself that will help you through those first few weeks postpartum.

1. Comfy Clothes

When you get home from the hospital, your maternity clothes will probably be pretty baggy and will become even more so over the next couple weeks. However, your “normal” clothes won’t quite fit.

You probably won’t be going out too much in the beginning so comfortable loungewear is what you will be wearing! The first couple weeks with both of my babies at home, I lived in comfy sweatpants. Do yourself a favor…make sure you have at least a pair or two on hand!

2. A Good Nursing Bra…or Two!

Don’t skimp on this one. I did with my first baby. It was horrible. I purchased two cheap bras from Target with underwire. No one told me not to buy underwire! Why did no one tell me this?! Okay, I’m telling you. DON’T, under any circumstances, buy a nursing bra with underwire. Unless you enjoy clogged ducts. Then, by all means, go for it.

All joking aside, a good nursing bra is worth its weight in gold. I really like the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bras. They are so comfortable and lightweight, but surprisingly supportive. I own two and have literally rotated them for the past 11 months. I know some suggest you should wait until after your baby is born to be sized for your nursing bra. However, the Bravado Seamless bras are sold in Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large. They have a lot of give to them and have adjusted to my changing size over the past 11 months very easily! If you are looking for a good quality nursing bra, this one is amazing!

3. Nursing Tanks

I know some women go for just the nursing tank instead of a nursing bra. However, I really wanted the support that a bra provides. I also wanted the modesty that a nursing tank would give me. But I sure didn’t want to deal with two different clips every time I needed to nurse my baby. 

I went searching and found the Undercover Mama tanks. These tanks are strapless and have little rubber bands that attach to the clips of your nursing bra. So, essentially, your nursing bra straps become your tank straps as well. These tanks are lightweight, yet durable. They are nice and long which I loved since I’m 5’10”! They really hit every quality I wanted in a nursing tank. I only own two of them, but really wish I had a couple more! 

4. Nursing Pads

I tried the reusable nursing pads. I really did. They just didn’t work for me. They leaked just about every time and I always felt icky in them. Is that weird? So I switched to Lansinoh disposable nursing pads and completely love them! Before your baby is born, buy at least a box of these to have on hand! Or better yet, add them to your baby registry! You will go through a lot in the beginning.

5. Nipple Cream

This is one of those things that you won’t use very long, but you will be very grateful for during those first few weeks! Trust me! It can be brutal. I’ve tried a few different brands and my favorite, hands down, is the Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter. Yes, that’s a mouthful. It doesn’t have an icky smell, is soothing, but is a safer option than some others for baby. 

6. Perineal Spray

Alright, it’s time to get serious. If you don’t like to talk about female parts, just skip on over this one. However, if you want to know a little secret, just keep on reading.

Most people think that labor is the absolute worst part of having a baby. And, yes, it’s definitely painful. But what most don’t realize is that the week or two following birth is quite uncomfortable to say the least. Sometimes it’s downright miserable. Let’s just say your lady parts will be in pain and you will want something soothing and cooling to take it away. Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Spray is a MUST HAVE for me.

7. Heavy Pads

You thought your period was bad? Think again. Postpartum bleeding can be heavy and last for several weeks. Stock up on a few packages of heavy pads now so you aren’t running to the store the day you get home from the hospital or better yet, sending your husband to do your dirty work! 

8. Basic Underwear

Don’t take your cute little panties to the hospital or think that those things will work for the first couple weeks unless you want them to end up in the trashcan. It’s a really good idea to buy a package of basic underwear that you don’t mind tossing once everything is back to normal. 

9. Large Water Bottle

If you plan to nurse your baby, you will be consuming ridiculous amounts of water. In the beginning, every single time I sat down to nurse I would go through at least 20 ounces of water. I think a nice water bottle is a good splurge for yourself before your baby arrives! 🙂 Just make sure to get one that holds a lot. I think 32 ounces is a good size, but make sure to get at least a 20 ounce. 

10. Amazon Family Subscription

We cloth diaper our babies, but I’m still so happy we have an Amazon Prime and Amazon Family Subscription. Amazon Family is free to all Prime Members. (Don’t have Prime? Try a month FREE! You will totally be hooked!) Amazon Family gives you 20% off all baby diapers and wipes and with your Prime membership they can be on your doorstep in 2 days! When your baby is little, the last thing you will want to do is pack up and head to the store. Ordering online is so much easier and I have saved so much more using my Amazon Family subscription!

11. Epsom Salt

Let’s just say Epsom Salt baths will be your very best friend that first week or two after you get home with your new baby. Make sure to have a large bag of this on hand. This stuff is cheap and can be used for so many different things so if you don’t use it all, I’m sure you can find a use for it later on!

12. Crock Pot

If you don’t own a Crock Pot, run, don’t walk, to the store and buy one now! They will save you more times than you can count once you have children. If you do already have one, but maybe you’ve never tried it out, now is the time to do so. Find 5-10 recipes your family really likes and buy all the ingredients you need before baby is born. Better yet, put all the ingredients for each crock pot meal into a large freezer bag and put them in your freezer to get you through those first weeks with a newborn. 

13. Coffee

You will need coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. I didn’t drink coffee before children. I actually didn’t drink coffee with my first. He was a sleeper. He teased me. He made me think that babies actually sleep through the night. Then my second came along and my sleep went out the window. When he was about 3 months old I drank my first cup of coffee and I haven’t looked back. There were days those first 6 months that I functioned off of coffee. Make sure you have enough on hand. Then buy an extra can for good measure. 

14. Chocolate

Yes. You can live on coffee and chocolate. I promise. You can. 

Okay, maybe not. But it doesn’t hurt to have some on hand. Your emotions will be all over the place as your hormones level out. You will be laughing hysterically one second and completely sobbing the next. Having a few pieces of your favorite candy is nice to have on hand. And don’t worry about that baby weight those first few weeks! Enjoy the chocolate now. You will have plenty of time once your body heals to get back into shape. 

15. Amazon Prime or Netflix Subscription

Once your baby is born, you will be sitting. A lot. Babies eat all the time and staring at a blank wall isn’t all that fun for hours on end. Amazon Prime and Netflix subscriptions are awesome because you can find a season of a show you enjoy and watch a little each time you sit down to feed. Have I mentioned how much I love Amazon Prime?! 

Yes, I’m sure there are better things you could do with your time. Like read. But by this point, you will be so tired that a mindless activity may be just what you need! 🙂 

Babies need a lot of stuff. But don’t forget about yourself! Make sure you have everything you need and a few of the little luxuries on hand before baby arrives. They will make your life so much easier when you make the transition of adding a new member to your family. 

What must haves for new moms are on your list?

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