I’ve officially been a mom for over a month. This still feels surreal to me! Being a first time mom, as all you moms know, is a little challenging in the sense that you feel like it’s all trial and error. Is that horrible to say? Because I feel like it’s true. When you’re pregnant for the first time, everyone loves to throw advice at you on baby products, ways to do things, etc. etc. which I thought was going to be totally annoying, but I actually ENJOYED it. I never was a babysitter and I was terrified of having children for years, so I didn’t know squat about what was good/bad/better/best when it came to the baby world. And while I did hours of research myself, I found that asking moms for their expert advice was super helpful because I got a ton of feedback and was able to choose what I felt was best.

So now that I’m one month in, I thought I would share my favorite baby products with you that have helped me “survive” this first month!

1. DRIA Cover: DRIA stands for Discrete Reliable Infant Accessory. I didn’t want the typical nursing cover because I actually can’t stand the bright, colorful patterns I see on most of them. This cover is a neutral, lightweight fabric that can be used for not only nursing, but for a carseat and stroller cover as well. I’ll elaborate on this in another post!

2. Medela Pump in Style: Unfortunately, I’ve had a not-so-easy time with breast feeding. Can any moms relate? I’ve developed an issue that has been preventing me from breast feeding the past two weeks that will HOPEFULLY resolve soon (hopefully?!). As a result, I’ve had to pump AROUND THE CLOCK and bottle feed my little guy. Lemme just tell you that pumping around the clock ain’t fun. But if it wasn’t for this pump, who knows how long it would take me! Also a tip to new moms: if you have to go back to work or plan on using a bottle at some point, just start pumping and building a milk supply in your freezer ASAP. Because you NEVER know what could happen!

3. Aden and Anais Bibs: Since we’ve had to initiate bottle feeding (earlier than I would’ve liked), I found these bibs to be really helpful for cleaning up any leakage that happens during a feeding! They’ve saved me a few outfit changes!!

4. Aden and Anais Swaddle Blankets: Just buy these. Seriously. You won’t regret it. They are so soft and lightweight, and I love that they’re breathable so you don’t have to totally worry about suffocation. I tried to use them for swaddling, but I have a little Houdini on my hands, so now I use them as a lightweight blanket for when he sleeps. Perfect for these hot summer days we’ve been having lately, and warm enough to cut the chill of the central air conditioner. I always keep one in my diaper bag as well!

5. Snugamonkey Rock ‘N Play: Let’s just talk about how much this has saved our lives. I had registered for a cradle for the side of our bed for the little guy to sleep in the first few months. The first night he managed to wiggle his way over to the side of the cradle and smooshed his face into the rail! I also tried the pack ‘n play, the swing, and more with no success. Little man would wake right up and refuse to go back to sleep.  A friend suggested this rock ‘n play, and it’s seriously been our best friend. Landon loves sleeping in it (the deep seat almost seems like it’s hugging him), and I’m able to rock him back to sleep if he wakes up. Plus, it’s portable! My plan is to have him sleep in this for a couple of months, and then transition him to the cradle which will make for an easier transition to the crib. But this is the best $75 I’ve ever spent!

6. Summer Infant Swaddlepod: As I said before, Landon is a Houdini baby and would bust out of his swaddle no matter how tight I wrapped him. He has a tendency to want to keep his arms above his head (I have ultrasound pictures of him like this!) He was a little peanut when he was born and wouldn’t fit into the Woombie or Swaddleme garments that I already had, so I purchased the Swaddlepod – which is meant for smaller babies. Problem solved! We’ve used this the past month, and have only recently transitioned to the Swaddleme.

So those have been my essential baby products for this first month! What products were must-haves for you? Leave them for me in a comment, I’m always looking for things that can improve our experience!

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