Amazon Fire Stick: I have spent so much time on the couch, especially in the first couple of weeks when I was still recovering from child birth - which, by the way, is super unglamorous and rough (probably a future post itself!) It did help to make sure I walked around the house a little bit every day, but for the most part I just wanted to sit down and rest and snuggle our sweet new addition! While I felt a little guilty for being "lazy" (totally not lazy, but when you are used to a routine and being busy sometimes you just can't help but feel that way), what other time in your life do you get an excuse to just hangout on the couch and not have anywhere to be or anything to do really? Make sure you have a subscription on Hulu or Netflix and get some good shows stacked up to watch! Let me know if you want my recommendations :)
Amazon Prime: If there is anything you need that you can't get up to go to the store for, this will be so helpful. I didn't know how big Luke was going to be so I didn't really buy newborn stuff and ended up that he wore them for about 5-6 weeks. I had my Mom and husband that could run to the store so I didn't end up using Amazon, but if you were home alone this would be a life saver for anything you needed!
Portable Phone Charger or long charging cord: I don't have any outlets by my couch and my phone was constantly dying, so having a portable charger was key! I have one by Sonix brand that my best friend got me and I love it!
Feeding app: Super helpful to have! I have the Glow Baby app and really like the format! This will suck all of your battery, so make sure you get the last must-have :)
Nursing tanks: Something I did not buy, but really wish I would have! I pretty much lived in just pajama pants and a nursing bra for the first few weeks because I was constantly feeding and lifting my shirt up and down just seemed like too much work when I had to do it again in an hour.
Cozy sweats and pajamas: You will be living in these, so make sure you have comfy ones!
Healthy snacks: All I wanted to eat was anything high in carbs after I delivered because I had gestational diabetes and wasn't able to eat many carbs for the last few months of pregnancy. While it was nice to indulge for a while, it honestly started making me feel sick. It's hard to make time to get up and prepare healthy snacks so chips, crackers, cookies were all so much easier. I was soooo hungry all the time and a lot of other women I have heard are (especially if you are breastfeeding). I would highly suggest getting some healthy, but good snacks to have at home before baby is born! Pre-cut apple slices from costco or celery with nut butter, bananas, nuts and seed mixes, healthier chips/crackers with guacamole or hummus, string cheese, sparkling waters and yogurt are some good and easy snacks to have!
Boppy: This will save your arms from burning! I was holding Luke the majority of the day and so my arms would seriously BURN they were so tired! I also just used pillows from my bedroom on the couch around me so I could rest my arms, so that will do the trick too. I would also use my Boppy as a holder for all of my remotes and snacks, haha!
Heating pad: Check with your doctor, but I would sleep with this a lot on my couch because my back would hurt from the constant baby holding and feeding.
Yeti or good water bottle: Drink TONS of water. Even if you aren't breastfeeding I think it will just make you feel way better as you recover. Whenever I am sick or not really moving around a whole lot, drinking lots of water helps me not feel so "stiff". If you are breastfeeding, this is super important. I made the mistake a few times of becoming dehydrated and not drinking enough water and literally felt like pure crap, which makes it really inconvenient when you have to feed and care for a baby -- I would not recommend getting to this point! If you ask my husband, I am sure he got so sick of me asking him to fill my water bottle up a million times a day after that.
Taking Cara Babies: The reason I am able to write this post! Okay guys, I JUST started this a few days ago, and I usually like to try things out for longer before making a recommendation, but I know this is amazing and really wanted to include it. I plan on doing a post on it later after a few months, but do yourself a favor: in the last few weeks of pregnancy, when you are going crazy and getting anxious, TAKE THIS ONLINE CLASS. I wish I would have done it earlier! My friend recommended it and I didn't listen until a few days ago and it is truly amazing! It is a class on newborn sleeping/how to calm your fussy baby, etc. Check them out @takingcarababies on Instagram and checkout her website for more info!
Community: ASK FOR HELP! There are sooo many mom's out there that are in the same position as you! Asking questions has really been helpful for me! There are lots of Facebook groups or podcasts on motherhood that make you feel less alone! I really like the Babes and Babies podcast with Jade, Carly and Liz from the Bachelor! Also, don't be afraid to ask friends or family for help even if it is just holding the baby while you take a shower!
Some kind of petroleum jelly or Vaseline-like product: The first few days of baby poop is literally tar and sooo hard to get off even if you catch it 5 minutes after. One of the nurses at the hospital told us to get some vaseline and put it on their bottoms after every diaper change and their poop will just slide right off! Sounds gross, but trust me it will make your life so much easier! I also used this on the inside of his diaper after he got circumsised, so if you plan on doing that I would highly recommend rubbing vaseline on the inside of their diapers so nothing gets caught!
Zip up jammies: Literally all Luke wore for the first few weeks. The easiest to change them into and out of. I find that he RARELY wears over the head onesies and I have so many of them. It's hard because you don't know if your baby is going to be small enough to wear newborn sizes, but I had barely any of these so my mom went out and bought a bunch of newborn ones after he was born. I love Carter's brand, they are definitely my favorite! And they always have sales.
Rock n Play or swing: Whatever one works for you will be amazing for setting baby down in or to take naps! I have the Rock n Play and love it because it's really affordable (I'll link the one I have) and folds up to be really light and compact so you can bring it wherever in your house and when you travel! We always bring this with us when we travel and it easily can fit in the trunk of a car or truck. A lot of the affordable swings I looked at had really big bases and took up way too much room so this one was nice.
Velcro or Zip up Swaddle: These make life so much easier than swaddling with a blanket. They are safer too! I use the Halo Sleep Sack and really like it.
Baby carrier: Wish I would have used mine sooner. I have the Baby Bjorn and really like it, but I have heard a lot of people like the wrap style as well. This will be a game changer, especially if you are home alone with the baby and want to be able to get up and actually get a couple of things done around the house.
Water Wipes: These are awesome and Luke has not had diaper rash yet and I think it is because of these amazing and gentle wipes. They are made with water mostly and a little bit of fruit extract, so they are super easy on baby's skin. Plus, you can use them for wiping their face or yourself too since they are really gentle!
Honest Healing Balm: I love this stuff! You can use it on anything, but I really liked it for cradle cap.
