Everything Baby with Tips for Parents-to-Be

Over this first year into motherhood, I’ve compiled a list of do’s and don’ts, things I would do differently if I could turn back time and basically a brain dump of (hopefully helpful and not overwhelming) tips, advice, recommendations (you name it) for parents-to-be.

• Baby Registries – I recommend making Babylist your main registry because you can add things from Target, Amazon, and other stores. I would also create a baby registry under Target and Amazon, just to create one for the completion discount and free gift bags. (No need to share them)
  You do need to pay for the cost of shipping for Babylist’s “gift box”, but I think it’s well-worth it. Target and Amazon have better completion discounts than Babylist and do have nice gift bags as well.
• Yoga/Birthing Ball – A must-have for labor prep AND postpartum. Use this to bounce while holding babe in arms. It allows you to rest while giving your baby what he/she wants, to be rocked like they were in the womb.
• Doula – I highly recommend hiring a doula if you can find one in your budget. Interview several to get a feel for them and make sure you vibe well with them. They are not all woo-woo and by “woo-woo”, I mean, most doulas are there to support ANY decision you make, whether that’s going au natural or getting an epidural or having a C-section.  My doula actually talked me into getting an epidural, which was glorious while it lasted. But my birth story is for another time.
• Pump Parts – I’m sure you know that you can get this free with insurance, you need to pay extra for some of the fancier ones, but all in all, get the free one. I got mine from Aeroflow—they even provided online classes, which I opted in for (all free with insurance). I got the Medela Swing one, but found out that it had a weak pump from a lactation consultant and she recommended me to get the Spectra or rent one from the hospital—I did neither because of pure laziness and I had an oversupply anyway so I didn’t think it necessary. If I could I would get the Spectra and urge you to do the same, especially if you are planning to bottle feed alongside breastfeeding or solely bottle feeding. Spectra has a strong pump and strong pumps are more effective in getting the milk out.
  • Haakaas are nice to have on hand because it’s ultra-portable and you can hand express when feeling full or you can collect the let-down milk when nursing the other side. I love the Lansinoh Hand Pump more because it’s easier to use and expresses way more milk than even pumping.
• Do meet with a lactation consultant, especially if you are planning on breastfeeding. They’ll help with everything from getting a proper latch, inspecting your baby’s feed and how well they eat, to flange sizing to other recommendations. Flange sizing is super important. You want to make sure you have the right size for both breasts. They also might mention something about a lip and tongue tie, which is controversial amongst hospitals, doctors, lactation consultants, and pediatric dentists. Bottom line on lip and tongue ties, always get a second opinion, pediatricians don’t specialize in teeth and how it could affect speech later on in life, so I recommend finding a speech pathologist to make this assessment.
• Don’t buy a pumping bra. It’s a complete waste of money. Instead, there’s a trick you can do with any nursing tank/bra.
• Do get a variety of bottles to try. Babies have preferences. Same applies to pacifiers and swaddles. So, do not go overboard and buy the same bottles, pacifiers, swaddles, etc. until after the first 3-4 months.
• Bottle Nipple Sizes – There are different nipple sizing based on age, but according to our speech pathologist, some babies don’t need to go to the next level. Some babies may even need to go down. Dr. Brown bottles have T nipples (transition). If your babe has a tongue or lip tie, your speech pathologist can help you determine which nipple size is best.
• Bumbo Seat – This is actually not good for a baby’s developing body.
• Receiving Blankets – what even are those? I still don’t know.
• Winter Prams – Unless you live in a really cold climate or you are an outdoorsy family who often goes out in the wintertime, then there’s no need for this because babies can’t wear them in a car seat anyway–it’s a safety issue.
• Cradle Cap – this is what I found out to be most helpful for me. This comb is the only comb with narrow enough teeth to get even the tiniest flake out from baby’s thin hair. I found massaging baby oil into the scalp with hands, then using the comb to be pretty effective, as long as you simultaneously use the bath brush to massage the shampoo in. Another effective tip is brushing in soft circular motions with a baby brush when it’s dry.
• Boppy Pillow – The Boppy is a personal preference. Some people love it. Some hate it. My Breast Friend Pillow is best for exclusive breastfeeding, though, I’ve never tried it myself. I didn’t care for the boppy, it was useful some of the time during my BF journey, especially during the newborn stage, but after that, it was more of an inconvenience. It does have alternate uses, which is nice. Some people like to prop baby in it during bottle feeds. I, personally, liked propping her on it to burp her, so she faced outward instead of inward–I had more control holding her that way and was able to help her get that burp out. Currently, she loves sitting in it. So it’s not all for naught.
• Car Seat/Stroller Combo – Some people like to splurge on the Uppa Baby or Nuna and others are okay with getting common brands like Chicco or Graco. We splurged on the Nuna. We love the infant car seat carrier (Nuna Pipa Lite RX—discontinued now). The Nuna Tavo Next Stroller is on the heavier side and makes me wish I got the TRVL one instead, but I did like the large canopy feature and how easy it was to use. Knowing what I know now, though, I would’ve gone with something more affordable.
  • NOTE: Infant car seat carriers are only good until a specific height or weight. Most babies reach the height before the weight. Afterwards, you’d have to buy a convertible car seat. Technically, you can get the convertible car seat first because some are good for the newborn stage, but you won’t be able to transport baby very easily during those first few months and most strollers need the infant car seat carrier.
• High Chair – I would splurge on a good high chair, like the Strokke Tripp Trapp or similar. I was gifted the Chicco Polly, which I am so thankful for, but it’s a lot harder to clean than advertised and the padding is not machine washable, just wipe clean–how is that clean? I learned this after I became a parent—there is such a thing as having the correct posture when starting solids. Babies legs need to be at 90 degrees and feet should be resting flat on a footrest. Unfortunately, not all high chairs come with an adjustable foot rest. The Strokke Tripp Trapp actually grows with baby, so you can use it from newborn to toddler, which is really cool tbh. Here’s a visual of proper posture in a high chair.
• Nursing Chair – We splurged on the Nurture& Glider Plus. At the time, it was a great purchase and I wrote a full review on it, but as time went on, I realized I would’ve much rather preferred a glider chair with a footrest.
  • Updated Takeaways—
    • Heavy AF is not a new takeaway, but it’s still a problem. We moved it from one bedroom to the next and we couldn’t figure out how to take the back off and Nurture& does not make it easy for you to look it up on their website. I would hate to move that out of the house if/when we decide to move. I’m 5’9”, but my ankle is starting to hurt every time I rock (this is where a foot rest would come in handy because you can’t recline and rock at the same time).
    • It would be better if the buttons were on the inside of the armrest.

• Great Apps –
  • During Pregnancy: Babylist & The Bump apps
  • Baby Tracker: Baby Sprout app–it keeps track of feedings, sleep, diaper changes, pumping, milestones, and all things medical. We love it because it syncs up to both our phones, so we’re always up to date with our baby.
    • Note: we only used Baby Sprout for the first year
• Other Resources –
  •  Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood–and Trusting Yourself and Your Body by Erica Chidi
  • Tinyhood (Basically Masterclass for expecting and established parents)
  •  The Business of Being Born Documentary
  • The Newborn Handbook: Your Guide to Bringing Home Baby by Dr. Smita Malhotra, MD
  • The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, MD. (I linked the fully revised, second edition one, but I read the older version. I’m sure if you hadn’t read it yet, you’d want the latest version)

Stay Tuned for Postpartum Must-Haves!