now that we’re almost three months out and i’m finally feeling a little more normal (in some ways), i can look back with a little clarity even though that first month and a half was a complete crazy blur. it’s kinda weird how you think you’ll need certain things and expect some items to be crucial and then end up never using them — everyone is different but for my first month with the baby, these were the things i could NOT have survived without. 

baby stain remover : i actually bought this last minute, and i am so glad i did. i pretty much use it daily for spit up and poop stains and it works every time. nothing has gotten ruined yet! YET. but i just keep it on the bathroom sink and do my doody duty whenever applicable. (i just came up with that right now)

discreet underwear : i didn’t realize you’d still bleed when you get a c-section, but you totally do! (and lucky me, i bled for 6 weeks and got my period a week later! and i am breastfeeding!) i wore the free mesh underwear from the hospital for the first week, but i can’t stand wearing pads, so i got a pack of adult underwear instead and they were waaaay more comfy.

capri sun juice boxes : when you first start breastfeeding, you are soooo thirsty and hungry — but you’re also trapped under a baby most of the time without being able to make a lot of stops to the fridge. some people would recommend a large water cup like this one i bought but i could not live without… capri sun juice boxes. they stay cold, and they don’t really spill so i could keep one on my deep couch next to me without having to reach for it on the coffee table, lifesaver.

silver nursing cups : i was not a believer and almost didn’t buy these, but was talked into it just a few weeks before i had arlo. i packed them in my hospital bag and i wore them immediately after delivery, and from then on i wore them at all times and only took them off to nurse for a month. i obviously have nothing to compare it with, but i had zero pain, zero bleeding, zero cracking and i have a big chubby hungry baby so i have to recommend these 1000%. nursing NEVER has hurt. i just think the thing you really need to do is wear them always, as embarrassing they look and uncomfortable they feel on. they work.

my brest friend : i originally got the ergo nursing pillow but because of my c section i had a really hard time with it. it was always sliding away and arlo was sliding down and it just wasn’t working out for us — so i ended up getting my brest friend and it was a lifesaver. i finally felt independent enough to be able to nurse without any assistance from gid, which was so hard with my c section PLUS having a big baby and he was soooo helpful while he was home on paternity leave.

long phone cords : we bought a bunch of long phone cords for the hospital so that we’d be able to charge and use our phones no matter what, and since then they’ve been a lifesaver at home too. i am stuck under the baby a lot, or moving around the living room while holding or rocking him so it’s nice to have a super long cord — because my phone is also always dead now that i nurse all day long.

digital clocks : oh man, we didn’t even have one clock in our house prior to baby, but checking the time is a thing the parent of a newborn does all day and all night. so i got a few different ones and scattered them in each room.

baby log : i started out using this journal for tracking, but after 2 months i’ve now switched to an app so i don’t have to always deal with trying to grab the pen thats fallen on the floor with my toes while babys on me. i always have my phone on me anyway so its easier — and i really like this app a lot, it’s clear, easy to use, my husband and i can both log from our phones and it’s cute looking.

nursing pads : at first i hated these because they were always soaked and then they’d feel really stiff and gross, but now that i do laundry almost daily — i am a big fan. but they are super visible a lot of the time, so i wear these disposable ones when i’m leaving the house (which i think absorb a lot better)

sound machine : cannot believe i didn’t have a sound machine on my registry. this thing is CRUCIAL. arlo was not a typical sleepy newborn, so the first day at the hospital was spent wondering why he wouldn’t sleep, and on our second day when a lactation expert showed us this sound machine app on her phone and arlo passed the f out — we immediately both downloaded. we use the blow dryer sound only (it’s a blast to listen to!) (no pun intended!) (actually pun intended). but i also got one for the changing station because he was sooo bad at being cold/changed for the first few weeks, so i would just put the sound machine on as soon as i’d set him down to be changed. now we don’t need to use it for changing, but we put it on as we rock him to sleep. i also have this travel one, but honestly i find it way too quiet compared to his screaming that it isn’t so effective.

thank you cards : you get a lot of gifts after the baby arrives from relatives, so it was so convenient to have thank you notes on hand and felt like something productive i could do during naps while watching TV. i love the look and price of this set!

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as for clothes, i decided to do a little post about postpartum fashion which i’ll be sharing soon — because i learned from my pregnancy wardrobe what not to do. the first month was so uncomfortable for me to look in the mirror and be comfortable with my appearance, so i bought one dress that i literally threw on every time i left the house. it was much easier than going through what i have and thinking everything looks bad, and this way i knew how it looked and i don’t have to think about it (or ever look in the mirror much).

AND i’m going to do a follow up post of all the things i registered and what i ended up liking/not liking, etc. stay tuned!