What you really need for baby

A few weeks ago, our son’s teacher stopped by our neighborhood playdate with her brand new baby. Of course, the ‘veteran’ moms that we are… had to step in and tell here which of her items she would use & which ones she wouldn’t.

I know that when I was expecting each one of our four kids, I wanted to make sure that I was 100% prepared (that’s just the kind of person that I am).

I had three baby showers with our first baby (one from my mom, one from my mother-in-law and one from my co-workers where I taught). With our second baby, I had one shower. With our third baby, I had a “baby sprinkle” and with our fourth baby, I had another shower (because she was the little sister to her three big brothers, so we needed to fill her room with PINK!)

Four children later, I realize what you really need & what you don’t need with a baby. Some of the things that I have had not been used at all, while other have been used so much that they are tattered, torn and loved!

Here are 5 things that you really need:

1- A video monitor We use the Levana Alexa Monitor.  I needed to have peace of mind with a monitor that was simple enough to use and tough enough for me to trust it.

Here is the one that we picked: See the Levana Monitor Here and the reasons that we picked it:

First off, the screen is much brighter than any other I had seen. This was a must for us (when you are tired, you need a bright screen). On the flip side, it has a non-intrusive screen sound indicator so it keeps their room dark.

2. A Breast Pump – I seriously lived with mine by my side. I exclusively breastfed two of our children (I was blessed with an abundant supply, so I didn’t have to use it too often, but nonetheless, having an electric pump was a game-changer for me, and it allowed me to provide our children with breast milk for a year.)

PS- remember that you can order larger flanges. One size does not fit all (which most new moms don’t realize because the pumps only come with one size).

3- A room to keep their toys!  Playroom idea from Becky Mansfield on Vimeo.

4- Diaper and wipes... I didn’t need a fancy basket for them- I just kept them in a little wire basket in the room, but keep a lot of them!

5- Baby swaddle blankets & burp blankets: 
Lassig Summer Dream Swaddle & Burp Blankets
Cute prints adorn these Swaddle & Burp Blankets from Lassig. These multi-functional, easy-care blankets are made of soft cotton, so they’re perfect as a light blanket, burp cloth, nursing cloth, or swaddle.  I LOVE giving these as baby shower gifts because they are so versatile.

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