Top 6 Things for New Mommies

I am 12 weeks into being a new mom (again) and I have come up with a short list of the things I use the most.  Some of these things I remembered from Elizabeth, and some I must have blocked out because of my dislike for them (however necessary).


Again, these are things that work best for me and I am sure every other mom out there has a different list.




1. Bottle cleaning supplies:


If you are bottle feeding, exclusively breastfeeding, or both, you will still use bottles.  And you will have to clean the darn things.  (You should all be aware now that I absolutely hate cleaning bottles)  You will need a bottle brush, dish soap, and a drying rack.  Below are the ones we use.

 This bottle brush also comes in pink and green.  I like it better than the ones with the foam top because the foam tends to break off after several washes.

 After trying a few different liquid soaps, I found that dawn works best.

It's not too watery and gets everything really clean.

This is the drying rack we use. 

 It's big enough to hold our large 8oz bottles.

2. Good hand lotion

 

 I found that my hands became very raw after washing all the darn bottles and my regular hand lotion from bath and body works was not cutting it.  I also tried Vaseline, but just felt to greasy.

Ben got me this lotion for my birthday and it is a miracle worker.

My knuckles are no longer cracked and it isn't painful to wash bottles.

3. Eye mask

Ever hear the expression, "sleep when the baby sleeps"?

Well, sometimes that is at 2 in the afternoon while the sun is shining.

Having a good eye mask to help you sleep during the day is key during 

the first month with a newborn.

4. Boppy pillow

This pillow is so versatile!  You can use it for nursing, propping the baby up, and helping the baby learn how to sit-up.  I highly recommend getting a boppy pillow (especially for breast feeding).

* On a side note, if you end up with a c-section (like me), it took about two weeks for me to be comfortable nursing with the boppy because of my incision, until then I just sat her on a regular pillow in my lap.

5. Tylenol

 

 Childbirth is painful.  So is the week or two after childbirth.

Tylenol is about the only pain medication that is approved by doctors for nursing moms.

But, speak to your doctor before taking any medication.

6. Caffeine

Yes, this is the molecule for caffeine.

Whether it's coffee or diet coke, you will need caffeine after having a baby.

You will be tired.  It's okay to drink caffeine.

It will not keep your baby awake (ask my kids, oh wait, they are sleeping)    :)

I hope this helps someone.  

These are the things that have helped me through the 

last 12 weeks and maybe they will help you too.

Happy Friday!