Things We Couldn't Have Lived Without: 1 Month

Here are some random things that we consider to be must-haves for the first month...

1. Itzbeen. We LOVE the Itzbeen. Love, love, love it. Basically, it is a timer/stopwatch type thing that allows you to keep track of diaper changes, feeding, sleeping, nursing side, time, etc. In the delirium of the first weeks, it was really nice to be able to look at the Itzbeen and know exactly how long it had been since the last time we feed Benton or changed his diaper. Now that Benton is on a schedule, we really only use it to know how long he has been nursing on each side or to look at the time. But, in the future, I imagine we will use it for things such as the time since his last dose of Tylenol, etc.

2. Video Monitor. We have the Summer Infant Slim and Secure Video Monitor. Sweet Benton is quite the noisemaker during naps and at night, and it is so very nice to be able to look at the video monitor and know that he is fine and sleeping! Landon and I love just watching him as he falls asleep.

3. Gerber Nuk Warm or Cool Relief Packs. I won't go into detail about these on the blog, but please buy these. :)

4. Lilypadz Reusable Nursing Pads. Again, I won't go into detail, but these make you feel a little more human in the midst of new mommyhood.

5. Bravado Nursing Bras and Tank Tops. They are the best. Just buy one (or ten).

6. Fisher Price Little Lamb Dream Swing. This swing has many different functions other than the basic swing. It also has a mobile, plays lullabies, etc. We don't use it very often, but Benton loves it...and I imagine it would be a lifesaver for a fussy baby.

7. Preemie Clothes. Who would have known that our full term baby (7 pounds, 3 ounces) would need preemie clothes for almost his entire first month of life! We had a few cute onesies and pants that he wore over and over again. I would recommend that you at least have a few preemie outfits, just in case!

8. A Good Stroller and Car Seat. We have the UppaBaby Vista Stroller and a Chicco carseat. Spend time researching your stroller and car seat...you will be using it often!!! Landon and I have a stoller that fits our lifestyle perfectly, and we are so grateful for it.

9. Boppy. I'm sure every new mommy has a Boppy pillow, but I would recommend having more than one. We have two Boppy pillows, one for the nursery and one for the living room/bedroom/etc. It is really nice to not have to search for the Boppy everytime it is time to feed Benton (which seems to be all day long).

10. Activity Gym. We have the Infantino Vintage Twist and Fold Activity Gym. Benton spends quite a bit of his waketime in the Activity Gym, and we love torturing him by shaking all the toys. Poor guy. :)

Does anyone else have something they couldn't have lived without the first month?!