Our Baby Gear "Must-Have" List for the First Few Weeks

As a first-time mommy, deciding what baby gear we really needed was overwhelming. We had no idea. Our precious baby boy has been home with us for a little over two weeks now and we're already starting to see which baby items we couldn't live without and which ones we could have definitely done without. Besides the obvious basics (bottles, breast pump, etc.) here's our must-have list for these first few weeks at home!

1. Munchkin Microwave Steam Sanitizer - Jaxon's getting breastmilk and formula from bottles because we're having to supplement. Which adds up to a TON of dirty bottles per day. It's so easy to put bottles into this tray, add some water, and wait 2 minutes for them to be steam sterilized in the microwave. It's not just for bottles though- I put my breastpump parts and his pacifiers in there as well. And if I remember correctly from college Microbiology, there's not many types of bacteria that steam doesn't kill. That makes this mama feel better about the things going in my sweet baby's mouth!

2. Cloud B Sleep Sheep Sound Machine - I know there are tons of different white noise makers/sound machines out there. This one has four different choices for white noise but the "mother's heartbeat" sound works like a charm! That one sound is why this particular sound machine is a must-have. It is the sound Jaxon heard for months before his arrival, after all.  If he seems to be getting fussy in his bassinet I can turn this on and it soothes him back to sleep within minutes. It cuts itself off after 23 minutes and it has a velcro strap for attaching it to things (car seat, bassinet, etc). Seriously a life-saver in the middle of the night.

3. My Little Snugabunny Bouncer - This is Jaxon's babysitter while I clean or shower or anything else. It has a vibrating setting that he LOVES. When he starts grunting and moving around, I know that the vibration setting has timed out. I turn it back on, and he's sound asleep again! It also has music options, one is lullaby-type music and the other is more playful. We also bought the "My Little Snugabunny Swing" but it's too fast for him right now and it startles him. Right now, the bouncer is the way to go!

4. Graco Day2Night Sleep System - This is in our living room right now. Jaxon's nursery is upstairs so it's really not feasible to go upstairs every time he needs to be changed and I'm certainly not ready for him to sleep that far away (our bedroom is downstairs). This solves both problems. It has a changer on the right side and the bassinet fits on the left. It comes with a stand for the bassinet, so at night, we can put him beside our bed. The bassinet and stand is really why we went with this particular sleep system. There is lots of storage room underneath the changer which is convenient for those needed outfit changes when I don't cover up Jaxon's boy parts quick enough and the pee-pee starts streaming everywhere! Also, it has an mp3 player hook up and a bassinet vibrator/sound maker attachment. The "Antiquity" colors also just happened to match the colors in our living room perfectly- major plus!

5. Prince Lionheart Diaper Depot - This has a clip on back so it slides right on to the side of #4. This makes organizing all the diaper necessities super easy. The middle part holds lots of diapers, and we keep hand sanitizer and diaper rash creams in the side holders. It's so convenient to have an organizer that stays right on the side of the changer.

6. Carter's Swaddle Blankets - Jaxon loves being swaddled. These Carter's swaddle blankets are super soft and super stretchy, which makes them perfect for swaddling! Plus, they come in really cute prints and patterns.

7. Prince Lionheart Diaper Warmer -Our sweet boy hates having his diaper changed. I think he just doesn't like being naked/cold. He doesn't seem to mind it so much with warm wipes, though! This was one of the things people warned us not to buy because we wouldn't use it, but we got this one at a baby shower and I can definitely tell a difference in his tolerance of diaper changes with cold vs. warm wipes. So, I say it's worth it!

8. A&D Diaper Rash Prevention Cream - We use this at EVERY diaper change. It goes on smooth and clear. I feel better just knowing there is a barrier between his soft little bottom and the pee/poop in the diaper.

9. Sleeper Gowns -  My husband wasn't so sure about the "gowns" for our son. But, after a few late night changes and fussing with the buttons on the footed sleepers at 3 AM, he became a believer. These things are so much easier than sleepers when you need to change baby and you're half asleep! Sleeper gowns are pretty much all Jaxon wears at night. This was a must-have I would have never thought of on my own as a first-time mommy. Experience is a great teacher ;)

10. Germ X - This is now a staple in our house. We keep it everywhere. I (nicely) make sure that all visitors have sanitized before they love on our sweet boy. I also like to have one at the changing table just in case it gets messy- I can't leave Jaxon and run and wash my hands so it's baby wipe and Germ X until I can wash my hands. This is a major must-have for these babies being born during cold/flu season. I've found that most visitors will use it without prompt if you keep it out where they can see it.

11. Playtex Diaper Genie Elite Pail -Like I said, a lot of our diaper changes take place in the living room. So something to mask the smell of dirty diapers is a must! This does the trick and we haven't had any issues with "breakthrough odors."