Katie's Unsolicited List of Favorites

[kbunsey]

Here are my favorite products for the first 6 weeks survival - in no specific order:

An excellent Lactation Consultant (not a product but needed)
Bravado nursing attire - a MUST!
Bravado cotton nursing pads
Avent steam sterilizer for the microwave (use it constantly for pump parts and bottles)
Medela steam sterilizer bags
Medela Pump in Style Advanced
Medela 5oz bottles
Lansinoh
Neosporin for the unfortunate nipple wounds early on :-(
Ameda gelpads
Soothy chair w/ vibration for baby
Thick cloth diapers for everything!
Costco diaper wipes
Hospital receiving blanket for swaddling
Avent bottle warmer
Dutailier Glider and ottoman w/ nursing stool (spending 8-12 hours in the chair better be comfortable!)
Caddy or baskets to keep things next to chair (lotion, wipes, burp cloths, nursing pads, Lansinoh, magazines, phone, baby toy, etc)
A regular pillow for nursing - The Boppy does not work for me
Papmers Swaddlers w/ the yellow line that turns blue when wet
Onsies and sleepers - forget socks, pants and cute outfits.
Happiest Baby on the Block DVD
Lullaby CDs (not sure if baby notices, but calm mommy and daddy in the thick of it)
Books: Nursing Mother's Companion, Baby 411, Heading Home with Your Newborn from Birth to Reality

What are your favorites?

[mellybute]

I'm with you on the onesies and sleepers! I learned with my first son that the easiest thing to put on them is the long sleeve button up sleepers. It keeps them warm especially at night without having to use a blanket (for fear of SIDS in my case), it's the easiest to open and change them also without disturbing them much (by pulling off pants, etc). All those cute little outfits got passed on to someone else :-)

And a comfortable rocking chair of some sort is definetly a neccesity!! I bought a big ole rocking recliner that we slept in a lot too :-)

I had the Medela Pump In Style Advance which I thought was a neccesity, but ended up selling it because I was never successful at pumping, even though I breastfed for 2 years lol!!

[hols537]

I required a "swaddle me" for swaddling (I failed swaddling with both children...fortunately Jonathan hated to be swaddled, but Alexander outgrew swaddle me sizes before he was done with swaddling).

[stacey0411]

I adored my nursing tanks from motherhood. I needed a break from wearing bra's at night, but these were supportive enough to put a nursing pad in (otherwise the sheets were soaked).

[missgamecock]

I've made it easier with Cate at night, her summer dresses as nighties, lol. No buttoning in the middle of the night of a squirmy child!!

I really like the Target wipes because they are like cloth and not as expensive as other brands.

Bouncer vibrator - Cate slept in this for oh about 8 months. I just put it away as she can crawl out of it.

Soft blankies

Cate has a glow seahorse that she LOVES to sleep with.

Mylicon drops for gas.

Hurricaine gel for teething (thank you God!)

[amanda]

I **love** cloth diapers! They were a definite must as were just some normal indian prefolds for spit ups. Your list is similar to mine!

[jend01]

Eain had the musical glowing seahorse that he really liked too and I should have bought stock in the mylicon we used it so often (actually the store brands).

Loved the boppy pillow
lots of pacifiers from the hospital - those things bounce all over the place

and bumbo seat once he got a little older

[tree]

Katie - Nice list. I like that mine has gotten shorter as my daughter has gotten older. I hope you have that experience - it makes things easier!
I saw somewhere else that you are looking into slings. Kangaroo Korner slings are the simplest and most comfortable ones I found. They are expensive, but I got tired of adjusting the wrap ones when my daughter was really young. I can still get it on and kid loaded fast, which is important sometimes.