Preparing for the birth of your first child gives you all the feels! It's the most exciting and most terrifying thing all at the same time. There are many things you can prepare for, but many more that you cannot fully understand until you're actually in it. I think back on the things I was focusing on while pregnant for my first son and honestly just laugh because while I thought I knew everything...I most definitely did not.
Being pregnant the second time around is a whole different ball game. You are confident. You know what to expect. You don't get nervous about every ache and pain. You also might forget how far along you are and feel pretty embarrassed when you have to check your app to confirm when someone asks
So for all my expecting mamas out there, now that I have the luxury of hindsight, here is a list of all the things I wish I knew before baby #1 ... or at least most of the things I can remember #pregnancybrain is a real thing man.
...Do not invest in 500 button up onesies. The last thing you want to do at 2 am when feeding and changing is deal with buttons. Zipper or magnetic all the way people!
...Make sure the onesies you buy have footies! A lot of the time they come footless, which then makes you have to deal with socks, which is an added task that you do not need when you're sleep deprived
...Order cotton mittens so your baby does not claw their eyes out! Gerber is great for this and they're readily available on Amazon
...Get a diaper and wipes subscription. It's one less thing to have to remember to do ahead of time. The box shows up at your door and you're golden. I personally have been very happy with the Honest Company. There are many other options out there if that one does not work for you.
...Make sure you have an Amazon Prime account. This will literally save your life. I am not kidding.
...If you are bottle feeding, buy 1-2 bottles from 2-3 brands instead of a whole set of one brand. All babies are not the same! They will not all take to the same bottle. It is good to have options when your baby is refusing food at 4am because the bottle nipple is gagging them.
...Do not invest in a bunch of the perfect instagram ready swaddles you have to wrap and tie. Get a few so you can document for the gram, but just like with onesies you want to make your life as simple as possible! Velcro swaddles are the way to go. Nested Bean has great options.
...Overbuy when it comes to burp rags! You will go through more of these than you can possibly imagine. Once your baby yaks all over one you're not going to keep using it. Be prepared to use multiple burp cloths daily. We used Green Sprout. On amazon and ships quickly!
...When you pick a baby carrier, please get something functional. All the IG perfect wraps look beautiful in professional photographs, but when you are operating on significantly decreased brain power the last thing you need to do is read a diagram on where to tie which part of the wrap to what and then have 2 additional people helping you make it happen. Poor use of resources. Ergobaby, BabyBjorn and Boppy have great options.
...Go old school when it comes to baby monitors. Don't mess with all the fancy ones that rely on WiFi to work. If your internet is not 100% perfect the image will always be blurry AND if your power goes out you're screwed. Motorola has never failed us...we learned this the hard way.
...Make sure your nursery is set up 2-3 months before the baby is born. I am a highly organized person so I had everything planned, but then I went into labor at 31 weeks and the room was not fully assembled. Plan for the unexpected and just have it all ready. I know that for this time around.
...Get a diaper bag backpack. The leather over the shoulder or crossbody ones are very beautiful, that is true, but when you're holding a baby in a carrier or pushing a stroller, you don't want something hanging over your shoulder. A backpack allows for equal distribution of weight and it won't slip off.
...If you plan on pumping, rent the pump from the hospital! It will be the most powerful one on the market...truly hospital grade AND you can return it when you're done. Investing in a pump is an expensive thing as well as eventually obsolete as brands modify over time. Plus, you don't know right away whether pumping will even work for you so renting takes away the commitment of purchase.
...Determine what your stance is on breastfeeding/pumping/formula feeding and decide what YOU are most comfortable with then make that known at the hospital. Do not allow others to railroad you into a path that makes you feel uncomfortable. If your baby is fed it doesn't matter how. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.
...Once baby arrives you will have a lot of pediatrician appointments in the coming weeks after birth. Write down all the questions that come to mind because you will not remember them all! You are going to be exhausted so having to retain the list of questions you will inevitably have is not something you should waste brain power on.
...Make sure you have some sort of single cup coffee maker whether it be Keurig, Nespresso or the like. Grinding beans and then making a full pot seems like a huge process when you just want to press a button and get your caffeine.
These are some of the immediate things that come to mind when I think back on being a brand new mama. I'm sure there are many more, but like I said #pregnancybrain is a real thing :).
What are some of the things you learned the second time around? Drop a comment.
Oh my gosh YES to Amazon Prime. It saved our lives in those first few weeks where leaving the house was basically impossible. Also an endless stock of burp clothes and a diaper bag backpack are two of my favorite pieces of advice we listened to 🙌 Love your list!