Time to dust off the changing table and re-lock the kitchen cabinets, baby number two is on the way! Just when you’ve cleared that hazardous toddler stage and started to relax, you’ve got a new babe moving in. And let me tell you by experience, they grow a lot faster the second time around. I think our little guy was a newborn for about 4 minutes. As I type this, we just packed away the baby swing and bouncer for our 7 month old and I feel as if I just set them up. *Insert balling eyes out emoji*
If you’re starting to rearrange the house to get all that baby stuff back in order, here’s a good list to help you out.
1. Bassinet
Well let’s start with the basics. Hopefully you saved some big ticket items from your first baby, like a bassinet, infant car seat, swing, changing table and high chair. Always double check that the car seat has not expired. And have a safe place to put baby down where your toddler can’t reach or run over them, whether its a bouncer chair, swing, or pack and play. We saved a lot of things from our first baby, but we did buy a new bassinet for this second baby. The first bassinet (a hand-me-down) was too small and low to the ground. As a fresh postpartum mom you’ll quickly remember that comfort is key, especially when it comes to getting in and out of bed a few times every night. So we chose a new bassinet that had adjustable height and co-sleeper side. This made such an incredible difference. Because even when I wasn’t lifting up my sack of potatoes chunky baby, I could simple lay my arm over the side and rest it on him, comforting him back to sleep between feedings. I found the Milliard Co-Sleeper Bassinet on Amazon and it has 8 levels of height adjustments. It comes with a travel bag too (right up my alley!).
2. Double Stroller
So clutch! Nothing like strapping them both in there and being totally hands free while also making it easier to keep track of your kids so you don’t lose one. Depending on how old your first baby is, you may or may not need this. However, if you still have a young one who tires easily, this is so useful. Our daughter is almost 4 and she can only last walking for so long. I always bring a stroller that can accommodate both kids because they both end up in it at some point. A stroller that is compatible with the infant car seat and has a seat for your toddler is the way to go. We use the Uppa Baby Vista. It has so many ways to seat two. We’re going onto 4 years with this stroller, its part of the family now.
3. Carrier or Wrap You’re about to have your hands full. Make sure you have something to strap the baby right to you. I used the Moby Wrap Baby Carrier for the first couple of months, then as baby gets bigger I start using the LilleBaby Carrier more. Its super quick to click on and has a few different ways to carry baby. I used this one on many flights with my first baby and now probably a hundred walks since quarantine with baby number two.
4. Baby Monitor
Did you ditch your first one? Or maybe you’re still using it. Either way, you’ll need one for the new baby. We bought a new monitor because we liked the comfort of still hearing/watching our big girl with our original monitor and wanted to try something different for the new baby. My husband gifted me the Nanit for Christmas. At first I thought, ‘well what an easy out that was for gifting.’ But honestly, I love this camera. It has great picture quality, temperature and humidity detection, and there is an app for your phone/tablet. You can play back motion or sound detection and it can monitor baby’s breathing if you really want to keep a close eye on your sleeping babe. If you’ve read any of my previous posts you already know I’m a night shift nurse, so all these features are a breath of fresh air for me.
5. Backpack Diaper Bag
You know you’ll be running around like a maniac those first few weeks right? Ya, and it never really slows down. So, convenience is key and if you haven’t gotten a backpack style diaper bag already, then you’re working too hard. Trust me when I say you need one. Picture this… you’re getting the baby out of the car, diaper bag slung over one shoulder and now you’re helping your other child out of the car. You’ve got baby or a heavy infant car seat in one arm, toddler in other hand and that stinkin’ diaper bag keeps sliding off your shoulder. Nevermind any other bags and items you’ve got to lug around. Help yourself out and make it a backpack diaper bag.
6. Fresh Swaddle Blankets and Burp Cloths
There’s nothing like the feel of new blankets, so why not let your new babe feel that luxury too! And it could be their potential special blankey they hold on to until they head off to college. We were blessed with a surprise baby boy, so we appreciated the gender specific blanket we were given by a family friend. It’s also nice to have brand new burps cloths. Our first child was super spitty and this one was too. So after a couple weeks in, when someone asked me what I needed…Burp Cloths please! I couldn’t have enough.
7. Diapers, more diapers, and wipes
Honestly, that’s all I really told people that I needed when they asked. Friends and family are so generous when it comes to new babies and always love gifting while you are pregnant. So as much as I appreciated the cute clothes, we really truly just needed diapers and wipes. And like I already mentioned, this baby grows a lot quicker, so ask for size 2 and up. Trust me, you’ll need them.
8. Bottles and Formula
Whatever your feeding method, it is nice to have brand new bottles, or at least brand new nipples. I breastfed my first and still used bottles here and there, so I saved them. But I felt better about buying brand new nipples and using them with the old bottles. I also bought a package of formula just in case we had any difficulty. Ironically, I’m completely prepared this time and my milk supply is significantly better this time around, go figure. Still comforting knowing I have the formula in the cabinet if I need it. If you’re looking for a recommendation on bottles; Lansinoh! These bottles worked great for my breastfeeding, spitty baby. The nipple like magically mimics the breast… it’s soft, flexible silicone, and has a matte finish to it that just made it so natural for both my babies to go back and forth from breast to bottle. The Lansinoh bottles also have minimal parts, so you’re not dealing with washing all those fancy air ventilation pieces. A lot of my family and friends have had great success with this bottle.
9. Diaper Rash Cream and Baby Wash
Good ol’ butt paste! Honestly, I don’t like those thick white creams you end up having to scrape off of your baby with each diaper change. Try out the Aquaphor healing ointment, it works really well and even the docs prescribed it for babies at my hospital. You can get a good size one for at home and the travel size tubes for on the go in the diaper bag.
10. Nose Frida
It’s simply the best! Better than all the rest…..The baby booger sucker! This thing is seriously the best at getting boogers out. My babies were both filled with boogers for the first few months and I couldn’t stand seeing those darn things stuck in their nostrils. The Nose Frida Snotsucker works so much better than a bulb syringe, comes with filters, and is easy to wash. The whole thing is transparent so you know you’ve cleaned it out completely unlike a bulb syringe that you can’t see inside of.
11. Sound Machine
Part of my swear-by-it sleep essentials! We love a good sound machine. If it doesn’t help baby sleep better alone, it will at least drown out your noisy toddler and the chores you’re trying to catch up with while baby is sleeping. One the go? Grab the hushh. At home, use the dohm.
12. Baby Book
I LOVE looking back at my baby book, which my parents still have. So it was so important to me to keep track of my babies so they can look at it some day. Get yourself a brand new baby book for your newest little love. And try to keep up with it.
Don’t Buy:
~Newborn Clothes. I know its really really hard not to buy new clothes for your baby because they’re so freakin’ cute, but honestly you probably won’t need them. Your friends and family will gift you some of those and the newborn stages fly by. You’ll likely need 6 months clothes and older.
~Nursing Cover-up. This is up to you. I didn’t have time to use a fancy cover up and get it all adjusted, especially having a toddler to run after. Instead, I used a muslin blanket, tucking one corner underneath each bra strap and calling it a day. Lots of air flow and flexibility there.
Hopefully this is helpful as you plan the arrival of your newest little love! Congratulations and best of luck.
»Erin
P.S. Get yourself a maid for all the laundry, because you’ll never be able to keep up with it again!
The New England Momma 