Newborn Essentials | Guest Post from Clara Aquino

Newborn Essentials | @claravuaquino by ergobaby

This post is from our Ergobaby Brand Ambassador Clara Aquino:

A little list of must haves for parents of newborns (click the image above to view all of the item sources!):

1) Swaddlers
They help to recreate that feeling of being snug in mama’s belly; while also eliminating the need for blankets, which can be a risk for suffocation. Ergobaby swaddles are designed with a pocket at the bottom so you can easily change diapers while your little babe is still asleep. Genius.
2) A nursing pillow
If you will be nursing your newborn, you’ll find that you will officially become a walking, talking, milk machine.. I’m serious. It’s pretty crazy how often you could be nursing your babe, so it’s nice to have something that can support you and keep you + baby comfy during those long nights. Ergobaby has designed an amazing, supportive, nursing pillow that is firm and allows parents to be hands free (you don’t need to rest your arm under baby like with other pillows) while nursing. It is two sided with a more shallow side, and a deeper side, that is meant to grow with your child. I got to test one out recently with a fake baby and kept thinking “where was this thing when my daughter was a newborn??”. It is so at the top of my list for future baby. Plus, friends and family can use it as support when holding your precious new bundle.
3) A wrap
I don’t think I would have made it through our newborn days without one. Because of the convenience of wearing my baby, she was able to stay asleep while I did some light housework such as laundry, dishes, and prepping ingredients for dinner. It was also an easy way to do skin to skin with my daughter and still be hands free. Talk about an increase in productivity. Oh, and not to mention all of the many other benefits of baby wearing, such as caregiver-baby bonding, and even decreasing risks of SIDS. This one from Ergobaby is so cute!
4) A breast pump
Refer back to post #2 when I made that comment about being a milk machine. If you are nursing, you will definitely need something to pump in between nursing (or even pump one side while you feed on the other) I own this one pictured here by Medela (it’s the Symphony) You can rent this one from the hospital and I have to say, it makes a big difference compared to other pumps. A single manual pump is also great for when you are out and about running errands.
5) A carseat
This one by Orbit Baby is great because it has a Smart Hub swivel base that allows to you turn the car seat a full 360; towards you, to make buckling baby in just a tad bit easier. It also has a paparazzi shield that is UV protectant and pulls down, or stores away easily. Goodbye carseat covers and blankets that don’t stay put.
6) A sound machine
These white noise machines are a god send with sleeping babies. In the first few weeks, all they do is eat, sleep, be adorable, repeat. The sound machines mimic noises like they are heard in utero, and helps to keep them sleeping longer. If you don’t want to go out and purchase a sound machine, you can download white noise apps right to your phone.
7) An Infant Tub
Baby’s first bath doesn’t generally happen until after their umbilical cord falls off, but you will want to be prepared with a small bath tub for them. You’ll probably want something shallow with something comfortable for baby to lay on. We liked having something we could set right onto our dining room table, although you can also get one you can place right into your kitchen sink. Something at table/counter height is so ideal postpartum. The one pictured here is from 4moms.
8) Footed sleepers.
An easy footed sleeper was SO much easier than fussing with pants, buttoned onsies, and socks when we were doing hourly (seriously, HOURLY) diaper changes. Bonus points if they’re the ones with one long zipper running down from neck to feet. But serious, how could something so adorable poop so much…..
9) Hand sanitizer
Okay, fine I’ll admit it. I was that crazy mom in the beginning half of the Luvs commercial making everyone use hand sanitizer or wash their hands before they could hold my new baby. But when your baby is born in the middle of Winter, aka peak flu season (or even if they’re born in the Summer), you just want to be careful with the germs being passed around. The last thing any parent wants is a sick baby. Its so much easier to just carry around a little hand sanitizer. We literally had a bottle of the Honest Hand Sanitizing Gel everywhere. In the diaper bag, in the stroller, attached to her carseat (lol), in the car… This new Spray formula is a game changer, though. LOVE.
10) A baby carrier
When baby gets just a tad bit bigger, and has full neck support, you can make the switch from the wrap to a carrier (or you can also use an infant insert from day one- see below!). This one from Ergobaby is so easy to put on, and strap baby in; not to mention it allows you to face baby front-inward, front-outward, back carry, and hip, all while still being ergonomically correct for both parent and baby. And this new print they just came out with? *heart eyes all day*. I’m still wearing my 17 month old in our Ergo carrier everyday when we run errands to the grocery store, or places alike. I love that our carrier allows me to keep her close, and still be hands free. She often times even falls asleep in it while I’m running errands, I really can’t imagine life without it.
11) Infant Insert for your Ergobaby Carrier
If your baby is not yet able to hold their neck up and support their head on their own, you can actually still use your Ergo carrier, as long as you have the infant insert. It add the extra support baby needs, and keeps baby in the recommended frog-leg position. Oh and did I mention it works with all of the Ergobaby carriers?
12) Freshly Picked Crib Moccs
Okay so these aren’t technically an essential item but how adorable are they?? My daughter owns a few pairs and we just love the look and fit. They slip on and off with a breeze and stay on her little feet.

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Danielle Hampton is a writer and blogger enjoying small town life in the mountains of Northern Arizona with her husband Hank and their two boys, Henry and Charlie, and daughter Olive. She’s a former high school English teacher who now authors the blog Sometimes Sweet and does freelance writing, editing and social media consulting, contributing to a variety of sites.

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