The Baby Stuff I Can't Live Without

As a new mama of a 7-week old little boy, I have a whole lotta stuff. There's all the stuff I THOUGHT I'd need, and then there's all the stuff I've ACTUALLY needed. While I'm still new to this whole parenthood thing, and I'm sure there's a bunch more stuff I'll end up needing later on, here's the lowdown on the 6 items I could NOT have survived without. Yes, there are a few other things that rocked my world and were useful too, but these 6? They're the ones that really REALLY mattered this last 7 weeks.

1. Pampers Swaddlers (size "N" for newborn). If you're going with disposable diapers, these diapers rock. I don't know much about diapers other than if they fit my kid, and if they keep the poo contained, but these diapers have been awesome for both purposes. They also have a very cool little yellow stripe that turns blue if the diaper's been peed in - so us newbie moms know when to actually change his butt.
2. Lansinoh Cream. While this kid has been really REALLY good to me in how he latches and feeds, and has not yet ruined my poor nipples, all that activity has done a number on them anyway. They're not cracked but they have gotten dry sometimes, and I really think my consistent use of THIS cream has been part of ensuring they're not ruined. This stuff is really easy to use, not too greasy, spreads well, and will save your newly-busy nipples.
3. Diaper Genie Elite II. If you live in a condo and have a baby, you NEED the Diaper Genie. While yea, it SEEMS like it's just a bucket to put diapers in, it's not. It's a MAGIC bucket that tucks the smelly shitty diapers away through a magic slot, so you'll never EVER have a condo that smells like smelly shitty diapers. I totally love this thing. Even if it does fill up fast...
4. Bjorn Active Baby Carrier. Born 6lbs 4oz, my boy was little, so plunking him in a great big stroller just wasn't something I wanted to do - I wanted him close to me, so I could keep an eye on him, and share my body warmth with him. And the Bjorn? It's been TOTALLY awesome for this. Not only is it super easy to put on and off, but it's easily adjustable for both your size and your child's - meaning if you want to share the carrier amongst family, it's easy to adjust on the fly. It's also easy to adjust as your kiddo grows - even WHILE he's on you / in it. We got the "active" version for the extra back support, which SO FAR at 10.5lbs now, has been great.
5. Medela Swing Pump. If you're breastfeeding exclusively, and you want the freedom to get your hair cut or go for a run, you're going to HAVE to pump. And this pump, works great. Unfortunately it makes some noises I'm not so fond of (I read most pumps do), but it's so easy to use I can have the PUMP on one boob, and my boy on the other, so any noises it does make are forgiven for keeping pumping as simple as possible.
6. And last but not least, the First Years Safe & Secure Sleeper. While co-sleeping was not really my thing, I've used this sleeper TONS over the last 7 weeks - but for other purposes. First, we used it as a place to put our boy down in the living room when he was tired - we didn't want him "put away" in his room, and he didn't like the playpen, so we opted for this because it was smaller and cozier, and he took to it IMMEDIATELY. Second, we used it as a travel piece for going to friends' houses, and a trip to Whistler. It folds in half into what could be compared to a large purse or briefcase-sized package - which made it super easy to haul around (preferrable to the unwieldy playpen, which just now, at 10.5lbs, we're having to switch to).

Anything you'd give two thumbs up to? That you couldn't have lived without as a new mom?

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