What We Actually Used Most In The First Two Weeks With a Newborn

What We Actually Used Most in the First Two Weeks With a Newborn

If there is one thing I’ve learned since becoming a mom, it’s that there is a pretty significant difference between the things you think you’re going to use before your baby is born and the things you actually reach for at 2:37 in the morning when you’re sleep deprived, recovering from birth, and trying to figure out why this tiny person is screaming.

I did a lot of research while I was pregnant.

Like… a lot.

I made the registry. I read the reviews. I compared products. I tried to think through what we would genuinely use instead of buying every single baby product the internet insisted was a “must-have.”

And even with all of that preparation, there were still things I completely underestimated.

There were things I thought would be important that barely got touched.

And then there were random little things that became absolute workhorses in our house.

Now that Barrett is older and I’m far enough removed from those first couple of weeks to actually remember them somewhat clearly — because those days were a complete blur — I’ve been wanting to write down the things we genuinely used the most.

Not the prettiest baby products.

Not the things that photographed well in a nursery.

The things that actually made our lives easier.

And because every baby and every postpartum experience is different, this isn’t me saying every new parent needs every item on this list.

This is simply what worked for us.

Especially with a reflux baby, a C-section recovery, breastfeeding, pumping, and two very exhausted first-time parents trying to learn everything as we went.

1. Velcro Swaddles

We used the KeaBabies Velcro swaddles constantly in those early newborn weeks.

Before Barrett was born, swaddling seemed like one of those things I would simply figure out.

You wrap the blanket around the baby. How hard could it be?

Apparently very hard when you are running on approximately seventeen minutes of sleep and your

baby has discovered that he possesses arms.

The Velcro swaddles removed the mental gymnastics.

Lay baby down. Fold. Velcro. Done.

There are plenty of brands that make similar ones, so I don’t necessarily think the specific brand matters as much as the concept.

Anything that required fewer steps at 3 a.m. immediately became one of my favorite possessions.

2. Disposable Puppy Pads — Yes, Seriously

This is probably one of the least glamorous things on this entire list, but disposable puppy pads were shockingly useful.

We kept them around the house and would lay one underneath Barrett when changing him outside of his normal changing area.

And because he had pretty significant reflux, they were especially helpful after feedings.

We quickly learned that laying a freshly fed reflux baby down to change his diaper was basically asking him to spit up.

Having something disposable underneath him meant we weren’t constantly washing blankets, towels, couch covers, or whatever else happened to be underneath him.

They were also extremely handy for particularly messy diapers.

Could you use reusable changing pads instead?

Absolutely.

But during those first few sleep-deprived weeks, sometimes being able to roll the whole mess up and throw it away was worth its weight in gold.

3. More Burp Cloths, Bibs and Bassinet Sheets Than You Think You Need

If you have a baby who spits up frequently, let me save you some laundry-related suffering:

Buy more burp cloths than you think is reasonable.

And while you’re at it, buy extra bibs and bassinet sheets too.

We went through an unbelievable number of burp cloths.

There were days we changed Barrett’s clothes repeatedly because of spit-up before realizing, in our exhausted newborn haze, that we owned bibs for literally this exact reason.

Once we actually remembered to use them, they helped tremendously.

And bassinet sheets?

There were nights when we went through multiple sets.

This is one of those categories where I would rather have too many than be standing beside the bassinet at 3 a.m. realizing the only clean sheet is currently inside the washing machine.

If you end up with a reflux baby like we did, extras are not excessive.

They’re infrastructure.

4. Dr. Brown’s HappyPaci Pacifiers

I had Opinions™ about pacifiers while I was pregnant.

We researched oral development, breastfeeding, dental development and all the various pacifier shapes because obviously we wanted to make the best possible choice.

We eventually settled on the Dr. Brown’s HappyPaci.

Originally, we planned to wait a little while before introducing one because I was breastfeeding.

And then Barrett was born.

We spent what felt like two straight days in the hospital barely sleeping.

There were tears.

There was exhaustion.

There was a point where Seth and I were both so sleep deprived that “delusional” would not be a dramatic description.

And eventually we looked at each other and basically said:

Give the child the pacifier.

So we did.

And everything was fine.

That experience was one of my very first lessons in the enormous difference between parenting decisions made while comfortably sitting on your couch pregnant and parenting decisions made when the actual baby arrives.

We still really liked the HappyPaci, and Barrett took to them well.

5. My Spectra S1 Breast Pump

My relationship with my Spectra started out… rocky.

I have the Spectra S1, which has the rechargeable battery and doesn’t have to remain plugged into the wall while you’re pumping.

In those first few weeks, I honestly hated using it.

I didn’t understand the settings.

I didn’t know what suction level I needed.

Everything felt uncomfortable.

I was recovering from a C-section, trying to establish breastfeeding, severely sleep deprived, emotional, sore and generally not operating with the brain capacity required to learn the finer points of breast-pump settings.

However.

Once I figured it out?

That pump is incredible.

I used it every single day, even during the period when I preferred my wearables. I especially relied on it for nighttime power-pumping sessions while trying to establish my milk supply.

Over time I also realized how much better the Spectra emptied me compared with my wearable pumps.

And that matters.

Now, almost seven months into breastfeeding, my Spectra is my primary pump.

My output is noticeably better with it, and it does a much better job of fully emptying me.

If you’re pregnant and planning to pump at all, I would definitely check your insurance benefits before purchasing one outright because many insurance plans cover breast pumps or contribute toward the cost.

I’m very glad I have mine.

Even if First-Week-Postpartum Angel wanted to throw it across the room.

6. Wearable Pumps — Even Though I Would Choose a Different Set Now

A few days after we brought Barrett home, we had his first pediatrician appointment.

At that point, I was exhausted, hurting, overwhelmed and still really struggling with the Spectra.

On the way home, I told Seth to run into Walmart while Barrett and I stayed in the car and buy me the cheapest wearable pumps they had.

Enter the Momcozy S9 Pro V.

Would these be the wearable pumps I would choose now if I were buying another pair?

Probably not.

The suction isn’t amazing, and as my breastfeeding journey continued, I noticed that I responded less and less effectively to them.

But at the time?

They were exactly what I needed.

They helped bridge the gap between “I need to pump” and “I cannot mentally handle being attached to this giant machine right now.”

They also made it possible to hold Barrett while pumping.

That mattered a lot.

Especially during middle-of-the-night pumps when sometimes the baby simply wanted his mama.

These days, I mostly use my wearables if we’re going to be out for a long time or if I forgot to wash my Spectra parts.

But I am still very glad I had access to wearable pumps during those early weeks.

My recommendation now would be less “buy this exact model” and more:

If you plan to pump and can comfortably afford a wearable set in addition to your primary pump, I think they can be incredibly helpful.

I just wouldn’t personally rely on wearables as my only pump.

7. Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter

This stuff deserves its own fan club.

I originally started using Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter for the obvious reason: breastfeeding nipples.

But then I discovered it was also fantastic for lubricating my pump flanges.

That completely changed pumping for me.

It made pumping significantly more comfortable, reduced irritation and seemed to help me relax enough to pump more effectively.

And you only need a tiny amount.

I am almost seven months into breastfeeding and still haven’t even used half of my original container.

Also, bonus postpartum use:

Lip balm.

Those first few days after having a baby, I felt like every molecule of moisture had left my body.

Lips dry?

Nipple butter.

Pumping?

Nipple butter.

Nursing?

Nipple butter.

Apparently this tiny jar became postpartum multipurpose ointment.

8. A Simple Baby Lounger for Awake, Supervised Time

We had one of the inexpensive cushioned baby loungers rather than one of the very expensive trendy versions.

And during those early newborn weeks, we used it frequently as a convenient place to set Barrett while we were right beside him and he was awake.

It was especially nice when we were spending time in the living room or sitting outside getting some fresh air during those first couple of weeks when I wasn’t exactly ready to venture very far from home.

One important caveat here:

Baby loungers are not safe sleep spaces, and safe-use recommendations matter. We only used ours while Barrett was awake and directly supervised, and parents should follow current safe-sleep guidance and the manufacturer’s instructions for whatever product they own.

We actually ended up owning two nearly identical loungers because someone gifted us one after we had already purchased ours.

Unfortunately, neither lasted long term.

After washing the covers, they became incredibly difficult to put back on correctly, and eventually the zippers broke on both.

So while I loved having a convenient supervised newborn spot, I would probably research construction and washability much more closely if I purchased another one.

9. Two-Way Zipper Footie Pajamas

Need I say more?

Actually, yes, because I feel very strongly about this now.

Two-way zipper pajamas are elite newborn engineering.

We somehow ended up with a few button-up sleepers.

And I’m sure they were adorable.

I wouldn’t know, because we almost never used them.

Trying to line up seventeen tiny snaps while a newborn kicks like he is competing in an Olympic event is not how I prefer to spend my evening.

During daytime hours when I had patience?

Maybe.

During a middle-of-the-night diaper change?

Absolutely not.

Two-way zipper pajamas allow you to unzip from the bottom, change the diaper, zip everything back up and move on with your life.

This seems like a ridiculously small detail before you have a baby.

After you have a baby, you realize whoever invented the double zipper deserves recognition.

10. The Baby Brezza Bottle Washer

This is the item I never thought we needed.

Bottle washers are expensive.

And when I was building our registry, I intentionally left one off because it felt like one of those luxury baby products that would be nice but completely unnecessary.

Then one of Seth’s clients, who had recently had twins, gifted us their Baby Brezza Bottle Washer after upgrading to a larger machine.

They also gave us a huge supply of the detergent tablets and descaling tablets.

And I am not exaggerating when I say this was one of the best baby gifts we received.

Especially during the early weeks when I was pumping frequently and we were using so many bottles.

We ran that thing constantly.

Honestly, we still do.

I use it for bottles, pacifiers, teethers, pump parts and basically anything Barrett uses that is appropriate for that type of washing and sanitizing.

Ours also has a separate insert for pump parts, which has been incredibly useful.

Could we survive without it?

Of course.

But the question for me now isn’t “Can I technically wash all of these things by hand?”

It’s:

“How much of my time and mental energy does this machine give back to me?”

And the answer is enough that I would absolutely recommend one if it fits your budget.

11. A Bottle Warmer

This is another thing we didn’t put on our registry because we assumed we didn’t need it.

Then we brought home a hungry newborn.

For the first couple of weeks, whenever we needed to warm refrigerated breast milk, our system was incredibly sophisticated.

Meaning Seth would either microwave a mug of water and sit the bottle inside it or plug the bathroom sink, fill it with hot water and let the bottle warm while we changed Barrett.

Did it work?

Eventually.

Was it efficient when you had a screaming baby at 2 a.m.?

Absolutely not.

Barrett takes cooler milk much better now, but when he was younger, cold milk was a hard sell — especially if he had already crossed into screaming-his-head-off hungry.

It almost seemed like the temperature shocked him.

Eventually we bought a BEAR bottle warmer simply because it was inexpensive.

And we ended up loving it.

It is one of those products that makes me look back and think:

Why did we make this harder than it needed to be?

We’ve since also been gifted a BEAR baby food maker that we love, so apparently we accidentally became BEAR appliance people.

The Biggest Thing I Learned About Newborn “Must-Haves”

Looking back, what makes me laugh is how different our actual most-used products were from some of the things I assumed would matter most while I was pregnant.

The things that made the biggest difference weren’t necessarily exciting.

They were things that:

✔️ saved us a load of laundry,

✔️ saved us ten minutes in the middle of the night,

✔️ made pumping more comfortable,

✔️ washed something automatically,

✔️ prevented us from changing another outfit,

✔️ or allowed one of us to hold our baby while still accomplishing something else.

That is what I would think about now if I were building a baby registry from scratch.

Not:

“What products does everyone on the internet say I need?”

But:

“What is going to make repetitive newborn life easier?”

Because newborn life is repetitive.

Feed.

Burp.

Spit up.

Change.

Pump.

Wash.

Sleep for seventeen minutes.

Repeat.

And anything that removes friction from that cycle becomes far more valuable than you expect.

I also think this is why it’s almost impossible to build the “perfect” baby registry before becoming a parent.

You don’t know your baby yet.

You don’t know whether you’ll have a reflux baby.

You don’t know exactly what your feeding journey will look like.

You don’t know which products your baby will hate despite having 12,000 five-star reviews.

And you don’t know which completely random $20 item will become the thing you tell every pregnant friend to buy.

So if I could go back and talk to pregnant me while she was obsessively researching registry items, I’d tell her this:

Do your research.

Prepare as much as you reasonably can.

But leave yourself some room to figure it out once your actual baby arrives.

Because some of the things you’ll need most are things you don’t even know you need yet.

And apparently one of them might be puppy pads. 😂