My Experience

I Wish I Had Known

Things nobody told me, so I am telling you.

  • Trust yourself! There are so many “rules” and ways to do things and all that matters is what works for you and your family!
  • Reach out for help! I felt so annoying bugging people but everyone always seemed so eager to share what they knew and I know I personally LOVE talking about baby stuff and helping if I can.
  • Wash EVERYTHING in fragrance free detergent. I thought I did and my baby had awful baby acne everywhere and it turns out it was because I didn’t wash the Baby Bjorn Bouncer and her face was just laying on it.
  • Breast Milk is witchcraft. My baby had a blocked tear duct, I literally sprayed it on/in her eye and it was better the next day. Cuts anything it heals so quickly.
  • Baby massages are really good for them. I just went on tiktok and watched different techniques
  • Stay hydrated in the last trimester! I had a terrible scare, I was uncontrollably vomiting and having the worst contractions but it ended up just being dehydration and after an IV and $300 hospital bill later I was fine.
  • I took my baby to a baby chiropractor at 5 months and highly recommend you can really do it any time they are born but it’s so helpful to have them aligned after being so crammed for 9 months lol. People also have said that babies who aren’t aligned are very stiff and hate car seats and are overall fussier.
  • My baby started swimming lessons at 4 months. It seems crazy but the number of babies who drown is heartbreaking, she is now 8 months and she has so much confidence in the water. The instructors also say if you wait too long they have sensitivity to their ears being under water. My baby is unphased.
  • Be mindful of what you are using to calm the baby down I started when she was born singing and hand signingthe alphabet to her to calm her down and it works shes so fascinated by my hands BUT now every time I want to soothe her I have to sing the stupid alphabet. 
  • I saw something that was like when your super tired and the baby wont sleep late at night imagine your 80 years old and figured out how to time travel back to this moment to hold and rock your baby again and I sobbed haha
  • “Favorite” pictures. You’re going to take SOO many every single day and by marking some you at least have some organization. Also a skylight picture frame is an amazing gift for grandparents because you can just send pictures there instead of blowing up their phone all day with pictures 
  • MISS RACHEL BABY SIGNS! I know screen time is frowned upon but my baby LOVES her and shes is teaching her sign language 
  • LOOK ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE FOR THINGS! I went back and forth with a bunch of stuff but ultimately decided against it because I was worried it would be gross or something. I regret it so much. Baby stuff is probably the best product to get on there because you only use them for a couple of months and then you need to make room. I am trying to sell my truly practically new things for a fraction of what I bought them for.

Hospital Bag/ Postpartum

People always say that you can’t really prepare and it’s just so true.I packed WAY too much stuff. Also, I LOVE all things Frida mom and Frida Baby, I bought the whole postpartum essential kit and then needed to have a C-section so didn’t use any of it and then ended up buying the Frida Mom C-Section recovery kit.

  • Labor and Delivery Gown- Labor is scary and uncomfortable and I am SO grateful I had this.
  • Shower Shoes-  The last month of my pregnancy when I was putting so much weight in my heels, also essential in the shower. I had to have a blood transfusion so when I finally did shower I was very unbalanced.
  • SwaddleMe Pods– Highly Recommend. We had so many different types of swaddles but the pods are the best because you just zip them up!
  • Bodily Mesh Underwear- I thought I could avoid the diaper situation with the period underwear but you can’t haha especially in the hospital. They give you mesh underwear but it sucks. Bring these or some other brand but bring your own.
  • Don’t bring diapers or wipes they have all that and they give it to you
  • Medicine for Dad generally they are not allowed to give them anything we had one amazing nurse who snuck him some from her actual purse lol
  • Blanket and Pillows for you and Dad- Hospital Pillows are the absolute WORST. Also, ask the nurse how to open the bed for dad. It’s super simple but if you don’t know, it’s weird.
  • SNACKS and GATORADE
  •  Extension cord
  • 16 Ft Phone Chargers
  • Check Book- You’ll have the option to order the birth certificate in the hospital and they’ll file the paperwork but you have to pay by check. Thankfully my friend told me this so we ordered a check book specifically for this and haven’t used it since haha
  • Caden Lane Robes– Really any robe this one was just very comfy. I brought so much clothes but because of skin to skin and whatever I was basically in a robe and diaper the whole time lol
  • Laptop to watch tv/movies- Pick a show to binge during those first couple of months! Time literally stops. You live in 3 hour windows and will just stare at your baby for hours lol and since your only responsibility is to keep your baby alive days dont really exist. IDK but it’s THE BEST We rewatched all the Degrassi lol
  • Frida Mom Nursing Pillow- I forgot mine in the car and didn’t think it was a big deal but when I got home and used it I realized how helpful it would have been to have in the hospital.
  • Any kind of expanding accordion folder– And a notebook they give you SO much information you need somewhere safe to shove it until you have the time and energy to really look at it.
  • Toiletries

Post Partum

  • Thinx Boy Shorts and the Super High Wasit were amazing. I didn’t even give birth vaginally and there’s still a lot going on haha. The boy shorts are super comfy for sleeping and I still wear them now. The Super high waisted are great for compression, I lived in them! Also the brand itself is great, originally I bought sizes too small. They refunded me but told me to keep the product and donate it to a shelter or something.
  • Period Underwear – These from amazon were great

Sleeping and Swaddling

  • Snuggle Me Organic– So this was amazing for like the first month and a half. I don’t know what we would have done without  it. But as soon as she became more alert she hated laying down. This is going to sound terrible lol because I did love it and used it ALOT but I got it on Amazon and because she grew out of it so quickly I was able to return it… I had a cover on it so it wasnt dirty or anything.
  • HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper- We loved this but probably could have gotten something cheaper. We never used the sound machine or vibrations but the swivel was a lifesaver during recovery and also the lights were awesome. It lit up like a fish tank so we could see her at night hahaha. But expensive and my baby grew out of it so fast and its VERY heavy.
  • HALO Portable Bassinet– This was good to move around the house and bring with us to hotels and stuff. But again she grew out of it so fast and now that she’s rolling I don’t think it would even be safe for her anymore.
  • SwaddleMe Pods– This is the one you should bring to the hospital all you have to do is zip it up.
  • Love To Dream Swaddle– My baby hated being swaddled. Once she outgrew the SwaddleMe Pod we used this because her arms were free. I basically bought every single swaddle, and these were the only two she would use and even this one did not last long. ALSO, I was so embarrassed/felt like a bad mom because I thought it was beneficial to them to keep them swaddled longer but have recently learned the faster they are out of them the better as movement is what aids in development. My baby is so close to walking and she’s only 8 months (this could be unrelated LOL I don’t really know)
  • Dreamland Sleep Sack– Like I said my baby hated being swaddled so this kept her warm but not restricted and didn’t risk suffocation. Now at 4-month my baby sleeps just in footie pajamas in her crib
  • Hatch Rest+– I AM NOT A FAN. I feel like everyone raves about this and it’s a must have but it has to have wifi to work at all which I think is so dumb. This is one of those things that like yeah it’s great and we use it every night but I don’t know what the hype is with this brand. Everyone insisted I get it but I only use one setting and the battery dies so fast. You definitely need a nightlight sound machine that can be a red light but I’m sure there are 1,000 that do the same thing for half the price. Also, I did not know about the benefits of red light until I had my baby but recommend using only the red setting at night.
  • Baby Monitor- LOVE IT! And it’s so cheap (in comparison to others lol)! I originally looked into all the expensive monitors and ones that measured breathing and stuff but then the doctors told me they can be dangerous and cause more anxiety. They can have a lot of false alarms and then you could not trust it when it matters. We also didn’t want a WiFI one.
  • Baby Monitor Mount -This is so cool because you can wrap it anywhere and its very secure
  • MagneticMe Clothing Rocks- I have no idea why I thought magnets might be dangerous but they’re not lol. The Modal material is the best so comfy, and the magnets are incredible. Avoid snaps at all costs lol. The outfit I linked fit her as a newborn and for her until she was 5 months! Also, I got matching ones with her haha
  • Caden Lane Zipper Footies– Super soft and the only footies that fit her as a newborn which is so wild to me because she was pretty big. I do not understand baby sizes,
  • Cat and Jack Clothing- Only sold at Target (I think) so cute but more importantly they let you exchange clothes up to a year for just growing out of it. Or because it has grass stains or whatever. 
  • Little Sleepies– So comfy and the arms and legs fold up and down so apparently they will last for a couple of years. I guess we shall see haha

Diaper, Changing, Clothes

  • Frida Windi-   AMAZING. FREE FARTS FAST lol  Relieves gas instantly. Chris refuses to use them because he thinks it’s violating and trust me I googled and read so many reviews but it makes her so happy after!  But beware you may get pooped on.
  •  Keekaroo Peanut Changer– DO NOT get a changer with a cloth, SERIOUSLY, get one that you can just wipe down. I love this keekaroo but I’m sure anything similar would be just as good. I thought only boys peed on you, wrong. The amount of times my baby has peed after her diapers have been removed but before we got the new one on her is insane. A trick that I learned that helps is before taking off her diaper use a baby wipe to wipe right at her belly button the cold can help them empty out their bladder.
  • Talli Tracker– You can get just the app for free but we got the physical device and are so glad we did. When you have to track things in the middle of the night you don’t want to pull out your phone. Being able to just press the button is very convenient. We no longer use this for tracking feeding and diapers but I keep a diary on it, and my baby now rolls over and stands on her changing table and the buttons distract her.
  • Coterie Diapers- Diapers are the one thing that I spend way too much money on, but these diapers are incredible and I feel like this is one of the areas that matters most because she’s in it all day. They are so soft and absorbent. I have tried honest, hello bello, millie moon, pampers and huggies and we go through way less of these because they are made so much better and my baby has never had a diaper rash.
  • Petunia Pickle Bottom– I love this diaper bag, it has a great changing pad and a lot of compartments.

IF Breastfeeding, Pumping, Feeding

It’s a journey. The whole supply and demand thing is wild. Reach out to me with any questions!! At first, I thought I was super lucky my baby latched right away and I was making so much milk that I took it for granted. I pumped for the first time around Easter and Chris fed her bottles for a couple days so I could rest but that completely fucked up my supply for two days I wasn’t producing anything and didn’t realize it so I thought my baby was eating but she wasn’t. IDK it was a whole thing but thankfully I got it back and now I alternate and while I prefer nursing  I pump more because then I actually know how much she is getting.  Also, I was told to wait to start pumping and I wish I hadn’t. I had so much extra milk in the beginning and now it’s so hard. Have formula on hand I know I was very adamant that I would only breast feed but it is hard and when I realized she wasn’t getting anything it was 11 at night if we didn’t have it on hand just in case I don’t know what I would have done.

  • Spectra S1- You can get a free pump through insurance from Aeroflow. If you go with the Spectra, pay the extra for the portable version, it is 1,000% worth it.
    • The parts need to be replaced every month, but you can get them for free from Aeroflow. If you do it online via their website they will automatically give you the compatible version if you call them and they will give you the spectra brand.
    • Pumping Trick: after pumping put all the parts in a plastic bag in the refrigerator so you don’t have to clean them each time
    • The smallest standard size flanges are 24mm and 28mm. At the hospital they told me I was 28, at my pediatricians office they said I was 24. I am some where between 19 and 20 which is annoying because you have to get these either through amazon or you can get little inserts to make them smaller.
  • Hands Free Bag– Highly recommended, could not live without it. 
  • Kindered Bravely Sublime Hands Free  Sports Pumping and Nursing Bra– I tried a bunch of different bras and this is by far my favorite. I now have four. It’s very comfortable and supportive but the fact that you can nurse and pump with it is amazing. Was not a fan at all of Bravado or ones available at Target.
  • Frida Mom Sore Nipple Set- It gets way better but at first it hurts! The first night home I was in so much pain but it went away so fast once I started using this.
  • Medela Storage Bottles– Medela storage is my favorite but not the actual bottles. We were lucky in that my baby will take any bottle, so we thought they were good but turns out they cause a lot of gas.
  • Boon Bottles and Philips Avent Natural Bottles– Are our favorites bottles. Two things to note: there are sizes on both bottle boon amd avent nipples and the Philips nipples have a hole at the top, the hole should always be facing up to let out the air.  UPDATE: months after initially writing this I learned that the hole in the nipple needs to line up with the indent on the plastic part around it.
  • Breast massager/warmer– Amazing for pumping but not for breastfeeding! My poor baby, I didn’t realize it was essentially like a water gun shooting milk into her mouth lol. Projectile spit up and alot of it happens. I freaked the F out the first time because it was ALOT but unless its a weird color it’s just something that happens.
  •  Converters for medela bottles in Spectra pump
  • Pitcher– Look up the pitcher method for breast milk, it saved my sanity!
  • 24mm is the standard flange size provided with most breast pumps but that is usually too large! Using a flange that is too big can mess with your milk supply.

Pacifier

  • Llama Wub a Nub- This was her favorite/only one she would use up until recently 
  • Mombella Mushroom– After the pacifier this was her favorite. I saw things about it being recalled but I think it’s a knock off, but also it’s just a teether so I’m not even sure how it could be dangerous.  Now 8 months later she’s no longer interested but she did love it and it was so cute.
  • Moonjax – Also cool

Bath/Grooming

  • Skip Hop Bath- my baby loves baths and we bathed her in this for the first 3 months, now I just go in the tub with her. Mainly, because I’m trying to teach her to swim.
  • Baby Elephant Shower Head– So cute and way easier than a poorer
  •  Cetaphil Baby Wash and Shampoo– We tried a bunch and they are all basically the same but I liked this smell the best.
  • Hello Bello Lotion– I use the sweet cream in the morning and night time lavender before bed for baby massages. I don’t know if its contributed to her sleeping well but I read that having different smells helps with circadian rhythm 
  • Aquaphor Baby- 
  • One Drop Vitamin D Drops– At your first pediatrician appointment they will tell you to give you baby this every day.
  • Frida Cradle Cap– Great regardless of cradle cap for shampoo and head massages
  • Frida Hair Brush
  • Frida Baby Picker- Everyone always recommends the snot sucker haha but my baby hates that and I feel like its to big for her nose 
  • Frida Nose Aspirator
  • Frida Nail Clippers- Cutting baby nails is terrifying, for months I just used my teeth because they are so soft but now she’s old I clip them. They aren’t sharp like real nail clippers. Regardless it’s still-  scary 
  • Frida Gassy Belly Rub- Look for massage techniques to use with this that relieves gas very well.
  • Boogie- Saline Mist

Carrier

  • Tuck and Bundle Wrap– my baby loves it, I can wear her while doing things around the house or at a wedding haha
  • Lalabu Kerrier– I really like the way this looks and when I get it right I love it but it’s so hard. Idk if im just dumb but its always by chance when I get it on correctly and for the price its just way to difficult.
  • ErgoBaby Omni 360– Very easy and secure carrier with a ton of carry options!

Miscellaneous 

  • Tripod– This is just a random one I found and like but definitely wish I had it sooner to capture family pictures and videos and also just the special everyday moments.
  • LifeVac– Intrusive thoughts are so real. It’s pretty expensive considering its one time use but after watching and bawling my eyes out to a bunch of actual news stories where it saved the babies I knew it would be worth it for the peace of mind.
  • Kick n Play-  My baby’s favorite toy, she’ll be crying and we lay her down and make her kick and she almost immediately stops and starts playing
  • MamaRoo– We called it her spaceship and she loved it and still does but now shes tries to roll out after a little so not sure how much longer. But you need the infant insert.
  • Baby Bjorn Bouncer- Almost didn’t get this because I didn’t want to spend the money when we had the mamaroo but I’m so glad we had it. After she grew out of the snuggle, this is what we use most and we can bring it anywhere. We also got the attachment and she loves it so much Accessory 
  • High Chair– Love this so much because it reclines so she can go in as an infant and be involved when we make breakfast/dinner

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