Newly Pregnant? I Have Some Suggestions For You!!

So, you're newly pregnant and asking advice for what you should and shouldn't get. I am here to help!

Maternity Pants right away? I say a resounding YES! You will love the full panel maternity pants as you progress in your pregnancy and you can always fold down the panel until you need it. That way you aren't spending extra money on those waist expander thingies and you can be comfortable from the moment your clothes start to not fit anymore.

My baby's not here yet and I should already be concerned about sleep? YES!! I am slightly obsessed about Willow's sleep and I fully admit that. However, it's NEVER too soon to start reading about babies and sleep. Do you want your baby to sleep through the night sooner than later? Then arming yourself with knowledge right from the beginning is the way to go. I am a HUGE Ferber-lover so I always recommend his book, Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. the sooner your baby sleeps through the night, the sooner YOU will sleep through the night.

Books, huh? Are there any others you recommend? Well, since you asked (*wink*) I have a few. My baby bible is Baby 411. And, while you're at it, you may as well get Toddler 411.

Is your husband/significant other not really feeling the baby excitement? Well, maybe they just are a little overwhelmed and not too sure what to expect with a baby. I suggest the The Baby Owner's Manual. It's written especially for men by treating the baby like an appliance. David found it helpful. You can read his review of this book here. David also found The Caveman's Pregnancy Companion at least marginally helpful.

I would recommend AGAINST getting What to Expect When You're Expecting unless you want to scare yourself crapless thinking about all the things that can go wrong and worrying all the time. Mind you, this is just my opinion. If you are one of those people that loves to know all the things that can possibly go wrong with your pregnancy then go for it!! I personally think you have enough things to worry about.

Those should get you off to a good start.

And here are some things I think you ABSOLUTELY need when you have a new baby. These are the things you want the day you get home.

The Miracle Blanket. I can't say enough good things about this blanket. It takes all the guesswork out of swaddling and I credit it with plenty of good nights sleep. You can visit their website, here. Actually, forget about when you get home. I would take this to the hospital with you.

Pacifier. I know, many people are dead set against the use of a pacifier. However, newborn babies use sucking to soothe themselves and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends the use of a pacifier to help prevent SIDS and the American Dental Association (ADA) says it's okay too. I have a great post on Pacifiers and Thumb Sucking that explains it all for you. Just do your kid (and yourself) a favor and take it away before 5 months of age.

Planning on breastfeeding? Have a small can of formula on standby. I have a post on Breast Milk vs. Formula that you may be interested in. It tells my story about breastfeeding and why I was so very happy to have that free can the hospital gave me.

Bottle Warmer. I know, you are planning on breastfeeding, am I right? GOOD! But you will also likely want to get a few hours to yourself once in a while and this will involve not only pumping milk (breast pump recommendation here) but heating it up in a bottle to give to your baby. So, I recommend the Philips Avent iQ Bottle Warmer. I posted a review on it here. And the bonus? It heats up baby food as well so you'll use it for a long time.

Lastly, I recommend a bassinet. If you have a two-story house, like we do, you will want a place for the baby to nap on the bottom floor. Our bedrooms are all on the second floor and with the amount of time a new baby sleeps (which is a LOT) you will be glad to NOT have to trudge up and down the stairs over and over again. We figured this out the day we got home. So, David ran out and got one. We got and loved the Graco Pack N Play.

I hope this has been of some help to you if you are newly pregnant!!