Hello Everyone! Today, I want to share my top five newborn essentials! Aki is a few weeks shy of graduating from the newborn phase into infanthood, so I'd thought I'd reminisce on the items I couldn't live without during these trying, and exhausting, first few months! Aside from the necessary diapers, bottles, clothes, and toiletries, the items I'm going to share below are items that mothers often debate on whether it was necessary or not. Well, here's my must haves, and I've also linked the items I bought below! Please note, none of the products are sponsored, and they were all bought with my own money or given to me as a gift from my family.
CHANGING TABLE
Living in Japan has taught me the value of space, and I contemplated long and hard on whether I wanted to dedicate valuable square footage on a changing table, but I'm glad I did! I've seen a lot of mothers opting to change diapers on the floor, bed, or other surfaces, and during the first week, I thought maybe my purchase was unnecessary. However, during one unfortunate changing, I lowered her diaper, moved to the side to grab a wipe, and a stream of runny, yellow poo shot across the room onto the floor in front of the table. At that moment, I was so grateful to have bought a changing table. I'd scream if it would have gotten on the living room rug, my bed, or the couch. It's also great if you have knee problems and would like to avoid straining your body.
The changing table allows me to easily maintain sanitation, which is important to me, and I love having a dedicated space for diaper changing. I love that that the surface is easy to clean and sanitize. I also enjoy the convenience of being able to store things underneath it, such as her clothes, toiletries, and other essentials. Also, what's great is that it doesn't look like a changing table once I remove the changing pad. Therefore, in a few years, we can just use it as a much needed storage unit!
I definitely recommend getting a changing table if you have the space!
RiZKiZ Diaper Changing Table | Vaedra Ikea changing table pad
One of my co-workers told me that baby poo does not stink until they start eating solid food, and therefore, I had regretted buying a dedicated diaper bin for my daughter. However, after opening up the pail and getting a whiff of a diaper bin full of a week old poopy diapers, which up until that point I had no clue smelled so bad, I vowed to recommend a diaper bin from now on!
Newborn diapers DO SMELL BAD! No, they don't smell like normal poo and urine, but they do stink and after a week, they SMELL really bad. Since I also live in a small Japanese apartment, it would be really bad if they stunk up the place, which would be fairly easy. With the diaper bin, however, I can only smell the stench when I go to change the bag every four days. So, I can only imagine how useful this bin will be when my daughter's diapers really start to smell after she starts eating real food.
Not having to smell stinky diapers is a win in my book! If you don't want to splurge, you can often find used diaper bins at the second hand shop for under 5 bucks.
BREAST PUMP
Although I knew I wanted to breastfeed, I was very overwhelmed by the whole thing. All of the books I read dedicated pages upon pages about breastfeeding, but without having a an actual baby, it was really hard to comprehend it all. I also read about some babies not taking to their mother's breasts, mother's not being able to breastfeed due to their physiology, and mother's going through several pumps before finding their perfect fit. So, I figured it would be best to wait until the baby came to pull the trigger on a pump. Boy, was that a bad idea!
My breast started producing milk immediately and because my daughter was in the NICU for several weeks, their was no way for me to learn how to breastfeed. The hospital did encourage me to hand express, but I had no clue as to what I was doing, so my efforts made no difference in my ever growing engorgement and discomfort. When I was discharged from the hospital, I immediately bought a manual pump from the hospital convenience store, and I never looked back! It was a life saver.
I've yet to buy an electric breast pump because I'm on maternity leave and exclusively breastfeed, so there's no need for a fancy one yet, but I am so glad to have a pump on hand.
I recommend buying a cheap, manual breast pump BEFORE giving birth so that you can have one on hand. I really regret not having one before the baby came because I didn't know I wouldn't be able to breastfeed her for almost a month. So, I if you can, I recommend doing as much research as you can, try out a few and/or rent from the hospital before you commit to buying one, especially expensive ones.
Kaneson Easy Manual Breast Pump
SLING
Japan is a densely packed country, and a lot of places do not have sidewalks, are not wheelchair accessible and, a lot of stores can barely fit a human, so we can't expect a stroller to be welcomed with open arms. I'd be delusional if I thought I could easily get around with just a stroller. Therefore, I think investing in a sling is imperative, especially if you don't have a car. The sling can easily house a newborn and allows you to travel fairly stress free. I can squeeze into tight spaces and use public transportation easily. The sling also allows me to carry my baby during this time in her life where she doesn't want to be put down but still have access to my hands.
Now, truthfully, I'd like to recommend a baby carrier, but the baby carrier I own is only for babies 3,500 grams and up, so my daughter doesn't yet safely fit into one. I also wouldn't recommend the sling that I bought because it really is not that comfortable, but it has served me well these past eight weeks.
MUSLIN BLANKET
Some babies love to be swaddled, some babies overheat easily, and the muslin blankets I bought are perfect for a variety of occasions and are soft and durable. My daughter hates swaddling, but she love snuggling up to me covered in her blanket. They are great for nap time, the occasional drool fest, and just lying on the floor. I don't have to worry about their beautiful print because stains come out easily, and I can also use them way beyond their newborn days! I highly recommend having a light weight blanket that you can tote around with you. I bought the Aden + Anais cotton swaddles and don't regret the purchase as at all! In fact, I want to buy more!
Aden+Anais Cotton Swaddle Blanket
BONUS: DIAPER CHANGING ORGANIZER
When a newborn wants something, they want it now. They cry at the drop of a hat when something is uncomfortable or when they need something, so being organized and prepared is essential to mitigate the upcoming fuss fest. While my daughter loves getting her diaper changed, and she doesn't fuss or cry, diaper changing is a bit hard to do with one hand at times. So, I love my diaper organizer that hangs from the side of the changing table. It houses diapers, but it has a compartment on top that I use for wipes, and it also has compartments on each side for toys, diaper creams, etc. I love being able to hold her legs and just reach down for a wipe. Often times, she pees mid change or her diaper and sometimes back is covered in poo, so having everything I need within arms reach is essential for cleaning up with little mess, fumbling/running around, and especially no crying!
Magicfly hanging diaper organizer
And that was my top five newborn essentials! Please stay tune for my top five unecessary newborn purchases list coming soon!
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