Things you (might) need that you may not have thought about....

Here are some items I have found to be necessities that I never thought about before baby was born.....

An extra Boppy cover. There are a million days I'm glad I had this. Blow outs, spit ups, the dog deciding the Boppy was a good pillow of napping... I actually wished I had a waterproof cover. Boppy, get on that!!! Why waterproof? Because there are days when the blow outs are so bad taht the whole pillow needs a wash.

Bamboo nursing pads. I used a lot of disposable nursing pads the first couple months. but I've gone all out with the washable ones now. I just bought some more. $20 for a box of disposables that last 6 weeks or $16 for 14 washable that will last the entire time I nurse? That one is a no brainer. Not to mention the bamboo ones are super soft and plenty absorbent.
The ones I bought

Don't get too attached to your handy dandy easy to carry bucket carseat. Because chances are that your baby will hate it. Maybe he'll love it. It's tight and cozy like the womb. My baby hated it from day one. We bought a convertible and have the bucket for back ups. Best thing we have spent money on since she was born. This website is the best for helping you pick a good seat, whether you are buying your first seat or trying to find one your baby won't scream bloody murder in.
Carseats for the Littles

A sling or wrap of some sort. The first 6 weeks or so of the "4th trimester" can be tough. Your baby doesn't want to leave your arms because that's where she feels safest. Don't try to make her be on her own because "she has to learn". That's crap. A baby will grow out of it and learn to become more independent over time. But the first 3 months after birth, ESPECIALLY the first 6 weeks, are tough! Baby is still adjusting to live outside the womb where she was warm and could hear  your heart beat. I wore Sianna A LOT the first few weeks. I still wear her a lot. She likes it. It's comforting and she can hang out with me and see everything I see. I was given an Evenflo Snugli which I like for barn chores. But I just bought a Moby wrap as well. Which is extremely comfy to wear!! It's what I will be using on the airplane next month. Ask questions and try out different slings and wraps until you find one you like. If you don't baby wear you seriously will never get anything done ever.

White noise. I didn't think I'd need it. But turns out a recording of a vacuum helps my little girl nap. Because she was refusing to nap and by 2pm would be a little monster of crankiness. Don't spend money on a white noise machine, but DO make up a playlist of different white noise sounds on Youtube. Then you can try different ones until you find one that works. Sianna likes the vacuum best, but also relaxes with the thunderstorm noise. I wish I'd tried white noise the first couple of weeks when she was so colicky!

A baby medicine kit. Include gripe water and gas relief drops for cranky tummies and baby Orajel. Coconut oil for cradle cap and baby Motrin for after those first vaccines. You don't want her to have a small fever and have no Motrin around!! (Which is exactly what I did... luckily Mom was here and I could have her run to the store for me!!!)

Essential oil diffuser. And lots of Lavender oil. This will also help with relaxing cranky, colicky babies and helping with babies that feel like they are going to miss something if they give in an nap. Mine was given to me by one of my besties. I love it and am already all the way through a bottle of lavender. Lavender oil will also help calm dogs that don't like thunder storms. Or dogs that are a little nervous that you brought home a screaming, angry bald puppy.