my new mom must-haves

Yay it'll be a week tomorrow since baby was born, and we survived!!
Below are some new baby things that were MUST HAVES for the first week of bringing baby home...they have helped me tremendously!

1) Supportive family network

From immediate family to close friends, everyone wants to see baby! im at the point where im not going to isolate the baby but have people who want to see him come and see him (at an appropriate time of course). i want this guys immune system to be strong! for the last week my mom has taken a vacation from work and she's been here EVERYDAY. even though i don't agree with some of her advice, im still thankful and take it into account as she has been here done that and my sister and i are pretty normal. my dad and sister come by almost daily- my dad taking a gazillion pics, and my sister just doting and being a support that another sister needs, and my mom always here with awesome filipino food! hard to put into words but it's much much needed in a new mom's life.  of course, we can't forget a great husband! i'm lucky that Gene isn't working right now, the presence of hubs/new dad who doesnt need to say much to make you feel like you're being helped, cared for, loved and supported is priceless!

and as for stuff (in no particular order)...

2) My Brest friend



for me, a pillow just doesnt cut it! i dont like the shelfing (shelving?) of pillows and then baby falls between pillow and belly...ugh! i love how this is height adjustable and then stays on around you with the help of a buckle.  breastfeeding is hard enough as it is especially with a squirming kid and this just makes the task much much easier. i wish there was a travel size for this as i'd totally haul it in the stroller to facilitate even more breastfeeding in public!

3) Bassinet

ok so i bitched about this when my mom made me buy something so baby can sleep with me, and really, it's a god send. i dont even remember what my plan was with baby and i in terms of sleeping prior to getting the bassinet?! anyhow, it's SUPER useful as baby is right beside me when we sleep (safe co-sleeping). i like the fact that it's portable as the first few days i slept in the living room so i can figure out baby's pattern while at least one of us can get a good night's sleep. now baby is in the bedroom and i can hear and look at him in the stillness of the night without being paranoid. no baby monitors needed in this house (yet)!

3) OXO Tulli night light

i love this night light! lasts forever (forever as in "all night") and eases this "paranoia" about baby breathing and whatever other fears related to SIDS. i use this bright but not wake-up-baby-bright night light as light source for inside the bassinet. i can see him move, breathe, and even as a beacon to where i should put him down when the house is dark. i love that it's portable, i've dropped it and it has never broken, and that again, it just makes the environment more comfortable mentally and physically. i totally need and love this!

4) Medela swing pump and medela pump and save bags

this life saver was totally on call when my milk came in around day 3 and uncomfortably engorged my breasts. honestly, it felt like R-O-C-K-S inside my boobs when they get to be too full. it even was uncomfortable to lift up my arms as the engorged ducts were hitting my pectoral muscles! at first i was able to pump less than an ounce per breast, but right now i can pump about 100ml in less than 20 minutes ...WOW...yeah im pretty sure my milk supply is plentiful.  i feel guilty throwing out precious breastmilk but sometimes i do. i pump a small amount in a bottle to use as a first aid kit as according to the midwife, it'll heal everything on the baby! cuts..bumps..rashes...even old warts on adults! haha! so there's a bottle in the fridge and for the other times when im so engorged and baby can't latch on..i relieve the pressure and store them in the medela pump and save bags.

5) Diaper Genie II Elite

i like how my place doesnt smell like milky poo and urine. it contains all the dirty diapers we've used and easy to cut off the old bag, re-tie, and close off for the next batch. i feel guilty though about all the diapers i've used when you actually see the long stash that builds up!

6) Ibuprofen



they give you some at the hospital, have some ready at home. swelling related pains are the LAST thing you want to deal with! it feels like your whole uterus is about to herniate through your stitches and rip them apart when i didn't have these on hand. hard to walk!