Newborn Essentials - What Worked & What Didn't

Newborns require a lot of work but you don't have to buy everything that is marketed to you. Check out the products that worked for us and find out what didn't work. 

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
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If you spend any time on the internet while being pregnant or a new parent, you will find loads of advice and promotions for products to help with a newborn. Sometimes it can be hard to tell which posts are endorsed by a brand and which are honest, tried-and-true products (endorsed products should be disclosed). Well after one whole month with a newborn, I can honestly share what products worked for us and which products I can't live without.

Click to tweet: Newborn Essentials - what worked and what didn't

Just a disclaimer, all of these products were purchased with my own money or gifted to us by family and friends. Also, I am a first time mom and only know what has worked for LadyBug but that doesn't mean they will be successful for you and your little one.

1. Milkies Milk-Saver Breast Milk Collector ($29.95)
This is seriously a MUST if you plan on breastfeeding. I had no idea that I would leak so much milk from the non-nursing side. Sometimes as much as 3 ounces. By using the milk savor, I didn't have to dedicate extra time pumping or hand expressing to build up my freezer stash. Also, the days that I didn't use the milk savor, I had more engorgement issues which can lead to a whole slew of problems (mastitis, blocked ducts, etc). I highly recommend purchasing a milk savor for yourself and a few for your friends. I WILL be buying one of these for each of my pregnant friends!

2. SwaddleMe® Original Swaddle ($34.99)
Our little LadyBug is such a Houdini. She can manage her way out of even the tightest of swaddles. The hospital staff was impressed with her strength and desire to alway have her hands near her face. This made it extremely difficult for A and I to get any sleep. When we went for her first wellness visit, a resident had recommended that we purchase a swaddle with velcro. These have been great for the first four weeks allowing us to get 4-5 straight hours of sleep at night *Now that LadyBug is 5 weeks, she has managed to figure out how to get her hands out of even these swaddles. She's a strong-willed child. 

3. Retin-Oil ($20.00)
I gained quite a bit of weight during the 40 weeks of pregnancy. Luckily the only stretch marks I got were very small and on my hip/butt cheek. I wanted to find a product that could help tighten up my belly skin, reduce discoloration, and help improve stretch marks. I only use this dry oil on my belly and hips/butt and use a regular, unscented moisturizer on the remainder of my body. So far I can't say that this product has helped dramatically make a difference, but I have enjoyed using it. 

4. Nursing Bras ($16.99)
Nursing bras - I could rant about nursing bras until I turned blue in the face. I went through what feels like dozens of bras to find something that was comfortable, functional, and supportive. You guys, if you are going to breastfeed then expect your boobs to be extremely heavy. So heavy that I feel like I have a 10-pound bowling ball in each of my bra cups. These have been a great option, especially at night. They don't provide the smoothest look under clothes but I'm all about comfort these days. I also really like this bra for everyday use. 

5. DockATot Deluxe ($165.00)
There are so many people that will rave about the DockATot and that it's completely necessary for you and your spouse to get any sleep at night. If you read up about the uses for the DockATot Deluxe, it's not recommended for unsupervised sleeping. We still chose to use this at night because LadyBug sleeps in the same room as us. I can't say that this product alone has helped with nighttime sleeping but since day three, we usually get at least four straight hours of sleep. For the cost of these, I can't say they are necessary to have. Please share your thoughts if you've used this product in the comments below. 

6. Rock 'n Play Sleeper ($79.99)
We've used this since day one only during the day. It's a perfect place to allow LadyBug to nap and we could keep our eye on her. It can be easily transported to any room which is super convenient for us in a two story house. We also ended up using this during a few evenings because the incline helped with her nighttime congestion. I can say that we absolutely love the Rock 'n Play.

7. Burt's Bees Baby Shampoo & Wash ($13.59) | Burt's Bees Baby Nourishing Lotion ($9.99)
There are loads of body care products available for babies. We've liked the feeling and smell of this shampoo/body wash and lotion. When it comes to body care items, I just recommend sticking with one product rather than playing around with different brands and scents. Babies have very sensitive skin so try and be gentle.

8.  Nalgene Water Bottle ($9.99)
Water is something I have never really enjoyed. I forced myself to drink a ton of water while pregnant - my goal was 100 ounces a day. Now that I am breastfeeding, I need a lot of water to help maintain my milk supply. I was given a huge water bottle at the hospital and I walk around with that every day. Again, my goal is to get 100 ounces in a day, but the nursing staff said that 64 ounces was plenty. Either way, find a huge water bottle that you like, preferably one that shows the measurements on the side.

9. Trail Mix Cookies [Dairy-Free]
As a nursing mom, I need around 500 more calories a day. I like to munch on these trail mix cookies and I made a few minor adjustments to the recipe making them lactation cookies. But any and all snacks are great to have on hand including popcorn!

10. Carrington Farms Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil ($6.48)
Those that have never breastfed before, it can be brutal especially while working on your baby's latch. I ended up meeting with a lactation consultant twice after my milk came in for assistance with latch and soreness. The consultant prescribed me a concoction of creams to use then recommended that I switch to coconut oil once my nipples healed. To this day, I continue to use coconut oil, plus it doesn't have to be washed off prior to feedings. This one is by far my favorite brand and has been for years.

11. Medela SoftShells ($16.58)
Speaking of sore nipples, I was gifted these shells and am so grateful for them. They allow for my lady bits to air out and keeps fabric from rubbing up against them. And while I was healing from a horrible latch, the scabs would stick to any breast pads that I would use. Talk about painful. These shells helped my so much during the first few weeks with a newborn.

12. Postpartum Belly Wrap ($39.99)
Several people recommended that I invest in a belly wrap for postpartum care. They are useful in prodiving back support while breastfeeding and also helps to shrink your uterus back quicker. The packaging says to wear this as often as comfortable - I chose to wear it for a few hours each day starting on day 3. It really helped with the back support and I feel like it helped 'slim' my waist quickly. However, this is my first pregnancy so I don't have much to compare the length of heal time to.

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These are just a few items. We all know that babies require a lot of work but you can easily get by with just a few essentials. One of those essential items that you MUST have but I didn not mention is a car seat. I feel like car seats are personal preference and you should find one that works with your lifestyle, car, and/or stroller. Besides those items listed above, I have a few honorable mentions and items that did not work for us. 

 Click to tweet: What you NEED for your newborn

Honorable mentions: Pampers Newborn Diapers, Seventh Generation Wipes, Butt Paste, homemade blankets, popcorn. sleepers with buttons, reusable cloth diapers, Baby K'tan, and Ergobaby.

What didn't work: Pack n Play reversible napper and changer, fancy or elaborate clothing, baby shoes, and baby toys. 

Tell me, what baby products were essential in your house?
What baby products just didn't work?
Share your favorite piece of baby advice that someone gave you in the comments below. 
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Third Trimester Must Haves

My third trimester felt like it was never going to end. It was filled with loads of changing hormones and new pregnancy symptoms that I never experienced previously. Be sure to check out my first trimester and second trimester must haves. 

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
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Did you miss my announcement on Instagram welcoming our LadyBug to this world?

A post shared by Jenn - a traveling Wife (@atravelingwife) on Feb 14, 2017 at 1:09pm PST

Now that she is finally here, I can share with you the products that helped me survive the third trimester.

The third trimester brought plenty of changes that I had never experienced with this pregnancy. The hormone changes took me by surprise with my hair growing like crazy and the amount of acne that popped up on my chest and back. Also, sleeping was difficult. It wasn't because I couldn't get comfortable, but I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was drowning in mucus and I snored like a freight train (my poor husband!).

Click to tweet: Need some help surviving the 3rd trimester? Try out these products!

With the help of the below products, I survived the third trimester and made it to 41 weeks 2 days before I went into labor.

1. Dreamsweet Maternity Body Pillow ($80) 

Without this pillow I would not have gotten any sleep at night. It was a life save and allowed me to get as comfortable as possible so that I could get my much needed sleep. The pillow also helped me from wanting to roll flat on my back. I would buy this for all of my pregnant friends because it is just that good. If you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, you NEED one.

2. Maternity Essential Tank - Liz Lange for Target ($12.99)

YES, I love these tanks. I talked all about them in my second trimester must have post. They are amazing and you need multiples of them in every color. Plus they are great postpartum. 

3. Vitafusion™ Prenatal Multivitamin Gummies ($6.99),  Nature Made Iron 65 mg Tablets ($5.19),and COLACE 100 mg Stool Softener Capsules ($8.99)

Just like in the second trimester must have post, these were my go-to vitamins and supplements that I took daily. Be sure to go check out why I took gummy prenatal vitamins and a separate iron pill. 

4. Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion Advanced Repair Unscented ($3.48)

This is another one of those products that I used my entire pregnancy. I shared my love for it in my first trimester must haves posts and again in the second trimester post. I successfully made it through my entire pregnancy with just a few tiny stretch marks on my left hip (I blame sleeping on my left side for this issue). This Vaseline lotion helped keep my skin moisturized for months on end. 

5. Honeywell Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier ($49.99)

The sinus inflammation and mucus buildup was real for the third trimester. Any time I laid down I would feel like I was downing in mucus. Plus it was the middle of winter during this time period so the house was very dry. This humidifier helped allow me to get some sleep at night. I used it every single night and continue to use it for our LadyBug now at night. 

6. Breathe Right Strips ($11.29) 

I snored and snored so load during the third trimester. The snoring was so loud sometimes that I would wake myself up. Between the humidifier and the breathe right strips, I was able to calm down the snoring just a little bit, but not every night. My poor husband had to suffer through weeks of me snoring and often wouldn't get a very good night's sleep. 

7. Medjool Dates

I talked about the possible benefits for eating 6 dates a day leading up to you delivery date in my raw vegan donut hole recipe post. It's worth a read if you are interested in a more favorable delivery. 

8. Evening Primrose Oil ($6.99)

Once I made it to 40 weeks and the OB discussed planning for an induction, I decided to try some alternatives to see if I could get things moving on their own. This is when I caved and bought evening primrose oil. I don't know if this necessarily helped my labor start spontaneously or if it helped me during delivery but it didn't hurt to give it a shot. 

9. Exercise Ball ($16.95) 

Starting at 36 weeks, I bounced and bounced and only sat on the floor or a stability ball to help the Little Lady make her way into the correct position. I had one stability ball on the main floor of our house and another in my office. I swear LadyBug likes to be bounced now to sleep because she is so used to the movement on the exercise ball. Even if you are not pregnant, I recommend getting a stability ball to sit on at your desk. You can read how this one simple product could add years to your life. 

Click to tweet: Need some help surviving the 3rd trimester? Try out these products!

Aversions: I don't recall having any aversions during the third trimester. Nothing like the aversion to chicken that I experienced during the first and second trimesters. 

Cravings: The third trimester I definitely wanted more sweets. I was always wanting comforting foods - maybe because it was winter or maybe just because I was feeling the need to be comforted. I enjoyed chicken pot pies, pizza, boxed mac 'n cheese, and cereals. 

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Second Trimester Must Haves

My second trimester started with a lot of nausea that I never experienced during the first trimester and ended with me gaining my energy back. Here are the items that helped me survive my second trimester of pregnancy. 

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
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As I am sitting down to type out this post, I am counting contractions. I am 40 weeks and 6 days pregnant - just waiting for the Little Lady to decide when she would like to meet us. While I've already shared my favorite products that helped me get through the first trimester, I better share what worked during the second trimester. 

Click to tweet: Need some help surviving the 2nd trimester? Try out these products!

I have to start out by saying that pregnancy is a wonderful thing but I understand that there are many struggles along the way for a lot of families. If this post is not for you, come back next week for a delicious recipe.

1. Unisom ($7.49) and B-6 ($4.49)

I never experienced any nausea during the first trimester which is normally when pregnant woman get nauseous. Instead, I felt extremely nauseous every morning once I hit the second trimester. My doctor had recommended that I take Unisom and B-6 together at night to help with the nausea in the morning. This totally did the trick for me. 

2. Maternity Essential Tank - Liz Lange for Target ($12.99)

I LIVED in these tank tops starting with the second trimester all the way until this day. I have 2 in black, 2 in white, and 1 in grey and they are in constant rotation each and every day. They are extremely comfortable, long, and stretchy. I noticed with a lot of maternity clothing, especially ones with the elastic sides, they didn't fit well until my belly grew in size. Then my belly became too big and those elastic sided shirts were uncomfortable. 

These tanks fit well when my belly was still little and stretched amazingly when my belly was the size of a dinosaur egg. I highly, highly recommend buying multiples of these tanks. Plus they will be perfect to wear after I have the baby. 

3. Vitafusion™ Prenatal Multivitamin Gummies ($6.99),  Nature Made Iron 65 mg Tablets ($5.99), and COLACE 100 mg Stool Softener Capsules ($8.99)

I continued my second trimester with the same gummy prenatal vitamin. And in case you weren't aware, iron cannot be gummified so I also took a seperate iron supplement tablet. On top of those two items, I added a stool softener because pregnancy does crazy things to your digestive system and iron tends to back you up. These are the three items I took each and every day. 

I must warn you, my nausea that I experienced during the second trimester was mostly due to the addition of iron. I had no idea it was so rough on the stomach. Once I switched to taking my iron pill at night, I was no longer dealing with morning nausea. 

4. Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion Advanced Repair Unscented ($3.48)

I still loved this stuff going into my second trimester. I love how it's unscented and didn't bother my nauseous stomach and it's very moisturizing. I thank this lotion for helping to prevent stretch marks, which I still don't have any. * I talked more about the science of stretch marks in my First Trimester Must Haves post. 

5. Belly Band Combo ($19.95)

I used these extenders starting in the second trimester and wore them almost until the end of my pregnancy. They helped get a little extra wear out of my shorts and jeans rather than having to buy all new clothes. They are extremely comfortable and very forgiving. It wasn't until about 36 weeks that I had to cave and buy a pair of maternity jeans. Mostly because I was scared of stretching out my favorite non-maternity jeans, since I wore them practically every day. Well every day that I was required to leave the house. Otherwise I stayed in pajama pants or yoga pants. 

6. Stadler Form JASMINE Aroma Diffuser ($49.95) and NOW Essential Oils: Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Lavender ($15.95)

I suffered with quite a bit of pregnancy insomnia starting in the second trimester. I don't really know if the diffuser and essential oils helped at night, but it sure did smell good. I really enjoyed diffusing lavender at night because it is calming, but I liked to change it up every few days with either tea tree oil or eucalyptus. I highly recommend getting a diffuser and some good essential oils (you'll have to do your own research when it come to the quality of different brands). 

7. Bella B Foaming Face Wash ($9.99)

I suffered severely with acne during my entire pregnancy. First I had it all over my chin and jawline, then it slightly cleared up (thanks to this face wash), and then it went to my chest and back. Most of it was the really painful hormonal acne with an occasional blackhead. I really believe that this face wash helped clear up my face during the second trimester. It's gentle and contains good, clean ingredients. But once I got to the third trimester, there was no helping my skin - my hormones were out of control. 

Aversions: I still avoided chicken at all costs. I didn't want to cook it and I definitely didn't want to eat it. 

Cravings: I never really had any specific cravings, just like the first trimester. However, I NEVER deprived myself from eating something. For example, I have always loved boxed mac and cheese. During this period of time, I never talked myself out of buying a box here or there to eat. Also, I really enjoyed pretzels with cheese dip (specifically this one). And eating cereal - no specific type. 


I successfully survived the second trimester and learned a lot along the way. Keep your eyes out for my third trimester must haves as well as a baby announcement (hopefully soon!). 

Click to tweet: Need some help surviving the 2nd trimester? Try out these products!

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