The thing about this is it’s constantly changing. What I needed 8 years ago is by far different than what I need today AND my gosh, have things changed. It’s incredible to me how fast the industry can spruce things up and make your stuff from your first kid feel like crap for the 3rd. Luckily for me, I get to relive the early stages with all of my clients. It’s amazing to see what’s the newest and greatest.
Pregnancy
Amazon Prime NOW, DoorDash and a daily foot rub. I mean seriously. Pregnancy brain is a thing. You will forget stuff at the store when you go, you’ll use my two favorite apps all the time. Another app you’ll find yourself researching is a pregnancy app. Let me do you a favor– Download Baby Bump Pregnancy Pro. It’s for iOS and Android. When I was pregnant with my first two kids, I journaled… ( Sorry Travis– Mama don’t have time for any of that :/) I used a word document. I hand wrote– which I think is special, but it was so sporadic and my life was everywhere. This is your one-stop shop. Use it.
To Do or not to do:
- Chord banking
- Placenta encapsulation
- Doula
- Birthing classes
- Breastfeeding
- Preschools. (Don’t keel over, it’s competitive & highly impacted. Do your research)
Infant:
- SNOO. – it’s freaking expensive, The Pump Station in Santa Monica rents them or put a blast out on your local mom networks– Moms rent them out for months at a time when they aren’t using them. (If you’re due in the Fall and are in the LA area– I’ll hook you up)
- Dockatot, if the above isn’t attainable. Actually, now that I’m writing this, I have mixed feelings. It’s kind of big. If you don’t have a king sized bed, I don’t recommend it for nights. I think it would be great for naps, traveling, etc.
- SwaddleMe
- Haakaa silicone hand pump
- Aquaphor
- Boppy/ My Brest Friend
- Nosefrida. Ditch the bulb syringe– that shit gets NASTY on the inside.
- The Wonder Weeks book
- Burp rags x 100
- Wine
- Help. Don’t turn down help. Delegate and assign.
- If you want to see the baby .. Bring food or do a chore.
Toddler:
- Bumbo
- Jumper
- Baby proof the house
- Patience/endurance
- Mesh bath toy organizer (I HATE bath toys. They are everywhere, they fall off the ledges, they get moldy.. They multiply before you know it. This thing helps get them dried, organized and off the rims of the tub)
- Step stool
- Sippy Cups – don’t think that just because your first kid liked them means that #2 will. I’ve seen a lot of success stories with the Zoli as a transitional cup. Sippy cups like bath toys seem to multiply and parts go missing in a flash.
Shoes, Socks, you know the essentials.
Wine. Lots of wine.
Toddler & Beyond
- Love, patience & wine.
- You will get to a point where the stuff just keeps coming. The crucial becomes less crucial and your kids will need less; you will need less. I feel like about this time, the little tots will start classes whether it be dance, music, soccer, t-ball, gymnastics; this is when the thing you will need most is time. Once these little peanuts get their own little schedule going, it’ll be time that you will need. It then grows if there are two, three and four kiddos. Then you’ll become a taxi. Carpooling and playdates are your friends.