I was inspired by Mrs. Bee’s recent newborn essentials post. I thought I’d create my own top 10 essentials list with an emphasis on adoption!
1. Pack N’ Play: When you are adopting a baby, you never know if you’ll be traveling out of town or out of state for your baby’s delivery. If the baby is born in a different state, you may have to stay in that state for an extended period of time while you wait for ICPC (Interstate Compact for Placement of Children) before you can return home. For that reason alone, a Pack N’ Play is a great choice for a first crib. We use ours as Jack Jack’s main crib, which is currently in our bedroom until she gets a little older. Later, we’ll move her into her room. We loved the bassinet attachment for her earliest days (though she outgrew it in a heartbeat).
2. Bottles: We learned our lesson with LJ that you don’t buy a single type of bottles for your little one until you see what their preferences are. Turns out that Jack Jack isn’t a picky girl, so we get to use our full assortment of bottles, but if you are leaving on short notice to pick up your baby, it’s nice to have a multipack of bottles on hand. In this case, we used the Dr. Brown’s bottles that we never got to use for LJ.
3. Formula mixing pitcher: With the adopted infant, you’ll be making a lot of formula. We figured out really quickly that we needed a more efficient way to do this while Jack Jack was very young. We got the Dr. Brown’s formula mixing pitcher and it’s been such a time saver!
4. Formula storage containers: This has been essential for when we’re on the go. We use the Munchkin 2 pack and keep them filled in our diaper bag.
5. White noise machine: We just bought the Ecotones white noise machine. I have a really hard time sleeping with white noise and Jack Jack can’t sleep without it, so we went through a lot of options before settling on this. It’s one of the most highly rated white noise machines, and I love the way it does not repeat sounds. They call them “Sound stories.” You can also customize these stories on the fly to suit your own preferences. We’ve tried it and love it!
6. Race/ethnicity specific hair and skin products. African American babies can have very dry skin and hair. You’ll find that people go through many different products to find the right ones for their baby’s skin. However, most people recommend either Shea Butter (I love L’Occitane) or Coconut Oil. We had some of each on hand until we figured out what would work best for Jack Jack. Turns out the Coconut Oil is perfect for her and absorbs so nicely into her skin! (And the Shea butter is perfect for mama).
7. His and hers diaper bags: Mr. Jacks and I have totally different diaper bag needs. I prefer a messenger bag while Mr. Jacks swears that he can only deal with a backpack. The simple solution is that he has one and I have another. This actually works wonderfully for us because we also like to bring different things with us. My Lassig messenger bag is packed for me (and has swappable flaps!) and his Dad Gear backpack is packed for him. He asks me to tell you how great the accessible wipe pouch is on his backpack!
8. Swaddle wraps: Mrs. Bee had this on her list, and I can only second her recommendation. We have Summer brand and Kiddopotamus.
9. Bouncy chair: I’ll be honest, we got ours at the local kid consignment store. We found one with music, vibration and toys hanging from the arch over the top. We spent a few dollars and it was worth every penny. I do stub my toe on it now and again, so if you can find one with a narrow foot profile, that might be advantageous!
10. Lovey Duds: We babywear a lot. We wanted something soft for when the girls were small before switching to the Ergo. I liked the fit of the Moby, but honestly it was a little too thick for me (making me and baby too hot) and not that attractive. Before LJ was born, I found an adorable alternative in Lovey Duds. We now have several of them (we had to have a brown version and a black version to match various outfits). After using them heavily for 2 years, I can say that they hold up really well and the babies love them. I also loved that I was supporting a WAHM.
So, that’s my essentials list. If you have any questions about any of our family’s suggestions feel free to ask. Also, if you have any adoption specific suggestions, please list them below! (I’m thinking of you Oceanis723!)
Newborn Essentials part 9 of 13
1. My Top 15 Most Used Baby Products by Mrs. Bee2. Absolute Essentials for a Newborn by Checklists
3. Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Hopscotch
4. Mrs. Markers' Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Markers
5. Newborn Sleep Essentials by Mrs. Checkers
6. The Essentials: Newborn Edition by mrs. tictactoe
7. Mrs. Sketchbook's Budget Gear Faves: Newborn to Six Months by Mrs. Sketchbook
8. Twin Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Blue
9. Top 10 adopted newborn essentials by Mrs. Jacks
10. Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Tea
11. New Mom Tips by Mrs. Bee
12. Newborn Must Haves by Mrs. Sea Otter
13. Mrs. Rabbit's Top 10 Newborn Must-Haves by Mrs. Rabbit
GOLD / olive / 69 posts
Of course I love this! So far, we have # 2 and #4! I have to look into the others! My BIL and SIL bought us the Ergo carrier. We haven’t used it yet, so we will see. Thanks for sharing!
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
@Mrs. Tutu: Oh my gosh, you’ll love the ergo when your little one gets bigger! Definitely grab yourself #3 too… You won’t regret it!
kiwi / 575 posts
Thanks, @Mrs. Jacks, for sharing this list! I’m not adopting (though I am adopted) but this is also helpful for first time parents too – along with the other Bees’ lists
I have a question about the wrap that you recommend. Is it one that you feel is ergonomically safe for baby and parent?
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
@ALittleP: Lovey Duds is constructed just like a Moby. With the material she uses, it’s actually a little less stretchy, and so I feel like it’s actually as safe as can be. When you put it on correctly (with everything smoothed out) I find it to be incredibly comfortable for babies under 20 lbs. At 20 lbs, I felt like it began to cut into me in certain places. But LJ wasn’t 20 lbs until after 9 months. When you throw it on quickly with twists in it, you can get pressure points, but I never do that!
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
I was just about to donate my collection of Dr. Brown’s bottles!
Dumb question, is the bassinet just lowered into the bottom of the Pack N Play when the baby gets too heavy?
clementine / 889 posts
@autumnlove: There is netting with metal bars to support the bottom that you put the “mattress” into. Once LO gets to big for the bassinet, you take the mattress out, remove the webbing (it attaches to the sides of the top of the pack n play – very easy) and put the mattress back in on the bottom.
DS uses one at daycare, we have one at my inlaws and we have another for traveling and using at home outside. They are awesome.
grape / 86 posts
@MRS. JACKS – I have a Moby and really like it, but it is definitely thick and we both usually end up sweating. Is the lovey duds wrap significAntly thinner? If so I may need to get one!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
My LO loved #9!! She spent much of her day vibrating when she was younger!
haha
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
@autumnlove: Maybe mine is different that mrs. Tilly’s but there is a little bassinet nest that hooks on to the structure of the pack n play with metal bars. At that point there is no mattress in it, just the nest and the floor of the pack n play is on the highest setting. The nest does not sit on that floor, but instead hovers above it supported by the metal bars.
When you are done with the bassinet, you remove the support bars and then just put the baby in the crib. We had no mattress in when using the bassinet. Now the bassinet piece sits in our closet.
@WiLLoWtReE: It’s way thinner than the Moby. I had the organic cotton type (never tried bamboo because I thought it might be too stretchy). It was very breathable and I much preferred it to Moby or Ergo during the first summer when Lala was born. I felt like I was always sweating as a new breastfeeding mom and I didn’t need extra heavy cloth making me hotter!
grape / 86 posts
@ MRS. JACKS- thanks ill def have to check it out then. LO hates to be put down so I have to be able to get stuff done
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
@mrstilly: @Mrs. Jacks: Thanks! Right now our Pack N Play is full of toys but I need to clear it out because I need a safe place to set down my LO!
blogger / pomegranate / 3300 posts
@mrs.jacks. I can’t believe I missed the last part thanks for pointing it out to me. I’m sure my kids stole my phone or iPad before I got to read it all.
I think I would add the book I linked to mrs.tutu yesterday my family my journey.
I also had some tank tops that Would wear to feed and put him to sleep. I felt uncomfortable just sitting there ith my shirt off for skin to skin contact so I wore really low cut tank tops so my chest and arms were bare that way he could feel some of my skin while eating
While we’re were waiting we also had a small amount of neutral clothing ready to go. Enough for a few days, in case we got a call saying there was a baby ready for us with only a small amount of notice. We also had a small pack of diapers and formula waiting
guest
Thanks for the list! Dr. Brown’s bottle do help and I would recommend them. My husband thinks it takes a little longer to clean since it has more parts compared to the traditional baby bottles. I also like the Swaddle Me because it’s easy and great for new parents. My son eventually outgrew his SwaddleMe and after reading some reviews from http://www.bestswaddleblanket.com we decided to get the Halo sleepsack (our son loved it and slept well in it).
guest
I’m a little late to the party but I have an adoption question. I’m traveling out of state for my baby’s birth in two months and we’ll be bringing him home when he’s about a week old. Do you have any suggestions for flying with an infant? What baby equipment should I bring with me to use in the hotel while we wait for clearance to leave the state?