First Time

A little while ago a friend of mine was kind enough to share with me a post-baby shopping list she created the week after the home birth of her lovely daughter L.  She noticed that when she was preparing for her first days with her daughter she couldn't find a list like this anywhere which would have definitely come in handy and has inspired her to create some awesome little care packages as shower gifts for some of our expecting friends.

 

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

R's Week One Shopping List

•Head of cabbage in the fridge
If you haven’t heard this before, you may think I’m crazy. But on day 2, 3, or 4 your milk may come in your breasts and your breasts may get REALLY hot, swollen and tender. A leaf of a cabbage fits perfectly over the breast and is cool. For some reason, even when it gets warm, it continues to sooth.*

 •Drinking cups with straws
You’ll be thirsty for a lot of water, especially when the milk comes in. A water bottle with a screw-top is no good as you’ll likely have only one hand free. I bought my water bottles with straws at Winners.**

 •Epsom Salts
To speed up healing and prevent infections post baby.

 •Squirty Bottle & Baby Wipes to use Post-Bathroom
I don't know why Cottonelle doesn't market their Freshie Fresh commerical to new moms.***

 •Pillows
Having pillows of various shapes and sizes can help with feeding as well as residual aches and pains left over from pregnancy.

 •Nipple Cream
Nuff said?

 •Olive Oil
To use for dry skin (yours and babes), cradle cap, sore nipples or if you're at home the actual birth.

 •Disposable Diapers
Even if you're going cloth in the future, they may be a little big or irritate baby's belly button.

 •Depends and Extra Absorbent Maxi pads
These will be for you, sorry!

 •Snacks/prepared food that's easy to make and Eat

 •Nursing gear
Bras, comfy shirts, breast pumps, breast pads

 •An arsenal of clean baby clothes

 •Night Light

For late night nursing/feeding when a night table lamp may be a little too bright

 •Your favourite shows

On DVD, PVR or downloaded and ready to go****

 •Stain removers

For set in drool, spit-up or poo stains

 •A Shower Cap

You may not get to wash your hair every time you shower.  Another good solution dry shampoo such as Burts Bees Powder Products

I would also add on (from my post-surgery list)

 •Extra Strength Advil
For swelling and aches
 •Stool Softener
An unfortunate side-effect of surgery
 •Favourite wine, beer or Spirit
Nothing tasted quite as good as my nightly Guinness after the minions were born!*****


Want to know what to buy that parent expecting their first kid, or to put on your registry click here.  If you are curious about why a new parent needs so many wash cloths click here.

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*There is some sort of joke in my head about cabbage patch kids or cabbage rolls.  
**This certainly beats my no cup approach of sticking my face under the faucet every time I used the washroom.
***If you don't know what I'm talking about - here's the Freshie Fresh Commercial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSOEMruvMRE
****One of my favourite all time quotes from Tina Fey on pumping milk in front of TV - "I chose to pump every two hours while watching episodes of the HBO series Entourage. Over the whir of the milking machine, I could almost hear my baby being lovingly cared for in the other room while Turtle yelled across an SUV, "Yo E, you ever f&*# a girl while she has her period?" - Lesson learned choose your post-baby television programming wisely.
*****The breastfeeding instructor at the hospital told me I could have a bit (1-2 servings) of wine or beer a day while breastfeeding....I took those instructions very seriously.