I think all us new Mommies can attest to the research we do on ‘Baby Stuff’. We have Baby Showers for our registries and this alone can be an extremely overwhelming task for us.

I personally asked all my Mommy-friends what their ‘must haves’ were and received a wide variety of answers and options. I then planned my registry around the items that were mentioned 2 or more times and now that I am a Mommy myself with a 4-week old baby boy I have come up with my Top 5 New Mommy Essentials that I could not live without!

1. Double Electric Breast Pump by ‪#‎Madela‬ – Breastfeeding can be very daunting at first as your newborn is eating every 2-3 hours OR like my baby boy every hour (he’s a snacker!). This can be tough on Mommy because you feel like a walking, talking COW and your nipples also feel the pain…ouch!!! As a new Mom who owns a business with no maternity leave, there is no downtime and deadlines still need to be met.

The double breast pump is a saving grace! It allows me to pump and store my milk for my husband or grandparents to help with feedings. I can also leave the house with ready made bottles and not worry about where or how I will breastfeed in public. I know many moms have no issues with this and there are breastfeeding covers and private places to feed, etc. but for me it’s easier with a bottle on hand.

I pump 1-2 times per day for 10 minutes at a time and the hands free electric pump allows me to do other things like work or tend to my baby. I also find when I’m seated and relaxed I will pump more milk. The $450.00 was definitely worth the investment.

2. Nursing Pillow – By the second day of breastfeeding I was asking myself – ‘Can I really do this?’. I was uncomfortable, sore and my baby didn’t look very comfortable either. I definitely thought about giving up and looking into a good quality formula but I reminded myself on why I chose to breastfeed in the first place (the many health benefits galore).

When I returned home from the hospital I remembered that I received a nursing pillow from one of my coaches – Coach Kim (a mother herself). Ahhhh what a sense of relief! I could rest my arms, lower my shoulders, and finally relax. My son also latched easier because Mommy was relaxed. Breastfeeding is supposed to be a bonding experience for Mommy and Baby but if you are not comfortable it can be discouraging – be comfy and get a nursing pillow!

3. Dr.Browns Glass Bottles – I hate plastic! Even BPA free doesn’t cut it. Glass bottles are safe to reheat, wash, and sterilize and I wouldn’t take the chance using plastic bottles on my little one. The ‪#‎DrBrown‬ bottles also have an internal venting system that eliminates air and vacuum to allow baby to feed comfortably. It also reduces air bubble oxidation of the milk to help preserve vitamins and lipids – key nutrients to baby’s health!!! Since I’m nursing it was important for me to find a bottle that mimics breastfeeding to prevent nipple confusion.

4. Dr. Browns Bottle Warmer – I have seen many of my mommies heat their bottles with hot boiling water in a bowl – I didn’t like the potentially danger. The ‪#‎DrBrowns‬ bottle warmer sits on my counter and with a push of a button (and a 2 minute wait) I have a heated bottle ready to go. I don’t have time to boil water!

5. ‪#‎NoseFrida‬ (the Snotsucker) – With all the frequent feedings comes the aftermath (i.e. spit-up, burps and sneezes with milk boogers). No preparation for this at all.

These milk boogers tend to get stuck in their tiny nostrils causing congestion and difficulty breathing. My baby has especially tiny nostrils (just like his Daddy haha!) so finding the right nasal aspirator was important. At first I thought I was going to ingest the mucus but quickly learned that there is a disposable filter to prevent bacterial transfer.

I placed the tube against my baby’s nostril (not inside), creating a seal, then used the red mouthpiece and sucked. BOOM all the white bogginess was out and in the large tube (hurray!) The rest is history…I’ve been using it ever since and at least 2-3 times per day. This Snotsucker is a MUST HAVE!

So there you have it. 4 weeks into being a new Mommy and these are my go-to items.

I’m certain I’ll be adding to this list so stay tuned!