6 Things I Didn't Know I Needed Post-Baby
We've been home from the hospital for almost 3 weeks now and we're slowly but surely falling into a daily routine--I wake up early with the baby and let Rob sleep in a bit since he stays up with her when I go to bed, I nurse her in the nursery and if possible we go back to sleep for a while in the bedroom before heading out to the living room for more nursing for her, a latte for me, and a few episodes of The Crown.
Ender sleeps in his crate and usually wants to come out at 8:00, so I let him out and he runs around the yard for a while, then comes in for breakfast and we all cuddle on the couch. Sophie usually falls asleep again and I know I could probably take a mid-morning nap or get some work done, but I always end up holding her instead. Once Rob is up we usually make some breakfast, watch more shows (we're currently loving Difficult People on Hulu), and eventually get outside for a walk with the pup and Sophie in the stroller.
The days are long but they fly by at the same time, and every Tuesday I can't believe our baby is another week older. As the hours become days and the days become weeks, I've discovered a handful of things I either didn't know I needed or didn't know I would depend on so much once we got home from the hospital--and here they are:
- This nursing bra is the comfiest and specially designed to wear while you sleep. I bought one but need at least 3 or 4 more.
- I bought this witch hazel to make padsicles for when I got home from the hospital, but it turned out to have alcohol in it so I decided against it. Now I'm using it as intended--as a toner on my face--and totally loving it. They do have an alcohol-free formula if you're looking for one.
- These 4-ounce baby bottles have been a life saver. Sophie is cluster feeding and my boobs are having a hard time keeping up, so I've been pumping and letting Rob feed her a bottle once or twice a day. It's made a huge difference. I always knew I wanted to pump so he could feed her, I just didn't know we'd be doing it so soon. Either way, I'm happy I had them ready to go.
- I got some of this stuff in a Birchbox and used it the other day after I washed my hair. It's so amazing and my hair feels incredible, which is saying a lot since I've just been wearing it up in a top knot most days. I don't usually buy full sizes of stuff I sample but I might be purchasing a bigger bottle soon.
- We thought it'd be fun to buy a nice espresso machine so we could make lattes while Rob is on paternity leave, but I had no idea how much joy this crazy thing would bring to my life. I really look forward to making my coffee every morning, which is important when you've only gotten 4 hours of sleep.
- Nipple cream. Enough said, right? I like that there's nothing weird in this one. I've also been using this luxurious hand cream at night because it smells amazing and my hands are super dry from washing them way more than usual.
If you have any to add, I'd love to hear them!
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