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Registry:

• Clothes: 0-3 size they grow out of so fast so buy sparingly.
• Velcro swaddler, onesies and sleepers -- great the first few days.
• Sleeper gowns with no snaps and pants are great for 2AM changings.
• Feeding/kitchen: buy a dishwasher cage for nipples/pacifiers. No need to sterilize bottles anymore. No solid food until 12+ weeks. Register for a high chair, but  you won’t need right away. I love my booster that attaches to a kitchen chair; nice space saver.
• Nursery The basics are needed: mattress cover, light blankets, choose either a wedge or roll depending on sleep position.
• A curved changing pad on the change table is nice.
• Don’t buy a wipes warmer—it’s a waste.
• I never used my diaper genie; just take dirty diaper to garage trash can. Genies still stink, then you have to empty 20 diapers at once; gross.
• Choose one crib item: mobile or music; don’t overstimulate.
• Toys: newborns don’t need toys!  For later choose: a swing, ultra saucer, jumper, or all moving activity stations.  Jumpers are cheap if you want two items.
• Boppy!
• Travel: diaper bag with style; you really don’t need to take the kitchen sink when you travel. Keep your diaper bag light. Pack a tote or Rubbermaid container with all baby essentials and keep it in the car.  Really, if you are shopping and baby makes a mess, just go back to the car. Choose a stroller that is light weight and has long handles so you don’t have to bend down to push.
• Car seats are personal preference. The nicer they are, the more $$. For a fall/winter baby, buy the snuggly cover to slip over the newborn car seat: this was great. If you use a travel system with and infant car seat: buy one seat, but two bases: one for each car.  It is worth the money, to have one for each car.
• Bath: buy a tub with a “sling” which is great for a newborn.  You will need towels/washcloths, tear-free soap, and lotion.
• Monitors
• 1st aid: mini-nail clippers and snot suckers!
• Burp rags
• Carriers: I loved my baby wrap or sling, it's great for nursing. Men always like the chest carrier that is more firm.
• Bumbo: I did buy for my last baby.  It was not used for long and he learned to climb out. For the newborn, you really don’t put them down.
  

Preparation and Take to the hospital:

• Video camera, camera, etc.
• List of phone numbers, emails, etc. and who to call (if you are resting your husband will have to take on this assignment).
• Buy Colace (stool softener) and start taking prior to birth and continue as directed for a few days. Doctors never mention this as helpful, but the most painful thing is having bowel movements after birth.
• Buy and take medicated pads for hemorrhoids; you may or may not actually get these. I’ve heard that they are even good to use on the episiotomy area, since they numb the pain.
• Take your own toiletries to make you more comfortable.
• Pack your robe and slippers: use the hospital gowns, but the robe is nice when you need to get up and around-no bare cheeks!
• Bring your Boppy and start using it to nurse and as an extra pillow. need for bringing baby outfits or blankets; use the hospital provided ones. The baby will mess the first few outfits until you figure out how to diaper properly.
• Also, use the hospital supply of diapers and wipes.
• Take breast cream: use it from the beginning after each nursing as a preventative; don’t wait until you are chapped. Ouch.
• Pack light, you won’t need too much; and your husband may want a break to go run errands.
• If your husband is spending the night: he needs extra pillows/blankets. The fold out is uncomfortable.
• Prepare dinners ahead of time (casseroles, etc) and freeze.  You won’t want to cook the first week and you will tire of fast food.
• Set up the nursery; just the main items: larger/older items like swings and ultra saucers, set up later.
• Wash all baby clothes ahead of time in a hypo-allergenic detergent like Dreft or Such.
• No thick bedding for the crib or bassinette.

1st days home:

• Don’t fret over pets; they are part of the family and won’t give the baby germs.
  
• I was recovery from surgery, but I always found the first few night to be more comfortable in the “camp” in the family room.  We set up the area, so that everything we needed was close: a couch, a rocking chair, the bassinette, the supplies for changing baby and pumping.  The kitchen is close for drinks, washing bottles, etc.
• We placed sheets on the couch and husband was on the air mattress.  Since, you are up every three hours it was nice to have everything in like a mini apartment.
  
• We didn’t use the crib right away: we have used the pack-n-play, a bassinette, or even the infant care seat for the baby to sleep in.  Also, in desperate nights, the baby slept in our arms.
• The general rule is sleep on side, or back; to avoid SIDS.  But, don’t freak out. All my babies move to their stomachs.  They do sell newborn swings or gliders: very nice, but expensive and they only use for a short period of time. I would recommend don’t buy, and if you have a colic baby, then make a quick trip to the store.
  
• Sleep when the baby sleeps!
  
• Use the log sheet the hospital gives you for: nursing times, nursing duration, pee and poo schedule and color/amount etc.: for one week.  This will help validate that baby is eating and thriving. And will help you stay calm and not freak out calling the doctor, thinking that your baby is starving.

Breast feeding:

• Buy or rent hospital grade pump; worth it!
• Drink a lot of water; always! This helps with milk production.
• In the hospital ask questions to lactation nurse and just focus on proper latching and sucking. Really doesn’t seem like much is coming out, but this is a critical time to try.
• Don’t stress out; it is hard, painful, at times, but set small goals for yourself and be open minded.
• Sometime in the beginning, babies want to sleep through feedings; wake up during the day to feed, but let the baby sleep at night. Some nurses will say to wake them up; but COME ON.
• At day 4-6, your milk “comes in”; WOW nipples are swollen.  The babies hate this change in the feel.
• Prior to nursing, use heated pads to let the milk release.
  
• Use the pump, to start the flow, draining the milk and reduce the swelling and prepare the nipple. Sometimes the swelling creates inverted nipples. There are other solutions for this, but I found pumping to work.
• After feeding: keep ice packs on your breast; wear a loose sports bra.
• Just in the beginning milk let-down hurts, like tiny needles.  And you will feel uterus contractions.  This will help you get your shape back!  After a few weeks, this feeling goes away.
• Always use your boppy for back support.
• Nurse on one breast for approx. 15 minutes, break to burp the baby, then switch to the other side for 15 minutes then burp.  I found that they fall asleep on second breast, not eating much, so to evenly produce milk, when you feed later start on the same breast that you left off on. I always wear a ring to remember what breast to feed off of next by keeping it on the corresponding left/right hand.
• Feeding relaxes baby, and makes them poop; so to save time feed on one breast; let them poop; change the diaper, feed on the second side then place in bed.
• Don’t let the baby play favorites with a certain breast: or you will be uneven; yuck.
• Buy disposable breast pads for leaking; more convienent then cotton washables.
• Buy nursing bra, for after your milk swelling goes down, to ensure proper fit.  Use a big size nursing bra or sports bra for the first few days; big boobs!
• Practice different hold types with the lactation specialist; they know a few tricks to be more comfortable, pending breast/baby size.
• Anything you pump-- save and freeze cuz it's good for one month. You can mix with formula later, too.
• After awhile, you will feel your milk let down and know it is time to feed baby. Also, be warned, just when you get use to it and it gets easy, when the baby has a growth spurt, you will produce more milk and may have similar engorging or swollenness like the first few days.
• Use nursing friendly nuks and bottles, like Avent. Try not to use a bottle until three+ months, because once the baby feels the fast flow of a bottle they like it but don’t worry too much about “nipple” confusion as they call it. I had to do bottles a few times when I was sick.

    
Hope this helps!  Lots of Love!!!!!