Things That Make the Newborn Stage Easier

Thank you, Bump Boxes, for sending me products to review. Affiliate links used.

Hello, from the fog-ridden, sleep-deprived trenches of having a new baby! Riley Kirsten is officially here! We had a strange start to this family of 5 life (which I mention here on Instagram) since Aiden and Emma had confirmed cases of the flu and spent Riley's first week of life at their grandparents' house to keep the baby safe from the flu.

So, I'm only one week into having all three kids at home. But in having a week with just Riley and a week with all three kids, I've come to realize a few key items that are the most helpful!

I don't want to call this "newborn life essentials!" because this is 100% not a list of things you have to have. We lived through having two newborns without these items. But this time round, I have been enjoying a few extras that genuinely make life easier and better. If you have pregnant friends or friends with newborns, you'll win major points for scooping up any of these things for her. If you yourself are expecting and wondering what extra things you might use, this is a tried and true list.

Related: DIY gift basket for new moms | Advice for life with a newborn | Neutral nursery reveal

Useful things to make the newborn stage easier:

The Moses basket from Design Dua. I've seen other companies make these baskets, but I got one from Design Dua when they were running a sale. I LOVE having a movable place to set Riley in any room without needing extra bouncers/swings/other spots to set her down. I even brought the basket into the bathroom with me so I could keep an eye on her while I got a shower!

Bump Boxes. It's a subscription box that's definitely an extra but full of USEFUL goodies. I shared a second trimester box here, and in Riley's newborn Bitsy box (from Bump Boxes) I got even more practical, cute things. We love this serum for Riley's newborn scaly skin, since lotions have so many additives. Plus, all our baby toys are beat to death (thanks Aiden and Emma!) so new baby toys are great to have! Sign up here.

This cleaner (pictured below). It came in one of my Bump Boxes, and I use it MULTIPLE TIMES EVERY DANG DAY because Riley pees and poops allllllll over the changing table during almost every diaper change (so about 10 times a day). I wipe Riley down, get the diaper on her and set her somewhere else, and then I spray down the changing table with this spray and wipe it down with a wipe. So easy!

That brings me to my next item: these diapers. We have had ZERO blow-out poops in Riley's two weeks of life, whereas we had blowout poops so often with Aiden and Emma. These Huggies Special Delivery diapers are a little more expensive, so look for sales at Walmart or manufacturer coupons.

This two-camera video baby monitor. It went on sale. And so we splurged. Admittedly, it's now our third baby monitor set, but oh myyyy it is nice. You definitely don't need a fish-eye, swiveling video camera monitor but it is REALLY nice to have. One camera is in the big kids' room, and the other is in the nursery.

This baby swing that can connect to your phone via bluetooth. It was a 2 AM purchase when won't-stop-screaming baby Emma wouldn't sleep, but it really is nice to have! It moves in a car ride, kangaroo, rockabye, and tree swing patterns, and I also love the clean look of it.