Mommy Registry

So you've just had a baby.  Congratulations!

If you're anything like I was, you spent hours pouring over lists of what to register for and reading reviews of the best/safest/most useful items you'd need for transitioning your little bundle of joy from the hospital to home (spoiler alert: when you first get home you need a safe place for your baby to sleep, some clothes, and your boobs.  Everything else is just a bonus to make life easier.)  My whole life revolved around nesting and creating a loving, welcoming environment for my precious angel. 

What I neglected to think about?  Me.

I knew my life was going to change, but I'm a strong, confident, independent, intelligent woman!  Things will be hard, but I can handle them, right?  Ladies from all over have been doing this as long as humanity has existed!  I have read and prepared and look at how cute the nursery is! All I need now is my beautiful baby to make my life complete!

Hard isn't a strong enough word for it.  It has tested me in ways I never expected.  I bonded with my baby, but not in the way I had anticipated.  I was no longer carrying this life in my body, but my body was still not mine.  And breastfeeding?   Breastfeeding was so difficult.  And it was painful.  And  my baby wasn't gaining weight fast enough.  If I wasn't nursing my baby, I was hooked up to my pump.  It was miserable.  I wound up having to supplement with formula which made me feel like I wasn't a capable mother and then I went back to work after 6 weeks where my schedule had to revolve around when and where I could pump - waking up early, locking myself alone in a room during lunch, rushing home and skipping out on socializing with coworkers at the end of the day so I could feed my little girl.  I still struggle with this and have more then once had a little voice in my head tell me that I should stop pumping.  Plenty of babies have been exclusively formula fed and turned out fine.  Great, even!  But I'm stubborn so I keep doing it.  And I keep feeling miserable.  

Then my baby looks up at me while I'm feeding her.  Our eyes meet and she smiles at me.  Then I know it's worth it.

As I've made it through these struggles, there have been a few things that I have that helped me get through it all.  So forget the baby registry.  You need things to make you feel good.  And you're important too.

*Full disclosure: most of these items revolve around your boobs because, let's face it, most of your life currently feels like it revolves around your boobs.*

1. You need a Kindle.

I know.  I'm a book girl, too.  I like the feel of turning pages and the smell of the binding glue and how smart I look with them littered around my house.  But believe me, you need this.  You can turn the pages with one hand when you're holding your little one with the other.  How about library lending?  I can just go to my library's website, click on the title I want to read, and borrow it for free.  Without leaving my house.  While in my pajamas.  It's amazing.  You'll be glad you have this when you're up feeding your screaming baby at midnight.  And 2 AM.  And 4.

2. The greatest nursing pads ever.

One of my good friends, who happens to be a mom of two, got me some of these for my shower.  I hadn't registered for them - they're more expensive than the washable cotton ones and those will work just fine, right?  Sure.  They absorb alright, but those suckers will stick to your poor, sad, sore nipples.  Yeah.  That stinks.

The first time I used a pair of these I was struggling with a horribly cracked nipple and pain so intense at latching that my natural instinct was to pull my body away from my baby when she tried to latch.  Long story short; it hurt.  I put these in not expecting much different from the other ones, but when I went to take them off I commented to my husband that my friend was a saint for introducing these to me.  They're soft and velvety and amazingly gentle.  Get them. 

3. Get the softest towels you can find.

You know your favorite towels at home?

They're not soft enough.

Listen, you're nipples are going to hurt.  Those towels are going to seem like sandpaper.

Go to the store and touch all the towels.  Ignore anyone who looks at you like you're a weirdo.

The set that makes you want to curl into a ball on them and nap all day?  Get those.  You'll thank me.
My husband and I refer to these as my happy nipple towels.  I want to cry on the days they're in the laundry.

4. A Bathrobe

I already had a jersey bathrobe kind of like this one that I took to the hospital with me.  I loved having it when company came so that I could feel a bit more covered and a bit more like a human while still in the hospital gown.

Once we were home, this quickly became a staple because the rest of my wardrobe mainly consisted of comfy shorts and a nursing bra.  I liked to wear this because it felt less cumbersome than a t-shirt but it's still loose and comfortable.  It's also great for those early morning feedings.  For Christmas I asked my husband for one in a slightly heavier material and it's now my winter go-to.  

Look for something not too heavy and about knee length so it won't get in the way.  Bonus points if it has a pocket that you can carry your new Kindle around in.

5. Lounge pants you're not embarrassed to be seen in

People are going to want to come visit you (You will know they truly love you if they bring you food and news of the outside world).  You will not want to change out of your pajamas (See #4).

I had a pair of pants very similar to these from Target while I was pregnant and I still wear them regularly.  They are comfortable and yet still socially acceptable to wear in casual settings, like when those visitors come knocking.  

Plus, if anyone judges you for wearing lounge pants, you can tell them to suck it - you just had a baby, dammit!

6. More Technology

I should preface this one by admitting I don't have a smartphone.  Even if I did I'd still live and die by my Chromebook.

If you're still planning on trying to get any work done at your current desk situation, stop fooling yourself.

You'll be doing it one-handed on the couch while also nursing the baby.  When she's older, you'll make it to the table but you'll still be working one-handed as you shovel sweet potatoes into her face or help her hold her sippy cup.

You need technology that's affordable (sometimes that sippy cup goes flying - imagine that hitting your Macbook and sending juice everywhere)  and portable.   The Chromebook has been both of those things for me.

7. A comfortable nursing bra

While I was still happy and pregnant and loving my big amazing body I started ordering clothes for after the baby was born.  This was while I was still naive and thought nursing would be beautiful and magical.  I bought all the cute nursing bras that look like regular bras with molded cups and under-wires that just happen to unhook for when you need to nurse.
They are crap.  The cups are awkward and get in the way when you try to nurse.  The under-wires are torture.  And don't forget the fact that your breasts are going to change size throughout the day as they fill and empty so anything with a specific cup size is a joke.  You might also get engorged.  That's a story for another day, but let's just say the thought of a bra that is even the least bit restricting will make you want to cry.  Luckily for me, I had ordered a Lamaze sports bra on a whim from Zulily (if you're not a member yet, go here to sign up.  I don't often buy stuff from the sight, but I like browsing and getting ideas there).  As soon as I put it on, I knew everything would be okay.  Yes, it looked like the bra equivalent of orthopedic shoes... but oh boy, did it make my boobs happy - and as I said earlier, most of my life these days feels like it revolves around my boobs.
My current favorite is this one from Target.

At one point I had to wear shells to help a crack in my nipple heal.  For this, I had to be sure to have a super stretchy bra to make them as comfortable as possible.  It's not as supportive as the one above, but my second favorite and my most comfortable choice is this guy.

What were your must haves?
If you could go back and make a registry for your new momma needs, what would you add?