Hey Moms!


I'm a new mom and here are a few things that I thought would help - back when I was researching I couldn't really find any blogs that were straight forward and helpful which was super frustrating. I have sectioned everything off to make this a breeze to scroll through. Below you will find:

  • Maternity
  • Self-Care: top 5 of what you need from day one
  • Clothes: where to find them
  • Maternity Photo Session: when to do them, what to wear & what it costs
  • Registry
  • Building your registry: straight forward check list of what to ask for
  • Boutiques & Stores: where to find everything
  • Products Blog: read this separate blog to find out what products I bought and why
  • Newborn
  • Newborn Session: when to do them, what to wear & what it costs

Maternity


There are soooo many tips & tricks out there, and so many things to read and google and stress yourself out about. As someone who absolutely hates having to search and honestly not huge on reading blogs (so much extra crap to read) I tried my best to break down all the products I found most useful and where I bought them with as minimal paragraphs for you to skim through and l even made it all clickable - your welcome:

Maternity


There are soooo many tips & tricks out there, and so many things to read and google and stress yourself out about. As someone who absolutely hates having to search and honestly not huge on reading blogs (so much extra crap to read) I tried my best to break down all the products I found most useful and where I bought them with as minimal paragraphs for you to skim through and l even made it all clickable - your welcome:

Self-Care

Things you need from Day 1

Prenatals


The first thing your doctor tells you is to start taking prenatals - but what they don't tell you is how expensive that can get. Personally, I am very much into organics and don't usually mind spending more for it BUT, buying prenatals got a bit pricy. The brand I went with was

One A Day Women's Prenatal and I actually bought them at Walmart - they carry the biggest bottle for the cheapest.


Takeya Water Bottle


"Drink lots of water" is what every mom, doctor and friend told me. There's lots of great brands of water bottles out there, this one worked best for me and the cheapest place to find them is on Amazon or Target has deals on them sometimes.

Body Scrub


This might seem like something completely unnecessary, but trust me, it was a definite must for me. In the shower, I would gently scrub my bump, hips and butt with body scrub to exfoliate and honestly just relax. The cocoa butter collected on my skin and left me a greasy mess for days - the best way to clean it off and start fresh is to gently scrub it away. Using the scrub became my nightly shower routine. It doesn't really matter what kind of scrub you use, I would say try not to use ones with a lot of oils in them (like bath & body works) because it actually does the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish. I got most of my scrubs from ULTA or Target *my favorite scent was the Tree Hut Vitamin C*



Palmer's Tummy Butter


This product was seriously the best. Literally the only places that I have stretch marks is anywhere that I didn't put this stuff! I would buy this in bulk at WALMART - the cheapest. This was part of my nightly routine, after the shower. Then I would wear a t-shirt to keep the product on my skin when I went to bed.


Pillows


Do not underestimate how important the pregnancy pillow is. Do yourself a favor and buy this right away to get your body used to it. There are a few different versions, this is the one I used. The "bed-rest" pillow was perfect for sitting on the couch or sitting up in bed, I personally had a lot of back pain so that was a life saver.


Clothes. The Stretch Gets So Real.


During my pregnancy, I had the hardest time finding clothes inside stores. Not only did I have to find a few things for the summer, I had to find things for fall & winter because of course you don't fit in the clothes you wore during the season you first got pregnant (for me it was winter). You're pregnant for 9-10 months which means in some places that's literally THREE SEASONS you're buying for AND you have to size up as you buy. For example, I went through 3 different sizes of shorts. To find clothes that I actually liked and didn't feel like I wasn't totally myself anymore, I had to do a lot of online shopping. I searched and searched for all the best places for maternity wear, here's what I found:

Shoes


One thing that I didn't know until after I delivered - your feet do not only get swollen and bigger during your pregnancy, they actually stay bigger post-pregnancy. I went from a 10 pre-preg to an 11 permanently post-preg. Moral of the story, invest in bigger shoes from the get-go.

Lingerie


You'll start to need bigger options half way through so invest in nursing bras early. Also, your ass grows along with your bump (sorry but true) so buy yourself some comfy cotton undies for your 40 week journey.

Brands I loved and where to find them:

Belly Support


Once you get to your third trimester (everyone is different) you will most likely start to need some bump support. This brand, I felt, was worth the money and the products were super comfortable. You can either buy from their direct website or through Amazon:

Should I or Should I not

Maternity Photos

One of the most common questions I get when it comes to scheduling maternity sessions is: "Do I really need to do maternity photos? Why would I want to get pictures of my body at it's biggest." Personally, I think getting your maternity photos done is one the of the most important milestones of your pregnancy. Yes, you are at the biggest point, but these are photos that you will cherish the rest of your life.

Maternity Pricing

When Do I Get Them Done?


The best time to schedule your session would be in your 7th month or about 30-36 weeks. The closer you get to your due date the more uncomfortable you will be and the risk of not getting them done in time (in case you deliver early) is higher.

What Do I Wear?


There are lots of styles you can go for, I got mine from Lulus and it was made by Free People. You can either order an actual maternity dress or find one that's "bump-friendly". Most boutiques have a section dedicated to bump-friendly but don't actually carry maternity clothes. BUT DON'T FORGET: you can also do a boudoir style maternity session too! My clients in the past loved shooting their boudoir maternity photos over the dressed up ones because of how simple it was.

Early Pregnancy Bod "Last Call"

Boudoir

You will never guess how common it is for clients to book a boudoir session during that first trimester!
Booking a boudoir session to show off your pre-mom bod is a GREAT idea.

Pricing

The Registry.


This is possibly one of the most fun but frustrating parts about the whole baby process. Yay you finally get to go shop and pick out all the cutest things for your little babe....but what do you actually need? When I went to Target and BuyBuyBaby to put together my registries, I found myself getting stuck on what do I really need versus what I think I need...or what was just too cute. Here's a list of the top items that you definitely should put on your registry. Even if you don't get gifted some of the items, at least you will have a clear list of all the things you'll need (and a cool perk is most stores offer a coupon or discounts for left over registry items). For brands that I chose and why, keep scrolling.

The Registry.


This is possibly one of the most fun but frustrating parts about the whole baby process. Yay you finally get to go shop and pick out all the cutest things for your little babe....but what do you actually need? When I went to Target and BuyBuyBaby to put together my registries, I found myself getting stuck on what do I really need versus what I think I need...or what was just too cute. Here's a list of the top items that you definitely should put on your registry. Even if you don't get gifted some of the items, at least you will have a clear list of all the things you'll need (and a cool perk is most stores offer a coupon or discounts for left over registry items). For brands that I chose and why, keep scrolling.

Most of these items you do not need, but most of them sure will help!

Nursery


  • Crib
  • Sheet(s)
  • Waterproof Pad
  • Rocking Chair/Nursing Chair
  • Diaper Changing Table/Dresser
  • Changing Pad
  • Changing Pad Cover(s)
  • Diaper Pail
  • Pail Liners
  • Wipes Warmer (not a necessity)
  • Night Light
  • Mobile
  • Baby Monitor
  • COOL Humidifier
  • Bassinet (for the first few months)
  • Bassinet Sheets
  • Blankets
  • Swaddles

Diaper Bag


On-The-Go


The First Year


Baby Product


  • Bibs
  • Burp Cloths
  • Diaper Cream (try different kinds)
  • Baby Powder (try different kinds)
  • Diapers (ask for multiple sizes)
  • Baby Wipes (ask for a variety)
  • Bath Products
  • Body Wash
  • Lotion
  • Brush/Comb
  • Nasal Aspirator (boogers)
  • Nail Clippers
  • Infant Tooth Brush

Formula-Fed


  • Bottles (at least 6 to start)
  • Electric Kettle or Bottle Warmer
  • Formula
  • Thermos (for on the go)
  • Formula Dispenser (for on the go)


Breast-Fed


Gear & Toys

(not totally necessities but they help)

For Mom

(post-pardum for vaginal & c-section)


C-Section Specific:

NEWBORN Photos

NEWBORN Photos

When do we do these?


It's best to get these done within the first 10 days of birth - every day your little one will change and become more awake so the earlier the better.

Outfits & Themes


There are so many options. Like endless. For themed newborn outfits - Etsy is definitely the go-to, but if you're looking for a matching family shot Burt's Bees is my recommendation.

  • Swaddles: Copper Pearl & Spearmint Love
  • Newborn Outfits: Spearmint Love & Etsy
  • Family Matching: Burt's Bees Baby

In-Home vs Hosptial

In-Home Pros & Cons:

  • Pro: you don't have to go anywhere
  • Pro: you have total control of what your environment looks like
  • Con: you'll have to do house work to get your space ready
  • Con: if you have visitors it could get a little hectic

Hospital Pros & Cons:

  • Pro: It's a clean neutral space
  • Pro: you get your baby at their "newest" stage
  • Pro: a lot of the time you'll have help
  • Con: you might not get to have anyone in your room (thanks COVID)
  • Con: it's not your style / it's an old hospital room