Sweatshirt: SocialCrew Clothing / Leggings: Zella
Sneakers: Cole Haan / Jacket: North Face
Stroller: Uppababy VISTA

Today I’m so excited to finally share my top 10 newborn essentials after trying these out with our little one the last 4 weeks. There are so many different products out there on the market and believe me we have gotten sooo many of them but the products below have gotten us through the first few weeks with our little one! As always if you have questions feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email!

Top 10 Newborn Essentials

1. Uppababy Vista Stroller - We purchased this stroller based on recommendations from our friends. We love that the stroller comes with the base, bassinet and toddler seat. Especially in the city (alot of uneven sidewalks in Philly) we like that it has shock-absorbing suspension, a rain shield, bug shield and extendable UPF 50+ canopy. Also, we like that the bassinet has a vented base and canopy and we even use it inside the house if we need to put the baby down for a quick nap. Lastly we like the fact that this stroller can accommodate up to three children (in case we want to have more!). Plus it’s compatible with the MESA carseat which we also have.

2. Halo Bassinet Premiere Swivel Sleeper - This is the bassinet we use in our bedroom for baby. It’s a good size and the sides are all mesh so it’s super safe and it gives us peace of mind at night. This version of the halo bassinet is the premiere series so it has a nightlight, floor light, two levels of vibration and four soothing sounds all with a convenient auto shutoff. If you want your newborn to fit snug in it you can also purchase the newborn insert sleeper.

3. Dockatot - The dockatot is a playing and lounging station. We keep the dockatot in our living room and put the baby in it if he’s napping (we are always sitting next to him if we are using it so we can make sure he’s safe). It’s useful when you want your hands free!

4. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow - This breastfeeding pillow is awesome and helps to keep baby propped up. It has a pocket so you can also fit your waterbottle in it for easy access. This pillow helps you to maintain proper position and it also has a backrest.

5. Haakaa - This is a very handy tool which uses the suction to pump out any leftover breast milk (you can use it on one side to catch any dripping milk while breastfeeding). I collect it and then feed it to baby using a bottle.

6. Burp Cloths - I am always reaching for a burp cloth with our little one. This guy is always spitting up after a feeding and we keep these everywhere!

7. Aden & Anais Muslin Blankets - We love these blankets and they are great for multipurpose use such as swaddle, tummy time blanket, stroller cover, changing table cover, burp cloth and nursing cover (just to name a few). We also use these blankets to swaddle baby at night since he sleeps better when he’s tightly swaddled. We do also use the Halo Swaddle Sleepsack sometimes but baby sleeps better when swaddled tightly in the muslin blanket.

8. Two Way Zip Sleep & Play - These are the best and makes diaper changes so easy especially in the middle of the night when you’re fumbling around in the dark! Veer was born in December so these will get us through the cold months. The sleep and play are soo much easier than onesies with buttons and pants.

9. Angelcare tub - We love this tub as it has holes on the bottom for easy draining and prevents mildew buildup. We use this tub in our jacuzzi tub and it makes the bathing process super easy.

10. Diapering Essentials - We love the Pampers swaddlers and the Pampers aqua pure wipes. We also use the Aquaphor baby diaper rash paste and also the Boudreaux's butt paste (a stronger strength diaper rash cream). Also a diaper pail that keeps out the dirty diaper smell is essential we like the Ubbi Diaper pail.

We welcomed our baby boy, Veer Singh, into this world on Christmas Day, December 25. Since then, it has been quite the whirlwind and the little guy is already 3 weeks old! It’s been 3 weeks of baby snuggles, long nights and adjusting to a whole new lifestyle. I spoke so much and openly about my pregnancy on my blog and I feel it’s important to share postpartum updates as well. Postpartum can be a crazy time and we need to remember to take care of ourselves as well.

Before I hop into the current state of things let me rewind three weeks back. We were discharged from the hospital after spending the standard 2 night stay for a normal delivery. The first week at home flew by. My parents arrived the day we were discharged from the hospital in order to help us out which in hindsight I am so grateful for. You really don’t understand or realize how slow the recovery process is even if you have a normal delivery (still recovering weeks later)! Basically when I left the hospital everything hurt and my legs/feet were super swollen so I left wearing flip flops and a gown #noshame.

The first week was spent trying to figure things out with a newborn and taking it slowly. The little guy was born weighing in at 6lbs (which I couldn’t believe since I gained 43 pounds during my pregnancy!!) I thought for sure he was going to be a “big baby.” He lost a few ounces after his birth (which is normal) so our goal was to bring his weight back up to his birth weight. In order to do this my main focus was to feed him every 2 hours day and night. The things that I find most helpful for breastfeeding is nursing tanks, nursing pillow, haakaa, nipple butter, water bottle and burp cloths. I also got the Spectra S1 pump which I have not yet used.

The first week was also filled with the similar routine that I had in the hospital post delivery - maxi pads, peri bottle, ice packs, witch hazel pads and Dermoplast spray. I did purchase the Frida Mom Postpartum Essentials Kit which was good although I left the hospital with alot of supplies - the best product from the Frida Mom line would be the peri bottle (if you don’t decide to buy anything from this line definitely get the peri bottle). I did go overboard and purchased the Always underwear that so many people recommended and additional maxi pads but the hospital had provided so many the postpartum supplies I never got around to using the items I had purchased on my own.

Once we hit week 2 things started getting better. I had more energy and we felt as though we had the beginnings of a routine. We were still doing 2 hour feedings but things were getting easier. Week 3 then came and things got even better. The little guy gained back his weight and even a few additional ounces so we were able to go longer stretches for feedings. It was nice having my parents around as we were able to run out and do a few super quick errands and also started taking short walks around the neighborhood. In terms of my postpartum recovery it’s still going but things are soo much better.

One last thing is that you’ll surprise yourself at how strong you are and what you are capable of. Before Veer was born I was so nervous about everything - how to change a diaper, swaddle, feeding, etc. but the amount of love you feel for your baby the moment you meet them and the instincts that take over will surprise you! Being with the little guy is pure joy and he brightens up our day each and every day.