I just had my second daughter a week ago, and I forgot how amazing and equally draining a newborn can be.
A new baby can make even the most frugal a spendthrift. However, there are three big purchases that I think every new mom should have before or right after the baby comes.
A Cleaning Service
When I was 37 weeks pregnant, I hired a cleaning lady for the very first time. I’m not going to lie when I say that spending $80 for someone else to clean my house for four hours was hard to swallow.
There is no doubt that hiring a house cleaner is a bit of a luxury, but if it is in the budget for you as a new mom or mom-to-be, then I highly recommend it. Deep cleaning at nine months pregnant or when you’re getting acquainted with your newborn is hard.
With my first baby, I just remember feeling overwhelmed by my messy house, along with the fact that I could not get it to stay clean due to a C-section recovery and exhaustion.
A Photography Session
Even though we own a nice camera and my husband is talented enough to take good photographs, it can be hard to get those first precious moments that you want to get.
Setting up your own mini-photo shoot and getting your newborn in a cute outfit, all while you have a toddler running around is exhausting. It is just better to hire a photographer or ask a talented friend to take those first photos.
Schedule the appointment while you are still pregnant or right after delivery. This way you won’t forget or allow yourself to make excuses (new moms, you look beautiful even though you may not look how you want to look right after birth).
An Extra Freezer
If you live in an apartment or condo, then an extra freezer will probably not work for you. As a new mom, my extra freezer in the garage is a lifesaver. I made almost 40 freezer-friendly meals during pregnancy to fill it up, so I wouldn’t have to cook after giving birth. But even if you didn’t make any freezer meals, an extra freezer still comes in handy.
During my last weeks of pregnancy, I also stocked up on other food items, such as essentials like cheese, bread, and extra meat. I also stocked up on items that would make for easy meals, such as marinated pork loins and chicken sausages.
Having a full freezer this first week of a new baby has allowed me to go shopping in the garage versus going to the grocery store. It has also prevented us from eating out, which is such a big temptation when you have little sleep to run on.
I truly think all three of these items are a must-have at the end of pregnancy, and in the first few weeks of having a newborn. Even though they cost some money up-front, they have taken a huge stress off of me and my family. Plus, you’re able to spend more time getting to know your new little one.
What are some other must-haves to make life with a new baby a little bit easier?
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{ read the comments below or add one }
I remember my first weeks after delivery (had a C-section too!)…I was also thinking ahead and cooked ample amount of dishes which I froze to be used after the BIG day. Expected that the baby would be too time consuming and recovery too painful to bother with cooking, even though my husband is the master of the kitchen! I cannot express how happy I was later on… In Holland we have nursing services (a nurse comes to your house immediately after you are discharged from the hospital to take care of you and the baby, to cook, clean, do the laundry, ironing, shopping and to entertain guests who visit the new baby). This is a great help and I cannot imagine how my husband would cope with all this having constantly screaming baby and immobile wife…A nurse is by you 8 hours a day for 10 consecutive days-great help and even bigger relief. I was feeling very well during pregnancy so cleaning was not an issue even till the last moment before the delivery. As for cooking:I gathered in advance all products that would help us cook fast when the frozen food would be depleted: rice, pasta, canned beans, tomatoes, various meats which we also froze, cured ham and salami which you can keep long in the fridge, canned soups (some of them I just cooked and froze in advance too). I would advice making baby’s bed in advance not just after you arrive from the hospital -saves frustration…And have ample amount of nappies by the hand (buy 2 different sizes! I expected my baby was going to be bigger, but she was born much smaller than predicted. Thankfully my mother in law presented us with a package of mini’s by her last visit before the D -day (as if she predicted!)-so be prepared for unexpected) …and buy at least 2 bottles if you cannot breastfeed -it is extremely tiring to have to clean the bottle each and every time after feeding and not to have a spare one in case you dropped like a dead tree on the floor and forgot to wash the first one…
– turn off the phone, forget it’s XXI century-everyone wants to talk to you. You cannot sleep, your baby is creaming and the phone rings and rings and rings….
– buy a baby phone (many people advice to buy one with camera, but I find it unnecessary-I don’t need to SEE my baby crying, I need to hear her when I am on the ground floor and she sleep in our bedroom on the 1st floor…). It’s extremely handy device.
– buy mobile with as many colorful animals you can find, playing as many different tunes as only possible: attracting your baby’s attention for 5 minutes gives you 5 minutes of uninterrupted pleasure ALONE in the bathroom…