It is amazing how much stuff you can live WITHOUT by the time you get to your third child.  This time I’m more focused on purchasing the absolute minimum of baby items.  However, even with this mantra I have come across some gems that I wish I owned when Lucy and Max were little.

1.) Baby bathtub

Now I had a baby bathtub with Lucy and Max BUT NOT ONE WITH A BUILT IN SLING.  Dude, this is ingenious. Bathing tiny newborns has always been the most heart-pumping, gut-wrenching, “oh my goodness I’m going to drown my child” kind of experience for me.  I LOVE this bathtub. I bought it at Target (in pink) and it holds Harper still, snug and out of the water. No longer am I worried about her slippery little body shooting out of my arms and into the water.

2.) The Swaddler

This is one of those things that you wonder why somebody didn’t think of this sooner.  A receiving blanket that is shaped and with velcro tabs so any idiot can tightly swaddle their baby.  I don’t know about you but I’ve never been able to swaddle my baby like the hospital nurses.  Seriously, do they offer a class in swaddling while they are in nursing school? Those women have a ninja level swaddling abilities. However, you can achieve that same tight effect with the Swaddler. I bought one (also at Target) and I wish I had bought ten – these things are great!!

3.) My Sling

I won’t lament you with my woes about my sling-usage since I have already done that, but I will say that this has been a life-saver for me. It is nearly impossible to go grocery shopping or run around town with three kids in tow if one of them is a newborn. I just don’t have enough arms, hands and back muscles to manage that.  I love that the sling allows me to travel hands-free without lugging a 20+ pound infant carrier around. (Seriously, a man created infant carriers. I would place money on it. Because only a man would think that hauling around a 20+ pound infant carrier would be oh so convenient. Bastard.) Although I have had great luck with the Hot Sling I would encourage any new mom to try out and select a sling that fits them best.  The right fit is the key here so make sure you are properly fitted. Think bra, but with a baby in it.

These new discoveries have made having a new baby much easier for me and makes me almost think that a fourth might be fun. And then, I remember that my stomach lives in a separate county from the rest of my body.