Surviving the Fourth Trimester

I recently celebrated my second son’s first birthday and marveled to hubby that this time, the first year felt like a breeze. With our first son, we made a lot of mistakes, including both of us waking up for all of his night feeds (hello sleep-deprived parents!), not getting a good swaddle, and failing to properly manage his colic. Thankfully we remembered all of those missteps and this time around taking care of a newborn was, dare I say, seamless! These products made our fourth trimester with our second son loads easier.

_{This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.}

4 Must-Haves for Newborns

1. Happiest Baby Sleepea Swaddle. I don’t know why we continually drove ourselves nuts trying to tightly swaddle our first son when he was a newborn. Without fail, he would always get one arm out, or he would wriggle his lower body out of the muslin blanket. It was an exercise in futility. This time, we experimented with five different types of swaddles, and this one came out on top for safety, ease, and keeping our baby sleeping and cozy. There are three sizes but I suggest you get the smallest for your newborn, stat!
2. BioGaia Probiotic Drops. Our first baby had gas and colic and all sort of crying fits. Not our second son. I began giving these probiotic drops to him immediately after he was born. I also made sure to choose the option with Vitamin D since he was being breastfed and babies not drinking formula require that supplement. *Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. In fact, when I told my pediatrician I was giving our newborn a probiotic, she scowled and said it wasn’t necessary. I stuck to my guns despite her response and I’m so glad I did because we never had to use gripe water or gas drops for our second son like we did with our first. It was a game-changer for us!
3. Babygoal Newborn Nail File. With our first son, my sister accidentally nipped his little finger with a nail cutter and both baby and auntie were in tears. After that, I did a ton of experiments and research to find the perfect nail file for babies since they mysteriously grow long nails seemingly overnight! I used one of those electric nail files but baby would always grab at them, and they would stop at the littlest amount of pressure, so baby’s nails wouldn’t properly get filed. Then I found these amazing nail files! Good for both baby fingers and toes.
4. European Baby Formula. I’ll likely get some pushback on this one. And I get it! If you are a proud breastfeeding mom, the thought of purchasing formula can feel emotional. Hear me out: With our second baby, hubby and I recognized that in order for me to heal and recover after birth, I needed to sleep. That meant before my milk fully came in, we supplemented with formula. I chose European formula over American, since EU standards are much higher and the ingredients are simply better. I found this site that supplies the best of the European brands. Having formula on hand was also a lifesaver when I came down with mastitis four months postpartum with our first son and my milk supply plummeted. It’s worth buying a box, even if it’s just for peace of mind. I prefer Holle, but there doesn’t seem to be one benefit over the other European brands.

There you have it; my top 4 must-haves to survive and thrive during the fourth trimester! If you have any good suggestions that I have left out, please drop them below in the comments.