With baby three arriving any time now, I’ve been thinking a lot about what essentials I want to have out and ready to make the transition to three (!!!) babies easier. There are a few things I’ve used with baby boy 1 and baby boy 2 that I will for sure use again with my third. We haven’t bought much (anything?) new, and I think this third time around it’s really easier to narrow down exactly what we need to take out of storage and what can stay away. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far for my top essentials for baby number three –

Top 5 Baby No. 3 Essentials

1. The Pack and Play. This is where baby will sleep for the first few months easily. It will be next to our bed and is smaller than a crib, so easy to fit into an already set up room. If we travel anywhere, we simply pack it up and bring it with us. The one we have has a change table attachment that I use as well for the first couple months.
2. Snuggle Me. Maybe a controversial one, but I let the newborn sleep supervised in this on the couch while the older child plays nearby. I can sit next to them and watch both.
3. Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump. I wouldn’t even actually call this a breast pump but it is a useful little contraption for the breastfeeding mother. Simply suction it onto the opposite breast of the feeding babe, and catch some milk that can be used another time! It’s like pumping without pumping. If you don’t need to specifically pump for a stash then this will more than do the trick for the occasional feed. When BB1 had weight issues, I used this, fed him, and then bottle fed him whatever I got from the haakaa after he nursed and he was able to meet his weight requirements. 
4. Cups of choice! Yeti mug for warm drinks and straw Yeti for water are my personal choices. I always get so thirsty when nursing so I need access to ice water all the time. The Stanley is the obvious popular/influencer mom choice but honestly whatever you have works. I used a Starbucks straw cup for my first. For hot coffee that stays hot for the entirety of the time it takes me to drink it, I use my Yeti mug every morning. Matt bought me this one for Mother’s Day one year, and I can safely say I have used it every day since. A really good gift for any mom, but especially a mom of multiple children who cannot sit down for 15 mins. (It’s just a phase, we’ll get through it!)
5. Carrier! We have the Ergo Omni 360 and I really like it. It is super easy to adapt to wear a newborn or BB1 – who is still within the 45 lb weight limit to use it if necessary. We also have a wrap but I never truly got the hang of doing it quickly. I wanted to be a wrap mom so bad, but, alas, I am an Ergo 360 mom. [UPDATE: After 7 weeks home with the new baby, I have to update this recommendation. I don’t know if my boys just didn’t love the wrap, or if I lacked confidence. But baby girl was too small to put in the Ergo – it begins at 7 lbs – so I put her in the wrap. First try – felt great – she immediately went to sleep and we have been rocking the wrap ever since!

As a bonus thought – here is something else to consider having on hand for post birth: Quality snacks. I’m lucky in that I’ll have my mom and Matt with me after I give birth, so I won’t have to worry about pre making meals. But one thing I am thinking about in advance is middle of the night snacks. No matter how you choose to feed your baby, you’ll be up in the night. I personally always get snackish. Your body needs nutritionally high value food to help yourself recover. I personally have made a bag of trail mix to bring to the hospital for after labor and in between meal times and plan to have lots of fresh fruit available for easy snacking.

Now for our hospital bags. This time around we are packing a bit differently as the hospital is much more rural and farther away than with my precious births.

List of things I have packed in my hospital bag are: 

1. Diapers, for myself and baby (and wipes for baby as we were told our hospital does not provide them. A big difference from our previous experience where we were provided almost everything you can imagine.) 
2. Clothes, again for myself and baby. Comfy and loose fitting. Comfort is King here.
3. Food. This time, our hospital is not near any restaurants, and since we live in a less populated area, the access to take out, etc, will be dramatically limited compared to what we had access to previously. The nurses advised us to bring snacks and food, as depending on when I brith, there may be nothing available. 
4. Chargers and devices. I’m including kindle or book in here as well. Things to do just in case we’re there for a few days. Wireless headphones are also a good pack. 
5. Toothbrush & toiletries. 
6. Camera! 
7. Feeding essentials – I’m confident in expressing breastmilk and nursing this time around but if it was my first or second, or you were attempting a new method of feeding, I would recommend any books or materials needed to aide you in this. 

Alright, what I’m missing from this list!? What other third baby essentials could I need? Pregnancy brain is real. I’m past 38 weeks now so could go any time! I’m feeling the pressure (both literally and figuratively)!

Until next time,

– R