These are the items beyond all of the new furniture, bookshelves, and dressers that you need to set you up for success. If you want recommendations for furniture, let me know and we will be happy to provide!
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There is nothing that can prepare you for the smell that comes from diaper pails. This one does a decent job keeping it locked in, but trust me none of them are perfect. We actually began leaving ours outside once our baby began solids. Pro Tip: only put poopy diapers in here to avoid opening it as much as possible.
ANYTHING you can do to mask the smell of the diaper pail is a must. These gels work for a few hours at least. Just toss them in the bottom of the pail and forget it.
I am unsure how other baby monitor brands are even in the market at this point. The Nanit is elite. It is so easy use and set up and you can stream on your iPhone, iPad, or even directly from a web browser now. My pro-tip is to get the floor stand so that in the beginning you can put it over the bassinet in your bedroom and watch the baby nap. Once they are ready to move to their own room (a very sad day), you can just pop it behind their crib and not have to worry about the wall mounts and what not.
This is crucial for tummy time and when your baby is learning to walk. They will fall nonstop and have no fear. This mat will save the day. Plus, the amount of spit up or accidents that will happen will protect your floors. We rolled up our throw rug in the living room and used this as a replacement.
We made the mistake of not getting a chair that reclines and regret it every single day. You need to spend the money on this and not skimp. You will be so sleep deprived and spend exhausted hours on this. Do yourself a favor and make it comfortable. Worth every penny.
The Nanit, and I am sure other baby monitors, tell you the humidity in the room. Something not enough parents talk about is getting the temperature and humidity perfectly within the range that the doctor tells you it needs to be. This helps!