Similac 360 Total Care Infant Formula, Has 5 HMO Prebiotics, Our Closest Prebiotic Blend to Breast Milk, Non-GMO,‡ Baby Formula, Ready to Feed, 2-fl-oz Bottle, Pack of 12

32yo FTM here with a 6.5 week old. On top of my nightstand I have: a night light, mini fridge (one of the tiny ones), bottle warmer and wipe warmer (warm wipes help keep her relaxed at night). They’re all decently priced or you can find used. We make bottles before bed and store in the mini fridge, no need to deal with messy powder at night! Formula pitchers work too but imo that just adds an extra step and another dish to clean. I didn’t want a formula machine, too expensive and kept hearing about the incorrect formula measurements. Some people love them! Her bassinet is also right next to my bed. Every time she wakes up I grab her, change her (diapers and wipes stored in bassinet caddy), get bottle from mini fridge and warm it, cuddles and rocking with binkie while we wait, feed her, burp and rock her, and I only put her back down after 30+ mins of holding her upright to help with her gas. I never need to leave the bed and I am able to comfort her throughout the entire process meaning minimal crying. It’s been an amazing setup. It’s VERY important to make sure that you don’t do it this way in your bed if you might fall asleep while holding her. If needed, I would do all the above with everything I need nearby but would instead sit in a chair or stand if I was worried about falling asleep, or ask for help or supervision from my partner. Luckily I’m a light sleeper and don’t fall asleep easily, but I also have a heart monitor/alarm on her foot every night just in case. I recommend changing before bottle or during warming so they can go straight back to sleep after eating, changing tends to wake babies back up. I also recommend making bottles ahead of time not only for the convenience but to give the bubbles time to settle to avoid gas and belly pain. I keep a bottle of gas drops and syringe in the caddy for her gassier nights and we use a belly-sensitive formula. Possible backup/emergency items would be: premade “ready to feed” formula bottles (in case you forget to make a bottle or run out or too exhausted to make one, etc.); portable bottle warmer, you could keep it plugged in and turned on so you have instant warm water instead of baby screaming while you wait for the warmer. Common advice you’ve probably heard a million times: ask for help; if you have anyone in your life who will come sit with the baby during the day for a few hours while you nap that’s a huge help; put baby somewhere safe and leave the room for a few minutes to gather yourself if needed, even if they’re crying; make sure your partner is doing their part; take care of yourself (make yourself make time to heal, eat and wash/feel clean); sleep when baby sleeps, easier said than done sometimes I know. You got this ❤️ Amazon links to what I have:Bottle warmer: https://a.co/d/02YCtXfeWipe warmer: https://a.co/d/027xDvU2Mini fridge (there are cheaper ones): https://a.co/d/0aKr3sT4Nightlight: https://a.co/d/04YoBi8cSensitive powder formula: https://a.co/d/0fcq81jiPremade formula: https://a.co/d/0ah5Xb8aFormula pitcher: https://a.co/d/0ea5sxm1Portable warmer: https://a.co/d/00VowxwfGas drops: https://a.co/d/014wS0ZtFoot monitor (stupid expensive but was a gift and we wouldn’t be able to sleep without it): https://a.co/d/0iXB32vp

So I’m definitely no expert I’m literally about to be 15 weeks postpartum. And what worked for some might not work for others. I like the things I bought and the journey to get here but others may think it’s overkill. Either ways..The learning: I took a breastfeeding preparation class online. Yes it was free.https://yourbabyacademy.com/free-class/breastfeeding-preparation-class/I also met with a lactation specialist twice at the hospital after I had baby. And most hospitals have a breastfeeding class in person but I thought to sign up too late.The Pump: I used a website that does all the work for you. They contact your insurance and your doctor. I recommend the Spectra S1 yes it’s not a hands free one BUT they work so much better than the hands free one. You get more milk. If you ever wanted to get a secondary pump for work purposes that is hands free etc I do like the eufy s1 pro. Other things I got.. were a hand pump for expressing its quick and easy to use and a haakaa for let down. Baby breastfeeds from one side and you collect the milk from the other while it’s leaking. I’ll attach every link. https://www.1naturalway.com https://a.co/d/0dN3qMAe https://a.co/d/0acknOs0 https://a.co/d/0ciIuzF4 https://a.co/d/061pnwH2 The gear: as for gear..I got a few nursing bras, pads, a pillow, and lotion/spray for cracking bleeding etc.the bras..you don’t need anything fancy. I liked the $20 target Auden ones. I’ve seen people rave about even cheaper ones on Amazon. Everyone likes and has different needs bra wise. Pads..there needed but I personally didn’t need as many as I thought. I mainly leaked for the first few weeks while my milk was regulating. But I suppose that’s also different for everyone. My pillow I loved. I got the Momcozy Innovative Safety Guard Nursing Pillow but some people love the boppy or my Brest friend. But for me..I loved it in the newborn phase and it was a lifesaver but he no longer cares for it (he’s 3 months) and it’s really not needed anymore. And for the creams and stuff I used it in the beginning but thankfully don’t really need it anymore. I also bought one of those ice/heat packs and that was amazing because when my milk first came in wow did they hurt like hell. And lastly if you plan to give bottles as well look up the triangle test for bottle nipples it’s suppose to help not confuse baby and keep it as similar as the breast. For some there very anti bottle but I wanted to do both because I wanted my husband to also feed baby so I pump besides breastfeed but also I wanted to prepare him for when I go back to work..which will be in September. Thankfully he doesn’t mind going back and forth. Oh and lastly I recommend getting a pack of instant formula the liquid ones they give at the hospital. Not because you’ll need it necessarily but it’s good to have a back up. I bought some and haven’t used them but it was nice knowing I had them just in case coming from the hospital. Sometimes it takes a little for milk supply to come in. And usually colostrum is good enough but everyone’s journey is different I didn’t know what I was doing if it was going to be to hard if I would give up if I would even be able to produce and it was nice knowing I had just a few bottles and a small can just in case. But as for breastfeeding..consistency is key. If your exclusively pumping pump every 2-3 hours even if your not getting anything in the beginning your telling your body that’s how much milk you need before it regulates and thinks you don’t need any. Pretty much you should either be feeding baby straight from the source or pumping every 2-3 hours. I didn’t take my pump to the hospital but some people do so that the lactation consultant can teach them how to use it and also so they can measure you and you can figure out what flange size you are. It’s important to have the right size because that helps prevent pain and also allows you to get more milk.Good luck on your journey. And congratulations on the pregnancy. https://a.co/d/05kAzIzR