The Best Diaper and Nursing Cart Essentials

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Like a lot of moms have experienced, I went into labor early. Not only did I not have the nursery ready or my bags packed, but I also didn’t have any diaper or nursing cart essentials set aside. Coming home was completely overwhelming, and I didn’t have a place to put all my essentials. They ended up getting moved around the entire house and the clutter was overwhelming those first few weeks. 

To avoid all of that, you should get your essentials ready before you hit your 33 week mark. That way, you are prepared and aren’t last minute ordering everything you need on hand.

I would recommend having the following done at least a month before your due date: 

1. Putting together a diaper and nursing cart 
2. Finalizing the nursery or room-sharing setup 
3. Packing your hospital bag 
4. Putting together a diaper caddy 
5. Setting up all of your baby electronics (sound machine, monitor, baby apps, etc)
6. Washing and prepping your bottle station 
7. Washing all newborn clothes, blankets, bedding, and towels 

So, what do I recommend putting in your nursing cart?  

Here is exactly what I would recommend to put in your nursing cart: 

Picking the right pump is very important for your postpartum experience. When I bought my pump, I decided to get a Willow 360 for the convenience and hand-free option. Little did I know that it was not going to work out at all and I wasted $800 trying to buy so many accessories and parts to make it work. 

I had to buy three more pumps until I found one that actually was suitable for my lifestyle. Exclusively pumping for over a year. It was really important that I had the right pump. The winner was the Medela Freestyle Pump. While it is hands-free, there is still a wire that connects the pump to the flanges. I found that this worked better than completely hands-free because it allowed for stronger suction to get the best amount of milk possible. 

This pump lasted such a long time that I decided to get it a second time with my second pregnancy. Also planning on trying to Willow Go Pump as I heard that the suction is less intense than the 360 and could be a workable hands-free option. 

Disposable nursing pads are really needed when you are nursing to avoid leaking and having to continuously change your bra. In the beginning, I went with the reusable nursing pads. When you have a newborn baby, the last thing you want to remember is one more thing to put in the washer. Getting a huge pack of the disposable ones is much more cost effective and will last you a very long time.

A Haaka is a perfect way to collect extra milk on the other side while you are pumping or nursing. When you are nursing, most women have a letdown on both sides causing milk to come out of both sides even if you are only nursing on one side. Having a Haaka allows for that extra milk to be collected instead of wasted. 

A hand pump is also a great option for expressing milk. It is a cost effective alternative and great if you are not exclusively pumping. Or a good alternative when you are on-the-go if you decide to get a pump that plugs into the wall.

However many burp cloths you have bought, go ahead and just buy some more now. Babies spit up so frequently when burping and nursing that you will end up using so many more burp cloths than you ever imagined. Not to mention, there are milk spills and drips that come out of nowhere. It is always great to have super absorbent burp cloths on hand at all times.

Having a night light on your nursing cart is great so that you can do those late night changes or feeds without having to turn on a very bright light that keeps everyone awake. It will allow for enough light to change and feed your baby and you can adjust the brightness if you need more or less. If you are sharing a room with your baby, it will also ensure that your partner can continue to sleep without you having to turn on the big light. 

Getting a portable sound machine is also a great option for late night feeds to help your baby fall back asleep. We have a Hatch Sound Machine in our baby's room. This portable sound machine is great for late night feeds in the living room or in our room. I love the Hatch brand and would definitely recommend their portable sound machine. We bought two and also brought it with us when packing our hospital bag. 

Having a portable charger is honestly such a lifesaver. There is nothing worse than sitting there after a feed when your baby is asleep and your phone is dead but you are wide awake. It is also helpful to keep the sound machine charger and night light charger on hand so you know where it is. In addition to this, your nursing cart is a great place to store your pump charger so you always have it on hand.

This is great to keep on hand for the baby to avoid colic and fuss and ease the stomach pain caused by gas. It also works great so that is a huge help. 

We have tried so many diapers and wipes and out of them all I would recommend Coterie, Huggies, and Kirkland wipes. With other brands we had blowouts, messes and leaks. These brands worked great for us and are especially worth it if you have a Costco membership.

Being able to change your baby anywhere in the house is a huge help. Instead of having to carry all of your diapering essentials, you can store them in your nursing cart. Since the nursing cart is mobile, you can bring it with you around the house. 

A travel changing pad is also great for newborns when you are doing baths in different places. We started our baby off in our kitchen sink and then in our bathroom. It was really convenient to be able to bring the nursing cart along with the changing pad and diaper essentials so that it was all in one place.

As far as baby diapering products, diaper rash spray is an essential you will want to keep in your nursing cart. Diaper cream is messy, stains and is hard to get out of clothes. Having a spray is easy and mess-free. Especially when you only have one had to apply the cream while you are holding the diaper or baby with the other hand. You should also keep regular cream along with an applicator in the case of a more severe diaper rash or to avoid a diaper rash you feel might be coming.

In your first weeks postpartum, it can be very painful to begin breastfeeding. Your body is adjusting and is not used to the constant moisture and tugging. Nipple balm is helpful to relieve those symptoms. Also, it can help with any cracking or help to avoid cracking from occurring. 

Breastfeeding makes lots of women very hungry. Your baby is taking lots of nutrients and therefore depleting your body of those calories you are giving to your baby. This means in the middle of the night, you are suddenly starving while breastfeeding. 

Having filling and healthy snacks on hand help handle this in the middle of the night or during the day. I will never understand why some people recommend snacks like popcorn and chips. You would have to eat 5 bags before you felt full!! 

I would recommend a protein bar, lactation snack, beef stick, beef jerky, Kind bar, breakfast bar or some other snack that is actually filling for your nursing cart essentials.

Nursing also makes you extremely thirsty. And while you should stay hydrated and drink lots of water, drinking lots of water can cause a depletion of electrolytes. Drinking electrolytes can help you stay actually hydrated so you are able to produce more milk and give more electrolytes to your baby as well. I would recommend these pregnancy/postpartum electrolytes from Amazon.

Producing enough milk for your baby can be a real challenge for a lot of women. Luckily nowadays, some smart people have been able to narrow down specific supplements that help with milk production. Taking lactation supplements allowed me to exclusively pump for over a year and produce and oversupply that I was able to share with others who did not have the same luck as me. These are the supplements that I used and recommend. I took all of these supplements up to four times a day.

This is the best and most affordable diaper and nursing cart that I would recommend from Amazon. 

These are the best diaper and nursing cart organizers I would recommend from Amazon.

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