The First-Time Cuban Mami Starter Pack: Everything You Actually Need (From a Cuban Mami-to-Be)

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So... I'm going to be a mami. 🌺

A Cuban mami, which means this baby is already getting Vivaporú on everything, an azabache before they leave the hospital, and 47 tías with strong opinions about names, naps, and whether the AC is too cold.

If you're reading this, you're probably one of three people:

1. A fellow first-time Cuban mami who's quietly panicking about what to actually buy
2. A non-Cuban friend trying to figure out what your Cuban mom-to-be actually needs at the baby shower
3. An abuela making sure I'm doing this right

Whichever one you are — bienvenida. I made you a list.

This is the First-Time Cuban Mami Starter Pack — every item my abuela, mami, and 47 tías have insisted I cannot raise a Cuban baby without. Some of it is funny. Some of it is genuinely essential. All of it is non-negotiable, apparently.

Vamos. 👇

1. A Jar of Vivaporú

For me. For the baby. For my husband. For the dog. For emotional support.

If you grew up Cuban, you already know. Vivaporú (or as the gringos call it, Vicks VapoRub) is not a chest rub. It is a lifestyle. A philosophy. A response to almost every ailment known to mankind.

Cough? Vivaporú. Stuffy nose? Vivaporú. Headache? Vivaporú. Bad day at work? Vivaporú. Cuban abuelas have been using this stuff to cure existential dread since 1894.

Now, the medical disclaimer: pediatricians don't actually recommend putting Vivaporú directly on babies under 2 due to the camphor and menthol. So this jar is technically for me. But you better believe my mami is going to put a tiny dab on the baby's blanket the second I look away. It's tradition.

🛒 BUY: Vicks VapoRub on Amazon

2. An Azabache (For Mal de Ojo Protection)

Non-negotiable. Abuela already has one ready.

If you're not Cuban (or Latin in general), an azabache is a small black stone — usually paired with a red coral bead and a tiny gold charm — that babies wear to protect them from mal de ojo. The evil eye. Bad energy. Random ladies at the grocery store who say "qué bebé tan lindo" with too much enthusiasm.

You can call it superstition. We call it insurance.

In our family, the azabache goes on the baby before they leave the hospital. Some families pin it to the onesie. Some put it on a tiny gold bracelet. Mine will probably have both because my abuela does not play.

🛒 Click to View Azabaches on Martha of Miami

3. Agua de Violetas

The scent of approval. Because apparently this is what makes a Cuban baby a Cuban baby. I don't make the rules.

Every single Cuban baby smells the same. Have you noticed? It's not lavender, it's not Johnson & Johnson, it's not Burt's Bees. It's agua de violetas — a soft floral cologne that has been splashed on Cuban babies for generations.

The most iconic brand is Cologne Orlys Violetas, in the yellow-tinted glass bottle with the violet label. You'll find it on every Cuban abuela's dresser, somewhere between the rosary and a photo of la Virgen de la Caridad.

Is it perfume? Is it baby cologne? Is it an emotional support liquid? Yes.

🛒 BUY: Cologne Orlys Violetas on Amazon

4. Cafecito (For Mom — Decaf, Allegedly)

How else would you function with a newborn sin arrancarte los pelos?

Listen. We're doing our best here. Doctors say "limit caffeine while pregnant." Cuban mothers say "if you don't have a colada by 3pm you'll fall asleep standing up." Both can be true.

Whether you're full-caf, half-caf, or pretending to drink decaf in front of your mother-in-law — a good cafecito setup is essential survival gear for any Cuban mami. I've been preparing for this baby for months and the first thing I made sure of? My espresso maker is in working order.

A few real Cuban kitchen heroes:

🛒 BUY: Bustelo Espresso Coffee on Amazon

🛒 BUY: Stovetop Cuban Espresso Maker (Cafetera) on Amazon

And if you want to drink your cafecito in something that also announces your entire personality? Get yourself the But First, Cafecito Mug from the shop. (Yes, it's mine. Yes, I designed it for moments exactly like this.)

5. The Cuban Bred™ Onesie (a.k.a. The Reason I Started This Whole Brand)

A must-have. Because how else will people know the baby is Cuban Bred? 🇨🇺

Okay, I'm going to be honest with you. I designed this onesie three years ago thinking, "one day I'll put this on my own baby." Three years. That's how long I've been waiting for this exact moment.

The Cuban Bred™ Onesie is a wink at the iconic Wonder Bread logo, redesigned to celebrate Cuban heritage. It's soft, it's funny, it's photogenic, and it makes every abuela in a 50-mile radius cry. (Tested. Confirmed.)

It comes in sizes from Newborn to 24 Months — so whether you're shopping for your own baby, a baby shower gift, or your sister-in-law who just announced — this is the one.

🛒 Shop the Cuban Bred™ Onesie — from Martha of Miami

6. The "I'm A Cuban Mami" Tee (Because You Earned It)

Because you're not a regular mom. You're a Cuban Mami.

Mean Girls walked so we could run, mami. The "I'm A Cuban Mami" tee is for the woman who runs on cafecito, sazón, and unconditional love. The mom who's going to teach her kids Spanish and sass and how to properly debone a pollo asado.

Whether it's a gift for yourself (you deserve it), a Mother's Day move, or a baby shower outfit — this tee says it all without you having to.

🛒 Shop the "I'm A Cuban Mami" Tee — from Martha of Miami

7. BONUS: Te de Manzanilla

For colic. For teething. For everything.

If Vivaporú is the Cuban exterior treatment, manzanilla is the interior one. Chamomile tea, brewed weak and warm, is the universal Cuban remedy for fussy babies, upset stomachs, teething pain, and "ay, no sé, dale un poco de manzanilla."

Worth keeping a box on hand from day one.

🛒 BUY: Organic Chamomile Tea on Amazon

A Note From Me 🌺

I'm writing this about a month before this baby arrives, and honestly? I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm Googling things at 2am. I'm asking my mami questions. I'm reading parenting books and thinking about how my mami did things differently.

But here's what I do know: this baby is going to be so loved. Loved by a mami who waited for him, by an amazing husband who is just as ready as I am, by an abuela with an azabache pre-purchased, and by a community of Cuban-Americans who showed up in the comments of one Instagram post like family I've never met.

If you're a first-time mami too — Cuban or otherwise — I'm sending you all the love. We've got this. (And if we don't? There's always Vivaporú.)

— Martha 🌺

More from Martha of Miami

If you loved this list, you'll love these:

• 🛍️ Shop the Cuban Bred™ Collection — onesies, tees, hats, and more
• 💛 Shop the Mami Collection — gifts for the Cuban mom in your life
• 🌴 Shop Miami Pride — for the 305 in your heart