When I fell pregnant I remember spending lots of time looking through the internet working out what I did or didn’t need. A lot of things I saw and thought I will never need that and have since purchased or things I thought I would need I have never used e.g. the breastfeeding essentials kit with a steriliser, bottles and breast pump in, I have since realised I should have just bought the breast pump as I never used the rest! I remember being dead against Jumperoo’s thinking they were a ridiculous monstrosity that would be used once and then never again, I was so wrong, they’re a lifesaver to entertain your baby and give you some hands free time.
People give you tips on what to buy, but some things you think ‘I will never need that’ and it turns out it is the one essential you can’t live without! I would say a good changing bag is a must, you just can’t pack what you need in a handbag, and there are such a good range out there, you can find something to fit your tastes. I sometimes wish I had researched them a bit more, I bought a Cath Kidston one before I even fell pregnant (it was in their outlet and the exact design I wanted at a great price, I had to buy it!!) I love it, but there are other bags which have a bit more of a logical design and ease of finding things (e.g. PacaPod).
So here are my top 5 items which I found most useful with a newborn baby:
Aden & Anais Muslins
These are by far my favourite, they’re so much softer than other brands and they do a range of different cute patterns. I was lucky enough to be given some as a gift at my baby shower, and I ended up buying more after Oliver arrived. I have the muslin cloths and the swaddles which I both use as burp cloths/sick clearer uppers. The swaddles also double up as a great breastfeeding cover if needed. I would never be seen out without at least one or two muslins, you never know what you are going to encounter when you’re out!
Grobag
Oliver HATED being swaddled, I would swaddle him and within two minutes he was wriggling his little arms and legs out. I looked into all the different ways of keeping baby warm in the night, I tried just a sheet and blanket but he kicked them off. I had some Grobag’s already but Oliver was under the weight limit so I had to look for something for smaller babies. This is when I found the Gro-snugs, they were a life changer! They’re a sleeping bag for smaller babies, you can have their arms in or out (if they are in they just feel like they’re being swaddled) it just zipped closed and had poppers at the top of the arms which made it so easy to use and stayed on over night.
NUK soothers
I gave Oliver a soother when he was about 6 weeks old as I found he spent more time suckling than actually drinking milk. The NUK soothers are approved by orthodontists so I felt happier using them over other brands. Stuart and I don’t want Oliver sucking his thumb so we felt giving a soother would help stop him. Stuart was a thumb sucker when he was younger and other members of our families have gone on to suck their thumbs into adulthood, so we are hoping Oliver doesn’t gain the trait!
Angelcare Bath Support
I’ve mentioned this before, it really made bath times much easier for us, Oliver could happily lie in it and splash his legs in the water. It looked like it was pretty comfy and Oliver always looked very happy in it! We managed to use this up until he was about 5 months old, when he started sitting up unaided and wouldn’t lie in it any longer. It made bath times made more simple , leaving our hands free to clean him and entertain him whilst he was in the bath!
A basket of change time essentials in your bedroom and living room
I had a basket on my bedside table and in our living room with about 5 nappies, a pack of wipes, bum cream, nappy bags, breast pads, nipple cream, a spare sleepsuit and a vest. It just saved me getting up in the middle of the night or having to run up the stairs every time Oliver needed changing throughout the day. The baskets contents have changed a bit as Oliver’s grown but I have always found it so useful!
I hope you’ve found this list helpful, these are all tried and tested and made our lives with a newborn ten times easier!
Did you have any favourite baby products that you couldn’t have lived without?
grobags are brilliant! Definitely agree with your list, except for the bath support as we never used one, we just got in the bath aswell ? Took me ages to figure out it was easier to have a basket of changing stuff downstairs too, seems so obvious now tho! My other newborn essential is more of a mummy essential really, and that’s a basket or box of items like bottles of water, snacks, a book etc kept in the place you are most likely to be when feeding, a life saver when breastfeeding for me!
Ah yes that’s a good one, I usually had an array of items on the sofa next to me (who am I kidding I still do!)