My Baby Essentials

 

In the first three months of Eden’s life there have been a few things that Amy and I have found to be absolutely essential. I figured I would do a little round up of those things that we couldn’t live without as new parents.

Munchkin Latch Bottles – We were originally using Tommee Tippee bottles when Eden was born, but we found that with her tongue tie she was taking in a lot of air and also had a great talent for turning the teat inside out every thirty seconds, making for a not very happy baby. We had got a few Latch bottles at last year’s The Baby Show and decided to give one a go and it was a totally different experience. Now we wouldn’t use anything else with out little lady and went out and stocked up on the bigger sizes. She’s rocking the size two teats at the moment and the bottles are doing fantastically. They’re available in Mothercare and aren’t badly priced either! There’s also a whole range of things, so I’m happy that we’ve found a brand that will grow with Eden. http://www.munchkin.com/uk/bottles/latch.html

Poddle Pod – We’ve just about figured this out. We bought one on recommendations from a few friends whose babies loved theirs, but every time I put Eden down asleep in the pod she would wake up. They’re billed as a “baby snuggle nest” and I was starting to worry that Eden was a little weirdo for not enjoying a snuggle nest – who wouldn’t want a snuggle nest?! We’ve finally figured out that she’s a side sleeper! Now that we’ve figured that out, she loves her Poddle Pod and is napping in it next to me as I’m typing. Plus they’re so brightly coloured and lovely, I don’t know how anyone could resist! It’s great for when I just want to put her down for a little bit and tends to keep her calm during the velcro baby days. http://www.poddlepod.com/

Pramsuits and hats – Winter baby problems, hey? One of my biggest challenges early on was worrying that the little lady wasn’t warm enough. Even though pramsuits are a struggle to get her wiggly butt into sometimes, they really do keep her warm and toasty while we are out and about. Hats for the same reason. Babies lose so much heat through their heads, so keeping her head warm is always top priority for us. There’s some seriously cute hats out there at the moment that do a great job of keeping her roasty toasty.

Bibs. Bibs. Bibs. Bibs. Bibs. – All of the bibs. LOTS of bibs! Feeding is never simple with this child. When Eden was tiny, it was all about the vomit, then the spit up. Nowadays its the dribble. ALL OF THE DRIBBLE. She’s got to the “hands are delicious” stage so is pretty much constantly covered in a small river of dribble. I’m sure it will only get more fun when weaning happens in three months or so! Most bibs do the job ok, but the best ones I have found for containing the dribble/vomit/spit up are Funky Giraffe bibs. They’re colourful, great value and very good at what they do. http://funkygiraffebibs.co.uk/

Muslin Cloths – Early on these were super important. They were great for catching sick, wiping things that she sicked on and all kinds of other fun uses. We always used to carry two or three of these in the changing bag just because of their many uses. I do find they are often very expensive, though, so we just picked up cheap ones. After all, the child is just going to puke on them! They do make a good blanket if caught short, too. We don’t use them so much now, but in the early days when her neck was too small for bibs they were a lifesaver.

Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Machine – This has been a lifesaver for us. Makes bottles at an ideal temperature in less than two minutes. It’s perfect for those through the night feedings and for when Eden wakes up crying for food. Just a case of following the instructions, adding the formula, hitting the button and then off you go. I love our Perfect Prep. I do wish the beep wasn’t quite so ear piercing… but small things! http://www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/perfect-prep-machine/

Blankets – Again with the winter baby problems. Can’t have enough blankies! We have all sorts – fleecy ones, knitted ones, a lovely crochet one and a quilt that were both gifts. We always have something handy to keep her snuggled up in as we find she naps a lot better with a blanket. We did start off thinking “oh we don’t need many of thooooose”. Yeah… you do. Vomit…

 

 

Lillebaby Complete All Seasons – We love our Lillebaby. We’ve used it right from when Eden was born and it’s so handy for those days where we just can’t bear the udea of the pushchair. It has six carrying positions – Fetal, Infant Inward, Baby Face Out, Toddler Face-In, Hip and Back and we can use it right up until Eden weighs 45lbs if we want to. It doesn’t require any newborn inserts or extra bits like a lit of other carriers do, which is a bonus.  It’s very comfortable for both me and Amy to wear and we bought the awesome TokiDoki print, so it looks fab too. The All Seasons element means that it is roasty toasty in the winter and will be cool in the summer too. Perfect for British weather! Eden always seems comfy in it, even though again she wasn’t a massive fan at first. It’s great for her velcro baby days where she just does not want to be put down. Most importantly, it’s ergonomically designed so her little hips and back are supported in the best ways possible.   http://www.lillebaby.co.uk/

Ewan the Dream Sheep – We LOVE Ewan. The first night we brought Eden home, she just would not settle, but as soon as Ewan and his googly eyes made an appearance, she was out like a light! It was quite something. He plays “pink noise”, which is sounds that sound like they would have in the womb. Eden’s favourite is the hoover or the lullaby, both of which have a heartbeat over the top of them. They don’t really send Eden out like a light any more, but the sounds and the pink glow seem to help her drift off once she is sleepy. Once we transfer her to her own cot I think she will enjoy having Ewan nearby to cuddle as, like most babies, she really doesn’t like plain old silence. http://www.sweetdreamers.co.uk/baby-product/ewan-the-dream-sheep

So, those are our baby essentials from the first few weeks of Eden’s life. I’m sure we’ll find more useful things as time goes by, but these are by far the ones that have stood out so far.

What are your baby essentials?

Disclaimer – This post is not to be understood as advice, medical or otherwise. We have undertaken our own research on products that we have chosen and think that every family should do the same to make sure products fit with their livestyle and their beliefs. Also, I am not being paid to endorse any of these brands. Unless written otherwise, products were purchased with our own money. Let’s all do awesome in our own way!