What Baby Essentials am I using this time around?
Sleeping Arrangements:
Snuzpod & Snuzpouch* – Firstly, baby girl is going to need a place to sleep. I’ve had my eyes on the Snuzpod since the day we found out we were pregnant. With our first baby, Alyssia we were given a moses basket and that’s what we used until she was ready to go into a cot. However this time round, I wanted to get something a little more secure and something that I know will last. Alyssia was quite a clingy baby and there’s no doubt this one will be the same, so a crib that can attach to the side of my bed would be ideal. It’s been a hard decision between the snuzpod, chicco next 2 me crib and the tutti bambini cozee bedside crib. With them all being within the same price range we have decided to go for the Snuzpod, I just love the way it looks and feel like this would be the most secure with it being made out of wood. I have also fallen in love with what possibly might be the best invention ever, the snuzpouch.. a sleeping bag with a zip so that you can do a midnight nappy change without disturbing the baby.
Sleepyhead – I’ve heard such good things about the sleepyhead and despite not yet being able to use one ourselves it is on my baby essentials list of things to try. I love how cosy they look and can just imagine my little girl would love having the comfort of the sleepyhead around her. If you’ve not heard of the sleepyhead before, they are multi-functional, portable baby beds that you can take with you anywhere. Softer than a blanket or Moses basket, you can use it awake or sleeping, as a play pod, for tummy time or as a bed. There are 2 sizes, one suitable from birth to 8 months and the other suitable from 9 months to 36 months.
MyHummy Snoozy* – White noise was an absolute god send with our first baby, Alyssia especially back in the colic days.. when I had tried absolutely everything and my hips were killing and my throat was sore from swaying and shushing her back to sleep again, I found myself downloading all the apps under the sun and it worked.. oh it worked but it didn’t half kill my phone battery and my phone became ‘her phone’ as she had it next to her all the time. This time we have been very lucky to have been sent a MyHummy Snoozy to trial with baby girl #2 and I just know for sure this is going to be a life saver. It is a white noise soft toy that you put in the side of the cot, pram, you name it… it has 5 different white noise sounds from amniotic fluid to your average vacuum cleaner and the best thing about it, is that it is bluetooth operated so you can control it via your phone. It has a sleep sensor built in so that if your baby wakes up crying, the MyHummy Snoozy will turn on in an attempt to settle your baby back to sleep again with minimal effort from mama.
Baby Bedding* – Being the impatient pregnant lady that I am and despite the fact that baby girl will be sleeping in our room for the first 6 months, I have already started to kit out the nursery and this bedding set is one of my favourite things to have collected so far. This gorgeous cloud bedding set is from the Ferm Living range at Hurn & Hurn and comes in the cutest little bag. The quality of the set itself is incredible and it is definetely worth paying that little bit extra for a good nights sleep.
Travel:
Pram – We still have our Joie chrome pram from when Alyssia was a baby however we will need to buy a new carrycot and carseat, I have recently found out that the new Joie DLX carrycots do in fact fit the Joie Chrome Plus pram that we have stored away so this works perfectly and with the carrycots selling at around £100 each (£50 on Ebay, I’ve got my eyes on the bargains – don’t worry) it is saving us a lot of money by not having to buy a whole new pram (as much as I wish I could). If we were to buy a new pram, I’ve had my eyes on the Mothercare Journey – mainly due to how affordable they are and the fact that they are a travel system which means that it comes with a carseat and a built in carrycot already.
Babymel Changing Bag* – I’ve been looking at changing bags for a while now and could never find one that caught my eye until I stumbled upon the Babymel website. I’ve never really known what to look for in a changing bag seen as my first bag was a £20 market buy and it broke within 6 months but I knew that I wanted a bag that was fairly big and easy to access, and a bag that would also be suitable for 2 children seen as Alyssia will only be 2.5 years old she will still need pull ups and a juice bottle etc. When I found the Cara Bloom changing bag I instantly fell in love, its stylish, big enough for 2 children and wait for it…. even has a wet wipe pocket, this means no more faffing around, rummaging through a changing bag looking for a wet wipe when your toddlers about to wipe chocolate down your white top.. you can just lift up the side pocket and pull out a wet wipe, amazing.
Skiphop Diaper Bag – I have had so many compliments on this backpack and I absolutely love it. Not only is it the perfect colour with it being dusty pink, its huge meaning that it can fit everything in and is perfect for days out. We took it to Peppa Pig World with us and it was amazing to be able to put it on the stroller and not have to worry about rummaging through various bags to find what we wanted. The pocket at the front is massive, it fits my purse in it alongside a small tube of sun cream and my keys and sunglasses when I’m not using them. It has a built in pocket on the side where I keep the reins for easy access and a pocket on the other side suitable for a water or juice bottle. The bag also has a separate pocket at the back where the changing mat is kept. This was a nice surprise as I didn’t expect it to have one with it. I love how spacious this bag is and am thinking of using it as my hospital bag.
Comfort / Playtime:
Baby Bouncer* – This time around we have gone for a more neutral baby bouncer with white and grey sheep on it, it looks so comfy and I can’t wait to set it up in preparation for baby girls arrival. The bouncer has a head support cushion for newborns and an adjustable waist strap which is always helpful. It also has a removable toy bar with adorable sleepy sheep hanging toys, a soothing adjustable vibration function, and plays 8 musical tunes with adjustable volume. I remember Alyssia really loving the vibrating bouncer last time so I can imagine this baby will be the same in that sense. She would love chilling in her bouncer whilst I was busy doing housework or just sat drinking a hot cup of tea.
Comforter* – I love the idea of my children having something from birth up until they’re toddlers, I feel like getting your baby used to a comforter from the start gives them that level of reassurance and in theory they’ll use that instead of you eventually. Alyssia is still very much obsessed with her bunny comforter, though she didn’t get hers until she was around 6 months old. She takes it to bed with her every night alongside her dummy so I am hoping that when we go to take her dummy away from her at night time, she will use her bunny as a comfort instead.
JayceeBaby Playmat* – I have finally found you the playmat of dreams, not only suitable for your newborn baby but also suitable for toddlers too, I chose this mat knowing that it’ll without a doubt last us for a good 5 years at least. It has a baby side full of colour with animal pictures and sensory activities including a mirror. The toddler side is also full of colour, it has land setting with the sea, a road, greenery and blue skies. It includes images of animals, transport and people. The first thing we did when setting up the mat was play a guessing game, I went round the mat asking Alyssia what all the animals/objects were and she tried to guess them all. It’s great for imaginative play, the mat has a waterproof plastic cover, it’s 5mm thick so is super comfy and the fabric mat cover itself is also machine washable.
For Mama:
MAM 2 in 1 Electric Breast Pump* – Of course, I am yet to try an electric breast pump as I had a manual one last time; but from what it seems this is an amazing breast pump as it gives you the choice of both electric or manual. I have always loved MAM products and we have used their dummies since Alyssia was 6 months old. The electric pump device features stimulation and expression modes which mimic baby’s natural sucking behaviour and offers mums up to 9 different suction strengths for optimum comfort, suiting individual needs. The sleek touch screen technology is easy to use and the pump can be plugged in or used freely wherever mum chooses thanks to the rechargeable battery which lasts for 5 hours! Although I haven’t yet used the pump, I have high hopes for it.
Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump* – I used this breast pump with Alyssia and it was a gods send alongside the Lanolin Nipple cream, if you’re pregnant or you’re a new mum I honestly can’t recommend that stuff enough. I did try a few other manual breast pumps but found that the cups were too big and they leaked everywhere causing me to spill the breast milk, if you’re expressing you’ll know that every little drop is worth its weight in gold. Though I’ve never used an electric pump before, what I liked about the manual pump was the control I had. Despite it being hard work, especially at 3 am when you’ve had near to no sleep – it was worth it because if it started to hurt, I would slow down or just stop.
Dreamgenii Pregnancy / Feeding Support Pillow* – Oh my. Is all I can say; I have not yet found a pillow comfier than this dreamgenii cushion. I have struggled with my hips this pregnancy and some nights I’ve been in so much pain I can hardly walk. I found myself tossing and turning in bed and just couldn’t get comfy meaning that I’d be even more tired the next day but since having this pillow in my life, I sleep so much better and would really recommend getting one if you’re getting pregnant.
Basic Essentials:
Going Home Outfit* – Whether you have a home birth or a hospital birth, planning your babies ‘going home outfit’ is always so exciting. I am expecting my second baby girl in just over 3 months and I have chosen a gorgeous floral bunny outfit from the essential one – a lovely family business run by people who put mums first. They use 100% cotton wherever possible and have the essentials to kit you and your little one out until they start preschool.
Muslin Cloths – I was given so many of these when I was pregnant with Alyssia and at first really couldn’t see the point in them but if you have a sicky baby, they are amazing. They can be used as a comforter, a blanket in the summer, something to lie on if you’re going to the park or just don’t want to put them directly onto the carpet, they’re great for when you’re weaning.. you can wipe up absolutely everything and just bung them in the washing machine. They also come in some really lovely patterns, Asda have got some cute ones in at the minute!
Bathtime / Skincare:
Shnuggle Baby Bath* – The Shnuggle baby bath looks absolutely amazing and I wish I had known about these when Alyssia was a newborn. It is designed to make bath time stress free and fun. Suitable from newborn it helps support even the tiniest baby right up to 12 months plus. The clever bum bump, supports baby and helps them to feel safe and secure. The foam back rest keeps baby cosy and the rubber feet keeps the bath in place. Winner of Mother & Baby Gold 2017 and Junior Design Gold awards; the Shnuggle baby bath, is one of the top rated baby baths available and I cannot wait to use it with baby girl. With its compact size, it uses only two litres of water and fits inside most kitchen sinks too, I know right!
Johnsons Baby Products* – Johnsons Top to Toe Baby Bath is designed to gently cleanse baby’s sensitive skin and hair. With carefully selected ingredients, it is so mild and gentle it is suitable for the first bath. In fact, a recent independent clinical trial has proven that Top to Toe Baby Bath is as safe to use as water alone, from the very first day. We have used Johnson’s baby products since day 1 with Alyssia and love them so much that they have become a monthly food shopping essential. Asda usually have some really good offers on especially when the baby event takes place. What I love most about the Johnsons products are the ‘no tears’ despite Alyssia not being a fan of water going down her face when in the bath, we have never had a problem with the bath products.
Sudocrem Care & Protect Cream* – This cream has been voted number one by mums and I can see why. It’s an essential that is worth always having in your changing bag. I’ve used Sudocrem products from the start with Alyssia and will be doing the same with our next baby. I feel like sudocrem is another product that is worth its weight in gold. We still use it now and Alyssia is 2 years old, I prefer the tubes to the big pots but the tiny sample pots are also great for keeping in the changing bag.
Lansinoh Earth Friendly Baby Products* – Since when did Lansinoh do baby bath products? I honestly had no idea, my mum bought us some of this when Alyssia was younger and I was almost hooked on the mandarin smell, it smelt so good. We’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on some again and I cannot wait to use them with baby girl. Both myself and Alyssia suffer with sensitive skin so there’s no doubt the next baby will be the same, I always think its worth spending that little bit more on skincare as obviously you have your skin for life, you should really look after it the best you can. You can buy the Earth Friendly baby products from Boots, Superdrug, Mothercare etc..
Waterwipes – They say to use cotton wool and warm water on your babies in the newborn days and that’s fine but realistically who wants to be faffing around with top and tail bowls, cotton wool and warm water at 3am when your baby is screaming the house down because they’ve done a poo.. not me! Water wipes are an absolute god send and I will be using these with baby girl for at least the first month, despite them being on the pricier side of wipes, they are really good and are suitable from the get go as they’re made with 99.9% water and 0.1% fruit extract.
