I always find these kind of posts/videos useful and I know I researched a lot during my pregnancy. I won’t list the obvious things, like a crib, pram/carseat, nappies etc but everyday things that have really helped my first 3 months as a Mummy.
Here are 15 things we’ve loved…
Coconut Oil
I used Coconut Oil for everything myself before pregnancy/becoming a mum and I was very keen to use natural products on Willow as a newborn. My sister recommended Coconut Oil after she had been using it on her baby Elodie (10 weeks older than Willow). Willow has LOTS of hair, so I often use it on this to keep it super baby soft. I also use it on her skin after baths and it helped lots with the baby acne she had in the first couple of weeks and also some dry skin she had on her forehead. She also hardly ever suffers from nappy rash, and I’m sure putting this on every night helps!
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Burts Bee’s Hair & Body Wash
As I mentioned previously, I was keen to use as natural and gentle products on Willow as a newborn; this product smells divine and we have had no problems with her skin & hair whilst using it. Everyone always comments how good she smells! It also never overpowered that amazing newborn smell, nothing beats that.
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Angelcare Bath Support
Giving your baby their first bath is so exciting but also SO scary!!! This support not only looks great but is generally fantastic and Willow LOVES her baths. With this support she’s free to kick around and splash and I know that she is safe. I’ve also been known to pop her in it around the house instead of carrying her (Giant) rocker around!
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MAM Dummies/Soothers
We gave Willow a dummy in her first week, she took to it really well and they really helped to soothe her through things she previously screamed through, like nappy changes! We bought lots of different branded dummies whilst I was pregnant, I tried MAM first and never looked back! We tried to give her Tomee Tippee and Avent and she rejected both of those, so now we stick to MAM. They have great designs and come in a handy steriliser box.
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Nappy Bag
In particular, the Baby Beau Nappy Bag that we use. I have to say I struggled enormously with finding a nappy bag, I’m fussy about my normal handbags and this carried through to Nappy Bags. I really didn’t want the classic ‘Laptop Bag’ look and a lot of the designs were very ‘Mumsie’ (Cupcakes, flowers, butterflies… totally not me) and I did fid some beautiful leather ones but they came with a £200+ price tag; which I couldn’t justify with so many other large baby purchases to make!
In the end we ordered this Baby Beau Isabelle Tote one, it’s canvas and I think faux leather. It has a cool black & white striped interior and leather look accessories. There is plenty of room for everything I need, it goes with everything and it’s not too girly that Wayne can’t carry it too.
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Slumber Buddies Bed Light
Another recommendation from my sister who has the Sheep version, we have the little Elephant but there are lots of variations! The light has 3 colours (Red, Blue, Green) that project stars onto the ceiling and the 5 different sound settings (including a heartbeat). White noise was really helpful at the beginning when Willow didn’t sleep much at night and now the lights are perfect for her to look at whilst falling asleep.
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Gro Egg
We’ve had some really warm nights so far this summer and having a newborn you are constantly worrying about what their temperature is and if they are too hot or too warm. The Gro Egg sets your mind at rest, as you are aware of the temperature and can sort your baby out accordingly!
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Sleepyhead Deluxe
Willow was nocturnal when she was born and for the first couple of weeks, I don’t think I got more than an hours sleep at a time, unless she was sleeping on one of us! One early morning at about 3am I ordered the Sleepy Head from John Lewis; it is expensive for what it is. However, it worked wonders with Willow immediately and at 10 weeks she started sleeping through the night! Even though she had a small bedside crib, I think it was still too big and open for her and she kept rolling on her side. The Sleepyhead keeps her nice and cocooned but still able to move around a bit. When you split the cost per night… it’s a bargain!
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4Moms Rock-a-Roo
We initially wanted the MamaRoo but again it is SO expensive and so originally we purchased the Nuna Leaf, which was slightly cheaper. But after reading some reviews, we found this was super heavy and didn’t rock on it’s own for very long, so we exchanged it for the Rock-a-Roo. It has varying speeds and can play music through the chair (we’re yet to use this feature and are still only using speed one). Willow loves being in her rocker to sleep, watch some TV or just chill out and look around/look at the mobile. To be honest, she also likes the super cheap bouncer chair that she has at her grandparents too, so I think it’s more the position and the ability to kick about by herself. So I wouldn’t say you MUST by the Rock-a-Roo (even though we love it, she loves it and it’s a great design) but a rocker/bouncer chair is definitely a must-have!
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Perfect Prep Machine
Now I’ve only been using this for a couple of weeks, but I would be lost without it. I had NEVER made a bottle before having Willow but as we are now combination feeding, I’m learning as I go. This little machine has saved so much time and is SO useful!
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Electric Breast Pump
I am no longer using this, however, for the first 3 months I was using this constantly. I have the Tommee Tippee one as we already had all the Tommee Tippee bottles and things at home. However, I have heard really good things about Avent and Medela! Having this meant that I could go out a lot more and feel confident about feeding Willow (I was never 100% confident feeding in public and only ever did if I needed to or didn’t have time to express beforehand). It also helped in those first few days when your milk comes in and they are so painful and engorged. This is definitely a must-have if you are Breastfeeding!
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The Best Baby Tracker App
I initially downloaded this in the first couple of days after searching “Breastfeeding App” as I kept forgetting what side Willow had fed from last. You can record all sorts of things such as nappy changes, sleeping, feeding, height, weight etc! I use it at the moment just for feeding, to manage what side she fed from last and how long she fed; I also now record when she had formula and how much. I’m guessing that once I start weaning, I’ll record this on there too.
The Wonder Weeks App
This is based on babies Leap Weeks, it has a handy scheduled and condensed guide (from the Books) on each Leap, when your baby will have their Leap weeks and what to expect. It’s super useful to understand your babies development and nice to know sometimes it’s nothing you are doing… your baby is being super difficult because they are going through a leap!!!
Swaddle Muslins
Every parent knows how useful Muslins are for everything… we have millions dotted around our house now! However, I invested in these big Summer Infant ‘swaddle’ muslins and they are amazing for lots of uses; covering for breastfeeding, blankets, creating shade/darkness etc. I wanted some Aden&Anais ones but bought these ones from Mothercare and they are lovely.
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Gripe Water
Willow suffered from mild colic in her first few weeks, luckily by about 10 weeks this was much improved! In the v. early weeks we used infacol but we didn’t seem to see much relief for her, by 4 weeks we switched to Gripe Water which definitely really helped through those difficult times of painful wind for her!
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The Letter B 