I'm back with the baby products I couldn't be without and a few things I wish I had bought pre-Winnie.
I love knowing what other mums find useful and what was completely useless.
1) Ewan The Dream Sheep. £29.99. We had the original purple one (why was he purple?!) for Matilda and we still use it every night when we put her to bed. He was an essential purchase for Winnie too and so much better now he comes in grey (my favourite colour by the way)! I bought him from John Lewis with a gift voucher we were kindly given at my baby shower. He plays soothing womb sounds, white noise and there is a very sweet little tune which is my personal favourite for both of the girls. I'd really recommend any new mum getting one.
2) Babymoov Cosydream. A friend of mine had this for her little one last autumn and I'd seen the Sleepyhead (so expensive!) all over Instagram but not exactly budget friendly (sidenote - can you really put a price on a baby's sleep? NO!) so went for the Cosydream. It is a sleep positioner ensuring optimal sleep safety for baby. We've used this every night with Winnie, I am sure she feels secure and cosy with this too as it is more snuggly that laying on a boring flat mattress. We first had this in her Moses basket but have now transferred it into her crib. The grey sausage looking bit at the bottom sits under her knees and is adjustable for that growing little bundle. £39.99 and worth every penny!
3) Ingenuity Automatic Bouncer. OMG at this. Just amazing. It has saved my life through some 2am screaming sessions. We were bought this as a gift from some lovely friends of mine, it is £64.99 and available at John Lewis. You have 2 rocking speeds, 8 melodies and 3 nature sounds, toys to entertain baby and an adjustable head support.
4) Fisher Price rainforest play gym. This is the version we have, it has since been updated as ours is recycled from Matilda. I use this for tummy time, teaching Winnie to look side to side, lift her head, practicing rolling over etc etc. It is so interesting to little ones because of all the colours and sounds. It plays rainforest sounds and music and also has flashing lights. You can get the updated version online for about £45, buy here.
So onto things I wish I'd purchased and what was useless:
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| Image: Google |
1) A Snuzpod crib. This lovely looking crib attaches to your bed so you can safely co-sleep and feed easily. It has won a load of awards and I really wish I'd bought it! We just used Matilda's old Moses basket for the first 10 weeks and it was a bloody pain in the arse. Having to get out of bed to pick up Winnie for night feeds, then getting up to lay her back down again. So annoying. The Snuzpod saves all of that aggravation. It is also detachable from the stand so you can carry baby downstairs if they are sleeping. About £180 and is available in different colours, I would say this is a must have.
2) Mama Designs Cellular Blanket. Given, this is more an aesthetic wishful purchase, but any cellular blankets are a total essential for Mums. It is all I use it because they are much safer than other blankets. The open cellular construction allows airflow. And they're so pretty! Available in different colour ways and sizes too.
3) Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep machine. These get a bit of stick but I wish I had one now that Winnie is on formula. They save so much time. Anything that saves you time and keeps baby happy is essential in my eyes. But, I breastfed Winnie for the first 10 weeks, then she started sleeping through so I had to weigh it all up (as we aren't made of money unfortunately!) I just have to be very organised. Around £60.
I think a Moses basket is useless - go for a crib and then put baby in a bouncer or on a sleep positioner on the sofa during the day. They creak when you move them (if its a wicker one like mine!) they don't last long (Matilda was in it for 8 weeks, Winnie for 10)!
You don't need hundreds of teddy bears, have a few cute ones and that is it. I like Jellycat for their cute bunnies and comforters.
Let me know what you've found to be essential items or things that were downright useless!
Chloe x
