Month One Favourites
After my best friend told me she was pregnant the next words out of her mouth were, can you please help me make a list of the essentials? I remember myself at this stage of pregnancy being completely daunted by the task of what I needed to buy and what the baby actually needed to survive. You'll be happy to know the baby needs very little but there are some essentials that will make taking care of a baby much easier. Over the next couple weeks I'll be creating a list of the essentials by month and then saving it in a tab at the top of my blog page for easy access called monthly favourites. Of course not all of these items will work for everyone as it depends on your diapering/feeding needs but I'm hoping to shine some light for first time mums!
Glider Chair: I know it's not the most attractive piece of furniture but stick it in the nursery because it will save your life when it comes to breast or bottle feeding. We never purchased one because we didn't have the space and I found it really difficult to get the right angle and height while feeding. When I went to my brother's he had one of these magical chairs and I was able to feed Cyril without getting a stiff neck and the best part was I could rock him to sleep without standing! I will definitely make this purchase the second time around. There are more attractive options but I doubt they come close to the comfort level this chair provides.
Packapod Nappy Bag: I cannot say enough great things about this bag. After trying out 3 different Nappy bags, none came close to the convenience this one creates. It was created by moms, for moms, and they've won over 20 awards so trust me when I say you will not be disappointed if you buy this bag. It has a feeding pod that grows with your baby, so when they're toddlers it turns into a little backpack. The feeding pod is insulated, has a bottle sleeve, pocket for bib and muslin, and a zipper pouch for cutlery. The nappy pod has a pocket for nappies, wipes, hand sanitiser, nappy cream and first aid. It comes with a changing mat and since it's in it's own pod you don't have to take the whole bag with you to the bathroom when you need to change the baby. There is a separate compartment for everything the mom needs as well and if you need even more space it comes with clips so you can hook the pods on your stroller and have the entire bag for extra storage.
Medela Swing Electric Pump: Check with insurance before you make this expensive purchase because a lot of companies in the USA will cover a pump. If you're in the UK they have pumps on loan at the midwife clinics for you to use if you need one or want to try one out before you buy. If you live in England you have a long maternity leave so you might never use a pump, unless you want to have a night away from the baby! If you're in the USA you'll most likely be going back to work 8-12 weeks after the baby is born so you'll want to start pumping right away to get a supply of milk stored in your freezer for when you return to work. Also you'll want to purchase the double pump so you can pump quickly and easily while you're at work. I thought the Medela was great. It was fast, easy to clean, and I got enough stimulation to produce 4-8 ounces of milk each time I used it.
Philips Avent Pacifiers - Born Free Glass Bottles - Medela Swing Electric Pump (double if you're going back to work) - Lanolin - Breast pads - Glider Chair - Tots Bots Bamboozle Nappies and Motherease Wraps - 4moms mamaRoo Seat - Boon Grass Drying Rack -
Fan - Muslins - Packapod Nappy Bag
Tommee Tippee Bibs: Personally this was my favourite brand when Cyril was a newborn. They have a roll so the bib fits snug around the baby's neck preventing any milk from leaking into those adorable fat rolls. When the baby is tiny it's really hard to clean the fat rolls so these helped tremendously. A word of caution, with excessive use the velcro starts to wear out so I would advise you to velcro the bib before washing.
Motherease Wraps: If you're using cloth nappies/diapers a two part system works best for containment. I've never had a leakage with the combination of tots bots bamboozles and these mothease wraps. These are bulky when put together so they're best for the evening. However, I use them during the day but I either have to buy Cyril the next size up in pants or buy clothing that is made specifically for mums who use cloth nappies.
Tots Bots Bamboozles: Apparently you can now order these in the USA! Woohoo! They're made in Scotland, incredibly soft and the most reliable cloth nappy I've ever used. Also because they're bamboo they hold a lot of liquid. Cyril regularly sleeps 12-14 hours at night and his clothes are never wet when I pick him up in the morning.
Boon Grass Drying Rack: I found this incredibly useful for drying Cyril's bottles, bowls, spoons, etc. If you're breastfeeding it is also useful to dry your pump and any other breastfeeding gear.
Cybex Sirona Convertible Car Seat: I really cannot say enough great things about this car seat. It has a 360 degree rotation system so I can turn the car seat towards the door, put Cyril in and then turn him to the rear or forward facing position. Also he can be in this seat until he's 4 years old saving me money on buying multiple seats! It's one of the safest on the market with linear side impact protection, seat to chassis protection, active response technology which features a cushion designed to act like an airbag, and it has 11 different head rest positions and 7 different recline options not to mention the cool design :)
Philips Avent Pacifiers: When I first took Cyril home the midwives advised against pacifier use because they were concerned about his latch. However, I got into a terrible state from not using pacifiers and was relieved when we first gave Cyril one. He cried less, slept better, and I got a break from being the all night soother. This brand worked best for us, it's orthodontic friendly and has vents on the sides to prevent the baby from getting a rash.
Born Free Glass Bottles: I really like these bottles because they come with a silicone sleeve so the glass doesn't break when you drop it. The glass is also really thick and I prefer glass to plastic. If you're breastfeeding, you might not need a bottle immediately, but if you plan to return to work or want a break from the 24 hour feeding cycle it's wise to introduce the baby by the time they're 6 weeks so they don't refuse the bottle all together. Cyril also took to these bottles and didn't suffer from wind or colic as a result. Another of my favourite brands is Dr. Brown, they also have glass bottles.
Moby Wrap: I found this extremely useful until Cyril was 12 weeks old, at which point he got too heavy and wearing this really started to hurt my shoulders. It isn't the easiest to put on at first and it's worth having someone who used one show you how to put it on correctly. After a few tries I was able to put it on in seconds. You'll want to put it on tighter than you think because it starts to loosen with the weight of the baby and you won't be able to adjust it very easily once your baby is inside. Another downside is that you have 3 layers of fabric over you so if you have a summer baby you will be hot and so will the baby. We had a black one which was great for not showing any dirt and it matched most of my outfits but it was warmer in the sun. Despite the negatives, Cyril usually fell asleep within a minute of being in the wrap and he was always much happier being carried around on my chest then he was sleeping alone. When we came home from the hospital he only slept on our chests so it made it easier to do things if we had the wrap.
Bugaboo Buffalo: We love our pram, when Cyril was a newborn he slept in the bassinet, as he got older we were able to transfer him to the seat which can face towards or away from you and it's so easy to recline that you can even adjust it while walking if the baby falls asleep. It also has several accessories which make transitioning from Summer to Winter very easy. We loved the sun canopy during the warmer months and the bamboo foot muff when it got colder. I've yet to have a flat tire and since it's an off road pram I've been able to take it on some pretty rough terrain without any trouble. I cannot say enough great things about this pram and a couple of my friends had wished they purchased it rather than their own.
4moms mamaRoo Seat: We didn't actually have this seat for Cyril but I'll be purchasing it for baby number 2. It combines a rocker and a swing into one saving valuable space and you can hook up your phone to play music or use the 5 built in nature sounds.
Lanolin: This will save your life if you're breastfeeding, just take my word for it. It's also all natural so you don't need to remove it before your baby nurses.
Moby Wrap: I found this extremely useful until Cyril was 12 weeks old, at which point he got too heavy and wearing this really started to hurt my shoulders. It isn't the easiest to put on at first and it's worth having someone who used one show you how to put it on correctly. After a few tries I was able to put it on in seconds. You'll want to put it on tighter than you think because it starts to loosen with the weight of the baby and you won't be able to adjust it very easily once your baby is inside. Another downside is that you have 3 layers of fabric over you so if you have a summer baby you will be hot and so will the baby. We had a black one which was great for not showing any dirt and it matched most of my outfits but it was warmer in the sun. Despite the negatives, Cyril usually fell asleep within a minute of being in the wrap and he was always much happier being carried around on my chest then he was sleeping alone. When we came home from the hospital he only slept on our chests so it made it easier to do things if we had the wrap.
Bugaboo Buffalo: We love our pram, when Cyril was a newborn he slept in the bassinet, as he got older we were able to transfer him to the seat which can face towards or away from you and it's so easy to recline that you can even adjust it while walking if the baby falls asleep. It also has several accessories which make transitioning from Summer to Winter very easy. We loved the sun canopy during the warmer months and the bamboo foot muff when it got colder. I've yet to have a flat tire and since it's an off road pram I've been able to take it on some pretty rough terrain without any trouble. I cannot say enough great things about this pram and a couple of my friends had wished they purchased it rather than their own.
4moms mamaRoo Seat: We didn't actually have this seat for Cyril but I'll be purchasing it for baby number 2. It combines a rocker and a swing into one saving valuable space and you can hook up your phone to play music or use the 5 built in nature sounds.
Lanolin: This will save your life if you're breastfeeding, just take my word for it. It's also all natural so you don't need to remove it before your baby nurses.
Glider Chair: I know it's not the most attractive piece of furniture but stick it in the nursery because it will save your life when it comes to breast or bottle feeding. We never purchased one because we didn't have the space and I found it really difficult to get the right angle and height while feeding. When I went to my brother's he had one of these magical chairs and I was able to feed Cyril without getting a stiff neck and the best part was I could rock him to sleep without standing! I will definitely make this purchase the second time around. There are more attractive options but I doubt they come close to the comfort level this chair provides.
Packapod Nappy Bag: I cannot say enough great things about this bag. After trying out 3 different Nappy bags, none came close to the convenience this one creates. It was created by moms, for moms, and they've won over 20 awards so trust me when I say you will not be disappointed if you buy this bag. It has a feeding pod that grows with your baby, so when they're toddlers it turns into a little backpack. The feeding pod is insulated, has a bottle sleeve, pocket for bib and muslin, and a zipper pouch for cutlery. The nappy pod has a pocket for nappies, wipes, hand sanitiser, nappy cream and first aid. It comes with a changing mat and since it's in it's own pod you don't have to take the whole bag with you to the bathroom when you need to change the baby. There is a separate compartment for everything the mom needs as well and if you need even more space it comes with clips so you can hook the pods on your stroller and have the entire bag for extra storage.
Medela Swing Electric Pump: Check with insurance before you make this expensive purchase because a lot of companies in the USA will cover a pump. If you're in the UK they have pumps on loan at the midwife clinics for you to use if you need one or want to try one out before you buy. If you live in England you have a long maternity leave so you might never use a pump, unless you want to have a night away from the baby! If you're in the USA you'll most likely be going back to work 8-12 weeks after the baby is born so you'll want to start pumping right away to get a supply of milk stored in your freezer for when you return to work. Also you'll want to purchase the double pump so you can pump quickly and easily while you're at work. I thought the Medela was great. It was fast, easy to clean, and I got enough stimulation to produce 4-8 ounces of milk each time I used it.
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