With the Little Wee One on the way and not too far away… counting days actually… I am beginning to get into that nesting mode. You know the feeling where you sift through your previous baby items, clean up, and think about what you may need for the next faze of life.
I thought I would do a post on My Favourite Things that I couldn’t live without when Little E came along. And don’t worry, I will do another post on what new purchases I am buying and thinking of for this Little Wee one…
1. The Mandela Breast Pump saved my life. Literally. I had a break down on the way home from the hospital because I realised I needed to pump… no one told me about this one on the baby list. I always thought that I would be able to breast feed naturally. And when did I realise I needed it, Anzac Day. Of course, just to make it a little more stressful. With everything basically shut thank goodness we found a chemist that stocked it. Not the cheapest one, but it was great.
2. Ergo sleeping Pouch – this was fantastic when Little E was moving from the swaddle to the arm free stage. I remember it being a little challenge with a few face slaps here and there and this was a great sleep sack that still kept her cozzy while being able to slowly move to the arm free stage. One hand in and one hand out.
3. Baby Bjorn – the hands free style was so amazing! I was doing cooking with Little E asleep in the pouch. It is an absolute must for any new mum. I needed one with great back support as well. Although I had to stop using this after about 8 weeks because it was killing my shoulders, the concept of “hands free” is just INCREDIBLE! This time round I am actually trying something different so stay tuned for this update.
4. Hired car capsule – This was so convenient! For the first 12 weeks we could easily transfer Little E in and out of the car without waking. Even had a few dinners out where she was tucked under the table while still asleep in the capsule… bliss! And it wasn’t the hefty price tag for some of the ones you buy. You can hire them from your local Maternal and Child Health Clinic or some baby stores also hire them. After this I put her in the Safe and Sound Meridan which is still fabulous.
5. Nature’s Purest 3 Pack Muslin Swaddle Wraps – So soft and snuggly and really large as well… a great size. I was one for totally breathability and as natural as possible. I just loved the feel of these wraps. They are definitely coming out again!!
6. b.box travel wallet – Everything all in one for a quick dash out to the shops. Or why not leave one in the car or the pram. My dear friend at Bbox designed this amazing product while travelling to New Zealand with her new born and realised how challenging it was to change a nappy in the tiny little cubicle on the plane. I still use mine today!
7. Bugaboo Cameleon pram – this was my biggest splurge! It is not the cheapest pram, but man I loved it! Still do! It is just one of those prams that is so light, so easy, and just fabulous. It is so easy to manoeuvre, it fits through supermarket checkout aisles (that is a bonus as you don’t have to go through the extra extra wide one) and the best is that Little E sits up entirely… no tilt back like some of the prams. Although I do know a few people that just really don’t like it. Especially putting it down and back up again. But you do get used to it! Hubby struggled for a little but then it was second nature!!
8. My old computer bag became the best nappy bag! Yep, I didn’t like any of the nappy bags around. My laptop bag was so great as it had handy pouches, lots of space and a wipe clean inside. And it didn’t look like a nappy bag so hubby was more then happy to take it around on his shoulder too. This is such a personal item. What works for one mum does not work for others.
9. All in one’s, or onezies – Little E lived in these for the first few months! Just so easy to put on, take off and with the constant changing it made life easier for us all too. Now I think about it though, the buttons were a little annoying and on a few occasions I would wonder why it didn’t button up right, scroll up and down the suit and think… where is that missing button I forgot. But still loved them!
10. $2 cheap hand towels from Kmart – with a chucker…. and she was a big one! we went through these like we went through nappy wipes! We just got a whole lot and used them as burp towels! They were the best and absorbent as well! Note to self: must go buy some new ones!
So this is it for now! No doubt I will go through all my baby items and boxes and come across something else that we used 1231 times.
Do you have any favourite baby essentials?
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