Newborn Essentials (And Other Lovely Things)
With just two days until our official due date, I can say that I’m READY to meet this little man of ours.
The hospital bag is packed, car seat in the car, his little nest is all set up next to our bed. All my favourite baby things are ready to go…..it’s getting sooo bloomin exciting!!
I just can’t wait for him to be here with us now! I keep imagining what he’ll look like, smell like, how it will feel when I see Ollie with him. I’m so desperate to hold his warm tiny body in my arms, is there a better feeling?!
For me, preparing for the arrival of our babies has been one of the best bits of pregnancy. I LOVE nesting and everyone who knows me knows I’m a dangerous consumer, always googling new products and reading reviews…
The last few weeks have been spent busily preparing for his arrival. I’ve gone through all of Ollie’s newborn things, the washing machine hasn’t stopped. We’ve had deliveries almost every day…double buggies, nappies, wipes, new car seat….I could go on and on…
Thats what’s inspired this post.
It’s my ultimate list!
A list of all the things that, in my opinion, make life with a Newborn easier, calmer and even more enjoyable.
OK so some of the things aren’t exactly “essential”, but they are lovely, and we all need a little bit of ‘lovely‘ in our lives.
I haven’t included clothes, nappies or any of the generic basics that you’ll obviously need. Instead I’ve tried to stick with specific product recommendations that could potentially get lost in the millions of baby products out there. It’s a minefield after all!
Below you’ll find a mixture of products I’ve tried and tested with Ollie, can highly recommend and will undoubtably use again…as well as some newer products that I’ve discovered since my newborn days, things I’m really so excited to try this time around.
This post isn’t in collaboration with Pramworld, however you’ll notice that I have a pretty wonderful relationship with this family owned and run business and I often review products for their blog. They offer free next day delivery all over the UK and have kindly given us a discount code for all of the products they stock (many included below).
If you enter HHPW10 at the checkout you’ll receive 10% off. This code is only valid until the end of March.
Have I missed any amazing MUST HAVES?
Pop them in the comments at the bottom of this post so we can all have a read! 🙂
Sleeping
Newborns, they love to sleep (well, most of them do). When we had Ollie we did the traditional ‘Moses basket thing’, a beautiful heritage style wicker basket. It looked lovely, and we used it, but in all honestly I wouldn’t recommend it. The wicker creaks which used to wake Ollie up. It’s delicate and pretty, but totally useless for travel. If Ollie was sick, and those little newborns can be sick a lot, it took forever to undo the padded sides, get everything washed and put together again in time for bedtime.
So this time, we’re going to be using the Moses basket in the dining room as a back up if needed, but we’ve got a whole load of better things that we’ve discovered along the way…
Snuzpod Co-sleeper
Snuzpod Co-sleeper
A-MAZING!! One of my top products to recommend to all new mums! Not only is it pretty, it’s incredibly practical, natural and comfortable. We didn’t discover the snuzpod until Ollie outgrew his Moses basket (at a tiny 10-11 weeks old). I reviewed it for Pramworld so you can read a full review HERE. Co-sleeping in the early days just felt natural. I loved watching him sleep, and this bed is SO MUCH MORE practical for breast feeding. I didn’t even get out of bed, just used to slide him up to me for a dream-feed and back safely into his own space. I don’t think you can better the Snuzpod. Find it HERE.
Little Green Sheep (who make Snuzpod) are a gorgeous brand, using only organic materials. Again I can highly recommend all their sheets, bedding and blankets.
There’s also a fab organiser available now that hooks onto the side of the Snuzpod. Perfect for storing wipes and nappies so you’re not fumbling around in the middle of the night.
Ewan the Dream Sheep
Ask any mum in the know…this little guy is a godsend!! I’d heard great things about it before Ollie was born but the purple faced sheep didn’t match the nursery, so superficially, I didn’t get one. A few weeks in, I discovered the wonder that is ‘white noise’ and decided that it was time to invest as I really didn’t want my phone (with the white noise ap) near my precious newborn all the time. By this time Ewan was also available with a grey face – much more in keeping with our taste.
Ollie adored it from the word go. It’s like magic! Now he’s 19 months he can actually turn it on himself to self-soothe. It’s cuddly, soft, portable and ever so simple. Every baby needs an Ewan. Find it HERE.
Sleepyhead
Again, I was a little late discovering this superstar too. The experts advise that there’s nothing in your babies cot, just a tight sheet and a cellular blanket/swaddle. I just couldn’t get used to this. Ollie was a relatively good sleeper but he would often wake himself up wriggling around and hitting the sides of his bed.
Meet The SleepyHead…a cosy cloud of a bed that cushions your babies body and provides a safe padding to stop them hitting the sides of their bed. We indrouced Ollie to his first Sleepyhead Deluxe at a few months old, and then went on to invest in the Sleepyhead Grande which is for babies and toddlers 8m – 3y. Even now, he sleeps noticeably better in his Sleepyhead. I wish they did one in my size. Find them HERE.
Stokke Tripp Trapp
My gorgeous Grandparents bought us our first Tripp Trapp for Ollie. It’s not cheap, but an absolute classic and so easy to see why. The Tripp Tripp is helping us raise a settled, confident and adventurous little eater who is a pleasure to eat out with (let’s hope that continues). He’s sat at the table with us at mealtimes since he was 1 week old, that’s the ethos behind this design classic. It was an obvious choice that our littlest man would have the same high chair as his big brother so they can sit side by side from day one.. You can read my full review of the Tripp Trapp HERE. Find the Tripp Trapp HERE.
Nuna leaf
So this is a new product, one that I hadn’t discovered when Ollie was tiny….but I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about the Nuna Leaf.
With Ollie, we completely avoided any kind of swinging, vibrating robotic chair. While I know many parents swear by them, Colin convinced me that they are not only mighty unattractive in your living room, they’re also rather unnecessary. So instead we had a very simple and gentle bouncer. It did the trick, but this time I wanted something with a little more movement and perhaps something that would last longer than a few months. That’s when I discovered the beautiful Nuna Leaf.
The Leaf mimics the gentle sway of a leaf in the cool breeze. It’s weighty, and stylish with a gorgeous padded leaf seat. Watch a video of how it works HERE.. Ollie definitely would’ve loved that gentle rocking motion, in fact he still does as he’s already made himself quite comfortable on it (it can easily take the weight of a toddler) while eating his fruit snack and watching Peppa Pig. Find the Nina Leaf HERE.
Moses Basket
I’ve heard great things about the new Moba mosses basket so had to try it on our new babe. While the Snuzpod is amazing at night, it’s rather heavy and therefore not great for travel or moving from room to room. The Moba is a modern Moses basket. It’s wipe clean, without padded sides so safe and easy to keep in great condition. It looks pretty lovely too and is available in loads of colours. Find the Moba Moses Basket HERE.
Giant Swaddles
There are hundreds of uses for these, this time I’ve actually not bothered with any small muslins, we’ve stocked up on big soft giant ones instead. They are great for keeping other items clean and tidy, as breast feeding covers, but also fantastic for swaddling. There are so many super gorgeous ones out there now, but I’ve yet to find one softer than the Molly and Moo giant swaddle. You can find it HERE.
Celular blankets
Cellular blankets are the only blankets recommended by the NHS for newborn babies. They’re breathable with clever cell technology, keeping babies cool in summer, warm in winter. I didn’t think the quality would vary from brand to brand, y’know, a blanket is a blanket, but I was wrong! I was asked to review the Abeille cellular blankets for Pramworld when Ollie was a few months old…I was super impressed! So naturally we have several ready for this babe. You can read the full review HERE. Find the blankets HERE.
Sleeping Bags
Our swaddling days didn’t last very long. As Ollie became stronger he was frustrated by the swaddle and needed more space to move around. He’d also gotten used to sleeping still so sleeping bags were perfect for ensuring he stayed at the correct temperature all night. We still use these now and I’m kind of dreading moving onto a duvet when we put the sides of his cot down. He sleeps so well in a bag!
We prefer the soft jersey cotton ones in a lighter tog. Two of my favourites are Mori which you can find HERE. That one is particularly great as the poppers make it much smaller so it’s suitable from 0-2years!
I also love the organic soft brushed cotton one from Little Green Sheep. Find it HERE.
Changing
This will keep you busy…up 12/15 nappies a day in those early days so be ready! 🙂
Waterwipes
A strange one to start with but an absolute MUST HAVE for all new mums in my opinion. I really hope I don’t spark some kind of debate now…but at 99.9% water…is there REALLY any need for the cotton balls and warm water?! On the advice of more experienced supermama friends, I used these on Ollie from the day he was born. He didn’t have any kind of rash or soreness, just a beautiful peachy baby bum. I think they’re marvellous! And anything that makes those early days a little easier ranks high in importance in my list! Find them HERE.
Changing Mat
So you’ll definately need a wipe clean waterproof one as your baby grows, but when Ollie was tiny, I couldn’t bear to have his little body on that cold plastic. This time we’ll be using this gorgeous super soft padded changing mat from CamCam. It’s machine washable and dries quickly should there be any accidents. I also love that it rolls up and ties for travel. You can find it HERE.
Nappy balm
Its lovely stuff, really makes you feel like you’ve pampered your little one before applying their fresh nappy. The midwife advised me not to go too CRAZY with it, and only to use it if I noticed a little bit of redness. Thanks to waterwipes, this was very very rare…but…of course there have been occasions when Ollie has had a little rash. I was so pleased that I’d recently discovered Bloom and Blossom Baby balm. It’s very gentle but just one application and any sign of redness is gone! It’s absolutely worth having a tube ready to go! You can find it HERE.
I should also add that these days I apply a whole load of nappy cream at changes. I just imagine it’s a lot more comfortable for him, but in those early days, it’s all about using as little product as possible.
Bathtime
I actually had a bit negativity from a few mums about THIS blog post last year. They said that I’d made it all sound far too easy and relaxing and that in their opinion, bathtime was not. Well…I STAND BY MY BLOG POST!! 🙂
Bath time is and has always been one of my favourite times of day with Ollie. When I worked full time, it was the highlight of my day. He loves it too. At around 6.45 every night, I say “would you like a bath” and he always replies “YES!!” Followed by a toddle towards the bath room and an attempt to undress himself.
In my opinion, a calm and relaxing bedtime routine is the answer to any kind of ‘bedtime nightmare’. We don’t have the worlds best sleeper on our hands in Ollie, but we do have a happy boy who is, without fail, asleep every night by 7.30…no drama!!
So you can read all about our routine HERE which we still pretty much follow. A year later though, I think I have a better idea of what products I’d like to use from day one with our littlest babe.
Sink Baths
Our old house had a big roll top bath that was impractical for bathing a baby, so with Ollie, we purchased a simple baby bath that sat on the floor. It was fine, but when I think back I remember it being heavy to lift in the early days, and a bit of a pain to store when we weren’t using it.
So this time…we’re going to try out sink baths from day one. No kneeling, bending, crouching, and extremely cute!! I’ve got two…
The Pujbaby bath which was recommended by my midwife. Super portable, simple and easy to store. Find it HERE.
We’ve also got the Blooming Bath Lotus which looks incredibly comfortable and super cute! You can find that HERE.
I’ll let you know which one I think is better once I’ve tried them out 🙂
Hooded Towels
We still use these with Ollie, they really are essential for keeping your newborn cosy after a bath. I don’t think I’ve seen a cuter one than this grey bunny by one of my favourite baby brands Molly and Moo. Find it HERE.
Delicate Bath Products that help him sleep
I knew what I wasn’t going to use when Ollie was born, but I hadn’t really been recommended a specific bath line to use.
We’ve tried loads. Some have been completely average, many we’ve really liked…but I do have a firm favourite now.
The Lavender or Chamomile range from Earth Friendly Baby is just delicious for a bedtime bath. I’ve found it to be really gentle, with a wonderful sleepy smell that gets Ollie in the zone. From the bubbles, to the sweet floral smell on his shiny hair in the morning. I can’t fault it! I’ve stocked up so there’s no risk of running out when our littlest arrives. Find it HERE.
Cosy Post-Bath Blankets
Whether it’s for tummy time, play time, or just post bath massage or snuggles, I think a beautifully soft padded blanket is an essential and not something I’d thought to invest in the first time around.
Molly and Moo do a beautiful grey one HERE. CamCam also have a gorgeous selection HERE. I always think they make the loveliest gifts for friends with new babies too!
Feeding/Nursing
I’ve done a whole post about Breast Feeding just HERE. It’s not for every mum, and that’s perfectly ok. However you decide to, or are able to feed your baby “fed is best”. For me personally, it was simply wonderful and more than worth the struggle in the early weeks.
Yep, the struggle is real.
Curl your toes and count to ten. Anything that can help make your nursing journey easier is essential in my book!
Lansinoh cream
Right at the top of the list for Breast Feeding! Without this I’m honestly not sure I would’ve made it past those toughest weeks. There are loads of nipple creams, all different prices, fancy packaging etc…but this is THE ONE!! Your doctor can give you a prescription for it, or you can buy it in the supermarket. It’s incredibly comforting and soothing…and thankfully it prevented my nipples from chapping or bleeding like so many of my friends had to go through. The best bit…you don’t need to wash it off before a feed. That’s extreamly handy in the middle of the night or during the cluster feeding days. Find it HERE.
Nursing Bra
Invest in a great one or two. Something super suportive with strong clips that won’t keep popping open. They’re not as pretty as some of the ones I had with Ollie, but Boob Design Fast Food Bras are fantastic quality, strong and supportive. Boob Design also do wonderful breast feeding supports like thermal pads to protect your nipples from the wind! Such a funny idea but I remember feeling I really needed them! Find a selection from Boob Design HERE.
Electric breast pump, storage pots and bottles
You can read more about our breastfeeding journey in THIS post. While it was beautiful, there are some things I would do differently this time. One of them being that I want to express my milk sooner to allow the baby to get used to the bottle, as well as my breast. I know it will also be really important for me to have some one on one time with Ollie so having a stash of breast milk to leave with Colin or my Mum will be essential. Last time I had the single electric breast pump, which was great. This time though we’ve chosen the double electric pump. Half the time seemed too hard to resist!
We used (and still use) only Philips Avent bottles, dummies and steriliser. I know lots of other brands market the ‘anti-colic’ features more than Avent but we’ve genuinely never suffered with that at all using these bottles. I was recommended them, and never really looked back. Find the whole selection HERE.
Nursing tops, loungewear & shirts
In those early days, comfort is key. Loose fitting clothing that’s easy to breast feed in will be your saviour. Some of my favourites are:
Mamas and Papas Bloom and Blossom Loungewear
Cake Maternity nursing
Seraphine nursing ponchos
And you can never have too many shirts and nursing vests either!! H&M have a great selection of nursing vests and they certainly won’t break the bank!
Nursery/Nest
Oh the Nursery! Still my favourite room in our house. And so much fun making it all beautiful for your babe! I’ll do a full blog post on this one day as there’s tones of gorgeous things out there to cosy up a room for the most precious person in your life. But here’s a few of the essentials you’ll need…
Grow Egg Room Thermometer and Night Light
The temperature of your little ones sleeping space is really important. It’s likely they will be with you for the first 6 months or so, so you can use the grow egg to determine the temperature of the room. It’s a really simple design so just looks like a wee white egg during the day, but provides a warm glow with a temperature display in the night. It’s just the right amount of light to change a nappy, but not over stimulating. Find the Grow Egg HERE.
Mobile and Finishing Touches
Even if you’re only creating a cosy corner of your bedroom, you can still make a beautiful peaceful space for your baby. I was advised to keep the above-bed mobile quite simple so as not to over-stimulate Ollie.
Nobody does subtle, classic nursery decoration like CamCam. I adore our Swan Mobile that hangs above his Snuzpod next to our bed. They also have hot air balloons, rain clouds and the prettiest stars. Simply beautiful! Loads of lovely CamCam things just HERE.
Diffuser
We’re big fans of the diffuser in this house. Whenever I show it on my Instagram Stories people ask where it’s from because it’s really subtle and calming in the nursery. At bedtime I diffuse a drop of roman chamomile in Ollies room. If he has a cold I diffuse Olbas oil or snuffle babe. You can turn the light off if it’s too stimulating, but it provides a lovely glow for your evening massage. Find ours HERE.
Out and About
Is there much more exciting than your first outings with your new baby. Scary, a little overwhelming, but totally precious and unforgettable. There’s a few things I can think of that will make any outtings a little less daunting.
A Pram you LOVE
Oh my goodness do I LOVE mine!! Again I’m going to do a proper dedicated post on The Joolz once our little man arrives. I just adore Joolz as a baby brand…the design, the quality and the practicality, I think they’re hard to beat. Until I do a proper review, check out the Joolz HERE.
Baby Bag
Don’t scrimp! You’ll be using this bag for the next few years so get one you absolutely love that will stand the test of time. I’ve been so spoiled with several luxury baby bags (you can read all about them HERE), but this one had me the moment I set on eyes on it. Admittedly I really didn’t NEED another one, but I just loved the idea of it being hands free, particularly with two littles to chase after!
I am blown away by the quality and design of this KeriKit bag. It’s a beautiful shade of blush/nude, thick lustrous leather with shiny gold detailing. There’s plenty of pockets inside and it comes with a lovely blush coloured changing mat and a removable zip-up divider bag.
My favourite thing about these bags though….they can be personalised! I went for H&H (I didn’t have my initials as I’m kinda hoping that Colin marries me soon) but you could even have your babies initials…how sweet would that be? Find them HERE. It’s seriously beautiful!
Car Seat and Isofix
Again, pretty obvious, of course you need to get your baby home from hospital safely so an important one to have ready! This time we’ve gone with the brand new Joolz car seat (it’s the same shade as the buggy so looks gorgeous) and has been produced in collaboration with BE Safe. BE Safe are quite a little known company in the U.K. but I’ve been SO IMPRESSED with Ollies BeSafe Car seat and ISOfix we knew we wanted it from day one this time. Find it HERE.
Dummies and dummy clips
Not an essential for EVERY baby I know. Archie didn’t have a dummy, but Ollie loves his! They are recommended by the NHS for the safest possible sleeping, and I have to say they can be quite a lifesaver when you’re somewhere you’d really like your baby to be quiet…lol.
We always buy Philips Avent dummies. I love that they are clear and therefore go with any outfit and don’t cover your babies pretty face. If you’re happy with the idea of your baby falling for their dummy then it’s really worth having them ready in your babybag, bedroom etc..just in case one goes missing (which they always do). To prevent this from happening you can also use a dummy clip. I prefer the soft cloth ones rather than the heavy beaded ones. This CamCam one is perfect for a newborn. Find it HERE.
Sling and Wrap
OK so this could absolutely fit into the ‘sleep’ category too…as that seems to be what babies love to do when they are snug and close to their mama in a sling or wrap. It’s really quite amazing how well they sleep and how natural and comfortable it feels for both Mama and Baby. I used to find that I could get so much done when Ollie was snoozing in his wrap, so I know it’s going to be ESSENTIAL with our littlest baby and a busy 19 month old. I discovered beautiful Mezaya Baby slings just a few months ago, so I didn’t get to use them with Ollie. Instead we used a Solly Baby wrap, which was also fantastic and a sure way to help him settle. I’m so excited to try these slings though, as the lifespan is a lot longer and they’re much quicker to slip your babe in and out of.
Find the Mezeya HERE.
Find the Solly HERE.
Finally…for you!!
You’ve heard the saying “you cannot pour from an empty cup”….so true Mama!
Make sure you’re relaxing, nourishing your body and asking for help. If you allow yourself to slow down and enjoy it, those newborn weeks, while hard, are simply precious and unforgettable.
Capturing the Memories
I’m a sentimentalist, and I know so many of us are, but never more than when it comes to our babies. Give yourself some time to capture special memories. Don’t forget to write down how your feeling, take plenty of pictures and videos. It’s sad, but the newborn days seem to whizz by, and when you look back it’s almost hard to remember them clearly.
I absolutely adore these stunning personalised leather memory boxes from Meminio. The perfect place to store those hospital bands, his first shoes, even pressed flowers from your pregnancy. Ollie has grey, and our new baby will have the cream one. Precious. Find them HERE.
I’ve also fallen for these beautiful birthday books from Emily Rollings. They’re the most gorgeous quality and beautiful, simple design. At the start, there’s a space to write a letter on the ‘day you were born’ and at every birthday until your babies 18th. I could cry just thinking about giving it to the boys one day. Find them HERE.
Prepare meals
We’ve been doing this all week. Making and freezing plenty of healthy meals for Ollie and I so that when we’re alone it will only take a few pings on the microwave and we’ll be well fed.
Get plenty of fresh fruit to snack on, particularly if your breast feeding, you’ll be so hungry! And of course, have all your fave biscuits, chocolate, drinks etc… ready for when you fancy them.
I’m really not a fan of dieting at the best of times, but when you’ve just given birth…it’s not the time to be stressing about losing the baby weight! My advice would be to treat yourself to whatever you fancy and fuel your body with whatever it needs in those early weeks. Let breast feeding do it’s thing (apparently it’s like sprinting every day) and when you and your baby are settled and ready you can cross the post pregnancy weight loss/fitness hurdle.
Maternity pads, breast pads and big comfy pants
I see these women on Instagram that are back in their hot pants just days after having a baby. Washboard tummies and pert bums…it’s amazing! I was absolutely not one of them, sadly.
I had an episiotomy with Ollie so felt tender for a few weeks, but I know loads of my friends who didn’t have anything and still felt sore. Comfort is key, so be prepared with plenty of comfy pants, maternity pads (bigger the better) and of course breast pads too!
Dry shampoo
It’s a new mums best friend, and as much as I’d like to recommend something glamourous, I haven’t found any better than THIS ONE..
Simple Make-up
Practice your 5 minute face while your pregnant so you’ve got it down before the baby arrives. I’ve blogged about faking “8 hours sleep in 8 minutes” HERE.. Amazing how a bit of makeup can completely change the way you look and feel. Confidence is everything!
Bubbly, flowers, candles, bath oils, a big box of chocolate…
Whatever puts a smile on your face…have it ready! You’re about to enter some of the most incredible, exhausting, love filled days of your whole life! Take the time to stop and treat yourself to that glass of fizz with your partner. Have an hour in the bath while the baby (babies) sleep. Light a candle before you go to bed. You’re not just a mum, you’re an amazing women that just brought a precious new life into the world…and you deserve a treat too! 🙂
I do hope my little-ish list is helpful to any new mum-to-be’s out there. I’m truly SO EXCITED for you, for me, for us!! 🙂
Now relax and enjoy the joy that is nesting and those precious newborn days…