The Exhausted Mum’s Top 5…Essential Baby Products

With so many products available on the market, trying to figure out what you need for your new bundle of joy is a bit of a minefield. I’ve put together a list (aside from all the standard products like cots/prams/clothes etc) of the things that I found super useful when my two daughters were born:

1.Breast Pump & Nipple Cream-If you’re planning on giving breastfeeding a go, then it’s a good idea to invest in an electronic breast pump. A breast pump will enable you to release some tension from your engorged breasticles, not to mention giving you a break in the long run as you’ll be able to pass feeding duties over to daddy. BE WARNED — the first few times you use one, the sensation can be quite painful so make sure you set it to low until you get used to it. You will also need nipple cream; be prepared for extremely sore nips for the first few weeks (OUCH!) but just plaster them in lanolin cream and we promise you the cracking/pain will be gone in no time.

If you do decide to breastfeed, then there’s a handy little blog post from Smart Cells which includes some other items you might find useful.

I RECOMMEND; Breast Pump –Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Electronic Breast Pump * (Do your research though as there’s loads of others on the market & everyone will have a personal fave) Nipple Cream; * Lansinoh HPA Lanolin

2. Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Machine-If breastfeeding isn’t your thaaangg or you don’t fancy being a human cow for the next few months, then this is an essential bit of kit and will save you hours of trying to get formula milk to the perfect drinking temperature. We went a bit wild with this product in our household and bought two — one for upstairs for all those middle of the night (zombified) feeds & one for downstairs during the day.

I RECOMMEND; Obviously Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Machine  * — does what it says on the box.

3. A Baby Carrier-Again there’s a variety of these on the market so do your research, but baby carriers come in super handy not just for outdoors (strap the baby & go), but also for doing things in the kitchen hands-free. Babies often settle better when they are next to you, so I often found ours fast asleep in theirs too — RESULT. Hopefully they will be so knocked out that you’ll easily be able to transfer them to their cot/moses basket etc. GOOD LUCK.

I RECOMMEND; BabyBjorn Miracle Baby Carrier * I particularly like the padding on this one & found it super comfy to wear.

4. Pram Blackout Cover-If you’re not one of those mums that wants to rigidly stick to a routine & stay indoors every time your baby naps (which can also be next to impossible with appt times etc on certain days), then I recommend getting a blackout cover for your pram to help your little sleep thief catch some much needed Zzzzzz’s on the move. These can be very versatile as they also blockout UV rays during the summer which is SUPER important & also double up as a wind/rain shield (although not technically intended for this purpose).

I RECOMMEND; Hands down, it has to be SnoozeShade  * — this is one of the only products on the market that also has the stamp of approval from the Melanoma International Foundation. Check out their range of products as some come with extra features which it’s well worth investing in.

5. Baby Sleep Pod/Nest; We found our sleep pod an absolute lifesaver. They make a cocoon around the baby & have a cushioning effect which helps them to settle better & sleep for longer. Who doesn’t want one of these? The key to life is SLEEP my friends!

I RECOMMEND; Sleepyhead Deluxe Baby Pod * A multi-functional portable baby bed that is an absolute must for all new parents. Try one — it will not disappoint.

There’s obviously loads more products out there that individuals will consider ‘essential’ but it’s about figuring out what works for you.

On a final note and as everyone can probably tell, I’m a massive fan of Amazon, I signed up to Amazon Prime a couple of years back and it has saved me so much money. It costs £79 for a years subscription, but if like me, you’re forever ordering from there (I found my orders ramped up after having children – nappies, shampoo, water wipes etc) it can save you so much money in the long run on delivery charges. Some of the benefits of Prime include:

• Get unlimited, FREE One-Day Delivery on millions of items
• Watch over 15,000 movies and TV episodes with unlimited instant streaming
• Borrow from thousands of titles from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
• Secure, unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
• Listen to over 2 million songs on Prime Music

To find out whether the service is for you, you can sign up to a free 30 Day Trial of Amazon Prime (with no obligation to stay signed up).

What items would you recommend?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this New Baby Blog Post. To keep up to date with all my latest posts, you can SUBSCRIBE to The Exhausted Mum or follow me on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.xxxx