When I was pregnant with my first, I had a huge list of baby items that I was eager to get my hands on. I needed everything, the bottle warmer, the nappy bin, the cot, the steriliser, the nappy bag. I mean, my life was about to change and I had NO idea about what I would and wouldn’t use.
Fast forward 3 and a bit years, and here I am, incredibly blessed, with my third little babe. This time around, I barely bought anything. Sure, we had a few hand me downs, but I felt so confident about what I would and wouldn’t use that I didn’t have that urge to splurge on absolutely everything.
Nope, we don’t need a nappy bin, our usual kitchen bin worked just fine.
Yes, we need a car seat, but NO we don’t need that bottle warmer.
Those first few months are a total blur with your baby, and a lot of days look the same. I’ve come to realise that we do four main things together - we feed, we play, we sleep and ever so often we go out (catching up with a friend, running errands, doctor appointments you name it).
I’d love to share about what baby items I’m currently using, that help make these four activities SO much easier.
[1] FOR GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE
As much as I love my routine, I find it is so important to be flexible as well. Sometimes you have to run errands, go to the doctor or simply catch up with a friend for your mental health. I found a great way for me to keep my routine is babywearing. I’ve used the same amazing Vixsa Wrap Carrier with all three of my kiddies and it’s one of my all-time favourite baby items. Benn will fall asleep in 2 minutes if I’m babywearing him, and it allows me the freedom to move about, get out of the house whilst he still fits in a good nap.
I’ve also used the wrap to “save naps”, so if Benn wakes up a bit early, I’ll pop him in the wrap, and he usually falls back asleep because he’s close to his mama.
There is something special about babywearing too. It’s hard to put into words, it almost takes you back to being pregnant. Just you and your baby. Snug as a bug and close to you. They’re only small for such a short season, and babywearing is a nice way to soak up this newborn stage.
[2] FOR FEED TIME
According to my breastfeeding app, I have spent nearly 80 hours of the last 28 days breastfeeding - and that only includes the actual time to breast, not the time burping, wiping up vomit and working on re-latching. What I’m trying to say, is you spend A LOT of time feeding.
Something that has made my feeding journey so much easier, is having a quality feeding pillow. Mine was gifted to me over 3 years ago, but it’s a nice solid sturdy pillow that has made feeding so much more comfortable.
I also forgot how hungry you get when you’re breastfeeding. I always have my box of Milky Goodness cookies nearby, so I can munch on them during feeds. They are lactation cookies and I swear blind by them in terms of boosting your supply!
[3] FOR PLAYTIME
Benn is still a small babe, so our playtime often consists of the basics - tummy time, reading, and me just playing with some soft toys above his head so he can see them. We do this all in our little tummy time corner. The item I can’t live without is our foam baby mat. It is SO comfortable! I love it so much because it is padded. It is also super easy to clean up any spills or baby vomits.
I also got a deck of The Tummy Timer Play Card play prompts. They are so full of fun little activities that are perfect for Benn's first year - things like introducing a mirror, or twinkle lights in a tub. There are so many cute ideas for playtime activities for babes that can’t crawl or walk yet!
[4] FOR SLEEP TIME
Sleep is really important to me, I’ve always worked hard on getting my babes to fall into a good routine. I firmly believe that one of the keys to good sleep is a swaddle. I’m a bit old school here, I tried the sleeping bags and sleep pouches and I honestly found that nothing beats a quality swaddle in these early days.
My mother in law made us some beautiful larger sized swaddles when my eldest was born, but since then we upgraded to the Vixsa Bamboo Swaddles. These are the biggest swaddles I’ve found on the market (I birth big babies) and I love how stretchy and breathable the fabric is, especially in the warmer months!
Benn has been an amazing sleeper and I swear blind that swaddling has something to do with it!
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT...
So there you have it, all of the baby items that I currently cannot live without. These items have all stood the test of time, and I have used them for all of my babies. These first few months are always a whirlwind. I try to take things slow and do things one day at a time. I focus on the four parts of our day, sleeping, playing, feeding and sometimes going out.
The time goes by so quickly. Soon, the babies outgrow the swaddles, they start eating solids, they want to climb instead of lay down. My advice to any new mama is to soak it up. Before you know it you have a sassy toddler talking back at you and you're left wondering where your little newborn went.
Oh, and I almost forgot the most important item of all - my camera. I try to keep my camera nearby, but most days, my iPhone is the main tool I use to document things. I try to take photos and videos daily, to document these fleeting moments and to one day, look back on when I'm old and grey.