Being a mum can be a challenge but having the right kit around you can make a world of difference. I thought I’d better write this list of baby and mum things that helped Rupert and I navigate our first year together before I forgot completely! I had quiet the interesting experience-I breastfed, pumped, donated, bottle-fed, weaned, had emergency hospital visits, had a tiny 4lb 7 baby, tongue tie and so on! So I feel I learnt A LOT in those initial 12 months. I also researched very intensely before I purchased anything so I hope that some of these suggestions may be useful for any mum or mum to be and save her some very sacred time. Where possible I tried to be natural or ethical BUT there are some plastic things mentioned too because this is what I really used and what really worked. xx

Newborn Essentials

Maxi Cosi Pebble Car seat- You’ll use this constantly, lug it into cafes, doctors appointments and be so grateful that your baby loves sleeping in it. Maxi Cosi are wonderful, safe and really sturdy. Also on a side note they also have a wonderful scheme for baby’s with hip dysplasia and will rent you a new baby seat for when your babe is in a cast. I love this company. (Oh and yes I also got the Iso Fix base for the car, waaaay easier than fiddling around with a carseat!

Mountain Buggy Urban Jungle Pram- We needed a very hardy pram that was going to withstand our farm life, mud, fields and the Northern Irish weather. This was just the ticket and when we brought it to Copenhagen we realised it was a favourite among the Nordic mums too!

Ergo Baby 360 Carrier- Absolutely vital!! When Roo was tiny he was so happy to just hang out in the ergo baby and sleep, now that he’s older we still use it for walks. A brilliant product. I also had a cloth sling for when he was a newborn.

Snuz Pod- Another must have. A gorgeous cot that has the option to become a co-sleeper or a stand-alone cot. You can also remove the bassinet and use that in your sitting room in the day. Ps. buy sheets for it on amazon to save some money. The Snuzpod lasted Roo until he was ready to move into his own room at about 6 months.

Paca Pod Baby Bag-A lovely British designed baby bag with really useful pods for food and nappies.

Baby Bjorn Balance Bouncer Chair- A chic and minimal baby chair that keeps them happy for ages. I also bought this sweet wooden toy for it too.

Blankets-Some beautiful baby blankets are a must for a newborn! I love this ethical ones by Scandi brand Fab Goose and also Foxford Ireland‘s polka dot blanket.

Sleepyhead Deluxe-I used this as an insert for the Snuzpod to make Rupert’s bed extra cosy. There’s now alot of advice against using an insert but I still love this for a place for baby to chill out on your bed or play. (ps Boden Muslins work well as a cover as they’re extra big)

I wished I’d bought…a sheepskin for a playmat. So much prettier!

Essential Must Haves for breastfeeding and pumping

Emma Jane Nursing Bra-Super soft and hard wearing. Don’t even think of underwire or anything too intricate in those first few weeks. Keep it soft and simple. I used these throughout breastfeeding and at night.

Heidi Klum Madeleine Maternity Bra- For when you want to feel a bit sexier again these are GORGEOUS!! And very comfy!

Silver Nursing cups - I had an undiagnosed tongue tie with Roo so had some really badly damaged nipples as a result. These silver cups were great as a natural antibacterial shield during the day and speeds up healing.

Nipple Shields- For when the damage is just too much these can save the day.

Double Pump by Medela- If you’re considering pumping don’t even think about that single pump. I bought the single pump by medela initially and then had to upgrade. While you’re at it make sure you donate some milk to the human milk bank for premature babies!

Hakka pump- Great for breastfeeding, when you want to capture the let down on the other side.

Ana Wiz Bamboo breast pads- I really loved these for around the house and they’re reusable too, which is great. Super soft! I got two packs of these.

Lansinoh nipple cream- a must!

Hot flannel and water- Make sure you get a hot flannel onto your breasts daily for a few seconds then gently rub to keep milk ducts clear!

Lush Dream Cream- for sore mummy skin and C-Section scars.

Nursing Pillow- a complete must and perfect for a tummy time cushion later on too!

I wish I’d bought…the double pump by Medela straight away instead of a manual, then the single before I gave in and got the double.

A Note on donating: One of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life was to donate milk to the milk bank. I got a letter back saying that the milk had fed 6 premature babies. Please, please donate milk if you’ve got some extra-all details can be found here.

Essentials for Baby’s First Cold and Hospital Visits

Baby Wedge Pillow or Jilly Cooper Novels (to prop up the cot when the baby has a cold) Ok, so we had a lot of colds, bronchitis and reflux to deal with and if you are also dealing with this get some big books out of the bookcase and prop up one end of your cot. Other essentials for a cold are nasal spray, calpol and a drop of olbus oil on their sleeping bags.

Very Hungry caterpillar- This is a brilliant toy to pop into the car, onto your pram or onto a hospital bed if you end up there. So bright and crinkly.

Kimono style baby vests- Ideal for checkups, hospital visits, as you don’t need to undress the baby fully. H&M do a nice organic range of these.

Rubber pacifier- We love these! Easy to clean and natural. If you do find yourself needing to go to the hospital do get a pacifier!!

Colic Solved by Bryan Vartabedian If you’re pulling your hair out over a non-stop crying baby consider that they might have silent reflux. Doctors don’t really suggest this I notice but do go and get help. You’ll probably end up with Infant Gaviscon or a milk thickener. And yes it does get better x

I wish I’d bought…the Paca Pod baby bag sooner-I was a chaotic mess using my handbag for weeks until I realised baby bags exist for reason!

Essential Baby Toys

Black and White book- Roo loved this soft black and white book. It has a little mirror to stimulate them and as it’s soft they can bite it too so bonus points for that!

Baby gym- essential toy for a new baby. This one is very pretty as it’s all wood.

Sophie the Giraffe- The hype is real! Roo adores his Sophie and it makes a great teether.

Jumperoo- The only way I got any work done! A great purchase.

I wish I’d bought…less toys initially, Roo only wanted me for ages!

Essential Baby Bathing and Changing Products

Angelcare Bath Insert- Until your babe is sitting up this is a great help at bath time. Keeps them in one place and stops slipping.

Naty Nappies- If you can’t do reusable then these are a brilliant alternative. They’re eco friendly but disposable. I don’t use these at night though-Pampers are better for night.

Water wipes-No scent and good for sensitive baby skin.

Cheeky Wipes- Another must. We use these reusable baby wipes at home and they’re really easy to clean and use. We’ve saved ourselves so much money and stopped filling up the bin with wipes. A great bargain too!

Weleda Nappy Cream and Calendula range- Roo has sensitive skin and I found the weleda range the best for him. The nappy cream is just gorgeous too and smells lovely!

Bambino Mio all in ones- I use cloth nappies a few times in a week and these are my choice. They come in cute prints and wash easily. No fiddly fastenings to deal with.

I wish I’d bought…the naty nappies right at the start. They are brilliant!

Essential Baby Sleep Training Kit

Getting your baby into their own bedroom and sleeping through the night isnt exactly easy on anyone. I felt so lonely without little Rupert beside me. But in the longterm we all won out and were much happier come morning time. I stick by a good night routine including a book, bath and bottle. Here’s my essentials to get a good nights sleep.

Cot by Mokee-A lovely classic baby cot that’s also pretty inexpensive.

The Good Sleeper by Dr Janet Kennedy A great introduction to how to get your baby to sleep through the night. Sleep training does work and this book has tons of great tips! Remember though that a newborn cant sleep through the night, wait until around 6 months before you try sleep training. I woke as and when I was needed with Rupert until his was 6 months then I woke up once around 1am to feed and now at 1 year he sleeps from 6.30pm until 6am.

Comforter- Essential piece of sleep training kit. I love this one by Jellycat.

Pigeon Organics-Beautiful organic onesies that feel very high quality.

Merino Kids Baby Sleeping Bag- soft, natural and long wearing. The first size will fit from 0-24months too!

Night Light and Monitor

I wish I’d bought…more high quality baby gros instead of cheaper ones. Pigeon are great!

Essential Baby Feeding Equipment

Tommee Tippee bottles- It was a happy day when I threw away my leaking Dr Brown bottles and replaced them with these. You will need a sanitiser and bottle brush too which is why I like this kit. The electronic sanitiser is great for travelling to places without a microwave.

Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair-Essential and very pretty to look at. Bonus points it can be adapted for use with a baby in a hip cast.

Bamboo Bamboo plate- A lovely natural plate with a stay put sucker.

Tommee Tippee feeding spoons- very soft and Roo teethes on his.

Ella’s Kitchen pouches- Because, in reality we sometimes need help! This range is gorgeous, tasty and organic. Win win!

Fabelab Bibs- A beautiful chic bib that withstands a lot of dribble. A little tricky to find but Mama Owl has them (and also lots of other gorgeous natural baby things!)

Pop-In Baby Bib-I love this long sleeved waterproof bib. In fact as I write this Rupert is sitting next to me in his Stokke chair wearing the rocket print one!

I wish I’d bought…the Ella’s Kitchen Cookbook sooner. It’s SO good!

Essentials for Mum

Apart from bras and breast things that I mentioned above there’s also a few other things I wanted to mention as mums tend to forget about themselves! Here are some must-haves just for mum.

Bianca Jones Engraved Birthstone pendant-I really wanted a special piece of jewellery to remember Roo’s first year by and this was SO perfect. I love having something to cherish and hand down to him too.

Ballet Beautiful Post Natal Workouts-There are lots of great workouts by Mary Helen Bowers of Ballet Beautiful including a series for C Section mums too. These workouts get results and are elegant too!

I wish I’d…be gentler on myself and relaxed more.

I hope you’ve found this huge list useful and if you think I’ve missed something then please let us all know in the comments below! Thanks for reading 🙂

Becky x

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