By any means or standards we are no experts in anything. But we were so grateful to our friends who gave us tips, shared their tricks and who lent and gave us stuff. New friends fell pregnant and all of a sudden asked us for tips and trick.... So perhaps this list can help you too.
We aren't getting commission (sadly) for any of these items, and reviews are purely based on our own experience and what worked for us and our baby. Feel free to chip in in the comments.
We are still in the progress of adding more things to this list... So do check again later for updates.
Newborn
Although our baby was 95% breastfed we also used to give the occasional bottle for both formula and expressed milk. We were lucky and could borrow a fair few things from friends, which made the initial outlay much cheaper.
Electric breast pump
Medela
Recommended. ★★★
A friend lent me her Mandela breast pump and I found it worked fine. I never tried a different one so have no comparison. However, I would recommend this one.
Bottles
Tommee Tippee
Highly Recommended. ★★★★
We used Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles and teats (are still using them now) and were very happy.
Sterliser
Avent
★★
The steriliser we used was from Avent and sufficed just fine. Looking at fiends' sterilisers though, in retrospect ours could have been bigger and less fiddley. Perhaps get a different one.
Weaning age
Oh are you excited much? Your baby is about to taste that first mouthful of "solid" food. I guarantee you, their face will be priceless!
Spoons
Avent
Not recommended ☆
Don't get these Avent ones. They are too shallow and the handle too clunky. We got them as gift as part of a different order and didn't like them much.
Food Containers
Avent
Highly recommended ★★★★
These were fab and are still useful now. The two different sizes are both nice sizes for freezing food or taking a lunch out in.
Yup... that little kicking creature will soon be born and needing looooots of love and cuddles. And nappy changes.... aaaand sleep.
Change table
Steen for kids change table
Highly recommended ★★★★
We wanted a nice and big changing table which could later be used as furniture in the Monkey's room. We went for this one and are very happy with our decision. It's big and sturdy, and can be converted into a normal chest of drawers and two little book shelves. Comes in natural wood or white.
Change mat
Our John Lewis change mat was fabulous but now that one year of age it is slowly showing. Fair enough at the price of £17 - it lasted its value. And we are still using it despite the cracks in the plastic.
Bedside cot
We wish we had had a bedside cot like this one. It sits right next to the bed and makes breastfeeding (bottle feeding of course) and cuddling that much easier. Instead we had a Moses basket which turned out to be a pain. A Bednest (or similar) would have made nursing easier and would have made our baby feel closer. If you're in the UK check the NCT website - they do rent out bedside cots like these.
Cot bed
Steens for kids ★★★★
We did however buy a lovely big cot which can be used for three years and has three different height settings, plus several ways in which to remove some of the sides or all of them. We found it sturdy and well made. It's a great investment if you don't want to spend more money later on. But for a tiny baby it will feel huge and might need bolsters to make it smaller and more cosy initially. This one is from Steens for kids - it is made from real wood and comes in natural or white.
Because the sides can be removed, we ended up using this cot much like a bednest and had the monkey sleeping in his on cot, flush with our bed. Easy cuddles.
Newborn babies don't really need an awful lot initially. However there were a few things that we felt came in handy...
Mobile
Tiny Love mobile Recommended but not essential. ★★★★
This came in super handy when I wanted a quick shower. He loved watching the animals turn and the music is nice and soothing. Now at a year old he still enjoys the music part of the mobile which he can start by pressing the buttons. It comes with a night light, too, which I sure will come in handy in months to come. The remote control was never used by us, but the veggie baby still gets a thrill out of it.
Ultimately there is no reason to have a battery operated one over a wooden one, though. So whatever suits your taste.
Wooden mobile
Goki - dragons
Cute ★★★
A friend sent this mobile as a present and I really like it. It's colourful and pretty. I am quite biased towards wooden toys and this once ticks all the boxes. We have it hanging above the change table as distraction.
Bouncer
Fisher Price Rainbow Bouncer Highly Recommended ★★★★
This was lent to us by a friend and has been a definitive best buy (only it wasn't bought but you get the idea). Being able to safely strap our baby in, while we cooked or needed the toilet, made life a lot easier. It was sturdy yet bounced nicely. The arch with the colourful animals also started some music when pulled / pressed (depending on model). I tried a few bouncers at friends' houses and some were just that little bit too flimsy, so don't be too stingy. Would definitely recommend this bouncer.
Play Mat
Fisher Price Rainbow Gym
Highly recommended although at ~£40 not cheap ★★★★
There are many a play mats about and again it depends on what you like or don't like. I liked the look of this one and I also liked the clever little extras this mat has. It has the typical four arches which each have one toy hanging off it. In the centre where the arches meet are four lights which flash to music once switched on. The mat has several settings for the music.: instrumental songs and a rainforest style chirpy nature sound and two settings for volume. There is one extra setting, gimmicky but great, which is the movement activated sound setting. Your baby pulls a toy and it starts off he music and lights. This play mat lasted us a solid eight months when interest slowly dwindled. Worth every pound.
Lamaze Lion & Lamaze Mittens the Kittens
Highly recommended ★★★★
Turns out I am a sucker for Lamaze toys. They are just excellent. Colourful, lots of textures and things to explore for little baby eyes, baby hands and of course little baby gums. The lion "roars" when the head gets tilted, which still causes amusement and a reply roar from our Monkey.
Lovies & comforters
Mamas and Papas bunny snuggler
We had a few little snuggle blanket/toy things which we got given. None which have became a "lovie" or favourite. I quite like this bunny snuggler - it's soft, has a very light little rattle in the head and a teething ring at one of the ends. You can also put a finger into the bunny head turning it into a little finger puppet. But since we never really used any I won't recommend any one in particular. They are handy to have though, and they make nice gifts.
Books
If you're in the UK make sure you get your Bookstart set at a local library or some doctors' surgeries. The pack contains a paper booklet with black and white illustrations - great for newborns! As well as more advanced picture books. We still read "Making friends" at bed time.
6-12 months
Osborne feely books
Highly recommended
These are fabulous. We have a couple of these. Simple illustrations with tangible textures.
Noisy books
Be aware that not all noisy books have a good sound quality. We have two which are great. And we have one which sounds quite disturbing!
Usborne Baby's very first noisy nursery rhymes
Highly recommended - although gimmicky ★★★★
Although the book only plays the instrumental tune and not the lyrics, this is still a great little book. I didn't know the songs or lyrics previously (I didn't grow up to English nursery rhymes) but worked it out pretty quickly. It has become part of our evening ritual and signals it's the last little activity before sleep. The classic five nursery rhymes are illustrated in the familiar Osborne style. There are plenty of little details to talk about before or after singing the songs.
Usborne Baby's very first noisy book (Animals)
Recommended - although gimmicky ★★★★
Although again a little bit gimmicky this is still a cute book. We bought it second hand and I wish we had paid extra to buy it new. Our baby loved the animal sounds, in fact hi s face always lit up with amazement. The book has know broke, so, sadly we won't get to the part where he can press the buttons himself.
Noisy Farm
Not recommended ☆
Although the story is lovely and nicely illustrated, the animal sounds are distorted and therefor for a little disturbing. For the price I would have expected a better quality. Perhaps we were just unlucky and got a broken one.
Toddler
Coming soon
I loved wearing or carrying our baby. It gave me a and him a sense of closeness. He was snugly tucked in and always with me (partially cause he didn't have it any other way).
Carrier
Baby Björn
Not recommended. ☆
A friend sent me her Baby Bjorn carrier, which was a step up from a similar carrier another friend had lent me. However, both myself and hubby got terrible back pain after only a few minutes of wearing the Monkey in it. I found out that in Germany the reviews for this carrier are quite condemning. Apparently the "seat" that the baby sits in isn't wide enough for baby's hips. This is amplified when used front-facing. Especially in the he first few month baby's hips are meant to be spread nice and open like a frog's. He generally sat loosely in the carrier despite various adjustments and it never looked comfortable of quite safe. My advice: Don't buy.
Carrier
Ergo Baby (with infant insert)
Absolute favourite. Highly recommended. ★★★★
This carrier is fantastic and worth the monkey. A lovely friend had used this carrier for several years and told me about it when I was looking into alternatives to the Baby Björn carrier. There are different models with slight differences. We went for the "performance" once with infant insert for babies under four months old, and have never looked back. It sits on the hips and therefor doesn't strain on the back. Our baby fitted in nice and snug and was happy being carried around. The carrier has three positions: on the front, on the side, on the back. Note: there is no front facing option. We still use the carrier to date (Monkey is 13 months old at time of writing). Love it.
Carrier
Moby Wrap
Another favourite. Highly recommened. ★★★★
Although a bit of a wriggle to put on this is a great carrier. It really gave our baby that enclosed snug safety that babies are meant to be enjoying when they are just born (and months after!). There are many ways in tying this wrap and once you get the hang of it it's quite quickly.
Pram
Mamas and Papas Sola
Recommended. ★★★★
For our pram system we chose via Which? reviews.
Mamas and Papas Sola pram system worked well for us.
The pram cot was cozy - although the mattress could have done with being a tad thicker and softer. The car seat Cybex Aton had great safety reviews internationally and we bought the isofix base for it. At a year old and 10.5kg baby weight we are still getting use out of it.
The stroller seat is great. It has several different back settings from flat to sitting upright. Like the car seat it can be used front or rear facing on the pram.
From 6 months to 2 years
Deuter Kid Comfort 2
Highly recommended for hikers or city trippers. Pricey. ★★★★
We wanted to take our baby hiking. Although the Ergo Baby carrier can be used for kids up to two years we wanted to get a hiking one. The big issue for us was that we wanted one that can be used by myself at 172cm / 5ft7.5 as well as Jaime who is 190cm / 6ft2. The kid Comfort is a great buy. It has lots of ways to adjust for he person carrying as well as forth e child. At the first use our baby just loved being so high up and seeing everything! He then feel asleep looking comfortable an and safe. We bought the extra sun cover (with rain cover) at additional €20 because we knew we would be using it in mainly sunny conditions. The carrier has a small storage below the seat (not that you'd want to carry much more than your child) and has a few handy zip pockets for smaller items like lip balm or sunscreen.
Newborn
Nothing, I breastfed and made sure I was on quality breast feeding vitamins
Little toddler
We were recommended to give our veggie baby a B12 supplement from 12 months on. Check back - we are doing our research on which supplement is a good one.
Beware of essential oils. Some can have contraindications when used in pregnancy. So do be careful and ask your GP or read up on them
Mama Mio
Highly recommended but very expensive ★★★★
My friend gave me a gift set of Mama Mio - oh I loved it.
The O-Mega lotion made me feel like I had just been in a spa. Rubbed my belly it with it and felt all spoiled afterwards. Boy if only we were made of money ;)
Bio Oil
★★
I used Bio Oil and didn't mind it. However I had read a Which? review and it stated Bio Oil having no effect on scars or stretch marks in terms of stretch marks or reducing scars.
Vitamins and supplements
Pregnacare
★★★★
I used these vitamins in addition to healthy and balanced eating and they worked fine for me. I wasn't iron deficient throughout pregnancy and generally felt very healthy. If you aren't a vegetarian and eat fish, you may want to consider buying the pack which have additional omga fish oil tablets as these are great for baby's brain development.
.
We aren't getting commission (sadly) for any of these items, and reviews are purely based on our own experience and what worked for us and our baby. Feel free to chip in in the comments.
We are still in the progress of adding more things to this list... So do check again later for updates.
FEEDING AND EATING
NewbornAlthough our baby was 95% breastfed we also used to give the occasional bottle for both formula and expressed milk. We were lucky and could borrow a fair few things from friends, which made the initial outlay much cheaper.
Medela
Recommended. ★★★
A friend lent me her Mandela breast pump and I found it worked fine. I never tried a different one so have no comparison. However, I would recommend this one.
Tommee Tippee
Highly Recommended. ★★★★
We used Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles and teats (are still using them now) and were very happy.
Avent
★★
The steriliser we used was from Avent and sufficed just fine. Looking at fiends' sterilisers though, in retrospect ours could have been bigger and less fiddley. Perhaps get a different one.
Weaning age
Oh are you excited much? Your baby is about to taste that first mouthful of "solid" food. I guarantee you, their face will be priceless!
Avent
Not recommended ☆
Don't get these Avent ones. They are too shallow and the handle too clunky. We got them as gift as part of a different order and didn't like them much.
Avent
Highly recommended ★★★★
These were fab and are still useful now. The two different sizes are both nice sizes for freezing food or taking a lunch out in.
NURSERY
NewbornYup... that little kicking creature will soon be born and needing looooots of love and cuddles. And nappy changes.... aaaand sleep.
Steen for kids change table
Highly recommended ★★★★
We wanted a nice and big changing table which could later be used as furniture in the Monkey's room. We went for this one and are very happy with our decision. It's big and sturdy, and can be converted into a normal chest of drawers and two little book shelves. Comes in natural wood or white.
Our John Lewis change mat was fabulous but now that one year of age it is slowly showing. Fair enough at the price of £17 - it lasted its value. And we are still using it despite the cracks in the plastic.
We wish we had had a bedside cot like this one. It sits right next to the bed and makes breastfeeding (bottle feeding of course) and cuddling that much easier. Instead we had a Moses basket which turned out to be a pain. A Bednest (or similar) would have made nursing easier and would have made our baby feel closer. If you're in the UK check the NCT website - they do rent out bedside cots like these.
Steens for kids ★★★★
We did however buy a lovely big cot which can be used for three years and has three different height settings, plus several ways in which to remove some of the sides or all of them. We found it sturdy and well made. It's a great investment if you don't want to spend more money later on. But for a tiny baby it will feel huge and might need bolsters to make it smaller and more cosy initially. This one is from Steens for kids - it is made from real wood and comes in natural or white.
Because the sides can be removed, we ended up using this cot much like a bednest and had the monkey sleeping in his on cot, flush with our bed. Easy cuddles.
CHILD'S PLAY
NewbornNewborn babies don't really need an awful lot initially. However there were a few things that we felt came in handy...
Tiny Love mobile Recommended but not essential. ★★★★
This came in super handy when I wanted a quick shower. He loved watching the animals turn and the music is nice and soothing. Now at a year old he still enjoys the music part of the mobile which he can start by pressing the buttons. It comes with a night light, too, which I sure will come in handy in months to come. The remote control was never used by us, but the veggie baby still gets a thrill out of it.
Ultimately there is no reason to have a battery operated one over a wooden one, though. So whatever suits your taste.
Goki - dragons
Cute ★★★
A friend sent this mobile as a present and I really like it. It's colourful and pretty. I am quite biased towards wooden toys and this once ticks all the boxes. We have it hanging above the change table as distraction.
Fisher Price Rainbow Bouncer Highly Recommended ★★★★
This was lent to us by a friend and has been a definitive best buy (only it wasn't bought but you get the idea). Being able to safely strap our baby in, while we cooked or needed the toilet, made life a lot easier. It was sturdy yet bounced nicely. The arch with the colourful animals also started some music when pulled / pressed (depending on model). I tried a few bouncers at friends' houses and some were just that little bit too flimsy, so don't be too stingy. Would definitely recommend this bouncer.
Fisher Price Rainbow Gym
Highly recommended although at ~£40 not cheap ★★★★
There are many a play mats about and again it depends on what you like or don't like. I liked the look of this one and I also liked the clever little extras this mat has. It has the typical four arches which each have one toy hanging off it. In the centre where the arches meet are four lights which flash to music once switched on. The mat has several settings for the music.: instrumental songs and a rainforest style chirpy nature sound and two settings for volume. There is one extra setting, gimmicky but great, which is the movement activated sound setting. Your baby pulls a toy and it starts off he music and lights. This play mat lasted us a solid eight months when interest slowly dwindled. Worth every pound.
Highly recommended ★★★★
Turns out I am a sucker for Lamaze toys. They are just excellent. Colourful, lots of textures and things to explore for little baby eyes, baby hands and of course little baby gums. The lion "roars" when the head gets tilted, which still causes amusement and a reply roar from our Monkey.
Mamas and Papas bunny snuggler
We had a few little snuggle blanket/toy things which we got given. None which have became a "lovie" or favourite. I quite like this bunny snuggler - it's soft, has a very light little rattle in the head and a teething ring at one of the ends. You can also put a finger into the bunny head turning it into a little finger puppet. But since we never really used any I won't recommend any one in particular. They are handy to have though, and they make nice gifts.
If you're in the UK make sure you get your Bookstart set at a local library or some doctors' surgeries. The pack contains a paper booklet with black and white illustrations - great for newborns! As well as more advanced picture books. We still read "Making friends" at bed time.
6-12 months
Osborne feely books
Highly recommended
These are fabulous. We have a couple of these. Simple illustrations with tangible textures.
Noisy books
Be aware that not all noisy books have a good sound quality. We have two which are great. And we have one which sounds quite disturbing!
Highly recommended - although gimmicky ★★★★
Although the book only plays the instrumental tune and not the lyrics, this is still a great little book. I didn't know the songs or lyrics previously (I didn't grow up to English nursery rhymes) but worked it out pretty quickly. It has become part of our evening ritual and signals it's the last little activity before sleep. The classic five nursery rhymes are illustrated in the familiar Osborne style. There are plenty of little details to talk about before or after singing the songs.
Recommended - although gimmicky ★★★★
Although again a little bit gimmicky this is still a cute book. We bought it second hand and I wish we had paid extra to buy it new. Our baby loved the animal sounds, in fact hi s face always lit up with amazement. The book has know broke, so, sadly we won't get to the part where he can press the buttons himself.
Not recommended ☆
Although the story is lovely and nicely illustrated, the animal sounds are distorted and therefor for a little disturbing. For the price I would have expected a better quality. Perhaps we were just unlucky and got a broken one.
Toddler
Coming soon
BABY TRANSPORT
NewbornI loved wearing or carrying our baby. It gave me a and him a sense of closeness. He was snugly tucked in and always with me (partially cause he didn't have it any other way).
Baby Björn
Not recommended. ☆
A friend sent me her Baby Bjorn carrier, which was a step up from a similar carrier another friend had lent me. However, both myself and hubby got terrible back pain after only a few minutes of wearing the Monkey in it. I found out that in Germany the reviews for this carrier are quite condemning. Apparently the "seat" that the baby sits in isn't wide enough for baby's hips. This is amplified when used front-facing. Especially in the he first few month baby's hips are meant to be spread nice and open like a frog's. He generally sat loosely in the carrier despite various adjustments and it never looked comfortable of quite safe. My advice: Don't buy.
Ergo Baby (with infant insert)
Absolute favourite. Highly recommended. ★★★★
This carrier is fantastic and worth the monkey. A lovely friend had used this carrier for several years and told me about it when I was looking into alternatives to the Baby Björn carrier. There are different models with slight differences. We went for the "performance" once with infant insert for babies under four months old, and have never looked back. It sits on the hips and therefor doesn't strain on the back. Our baby fitted in nice and snug and was happy being carried around. The carrier has three positions: on the front, on the side, on the back. Note: there is no front facing option. We still use the carrier to date (Monkey is 13 months old at time of writing). Love it.
Moby Wrap
Another favourite. Highly recommened. ★★★★
Although a bit of a wriggle to put on this is a great carrier. It really gave our baby that enclosed snug safety that babies are meant to be enjoying when they are just born (and months after!). There are many ways in tying this wrap and once you get the hang of it it's quite quickly.
Mamas and Papas Sola
Recommended. ★★★★
For our pram system we chose via Which? reviews.
Mamas and Papas Sola pram system worked well for us.
The pram cot was cozy - although the mattress could have done with being a tad thicker and softer. The car seat Cybex Aton had great safety reviews internationally and we bought the isofix base for it. At a year old and 10.5kg baby weight we are still getting use out of it.
The stroller seat is great. It has several different back settings from flat to sitting upright. Like the car seat it can be used front or rear facing on the pram.
From 6 months to 2 years
Highly recommended for hikers or city trippers. Pricey. ★★★★
We wanted to take our baby hiking. Although the Ergo Baby carrier can be used for kids up to two years we wanted to get a hiking one. The big issue for us was that we wanted one that can be used by myself at 172cm / 5ft7.5 as well as Jaime who is 190cm / 6ft2. The kid Comfort is a great buy. It has lots of ways to adjust for he person carrying as well as forth e child. At the first use our baby just loved being so high up and seeing everything! He then feel asleep looking comfortable an and safe. We bought the extra sun cover (with rain cover) at additional €20 because we knew we would be using it in mainly sunny conditions. The carrier has a small storage below the seat (not that you'd want to carry much more than your child) and has a few handy zip pockets for smaller items like lip balm or sunscreen.
SUPPLEMENTS AND VITAMINS
NewbornNothing, I breastfed and made sure I was on quality breast feeding vitamins
Little toddler
We were recommended to give our veggie baby a B12 supplement from 12 months on. Check back - we are doing our research on which supplement is a good one.
FOR MAMA (pregnancy and beyond)
Lotions and potionsBeware of essential oils. Some can have contraindications when used in pregnancy. So do be careful and ask your GP or read up on them
Highly recommended but very expensive ★★★★
My friend gave me a gift set of Mama Mio - oh I loved it.
The O-Mega lotion made me feel like I had just been in a spa. Rubbed my belly it with it and felt all spoiled afterwards. Boy if only we were made of money ;)
★★
I used Bio Oil and didn't mind it. However I had read a Which? review and it stated Bio Oil having no effect on scars or stretch marks in terms of stretch marks or reducing scars.
Vitamins and supplements
Pregnacare
★★★★
I used these vitamins in addition to healthy and balanced eating and they worked fine for me. I wasn't iron deficient throughout pregnancy and generally felt very healthy. If you aren't a vegetarian and eat fish, you may want to consider buying the pack which have additional omga fish oil tablets as these are great for baby's brain development.
.
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