With Tabitha being my second I definitely felt more prepared and knowledgeable of items I would or wouldn't need for her as a baby. So, I thought I'd do a little post for those first time mums - please note that what works for one may not necessarily work for another.
1. Chicco Next To Me Crib (RRP £179 but I found it here for £124.99. However, there a new version out as well available here for £179).
I knew I was going to breastfeed Tabitha but wasn't comfortable with the idea of co-sleeping, as Jamie is quite a deep sleeper, and so I wanted the concept of it but to do it safely. This was a god send. I had a cesarean with Tabitha and it took me a lot longer to receover with her than it did with Casper, so the ease of getting her out of bed was a dream. The constant feeding during the night didn't mean i had to get up and bend, which if you've had a c-section you know the agony, and I could just scooch her out. It also meant I was close to her and my scent soothed her. I absolutely loved it and would recommend to anyone. We got a good 7/8 months out of it, until she learnt how to roll out of it.
2. Tula Ergonomic Baby Carrier. (RRP £119.90 available here, some designs on offer for £79.90 and Infant Insert £29.90 available here).
Tabitha loved being on me to settle and with having a 2 and a half year old it was so difficult to do two things at once. The carrier made this possible and meant I was hands free to do other things. You do have to buy the infant insert to use from newborn but the carrier is up to 20kg - which means I've been able to use it for Casper too, getting my money worth for sure. Obviously you don't specifically have to buy a tula as they are quite expensive (though I say very worth it!) I would definitely recommend investing in a sling or carrier. I'd recommend going to a sling library as you can try different slings and carriers and be shown how to use and fit them properly and safely.
3. Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather (RRP £14.99 found here on offer for £9.99).
I'd definitely say a summer infant bath seat, they are set up so they lay on them in the bath. We was given a baby bath with Casper and it was just so bulky and not used at all, as it was such an effort, so he was usually taken in the bath with daddy. We bought a summer infant bath seat for him and it was such great value, was easy to use and folded down so nice compact. We stored it away and brought it back out with Tabitha. It meant Casper and Tabitha could bath safely togetger and when she grew out of it, she went straight to sitting up in the bath - so nothing more was needed. I'd recommend highly above getting a baby bath. It also comes in pink or blue if that's important.
4. Head and ear thermometer.
This is a random one, but with Casper we just had a cheap under the arm one and it was so unreliable and we didn't know heads from tails with it. It was definitely something we knew we would spend a little more on in time for having Tabitha. We actually got it for under £13 at an aldi baby event, so was a bargain price and works as well as the more costly ones. It gave us peace of mind when we worried about temperature and was consistent if we had to go to the doctors as well.
5. Summer Infants, Slummer Buddies - Elephant (RRP £24.99, but we got it for £10 off and found it here for that too!)
This is something we used with Casper, we bought one and was gifted one, so had two from new born. It is a soft elephant, that has a light projector as a stomach - that projects stars and moon on the ceiling in three colours (red, green or blue) or it do it so it changes between the three. It, also, has white noise and lullabys that play for 15 minutes or 45 minutes. It helped calm both children and Casper still uses his now at almost 4. It has become a part of the bedtime routine. I wouldn't say it necessarily sends Tabitha to sleep, however it definitely helps with getting the mood ready for bed. Definitely worth the pennies though, as it isn't as expensive as other types of sleep aids on the market. They do some fab other animals too!
Those are our top 5, what do you recommend for first time mums? I want to think I'm much more knowledgeable the second time around but with that said, I definitely have some items that I regret buying for Tabitha. I'll be doing a top 5 regrest soon, so stay tuned if you're interested!
Thanks for reading :)
Natalie x
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