I’m constantly asked & always dishing out advice on what I find the most helpful buys for a newborn.

It’s a TOTAL MINEFIELD out there and you can often find yourself spending hundreds of pounds on things you simply don’t need & will never use. I’ve listed my top buys for newborns below to try and help you. All the items below I’ve used for my children and will be using them for the next baby too when she’s born later this year. I’ve listed my top 10 to get you through those early newborn days. I’ll do another blog for next stage up essentials soon. I have a massive online shopping addiction so all of the below you can buy online from the comfort of your sofa (and amazon prime features heavily in my spending habits!  Much to my hubby’s dismay!!)

Best baby buys:

1.Snuggle bathtub £19.99 amazon

This HAS to be my number 1 baby purchase. It allows for handsf ree bathing from birth and is recommended up to 6 months. Though I have a lazy mum confession – Indigo is 13 months and STILL in her Snuggle bath! I rest mine on my sink unit so it’s waist height and it totally saves your back bending down into a bathtub. It also only uses 2litres of water and they rest in the perfect position. I have used this everyday for Indigo for the past 13 months and ADORE it I cannot sing the praises of this product enough. Plus all for under £20!  A nightly bath time routine will help get your little into a great bedtime schedule and this is my total saving grace!

 

 

2.Happi Tummi £19.80 amazon

Both my babies have been colicky. (I will do a more in depth post on colic another time) Without doubt your baby will suffer from wind in the first 3 months of their life and it’s horrible to watch them in pain & also exhausting for you to deal with hours of crying. It’s a totally helpless feeling and you will find yourself wondering round for hours with your precious little one wondering what you can do! HELLO to Happi Tummi. This product is amazing. I have no idea how it actually works and sadly I didn’t know about it 7 years ago when I had my first baby Dixie. I discovered this with Indigo and it is AMAZING. It’s a simple herb / wheat bag that you pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds, put it into the little waistband and pop round baby’s waist. Once on rest baby on your shoulder and pat her back / bum whilst shushing her. The relief this gives is pretty much instant and it will calm them right away. It was a lifesaver with Indigo especially in the evening of in those early days where you & baby are getting used to life together.

3.White noise machine (Mybaby Homedics Soundspa) £20 amazon

 

White noise is amazing for babies, it helps them settle and relax reminding them of the sounds they heard in the womb.

There are SO many white noise devices out there that are a lot prettier than this one. Ewan the sheep, myhummy, Lula Doll I’ve tried them all and this one is my favourite & happens to be the cheapest too! When I had Dixie I also had a Homedics white noise machine that plugged in it was great. I’m yet to find the same one that plugs in that I had for Dixie so I’ve been using this for the past 13 months with Indigo and the only downside is having to change the batteries every month! I have it on ocean setting and leave it on all night. There is a timer option of 15,30 and 45 minutes but I’ve always left white noise on all night with both of my bubbas and find if they wake, they hear the white noise and it helps them drift back off happily to sleep. This is portable which is ideal for taking out the house with you or moving it from room to room in the house.

4. Angelcare sensor mat & video monitor prices range from £140-£270 buy from amazon

I had this 7 years ago when I first had Dixie and have used it again with Indigo and will use again with the new baby. I’ve always moved my babies into their own rooms pretty early on (earlier than the advised 6 months) and would never have done it without the peace of mind Angelcare provides. The sensor mat monitors baby’s breathing and movements and if it detects no movement or breathing a VERY loud alarm will go off alerting you. The video monitor is great too for watching your little one. The battery life can be a little iffy which is the only downside to this monitor, but I just have it plugged in all night on my bedside anyway. The video camera isn’t the best quality I’ve seen compared to other monitors but for me it’s worth sacrificing a little on that in order for the peace of mind with the sensor mat. I recommend Angelcare to everyone! Their customer service is also brilliant. With Clementine I bought the wireless one which didn’t come with a monitor but has been the best one yet. No wires is amazing and its so easy to take travelling etc without worrying about adaptors.

5. Dr Browns Bottles around £20 widely available I bought on amazon

I discovered Dr Browns bottles out of desperation 7yrs ago after having Dixie and bought them instantly for Indigo when I had her. They are the ‘original’ colic reducing bottles. Many brands have now followed suit and copied their design but as far as I’m aware these are the original and best in my opinion. The upside is they reduce wind significantly the downside is they are made up of quite a few parts so are fiddly when washing, sterilizing etc. Also the teats are very slow flowing so I’ve always moved my babies up to the teat 3 which is recommend for 6 months by the time they were around 8-10 weeks. I wouldn’t be without them though and swear by them for reducing wind and contributing to a happier baby!

6. Bibi Milk dispenser £14 amazon

It’s JUST a milk dispenser I hear you say, why do I need a recommendation for that?! There are many different milk dispensers out there but this is by far the best one. The others are wider and the way the funnel is (or lack of funnel on them) means the powder doesn’t fully come out. Also this is taller and thinner meaning it takes up less room in your changing bag when out and about too.

7. Kiddy Evo Luna i-size car seat & base £200 (ish)

 

My BIGGEST pet hate is seeing tiny newborn babies in car seats on prams. Did you know it’s recommended that babies should be in a car seat no longer than 30 mins? They should lie flat as much as possible for their little backs & also being upright in a car seat can lead to suffocation too. As their head can drop forward and block their airway. I was at the baby show when I stumbled upon KIDDY car seats. I was instantly impressed. When I had Dixie I automatically followed the crowd and went for a maxi cosi but with Indigo I was so happy to discover Kiddy. The first LAY FLAT car seat! I can’t recommend it enough It gives you peace of mind with regards to health and safety of your bubba and they are super cool designs. We have the zebra print one and I love it. Its i-size too which means its been tested to the latest safety standards and also means you can use it up to 15 months of age or 13kg. The downside of this seat is as baby gets bigger it can be a bit heavy. I stopped carrying it out the car and into the house with Indigo in it at around 9 months. I can’t sing the praises of this car seat enough though!

8. Sleepyhead £120 amazon

When I first heard about sleepyhead I have to admit I thought it was an expensive gimmick. My friend gave me one and so I tired it. Now I’m a total sleepyhead convert. Indigo slept soundly in hers and I recommend them to everyone now. I would have it in her cot with the angelcare mat under it and she slept soundly all night long. It makes baby feel safe and secure and keeps them in the perfect position. The downside to sleepyhead is the fact it’s a real pain to wash & the spare covers are expensive. I got round this by laying an extra large muslin over it like a sheet and tucking it underneath to reduce washing of the actual cover.

 

 

 

 

9. Aden and Anais satin edged security muslin from £10.99 for 2 on amazon.

 

We have 18 of these in my house!! I adore them. Safe to use from birth because of the muslin material, loads of pretty designs and super soft they are the perfect comforter to get your little person attached too. No more stinky, crusty teddies that you have to guard with your life in case you lose them. We wash ours over and over and rotate them so they are always clean and fresh. Indigo adores them and cuddles them in her sleep or whenever she is upset. I introduced them to indigo around 8 weeks of age to get her attached to a comforter in order to help her self settle and sleep peacefully and I haven’t looked back since. This time round I will introduce to baby from day 1. You probably don’t need to be as excessive as me with having 18 but I would recommend buying 2-3 packs so you always have a clean one to hand wherever you are. Keep one in your changing bag, one in the car, one upstairs one downstairs etc!!

10. ByBoom car seat swaddle wrap £35 amazon

 

 

I adore the ByBoom car seat swaddle. It’s not recommended for baby to be in a cr seat in a snowsuit or padded coat because it means the car seat straps aren’t tight enough on an impact. SO hello ByBoom! It’s a blanket that means you can strap little one in safely and it keeps them snug and warm too. They have loads of gorgeous designs – we have the little mouse one! I particularly like the little leg compartments which keeps baby extra warm. You can also lift baby out the car seat still wrapped in the ByBoom and straight into the pram without disturbing them or them getting cold. They are perfect for the chillier months.

 

Anyway I’ve probably waffled on enough now! But hopefully have helped a few of you what with to buy for your newborns. If you have any recommendations let me know by leaving a comment below!

 

Until next time!

 

Luisa XX

 

 

 

 

 

You May Also Like

3 comments

A great list of items thank you. My little girl is 12wks and I’ll look into the white noise machine. I have Ewan and I have to constantly press it after 20mins.

Thanks for this list! I follow you on Instagram so was excited to read your blog – I’m expecting our first baby so half of this list are things I’ve not even thought about lol. Sounds like I’m going to be on a steep learning curve.

You’re welcome thanks for reading. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy XX

Leave a Reply