Lifesaving Baby Products

Here are some of the baby products we couldn't have managed without.

Moses Basket

We did have a crib for Rosie but she really didnt take to it very well as it was so big and open. We tried rolling up blankets but it didnt really help so we invested in a moses basket from Ebay and its been great! She still needed rolled up blankets by each side for the first few weeks. Also you can cart it from room to room easily and they usually come with rocking bases. I know some pram carry cots can be used for this. We have the Icandy cherry and unfortunately it states that it should only be used for occasional overnight sleeps. Not really sure why tho :s 

Electric Breast Pump

We went out and got the battery operated Medula pump a couple of days after we got home as Rosie wasnt latching on. If you plan to breastfeed it may be an idea to think about one of these in case you have latching problems. We had to upgrade to the mains powered Medula Swing after a week or so as the battery one was so noisy! But to be honest I would recommend finding out about hiring a hospital grade double pump as I think my life would have been a lot easier with one of those bad boys! 

Nipple Shields

If you are having problems with latching on then it might be an idea to give these a go as they really helped us out. I went for the Medula ones as they come in different sizes and come with a carry case which I found handy when out and about. They also have a section "cut out" which allows more skin to skin with baby and I found they stayed on better than other brands. 

Sterilizers and bottles

Even if you are planning to breast feed it might be an idea to invest in this for back up. If there is going to be a breast feeding disaster is probably going to happen in the middle of the night or at another inconvenient time. Luckily we were given a sterilizer by a friend which saved us a few quid and I would recommend looking on Ebay. Actually I recommend Ebay for all of these products as although they are lifesavers you will probably only need them for a short period of time. 

Formula

Even if you are breast feeding I would recommend having a carton of this in your cupboard for emergencies. Rosie is primarily breast fed now but she has two 4oz formula feeds in the evening before bed to top her up. All babies are different but I found that Aptamil works best for us as it is lighter than others and closer to breast milk. They also do little liquid cartons with are brilliant for out and about feeds. 

My Brest Friend - Breast-feeding Cushion

Another great product for those first few weeks. I didn't think I would need a breast feeding cushion and that any other pillows would suffice but alas that was not the case. You need a really firm pillow and I found my brest friend perfect as you can adjust the high and position and it is a brilliant shape. It just makes it that bit easier! I am actually thinking about selling mine now Rosie is bigger so give me a shout if you are interested! 

Lansinoh Nipple Cream

Amazing amazing amazing!!! This just helped my nipples so much from breast feeding. I smothered them in it before and after a feed and it brought relief to my sore nipples.

Slumber Bear

This little thing is superb! It is basically a cuddle teddy with a box inside that plays a variety of sounds such as white noise, lullabies and womb noises!! It has a sound and movement sensor in it that detects when the baby cries or moves and the sound plays for a few mins to soothe them back to sleep. It also includes a "Silky" which you can stuff down your top to attach your sent. This really is a great buy and I  throughly recommend it. You can pick one up at places such as amazon and argos.

A swingy/bouncy/rocking chair

We found a bargain Babylo Lola rocker in TK Maxx that was reduced to £20. Again I think Ebay has to be the best place for these. We also have a Mamas and Papas swing chair at my parents house. These ensure you have a safe place to put the baby down to nap or let you get on with house work etc. Rosie is in hers 70 per cent of the day. 

So those are a few things that have helped is out a great deal during Rosie's first 10 weeks. These will no doubt change as she gets older and new items will take her place. So this might be a feature that I carry on! 

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