Now that I have been a Mumma for five months, I felt it was time to make a baby-related post about the items that have been a great help! I wouldn't necessarily call these "essentials" as some you could do without completely and for others there are alternatives which people might find work better for them. I just want to be clear that these are my own opinions and they are in no way influenced by other people/companies etc. I would encourage people to do their research before buying anything and as I have previously mentioned in a craft related post, to find a good deal and stick to your budget! Also, I will try and find links for these products and leave them below.
In no particular order, the first item I want to talk about is the bottle steriliser. This is actually one of the very few products which I had no say in the purchase of, aside from the many gifts we received, as Joseph (hubby) bought it whilst I was in the hospital for my induction. Although he definitely did a fantastic job of picking it and, for obvious reasons, it is one of the most used baby products we own.
There are many different brands of steriliser on the market and two main types, which either use steam (through electricity or microwaving) or cold water with an anti-bacterial fluid. There are pros and cons to each such as availability of space, need for a travel option or the cost, so it is entirely down to the individual which works for them. The steriliser that we have is the Nuby Electric Steam Steriliser and Dryer which costs £75 from the official Nuby website but is available from other places such as Amazon and Argos at a reduced cost of £45. I am not entirely sure how much ours was, as like I said I did not personally buy it and hubby's poor memory cannot recall the cost 😊.
What I like about this steriliser is that it fits all sizes of bottles, it has a quick sterilise cycle of 5 minutes and my favourite is the super dry function which means that when it is finished, the bottles are ready to be used straightaway and there is no waiting for them to air dry! I can't really say too much more about it, only that a steriliser is a very necessary item if you are going to be feeding your baby from a bottle so be sure to choose one that meets your needs 🙂.
I just want to add that there are bottles which can be sterilised in the microwave from the brand MAM. I have found these useful if you are visiting with family/friends and need to make up a bottle as it means you don't need to have brought a massive steriliser with you or buy bags that can only be reused a few times. You simply add some water to the base of the bottle, sit the teat in the water and place the main part of the bottle on top then microwave for a couple minutes!
The second baby product I'm going to discuss is definitely not essential but was important to me and that is a changing table. The reason I say that you do not really need to buy one is that a simple changing mat placed on the floor or on top of a dresser would most certainly do the job. Why I opted for the table is that I suffer with wide-spread muscular pain and kneeling on the floor is not practical, nor do we own a sturdy set of drawers, so it seemed the best solution for us. As well as having the changing mat on the top, there is plenty of space on the shelf below to store nappies, wipes and other supplies so that is a definite plus!
There are so many different ones available but we chose one that looked simple, easy to put together and was able to be delivered to our house. It cost around £50 from Amazon but is also sold at Ikea (under a different brand name) for £25 however the delivery charge for us was just not worth it, especially since we were already placing a large Amazon order for other baby items.
Going along with the changing theme, the next item that I have found to be a blessing, especially when Jensen was a new-born, is a portable changing mat. We kept the aforementioned changing table in the living-room where we spent most of our time but needed a solution for the middle-of-the-night nappy changes and that is where this next product comes in handy!
It's basically a waterproof mat that folds up nicely, has a pouch to store nappies, a mesh section for the packet of baby wipes, a carrying handle and a zipped pocket on the outside for nappy sacks or creams etc. There is also a strap for attaching it to a pram if you wish to use it for travel.
This changing mat has been brilliant for changing him right on the bed without worrying about any accidents and saves my poor legs from having to go downstairs. It is not something we use so much anymore as he "usually" sleeps through the night so no longer needs changed until the morning but it was certainly well used for the first few months of his life. Again it's not essential but nice to have and costs between £5 to £10, so not super expensive either, especially if you don't want to stray too far from your bed in a sleep deprived state to change a nappy 😆.
The fourth baby item which I was actually really excited to buy, is the changing bag. This is a tricky decision to make and you should definitely research the different ones before you make your decisions. There is the traditional over-the-shoulder messenger type bag, a tote style bag, backpacks and inserts that fit into your handbag, just to name a few!
I decided very quickly that the backpack style changing bag was going to be the most practical for me. It can fit everything I need for baby and myself, it's so easy to carry around and even hubby doesn't mind modelling it, as it's simply a black backpack just with some additional features. There are so many different styles and colours available if you do a search for these types of bags but generally they have pockets on the outside, zipped pockets inside, elasticated pouches inside and a zipped pocket on the front with three insulated sections for keeping bottles warm. The one we chose also came with a free changing mat which fits nicely inside the main compartment.
You can find these backpacks on Amazon for around £20-£30 depending on the design and accessories you are looking for. Again it's a matter of personal preference which type of bag will work for you but you will most certainly need something to carry around the many things that babies require if you decide to venture out with the comfort of your home!
The fifth and final baby product which I did not actually think I would need but has become the most most useful thing ever is... muslin cloths! I had seen these in many shops & online but brushed them off as something that I would never have a use for, oh how wrong I was. Thankfully we were gifted several of them from family & friends and I have gone on to buy a few more. They can be used for literally anything, from cleaning up baby sick to catching teething dribbles, you can even use them as washcloths in the bath or as a nice light blanket. The possibilities are endless.
If I was being totally honest I would say if you are struggling to afford to purchase a fancy steriliser or a changing table or any other "non-essential" baby gadget then completely forget them and buy muslin cloths instead! When your baby no longer needs bottles sterilised at (I think) one year old and outgrows the changing table then you will be so grateful you have a versatile piece of fabric that will always be useful. Even now that my son is beginning to start eating solid foods, we always have to have, what we call "a dribble catcher" 🙈, at arms reach.
Like many of these products, the muslin cloths come in lots of different types and styles, ranging from £5 to £15 for multi-packs of them. It really doesn't matter what they look like, they will be covered in unknown stains very quickly and even though they can be thrown in the washing machine, some stains just don't come out 🤦🏻♀️.
So that is it for my list of top five baby "non-essential" items. Of course I have given my reasons for why they have been helpful for me and my baby but your experience with these products might be different and that is just fine! Being a parent is a very personal thing and although you can get some really useful advice from other people, it is your baby and your life, so live it your way ❤️
If you want to read more about my experiences as a first time mother then stick around for future blogs. As always, comment over on my Instagram page with your thoughts on this post and leave your suggestions for what types of posts you would like to see me do next. Thank you for reading!
Hugz N Crafts, Sarah xoxo
Links to baby products:
◦ Nuby Steriliser - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nuby-Natural-Touch-Steriliser-Dryer/dp/B07BJQXD6G
◦ MAM Self-sterilising Bottles - https://www.amazon.co.uk/MAM-Easy-Start-Bottle-Set/dp/B072BCFLPT/ref=sr_1_2?crid=13I2U5X4OBM9X&dchild=1&keywords=self+sterilising+bottles&qid=1604705931&s=baby&sprefix=self+ster%2Cbaby%2C193&sr=1-2
◦ Changing Table (Amazon version) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/CHANGING-TABLE-STATION-BABY-CHANGER/dp/B00AM659H6/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=changing+table&s=baby&sr=1-8
◦ Changing Table (Ikea version) - https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/sniglar-changing-table-beech-white-20045205/
◦ Portable Changing Mat - https://www.amazon.co.uk/LEADSTAR-Portable-Changing-Waterproof-Foldable/dp/B07RHXHT48/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=travel+changing+mat&sr=8-7
◦ Backpack Changing Bag - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Changing-Waterproof-Multi-Function-Insulated-Black-Gray/dp/B07LBQJHMD/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=comfy%2Bdegree%2Bbackpack&s=digital-skills&sr=1-3&th=1
◦ Muslin cloths - https://www.amazon.co.uk/ABirdon-Squares-Reusable-Organic-Printed/dp/B088KLSTDQ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=38V8TP4E91VBO&dchild=1&keywords=muslin+cloths+for+baby&sprefix=muslin+cloth%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRFpaTjRIT0pDQk5LJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTYxNDA5M0k4QzNWTkdXSDUxSyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTkzNDg0MzFXSDBaQklXUVgxWCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
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