My Not-So-Obvious Newborn Must-Haves.

Aka. What I will have packed in my hospital bag this time around.


As a first-time expectant parent, it's easy to fall into the spend-spend-spend trap. Babies are big business and with so many new "this-will-make-parenting-a-breeze" products on the market, it can be difficult to differentiate between a true must-have and a product that is just labelled so; one which in actual fact will just gather dust or double up as laundry horse.

I've decided to share the products I found to be the most useful, products that I will most definitely be using come November!

1. Newborn Sleepsuits. I know, I know. Clothes does seem like a fairly obvious one - one which you've probably already spent valuable time picking out. I too spent many an hour shopping for beautiful woollen dungarees but in actual fact, your best friend will become a bog-standard sleepsuit. The reality is, babies are messy. They puke, they poop, they drool... It'll be some sort of miracle if you make it through an entire day without at least 3 outfit changes. Sleepsuits are easy to get on, easy to get off, wash well & dry quickly - perfect when you're wondering when your next meal will be, never mind trying to figure out a laundry schedule.
Oh, and it's sensible to invest in a good few Newborn sized sleepsuits, even if you don't think you'll get much use from them. Most family and friends will opt for 0-3 months or 3-6 months clothes-wise for gifts, often assuming you'll already have plenty of clothes in Newborn size. (I even had to get my parents to pick up some Newborn sleepsuits for John when they came to visit us at the hospital as I'd wrongly assumed everyone would automatically gift us that size).

2. Bouncing Vibrating Chair. I'm the first to admit that the idea of a baby sitting in a vibrating chair seemed a bit odd. Flashbacks of Samantha & Miranda in Sex in the City did spring to mind... In fact, we didn't even choose our bouncy chair based on it's vibrating capabilities but in fact settled for a vibrating bouncer as it seemed it was the only thing the market had to offer. This accidental extra turned out to be a great discovery - I could pee without John sitting on my lap, I could have my arms free just long enough to feed myself too. And I'm not at all ashamed to admit that there was the occasional 4am when I'd tried everything to get John back to sleep which eventually ended up with him vibrating on the floor next to our bed.

3. Muslin Cloths. The piece of fabric that will become your best friend. It's perfect for mopping sick from clothes, floors & upholstery, a handy swaddle blanket for an unsettled sleeper, a sick catcher for in babies moses basket (saves on complete bed changes), a bib for when feeding dribbly babies... I can't stress it enough - you have to have at least 20+ of these little squares of cotton. And bonus - they double up as great duster rags when you're finished with them!

4. A Sling/Wrap. Babywearing was something I'd only briefly heard of whilst pregnant but never really put much thought into. Cue a clingy baby and a messy house. With John, I only had a cheap, basic Mothercare baby carrier, and it did the job - I could hang out the washing & hoover the floors, and it was great for short trips to the shop or to avoid using the buggy bus journeys. Having since researched the subject further, it would appear the sling we used wasn't the best, particularly for long-term use. This time around I'll be investing in a wrap, possibly a Moby wrap. I plan to babywear a lot more with our second, allowing me to keep baby close, free up my hands for John and hopefully we can master breastfeeding in sling too, making life easier all round.

5. Fisher Price Seahorse. This magical little music maker turned out to be our sleep saver. The beautifully designed Seahorse's tummy lights up to a nice soothing glow, whilst playing classic lullabies in a calming tone with the sound of bubbling water between song. Yes, it all sounds a little weird but the best part of this musical fish is that the music plays a lot longer than most cot mobiles, meaning you're less likely to have to tip-toe back into babies bedroom, whilst trying to remain unseen, to restart the miracle music.

6. Dummies. Before giving birth, I was the perfect mother. My child would never scream, they'd sleep through the night & we'd never use a dummy. But reality is a bitch. Faced with an extremely sucky baby, one whom was starting to develop a finger sucking habit, I chose to offer a dummy. Having grown up sucking my thumb (right up until early teenager years) I knew how difficult a habit it is to break. Unlike a thumb/fingers, you can take a dummy away when a child becomes too old for it. And coincidently, John also started sleeping longer stretches once he started the dummy. This time around I won't hesitate to offer a dummy if I feel our baby will benefit from one.

7. Breast Pump. I knew I'd always wanted to breastfeed but I hadn't anticipated the problems we'd encounter. Our first night back home after the birth resulted in a return trip to hospital at 4am, and being hooked up to their breastpump to reveal my engorgement enough so that John could actually latch on to feed. The following weeks were a blur of problem after problem, and there was times I'd be expressing nearly every feed to allow my abused nipples to heal. Without a breast pump, I doubt we'd still be breastfeeding now. It also allowed us to continue breastfeeding once I returned to work. My personal favourite breast pump is the Avent Comfort Manual - I found I got on much better with it than the market favourite, the Medela Swing.

What are your must-haves for life with a newborn? Any life-changing products that you would recommend I invest in ahead of Novembers arrival?