Match Up Mums
We all know that the best people to tell you what you actually need, and not stuff you'll just waste money on, are fellow mums who have very recently been in exactly the same stage of parenting. Our members have recommended the below items as the must-have essentials for new mums.
Baby Bjorn Bouncing Chair - we’ve used this for all 3 babies and it still looks brand new. You can wash the covers and its really good quality, well made. Useful any time you want to put baby down, particularly when it’s not nap time - they are upright enough that they can see whats going on around them and bouncy enough that it’s fun for them too. Newborn to 6 months.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
I Love Big Mat is double sized one, which is good for when your friends come over and all the babies can lie together. Also good for when they start rolling over and thinking about crawling. From birth to 1 year old.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Match Up Mums membership - this service is great! It was really easy to set up a profile and before long I was matched to some new mums in my area. When we met up we all had something in common beyond the obvious children connection and are already organising to meet up again.
Click here to see the membership options.
Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier - this just makes a quick trip to the shops so much easier than having to get the whole buggy out. Also great for if you like to go on more adventurous walks. My baby loved it as he could see out and made life a whole lot more interesting. There is also a windproof cover that you can buy to protect against chillier weather which we got and was very useful. All machine washable. For newborn (probably over 1 month old) to 1 years.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
BB Slen woven wrap - I love it because she's so comfy in it and it's really versatile with loads of front, hip and back carries. Learning how takes a while but is well worth it. From 1 month to 1 year.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Bibs and Stuff Miracle blanket - our baby loved snuggling in her miracle blanket. There are no poppers or zips to scratch baby's skin and they're quite long so you can really wrap them up and make them feel secure. From birth to 3-4 months.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Swaddle Pod - I like the idea of swaddling baby so they feel snug & secure, and this was just a really easy way of doing that without getting tangled up (it zips instead of wrapping). Plus they’re nice and soft and lightweight. From birth to 6 months.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
This is a fairly obvious one, but what I’m recommending here is don't just get one. Have one upstairs & one downstairs as a minimum. You’ll be going up and down the stairs enough as it is!
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Aden + Anais changing mat cover - if you're changing baby in the night you don’t want to put him onto something cold & plastic as that will wake him up. These mats are comfortable cotton, look much nicer than the plastic mats & they go in the washing machine.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Babymel Amanda Quilted Diaper Bag - this just looks like a nice bag instead of screaming nappy bag. Also has lots of useful pockets & it's a good size.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Super-Mums at the Wandsworth Twins Club recommended Aden & Anais swaddle wraps, which double as muslins or burp cloths, lightweight blankets, breastfeeding scarves and are also big enough to throw over the pram when you are trying to get your baby to sleep. They are super-soft and come in loads of different colours and patterns.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Ikea Antilop Highchair - my best friend recommended this highchair and for about 11 quid, it's probably our best baby purchase yet after going through 2 boys. It's cheap but durable and sooooo easy to clean. It's all plastic so wipes down incredibly easily, and the entire tray can go in the dishwasher. The legs come off to pack it away when needed. It's been indispensable, and also great for messy play and artwork. AND you can remove the tray, and scoot the baby right up to the table. Bizarely this is not available from Ikea at the moment, but is via Amazon.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Thrupenny Bits breastfeeding pillows and cushions are unlike any other - beautiful, portable and made from gorgeous and sumptuous fabrics. They’re designed by a mums and it shows. Clever design and genuinely comfortable. As recommended by Neighbourhood Midwives.
Click here to visit the thrupennybits website.
Urbane by Boori Sunshine Cotbed - top quality, clean and classic design. You can adjust the height of the mattress so you can have it higher for newborn and save your back from bending down too far, then lower it when they start sitting & pulling themselves up to standing. Later on you can take the sides off and use it as a bed - so although they cost more than other cots, you'll use it for many years.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Olli Ella Crib/ Cot Bed/ Toddler Fitted Sheet Set - Medina Sam at MKK Kids Interiors recommends this Harlequin Dawn cot bed set which can be perfectly complemented by their own delightful Alphabet prints, a lovely way of adding colour to a baby's nursery.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
GroBaby Blackout Blind - if you don't want your baby waking up at 4.30 in the morning you need a blackout blind, and this one you can easily take on holiday.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Motorola MBP36S Baby Monitor - you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a baby monitor with good sound quality - which is surely the most important feature! After bad experiences with others we’ve ben really pleased with this one. It just works.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
East Coast Sweet Island Dreams Mobile - there is lots for my baby to look at to keep her entertained, and it plays a relaxing tune which helps her drift off to sleep.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Sleepyhead Deluxe Baby Pod - Tina Perridge of Neighbourhood Midwives recommended this as a brilliant way of helping a baby feel cocooned and held even when you put them down. Genius!
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix Car Seat - my husband did a LOT(!) of research into car seats and this one was a clear winner in terms of safety, etc, etc… and from my perspective it is really easy to click in and out of the car when I go to the shops as we bought the base unit as well. From birth to about 12 months.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Maxi-Cosi EasyFix Car Seat Base - works with the cabrio fix seat. It securely fastens to the ISOfix points on your car and then lets you click the seat unit in & out (so no need to fasten a seat belt each time your child gets in or out of the car).
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
I loved the snugglebundl..I was reluctant at first but being able to transfer the twins from carseat to cot or buggy without waking them was a godsend...
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
The beauty of this plate is that it has high sides so when babies start to feed themselves the food can be chased around the plate without going over the sides. Thats a problem I found with most plates - they were too flat. Can go in the dishwasher and the microwave and come in 3 colours. You can take the rim off once they have mastered eating. From weaning onwards.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
This is sold as a teething toy which it is but it is so much more than that. Its great for a child's dexterity. Useful to connect things to the pram if the toy doesn't have a link on it. They can be washed really easily so in those first few months when everything gets put in the mouth and you worry about germs this is a really good toy. Newborn onwards - my son still likes it and he is 20 months!
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
Angel Dear security blankets. A baby gift for our first from a mum of 3. The blankets are cute, super soft, machine washable, and with no choking hazards (such as plastic eyes) for babies. Our eldest still sleeps with his every night at 4 years, and our youngest has become so attached to his, we own about 5 of them as they are constantly rotating through the washing machine. For newborn to toddlers.
Click here to see the Amazon listing.
