You know what mums love to talk about? The baby stuff that really works. It’s like this primal need to tell as many other parents as possible your discoveries, in the hopes that they too will get some sleep, or peace and quiet or what have you.
I love it. It’s a village vibe.
photography: Alana Landsberry
So before we start, I have to admit something. In the beginning, you don’t need that much stuff.
Ha ha, I know I’ve written an essay on a handful of baby buys below. But the truth is, you don’t need everything before the baby is born. If you’re as lucky as I was, you’ll get given lots of stuff. And you’ll slowly find your faves. Don’t race out and buy one of everything. Borrow things to test them out. Ask parents in Facebook groups for recommendations and look at reviews. There’s so much time for all the stuff.
When that time comes, here are some that worked for me…
L’il Fraser Jersey Wrap
My bestie Amy actually won a competition and was sent a pile of these amazing wraps. She gave me one and I was hooked. The way I wrapped my baby was ‘burrito’ style (demo at the very bottom of the story!) with their arms down. The best way to do that is with a wrap that has stretch, plus it needs to be pretty big otherwise you run out of fabric. These were the perfect size amd had just the right amount of give. I ended up buying loads and used them for both boys.
Find them here
David Jones branded wraps*
Mum happened to buy me a box of the David Jones branded wraps when Teddy was a newborn. I absolutely thrashed them. They are super stretchy and I swaddled Teddy (and Gabe!) very tightly to get them to sleep. They only lasted the first few months because they’re not that big of a square, but boy, oh boy did they help. They’re really lightweight too and were handy to throw over my shoulder when I was feeding and the like.
*I can’t find these on their site for the life of me. If I can find them, I’ll post a link.
Digital Thermometer
I didn’t discover this one until Gabe. Game. Changer!
You just point it at the babies forehead and press a button, so it means you can take their temperature in the night. This is SO HANDY. My first thermometer went in Teddy’s ear. Problematic because a) when they’re sick they don’t want anything stuck in their ear and they squirm. I mean, really who wants anything stuck in their ear!? And b) you’re most worried through the night because they’re (hopefully) asleep and you don’t know how hot they are. The non-touch thermometer is totally the way to go. The one I have is Braun but there are less expensive ones out there too.
Medela Double Swing Maxi Pump
So I spent a small fortune on this double pump before Teddy was born. It was absolutely amazing, highly recommend Medela. But for me, I didn’t need a double. I fed one side at a time which meant double pumping threw my schedule out. Some mums double pump at work/on the go which saves lots of time, there’s no doubt it’s useful. BUT wait until after the baby is born and you’re in your feeding rhythm before you buy one. Pumps can be exxy so you want to find the right one for you.
Find it here
The Dummy
Dummies are a personal choice. Whatever works for you and the baby. In my time of need, they really helped. Teddy cried and cried for the first two weeks. I called my sister-in-law in tears and she asked if I had a dummy. I did, but I’d read something negative and then put it away. She told me the midwives had actually given her second baby a dummy in the hospital and to go and try it right then.
And… peace and quiet!
Some babies won’t take them. Some will get attached to them and can’t sleep without them. My boys ended up being thumb suckers and dropped the dummies. Who knows what these kids will like.
If you decide to give them a try, have one handy in the baby bag you pack for the hospital and you can always chat to the midwives about it then too. Avent just happens to be the one I used and the kids both liked, but there are tons on the market. Always just do a quick safety Google first and make sure there have been no recalls on the brand you choose. I do that for pretty much everything.
Jellycat Bashful Bunny Soother
Teddy asked me the other day, “Mummy, when did I get bunny?” And I told him the story of how my friend Pip bought it for him before he was even born. Was a gift that was.
I had a sleep nurse come and help me at six months when Teddy wouldn’t sleep. She asked if I had anything I could pop in the cot with him for comfort. She’d taken away the dummy, unwrapped him and put him in a sleep suit. Lots of change! So I gave him the Jellycat Bunny blanky and the rest is history. He love, love, loves ‘bunny’. He loves bunny as much as he loves me and his dad I think. When I noticed that this was becoming his favourite thing, I went out and bought three more.
FOUR BUNNIES you say?! How excessive! Nope.
Trust me when I tell you, there is nothing worse than when they lose their most special toy. And it happens. Teddy lost one bunny at The Royal Easter Show. Try tracking that down. The second, a babysitter lost at a park while I was at work. Bye, bye bunny. Now we have two and I wash one every other night and sneak it into his bed to do a swap. When Gabe was born, I hopped onto the Jellycat site and bought four Bashful Monkeys so they would have different styles. The new baby has four Jellycat Lambs on the way.
My best tip: whatever they latch onto, see if you can buy some back ups! Kids are smart. If you introduce the back-up too late, they won’t have a bar of it. I’ve tried.
Avent combined blender and steamer
I used this SO MUCH when the kids were babies. Its crazy how handy it is! I still use it and actually just made mashed potato for all of us in it. You simply pop chopped veggies in the jug, flip it upside down and steam them. Then flip it back and blend them. Magic. The only problem is, the blending is really noisy. Much noisier than your average blender. And I’ve had two different machines. But, regardless I still use it on the reg and certainly did when the kids were little. From my Googling, it looks like there is an updated version so that could be less noisy. This is a great thing to ask family for when they are hassling you for baby shower pressie ideas!
Find it here
This one looks newer
STOKKE Baby Bath
I borrowed my cousins (with the seat attachment) for both kids, and because it folds down it’s very apartment friendly. You really don’t need baby baths all that long. Before you know it, they’ll be in a little seat in a regular bath. So don’t go crazy buying anything massive. If you’re on a budget, check out second hand ones or borrow a friends. If you can get your hands on this one, I loved it. It’s on the smaller side from memory, but babies are small!
Ikea high chair
I chose the IKEA high chair because its fuss-free, we were on a budget and it seemed like everyone in the world had one. They do, because they’re great! They come apart easily if you ever need to take it on a road trip and you can chuck the tray in the dishwasher. I went away with a big group of friends and their kids to a farm recently. We all brought one (five in total) and then had to figure out which scratches/marks/stickers made ours unique before we left ha ha. Popular for good reason.
Comotomo Baby bottles
So, I was very lucky and my kids took bottles pretty easily and they didn’t seem to mind which ones they got. But if I could afford a load of them, the Comotomo are my fave. I had a couple and they are so soft and squishy – like a boob! – which I think makes them easier for the baby to get used to.
Baby Bjorn Travel Cot
Definitely one of my MVPs. The best part of this cot is, it’s stupidly easy to put up and down. Like a few clicks and it’s done. It’s a dream to travel with. The only tiny downside is, it’s a bit smaller compared to others but my boys were both really long and by the time they outgrew it, they were able to sleep on a mattress on a floor or in a bed. It’s exxy but worth it!
Find it here.
ErgoBaby 360 Carrier
I had a different brand with Teddy, a hand-me-down and it was fine, but I didn’t use it much because.. first baby! He was always in the pram or in my arms. Welcome, second baby. Gabe was in that dang Ergo Baby, all.the.time. Picking Teddy up from daycare was a nightmare with a pram, so a carrier was really the only solution. Cost per use, I paid off that thing in the first month.
The Think King Mighty Buggy Hooks
Who knew you could love something so small! I have two of these hooks, one on either side of my pram handles and they make life about 100% easier. Only thing to watch is you don’t put on anything too heavy and you remember when you take the baby in and out that you have something hanging there because it can tip the pram. The trick? Put heavy stuff UNDER the pram as well to weigh it down.
The Bouncer
I used about three different ones, mostly all borrowed. My kids LOVED bouncers and they were really handy when trying to make dinner etc. My only tip: don’t buy an exxy fabric one. Washable is KEY. If you get vommy babies like mine, everything needs to be washed, a lot. You can find basic ones all the way to models that rock the baby for you! I’ve just used the simple ones you can fold down and throw in a suitcase, which proved very handy on holidays.
Big Softies
So these are actually cloth nappies, but I used them for just about everything other than that. I’m in awe of parents who use cloth nappies. I think it’s incredible for the environment, but wasn’t something I could make work for my family.
Back to these… they’re essentially a towel, I want to say about 40cm x 40cm (at a guess!.) I always had one on my shoulder when I was feeding and burping. I would throw it down as a change mat if I needed. I actually just lay the kids on them a lot in general because they liked to throw up. There was one stashed in my bag and pram at all times. They were just dang handy.
Find them here.
Clothes
Look, with your first baby you do want buy all the things ‘cos it’s fun and you should! It’s such a special time! Just don’t go too crazy in the beginning and buy exxy things because the kids don’t wear them for long.
Just remember, your friends and family will buy you tons of those super fun, impractical things. Let the legends! That leaves you to buy the sweet but practical stuff that is easy to get on and off a squirmy baby. It’s still fun I promise.
*I lived in Cotton On Kids. And when I say I lived there, I mean, I was pretty much on a first name basis with the staff at the Bondi Junction store ha ha. Cute boys stuff is not that easy to come by and Cotton On does fun prints for BOTH sexes. And they do adorable limited edition collabs (think Disney, Star Trek, Jurrasic Park, NASA just off the top of my head) that are actually cool. Not just character stuff. Awesome, retro prints like the below. OH! And when they were babies, the boys wore tons and tons of these dribble bibs. Especially handy for teething time!
Teddy in one of his many CO bibs
*Bonds is numero uno for onesies (Wondersuits/Zippys.) Gabe has pretty much worn only Teddy’s old ones (sorry kid) because they hold up so well. Look out for the limited edition ones on special occasions. They are so cute.
*Target had so much cute baby boy gear! I got lots of beautiful cotton and wool knits and jackets that both boys got wear out of and the next baby will too. Thats a good five years of holding up against wash and wear.
Of course there are a million small stores, both online and bricks and mortar that stock the most amazing Aussie brands. I love supporting small businesses as much as poss – I think thats a whole seperate post! Above are just some good staples.
The burrito wrap
There are lots of variations of this on Youtube! This way never failed me. Sorry the pics are hard to see, this is actually from a text message I sent my bestie when her baby was born. I’ll do a new and better version when bub #3 gets here!
Phew! That’s it for now! Are you exhausted? If you’re reading this article you’re probably pregnant or have a newborn so of COURSE you are exhausted. I hear ya. All the best from me to you xxx
