Baby Essentials I *ACTUALLY* Used

I have to admit, I still find it hard to believe that more than half a year has passed since I gave birth to our little boy. It’s challenging to put into words what being a mum has meant to me; my heart feels full, and our lives complete. There’s a saying; the days are long but the weeks are short. As cliche as it sounds, it sums up the last six months pretty perfectly. Especially the more difficult days. So I thought now that we’ve passed the six month mark, it might be useful if I shared a round up of all the baby essentials that we actually used, and also give a review of the bigger ticket items we bought, too (and share whether or not they’ve worked for us).

I do want to preface this by saying that every baby is different; and not just that, our individual tastes and preferences are going to differ too. But, hopefully these honest reviews will be helpful. Another thing I want to add; in the early days, you honestly don’t need much. Nappies, clothing, and somewhere safe for them to sleep are the essentials that will see you through. Our son didn’t crave any interactive or colourful elements for play until around the 2-3 month mark. Even then, a small handful of toys (things they can grasp, or that have fun textures) will suffice.

You might like to get a cuppa ready, as this is going to be a long one.

FOR IN YOUR HOSPITAL BAG

Nipple Cream | This was my saviour during those first few weeks of breastfeeding. My nipples constantly felt like they were on fire. It acted like a miracle salve, healing up any blistering or cracking within a day or two. I used the brand Marcalan which I really liked, but there are tonnes of options out there. Marcalan is quite sticky, and I did find that it would leave residue on my nursing bras as I was quite generous with the application. 

Nursing Bras | An obvious one, but thought I’d highlight it as I’ve been wearing those same nursing bras for months now. It’s really difficult to know exactly what size to buy pre-baby, as you’ll change cup size and in those first few months, get engorged quite quickly. I ended up going with this stretchy racerback style from Bonds which are incredibly comfortable, and easy to sleep in too. They have inbuilt pads which are great if you have a leak. I waited until my cup size held steady before investing in a “nicer” nursing bra. I bought this one from Lonely – super comfortable, love the lace detail, and there are plenty hooks at the back.

Stretch Jersey Separates | One thing I forgot when packing my bag for the hospital? Tops. Any tops. All I had were jogger bottoms, some comfy pyjamas, and a robe. What I found I wore (after my husband went home to stock up for me) were: oversized t-shirts, cardigans which I could wear buttoned like a top, these maternity track pants (that I’m still wearing now!), and a pair of loose fitting linen trousers. We went private so had five nights in hospital, and having these comfy separates made a world of difference. As did a nice-ish pair of pjyamas.

Burp Cloths | Your hospital may supply these, but always pays to bring some with you, just in case. Ours are plain white ones from Marks & Spencer.

Muslin wrap | Our hospital provided muslin wraps for swaddling, but we found we alternated between theirs and ours. Besides, it’s nice to have a pretty one on hand if you get any newborn photos taken. My favourites are from Nature Baby. We ended up with quite a few as gifts, but I’d say for planning purposes, three is a good number. They do dry pretty quick! 

Newborn Clothing | Again, we were supplied with newborn clothing during our stay at the hospital, but we brought our own clothing anyway. You’ll need an outfit for your baby to leave the hospital in (keep in mind weather conditions), and it’s probably worth just having some long sleeved onesies, too. There’s loads of cute options out there, but my favourites were plain white ones with little slip over mittens for the hands. Newborns tend to scratch their faces without realising!

Nappies & Wet Wipes | Finally, the all important thing to pack – nappies. You’ll find you probably go through 6-8 per day. Wet wipes are also essential. I personally really like these Water Wipes.

FOR PLAY TIME

Flensted Mobile | Perhaps the first thing that our son really started to interact with was his mobile. This was from the five week mark. I was recommended this balloons one from Flensted, which we absolutely adore. Especially as most elements in the nursery are quite neutral. As his focus started to sharpen, he loved to stare up at the colours, smiling and cooing. We haven’t put it back up since moving him into his own room, but it’s on the list to do soon. I’ve been told that a great place to put it is above the change table. Once they get a bit older, it can be hard keeping them still as you change nappies so distractions are a must.

Flat-out Bear | Most of the toys our son has were gifted to us, and what we noticed early on was that he loved to discover new textures. In the early days, his favourite was a Flat-out Bear – a soft, cuddly wee bear made from possum fur. He absolutely loved stroking his and it acted as a bit of a soother too.

Crinkly Book | Another toy our son loved was one of those crinkly books – something you can attach to the pram with a clip, or pop in their hands during play time on the mat. Even now, this is one of his favourites; he loves to scrunch up the pages (texture and sound), and chew on it too. You don’t need a lot of toys really, so a few good ones will see you through. We opted for a bright and colourful crinkle book, with a squeaker in it.

Tikiri Elephant Toy with Teether | Another toy we were gifted, and this is one of my favourites. It has a tail which vibrates when you pull it, a squeaky charm, a crinkly charm, and a rubber teether at the tail. It’s so versatile, and often the one our son tends to favour. 

Silicone Teether | Babies tend to start teething at different times, but I’d recommend getting some kind of teether by the 2-3 month mark. Something with a thinner section for grasping is great so that they can hold it in their mouths. Many of the mum’s in my mother’s group recommend the Matchstick Monkey for this. I bought a Dino one from Liewood (love the silicone, but wouldn’t recommend as the spikes make it awkward for babies to use), and we were gifted a rounded fish one from Tommee Tippee (preferred this one).

Wooden Baby Gym | The final toy I’d suggest looking into would be some kind of wooden baby play gym. I bought this one from Wild Indiana, which has been lovely, but there are tonnes of options out there depending on what you’re looking for. For me, I only had one requirement – the legs needed to be fixed, so that the gym wouldn’t collapse if our boy tugged on one of the hanging toys too hard. So something to keep note of if you notice that there are little ropes attached to the frame legs, or that it “folds” for easy storage. Great for building gross motor skills like hand eye coordination.

Play Mat | The final item that I wanted to talk about for play time is a play mat. We have wooden floors throughout our house, but even if it had carpeted areas, I’d still buy one. The reason being, babies spit up during tummy time. And being able to throw a cotton or linen mat in the wash is a lot more carefree than worrying about potential stains on your carpet. Especially when they start on solids. I bought mine from The Linen Social (which you can see above – we went with oatmeal), and I wouldn’t say it’s the best quality. I’ve washed it in the machine once, and threads have already started coming loose. Another brand which does similar linen play mats is Warren Hill which might be another option if you’re after this type of style. It’s super portable too, so moves around the house as we do.

FOR FEEDING TIME

Silicone Bibs | Cannot recommend these more. I bought a three pack from Liewood and love that they are really soft and malleable. Super easy to clean too. We use these at every meal!

High chair | Another one of those must-have purchases. We bought ours from Leander (you’ll see this is a brand I’ve gone to for a number of items), and I think if I’d discovered the Stokke one first, that would have been my ultimate pick. There’s loads of options out there and it really depends on what you’re looking for. I wanted a black high chair that would transition from a high chair to a child’s seat, which would match the dining table setup we are planning to invest in at some stage within the next 12 months. Overall, I’m happy with it. It’s functional, and is easy enough to clean. One thing to note is that both the Leander and Stokke high chairs don’t come with any extras – the harness, tray and cushion are all sold separately, so it does add up. If you aren’t worried about aesthetics, then go for the IKEA one. It’s super affordable and wipes down effortlessly.

Design Letters Melamine Cup | Around the six month mark is generally when it’s recommended to start introducing water at meal times. I spent ages settling on a cup, opting to go for a melamine letter cup from Design Letters. We also bought the handle attachment and sippy cup spout. And I’ll tell you, it adds up. In hindsight, I wish I’d also bought the clear letter one, because the white melamine doesn’t allow you to see how close the water is to the sipper (to help control the flow). But I love this. Can be dropped on the floor and it won’t break, looks cute, and our boy loves it too.

Bamboo or silicone spoons | Another item we bought from Liewood was a six-pack of bamboo spoons (they do these cute meal sets too!). There’s tonnes of options out there, so it’ll come down to your budget and taste preferences. But I liked that these were make from bamboo, and weren’t “soft”. I’d recommend having around six at the ready, in case you haven’t had a chance to do the dishes (it happens). They’re a great distractor for baby too, especially when they’re teething. We will often give our boy one with a bit of food on the end so he can self feed.

Ice Trays with a lid | Okay, this will sound like a funny one, but I batch cook for our boy. It’s time efficient, and allows me to mix flavours at meal time. These ice trays with a lid were a total game changer when I discovered them. I’ll cook up some veg, blitz it, and then spoon what we aren’t using fresh into the trays. They have a silicone base, which makes it easy to pop the cubes out. And I think the lid is really convenient, and stops the food cubes from getting contaminated by other things floating around in the freezer.

* Side note: We haven’t bought any baby food bowls yet – instead, I’ll heat things up in the ceramic cups or bowls that we have as the quantities are quite small. As we shift more to baby-let weaning, I’ll likely look to purchase a silicone bowl or two with partitions.

FOR BATH TIME

Hooded towel | My favourite for bath time. We love the ones with little animals on the hood. Our go-to’s are from Best & Less; super soft cotton and wash really well.

Skip Hop Moby Bath Tub | We don’t currently have a bathtub in our home (though hopefully will in the next year…!), and the idea of bathing our boy in the sink didn’t really appeal to us. In the end, we settled on the Skip Hop Moby Bath, which we love. It comes with a sling which makes bathing a newborn so simple – they’re little and slippery and need to be wholly supported. This does the work for you, so you can focus on giving them a clean down. I like that the sling can then be set back to create a “seat” when your baby can self support sitting up, and be removed completely when they have total trunk control. Only downside is that it’s a little awkward to store.

FOR BED TIME

Leander Linea Cot | Choosing your cot is a personal decision, and ultimately will be dictated by your budget. We spent a good couple months looking at options before settling on the Linea cot from Leander. Personally, I love it, and was drawn to the fact that it was built from a hard wood (this was a non-negotiable for me – more sturdy). What also appealed was that it transitions nicely throughout the different stages, with a higher setting when they’re smaller, the side can be removed once baby is old enough, and finally, you can buy cushion padding inserts to turn it into a children’s couch. I though that was so sweet! I also really love the angular shape – the sides taper inwards slightly. While an investment, we figured that it’s an item we could on-sell when we no longer needed it. 

* Side note: We also purchased a bassinet, which was much smaller and could be kept in our room. We went with the Incy Interiors Maxwell Bassinet in the white – I wanted something that was sturdy, and looked relatively nice. It’s a no frills bassinet; it doesn’t come with any bells and whistles. Exactly what we were after at the time. That said, if we decided to have a second baby, we’d 100% invest in or rent the SNOO. Given we didn’t have any family helping us out, anything that could essentially act as a “third” set of hands during the tougher weeks would have been a godsend (though conscious it doesn’t work for every baby).

Snuggle Me Organic | I’m going to preface this by saying, this is not an essential. Additionally, a baby should not be left alone unattended when snoozing in one of these (it’s a SIDS risk). This is an oval shaped tube with a flat surface in the centre, which you can place bubs in. The high, squishy sides act as a cocoon, and mimic the feeling of being back in the womb. We found ourselves using this when our arms needed a break, or in the early evenings to keep our boy on the couch with us while we chilled out and watched TV. Also great to pop on the bed when you want to have a lie in on the weekend. You can also use this as back support when baby is beginning to sit, however we haven’t done this. Would I buy it again? I’m on the fence as it’s a short-term use item. That said, if you’d asked me this question when our boy was two months old, I would have wholeheartedly said yes so maybe I’ve just got a bit of baby brain/amnesia about how useful I found it! 

Love to Dream Swaddles (also available in the US here) | Our son had really severe wind, right up until the three month mark. He would twist and kick, which meant that regular cotton muslin swaddles would get loosened and sometimes come uncomfortably close to his face. My sister bought us a Love to Dream as a gift, and it’s hand down one of the best things we were given. The stretch cotton version was fantastic, and the “arms up” approach meant he could self-soothe by sucking on one of his hands. We’ve gone through three of these, and currently have him in the 6-12m 2.5 TOG sleep suit as it adds an extra layer for those cold nights. I prefer these over sleep sacks, as our boy is a tummy sleeper. He tends to wriggle around in his cot a lot before settling to sleep, and the additional fabric of the sleep sack at his legs often gets twisted. If you’re using the SNOO, you wouldn’t need one of these until they’ve been transitioned into their cot.

White Noise Machine | I recall the morning I frantically purchased a white noise machine. We were in the thick of the four-month sleep regression (perhaps four weeks in at that point), and I was desperate for anything that would help our son sleep more than one cycle at a time. It felt to me like such a frivolous purchase, but it’s come to be one of the tools we used which I think really helped him take on sleep, properly. We use a “wave” setting, which is really calming, especially in our room when the baby monitor speaker functionality is “on”. Not sure if this has anything to do with it, but our son is basically impervious to noise when in his nursery. We’ve had friends round for dinner and it’s gotten quite loud, and he’s slept right through.

Black Out Blinds | The nursery has a Venetian blind, and the way the sun hits, it gets a lot of sharp light bouncing off our neighbour’s house during the day. So, I knew I’d have to find a solution to darken the room. We bought a blackout blind from The Memo, and it’s been fantastic to create a dark space. It’s easy to pop up on the window (velcro stickers), and you can cut it to shape. Definitely helps baby to go down during nap time.

Owlet Smart Sock 2 (also available in the US here) | A recommendation we got from Luke’s brother was to invest in the Owlet. It’s a piece of technology that straps onto baby’s foot, and tracks their heart rate and oxygen levels. Really great just for peace of mind, and for us, we got it to help remove the risk of SIDS. I’m 50/50 on this one as the reviews (and our experience) have been mixed. We’ve had a number of false alarms where it’s said our boy stopped breathing (both times I was nursing), and more recently, have been getting alerts at 4am that there’s been a disconnection error. I do find that the Wi-Fi in our home can be a little patchy, and sometimes when we remove the sock it’ll take a while for the alarm to actually sound. It offers some great data in the app, so you can see wake ups, level of sleep etc. Handy if you love some good analytics. On the recommendation of another mum, we’ve decided to invest in the Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor, which will act not just as a baby monitor, but offer the same functionality as the Owlet for us too. 

Oricom Pan Tilt Camera SC850 Baby Monitor | I thought I’d also share the baby monitor we bought – but again, I recommend just doing your research and going from there. We bought one from Oricom, and also purchased a second camera so we could view the cot from two angles. It’s been great. Really good night vision – clear image – has a two-way speaker, can play music, and my favourite part? You can move the camera around to get a good angle of baby. So handy if they’ve crept their way into a corner. The range on this isn’t the best so I can’t go out of the house while using it, but it does extend from one end of the house to the other. 

MISCELLANEOUS

Leander Matty Change Mat | A huge upfront cost, but another baby essential that we love. It’s has a springy spongey feel to it, and is wipeable which means it’s simple to clean. 

Mattress Protectors | Would definitely recommend buying a mattress protector for both bassinet (if you get one) and cot. Our boy spat up a lot – even after being burped – so this helped to keep his mattress in good condition during the newborn phase. Also just good to have on the cot as they get older in case of an accident. Sometimes we’ll have a little leak with the nappy (too full), so again, protects the mattress and is easy to keep clean!

Charlie Crane LEVO Rocker | More than six months on, and we are still using our rocker. It acts as a little lounger, allowing our boy to feel a bit more at ease if he’s unsettled and we need to get some house work done. A lot of mums I know say it’s challenging to find the time to have a shower. This was what allowed me some extra time and the ability to take a shower when I needed to. I’d pop our boy in it with a toy, and he’d quite happily sit there and shoot me the odd smile. Very handy. Another one of those splurge items, this was a gift from my grandparents. It’s absolutely beautiful, and if you love the look and have the budget, I would hand on heart recommend it. That said, there’s tonnes of more affordable options out there. But what I like about this is it’s easy to break down and clean if there’s an accident, and you can easily rock baby just by gently pressing your foot up and down on the base.

Baby Carrier | I’ve had two separate baby carrier. The first was a super stretchy cotton one which I found on Amazon. It tied around my waist and would allow me to keep our boy super close. This was great up until five weeks, when he sorta outgrew it. As a hand-me-down, we were gifted a Baby Bjorn carrier, which is perfect. I used it just the other day (outward facing). This is the one we have, and it offers a lot of support. The only thing it doesn’t have is a cover for baby’s head. I’ll usually grab a light muslin and attach it to the straps, or pop a hat on him if going out for a walk. These are fab as they allow you to go hands free in the early days.

Dribble Bibs | Great for when baby’s saliva glands go into overdrive, and also when they start teething. We’ve got a bunch of cute ones we were gifted (from Myer I believe and Aden & Anais).

Spectra S2+ Electric Breast Pump | Something I haven’t really shared online was my breast-feeding journey. I have to admit, it was something I found incredibly challenging in those early months. This might be a bit TMI, but I wanted to share in case it helps someone going through a similar experience. I have a forceful letdown, which meant that during the first portion of a feed, my milk would come out hard and fast. Our son would pull off, choking and spluttering because of the intensity. It got to the point where he was having short feeds, and not only that, crying any time I tried to latch him onto the breast. Despite his hunger, it was that uncomfortable for him. It also caused a plethora of other issues, including severe wind, as he was taking in a lot of air with every feed. My solution? To express during the day, and breastfeed at night when he was still sleepy. I did this for about five weeks, and it was hard. Really hard. That said, the pump I used from Spectra was great, and that combined with the matching bottles were what got us through. 

Baby Clothes | I couldn’t write about our baby essentials without also mentioning clothing! Honestly, some of our boy’s most worn staples right now actually are from our brand – Miere the Label – which will be launching in the next couple months. Watch this space, but our fave staples have been the socks (which don’t come off!), and the ribbed leggings. Our other favourite brands include: Nature Baby, Wilson & Frenchy, Sukokoshi, Quincy Mae, and Bonds. For more affordable boy’s basics, I recommend checking out Best & Less, Cotton On and Big W. For PJs, we love Peter Alexander, and the Bonds wonder suits.

So there you have it. A total wrap up of all the baby essentials that we’ve found useful over the past (almost) seven months. I hope if you’re a mum-to-be, or planning out some purchases for the earlier months’ of your baby’s life, that this is helpful. If you have any questions at all, leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to try and answer them! x