My best baby buys...
When you first find out you're pregnant it's a whirlwind of all things baby. It seems a total minefield of information, mixed feelings on certain baby products, wondering what is safest, what is comfiest, what is going to make this new life sleep at night and be happy. So what should we buy?
There are a billion baby products out there and it's impossible to know what you need. In hindsight, it's actually SO much easier to just buy things as you go along. You don't need everything straight away, you can still shop after baby arrives and save a fortune on things that are simply of no use. All babies are different, as are their parents so I think that is why we get such a broad spectrum of recommendations and 'steer clears' from people that are already parents.
These items though are ones that I think would be genuinely useful to all parents, they are not necessarily essentials but items that certainly make life a lot easier at times giving much needed peace of mind. If I was to ever have another baby, these would be top of my shopping list!
These items though are ones that I think would be genuinely useful to all parents, they are not necessarily essentials but items that certainly make life a lot easier at times giving much needed peace of mind. If I was to ever have another baby, these would be top of my shopping list!
1. Video Baby Monitor | 2. Car Seat Base | 3. Bath Thermometer | 4, Jumperoo | 5. Digital Thermometer
Car Seat Base
This one for us was one of the best buys of all. We started with a three door car and having to use the seat belt to secure the car seat each and every time we went out was an absolute no no! We got a car seat base for our car seat and it simply clicked in and out with no irritating straps to sort out. This was a great investment and I can say if you haven't tried one or are wondering if you need one, you absolutely will be pleased with it if you decide to invest. This takes the guess work out of wondering if you have done the straps correctly, it's quick and easy and a godsend in the rain or if you have other siblings to strap in too.
Video Baby Monitor
Having had one baby through to toddler with a normal digital monitor and having a video monitor with my second, I can honestly say that it makes life A LOT easier. The video aspect puts your mind at ease when they go quiet, when they are poorly and when you hear noises. This little bit of genius saves you waking baby unnecessarily which is something we did a fair bit first time round. I love watching my babies sleep too so this just gives me chance to see them looking so peaceful, keeping a closer eye on them after they leave our room.
Digital thermometer
Without a doubt this is one that you will regret not getting if you opt for the cheaper stick version. A non contact thermometer or quick inner ear digital reader like this one really do a great job and in my experience babies and toddlers hate having their temperature taken under their armpit, they act like you are torturing them and this instant result is so much more reassuring and hassle free.
Our Braun one even lets you set the age of the child and gives you a colour coded temperature reading so you know if they have a fever and what is considered high for their age. I always thought that a temperature was just a temperature regardless of age, I now know better and this takes all the guess work out - perfect for those 3am wake ups.
Jumperoo
This is one I know some may not agree on but for me it was love at first sight for us all. Alf never wanted to sit or lay, he wanted to be upright and on his feet from just a few weeks old which very soon totally messes with your arms and back. The Jumperoo gave me chance to pop my clingy baby down for a few god sent minutes, give him the opportunity to put his strong little legs to good use and feel a little independent while he bounced and spun around entertaining himself. These aren't recommended for a long period of time but from around 4 months both of mine absolutely adored this. As this is a pretty big piece of kit, there is now a space saver version available too!
Bath thermometer
This sounds like a simple one and although we were told to just test the water with our elbow, it's so easy to get the temperature wrong and actually, that magic 37 degree baby bath temp feels a lot hotter than you think and they really enjoy the warmth. We have used our bath thermometer every day pretty much for the past 5 years and even use it for our own baths as we now know what temperature we like. These are really cheap to buy and for me, an absolute must to the baby buy list. You can get thermometers like this that measure room and bath temperatures, but a cheap floating bath thermometer will do just the job too.
If you have already had a baby, what were your must have buys and why?
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