Most recommended products for your baby.

Being a first (or even second, or third) time Mum can be overwhelming. That’s made even worse right now with people having adding concerns about Covid-19 and pregnancy. As one of previous blogs talks about, there is no need to be alarmed, you’re in great hands in the New Zealand health system and there don’t appear to be added risks for pregnant Mums and babies from Covid-19.

There are so many things to learn and so many products on the market for your newborn baby. With every influencer, knowledgeable friend and brand telling giving you conflicting advice, it can be really hard to know exactly what you need to prepare for birth.

The most important thing as an expectant parent is to be kind to yourself and look after your mental health as much as your physical health. When it comes to all those overwhelming “new parent” decisions, don’t stress. You want the right thing for you and baby, but don’t keep yourselves up at night worrying about it and please, please, please don’t compare yourselves to others. Sometimes the most expensive and “coolest” baby accessories aren’t always the best!

 So, we wanted to take some time to help you relax a bit and cut through the noise by sharing some thoughts and advice based on our experience. We’ve also taken some time to talk to a few other Mums and compared notes on some of their favourite products and recommendations.

 There are so many products to talk about, so we’ve focused on the things that our community most often ask about and products that we know you’ll get great value from.

Disclaimer, none of the products or brands mentioned have paid or sponsored this blog. It’s just a few thoughts that we hope make your decision making a little less overwhelming!

PREGNANCY

·      A good pregnancy pillow for sleeping. (The Growbright maternity pillow is great).

·      Support belt (smiley belt) to support your hips, lower back and pelvis if you are experiencing discomfort in any of those areas.

·      A soothing oil or cream for your belly. There is little research that creams or oils can prevent stretch marks, but having something to apply can ensure your skin is at its best and often can help ease any discomfort from the skin stretching.

 BOOKS

 ·      Ina May – Guide to Childbirth

·      Suzy Ashworth – The Calm Birth Method

·      Marie Mongan – Hynobirthing. The Mongan Method.

·      Juju Sundin’s – Birth Skills

·      Dorothy Waide – You Simply Can’t Spoil a Newborn

 BABY-WEARING / CARRIERS

 There are many options when it comes to baby wearing. Just remember that whatever you end up choosing, ensure that it supports healthy hip development in your newborn. Your baby’s hips should be allowed to spread apart with the thighs supported and the hips bent (they need to be in a “M” position when seated in their carrier, not something that puts their legs in an extended, dangled position).

 ·      Stretchy wrap (Chekoh, Boba or Moby were the top recommended wraps). Stretchy wraps are perfect when your baby is a newborn as they don’t need to be a certain size to be used & they’re easily adjustable.

·      Ergo 360 (by far the most recommended structured carrier. Structured carriers are great as they can be used until your child is much older).

·      Tula

·      Lillebaby

·      Manduca

·      Boba

·      Beco Gemini baby

WHITE NOISE

·      Hushh by Marpac. This is a small, portable & easily rechargeable machine that continuously plays white noise sounds. It is affordable too and came most highly recommended.

·      Glow dreaming. This allows you to play white noise and also has light therapy and a humidifier all in one.

·      Play white noise through Spotify or a white noise app on an old phone or ipad (make sure you turn to airplane mode).

 CAPSULES

 It is essential that whatever you choose (whether a capsule or convertible car seat), you ensure it fits your vehicle. A certain capsule you may want, may not fit your car best. So to be sure it is the safest it can be, have this checked by a car restraint technician and have it fitted prior. To also make your life easier having a capsule and base is great.

 ·      Maxi Cosi (this came up by far as the most recommended)

·      Edwards and co

·      Britax

·      Phil and Teds

·      Mountain Buggy

 PRAMS

 The first three mentioned here were definitely the top 3 recommended prams. Depending on where you live and why you use your pram (running, walks on rough tracks etc) will determine what one you buy. Getting the bassinet attachment is great too if you are buying for your baby as a newborn.

 ·      Bugaboo

·      Edwards and co

·      Mountain buggy

·      Mutsy (a lesser known brand but I saw a good few reviews on these)

BABY MONITORS

·      Angelcare

·      Motorolla

·      Vtech

·      Oricom

·      Uniden

·      Arlo & iBaby were ones not as well known but got a few good recommendations

 SWADDLES

Your newborn will be used to the environment of the womb when they are born so swaddling your baby allows us to recreate that feeling for them. It also suppresses the startle reflex they have until 3-6 months old. I find that when a baby is first born that the swaddles where baby has their arms up don’t often suppress the startle reflex well (depending on your baby’s size). You may find that something more restrictive in the early days works better and then you move to one of those as baby gets bigger.

 ·      Love to dream was hands down the most recommended swaddle.

·      Mum2Mum swaddle

·      Miracle blanket

·      Nature baby swaddles

·      Burrow and be swaddles

·      Muslin wraps are always good for the early days in warmer months.

SLEEPING BAGS

·      Woolbabe was the sleeping bag that most people recommended

·      Merino kids

BASSINET & COTS

·      Cariboo bassinet

·      SnuzPod co-sleeper by Edwardes & Co

·      Teeny Weeny Cozi Sleeper

·      Nature Baby moses basket

·      Mocka cot

·      Stokke cot

 BOTTLES

I always suggest trying a bottle in the first month (if breastfeeding is well established) so it gives you the flexibility to use this when needed. Worth doing every few days / once a week to keep your baby used to it. Occasionally if your baby is older and doesn’t take well to a bottle then it is worth trying other brands as a lot of these teats are quite different.

·      MAM anti colic

·      Mimijumi

·      Dr Brown

·      Tommee Tippee

·      Avent

DUMMIES

 To avoid nipple confusion, only bring in a dummy once breastfeeding is well established. I am a big fan of dummies if you have a baby that settles well sucking. It’s a natural reflex for babies so many babies will respond well one to using a dummy.

·      Bibs came in most recommended for sure. And bonus, they look super cute!

·      Avent – I personally like this as they have small teat that I find most newborns take to really well.

·      Nuk

·      Haaka

BREASTFEEDING

·      Electric breast pump. Milkbar, Unimom and Medela all came up with many recommendations.

·      Haaka or New Edition manual breast pump

·      Feeding pillow

·      A dim light / lamp (I personally like a salt lamp with a dimmer).

·      Reusable breast pads

·      A feeding station with all you will need to get you through a feed (Water, snacks, burp cloth)

·      Silverette nursing cups (protect and heal nipples – no other creams needed while using these)

·      Hydrogel breast pads (feel like heaven on your damaged or tender nipples, keep them in the fridge or freezer).

·      Lanolin cream (also see my Nipple Care blog here for all the tips!)

BATHING PRODUCTS

 We don’t recommend bathing your newborn until closer to a week old. They struggle to regulate their own temperature initially, and all that goodness on their skin when they’re born is lovely to leave on!

When you do choose to do your first bath, just using water is absolutely fine. They don’t get ‘dirty’ and water seems to clean them well. If you choose to use products, I would stick with natural products for their sensitive skin.

 ·      Little world (My personal favourite. It smells like heaven on a baby).

·      Ecostore

·      Earthwise

·      A natural oil like almond oil

·      The Shnuggle bath is one everyone raved about.

·      Stokke baby bath

·      Using a bath support is also handy for newborns.

NAPPY CHANGING

 Many newborns won’t enjoy the nappy changing process and part of it may be due to cold wipes. I personally like to use warm flannels with water in the early days – better for the environment too! It’s not necessary to use creams but if your baby is susceptible to nappy rash there are some great balms on the market.

·      Rascal & Friends nappies were by far the favourite.

·      Noopi nappies are a newer brand but got good reviews.

·      Disposable change pads (can get these from Kmart)

·      Weleda nappy cream

·      Tui balm

·      Cloth wipes (Thinkwise dry wipes or flannels)

·      Bear & Moo cloth / re-usable nappies

·      Water Wipes

OTHER PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED THAT MUM’S LOVE!

 ·      Onesies with zips or gowns

·      Bonds wondersuits

·      Nuna leaf

·      SnuzPod

·      Jolly jumper as your baby gets older (can hold their head up well)