When you discover you’re growing a tiny divine being inside your belly, at some point your attention will inevitably turn towards the ‘stuff.’
The pram. The nursery decor. The teeny outfits.
The potential to go overboard with the research and the consumption is high, which is where good, trusty recommendations come in to make life a little easier.
I hope this collection of products we love and use regularly with our sweet man helps you out as you yourself enter the wonderful world of parenthood (or the next time you need to purchase a gift for someone who is.)
CARRIERS + WRAPS ::
Comfy, cosy, convenient, and keeps your babe close to your heart — what’s not to love about baby carriers?
We’ve got a couple of carriers that we mix up:
+ The Ergobaby 360 with the Infant insert (important bit) — for longer walks. Super sturdy and supportive, bears the baby’s weight extraordinarily well, and for a dodgy-right-shouldered woman like me, doesn’t cause any discomfort.
+ The Chekoh wrap — for wandering over to the beach and trips to the shops/ markets. Our grey-striped Chekoh is definitely the lighter and more stylish of the two.
+ Soothe Shirt — this genius piece of apparel is perfect for wearing around the house when I need both hands free, and quickly. Pop it on, slip him in the pouch. Too easy.
When it comes to settling, these puppies are all incredibly effective. Pop your baby in, sway a little or do an exaggerated walk around the house for a minute or two with a bit of shushing and patting and they are likely to be putty in your hands. An hour-long walk outside is perfect for Mama and babe — exercise AND a nice little nap.
** Other brands I love are Elki and Yoli and Otis
PRAM :: Bugaboo Cameleon 3
Hands-down our favourite purchase, for a few key reasons.
+ It’s solid and sturdy, without being too bulky.
+ Handles beautifully. This baby’s got big wheels and suspension, and allows me to execute my ‘veer off the path for a bumpier ride’ manoeuvre perfectly, which often works for getting Ryder to sleep.
+ And, yep, it looks great.
Size-wise, the Cameleon is perfect and, for us, was a better option than the Bugaboo Buffalo which is the next size up and seemed a little heavy and chunky for our needs. We also prefer the upright seat over the newborn bassinet (which we used at the beginning, but switched up). We do currently have it tilted backwards so Ryder is lying down, however.
Our additions:
A cup holder — which mostly holds my phone, but sometimes a smoothie. Coffee drinkers, this is a necessity for you!
Black hood — when it comes to colours, black and charcoal are firm favourites for Ramai and I so we decided since we were investing, we may as well go the whole hog and changed up the hood to a black one, instead of the standard beige. Life’s too short!
OUTFITS :: Bonds Wondersuits
Wondersuits are the best, best, BEST. We’ve got a bunch of these in different prints and in the first few weeks, Ryder wore them ‘round the clock.
Love: the handy fold-over bits for keeping tiny hands enclosed (no face scratching) and those edible baby feet nice and warm.
RECOVERY (for Mum) :: SRC Recovery shorts
These high-waisted lycra compression shorts are brilliant and came recommended by several friends.
You’re meant to pop them on the day after birth, but to be honest, with everything else going on (i.e.: having A BRAND NEW BABY to coo over / feed around the clock) I completely forgot, so I started wearing them once I got home from the hospital on day five.
Not only did they help with post-birth recovery ‘down there’, but they definitely helped with flattening my stomach and giving me core and back support once I started going for walks with the pram. I wore them as much as possible under Lululemon leggings and flowy pants (I slept in them too — never fear, I did wash them!) for the first five weeks and still occasionally pop them on.
Well worth the investment.
MUSLIN WRAPS AND SLEEP SUITS ::
Aden + Anais and Modern Burlap are my favourite muslin wraps for the quality, size, the way they feel and the patterns. I use these to swaddle and drape over the hood of the pram.
For sleeping, we pop Ryder in his Love to Dream swaddle suit, which — magically — has become a ‘sleep cue’ for him.
I also find the fact he looks like an Xmas tree angel highly amusing at times, especially when he’s moving his little chicken wing-ed arms around. #parentingkicks #itsthelittlethings #help
WHITE NOISE :: myBaby whale noise machine
Another sleep cue, this white noise machine goes on when it’s time for some zzz’s on the ‘ocean’ setting — all part of my husband’s cunning plan to ensure our son loves surfing. ;) (kidding. Kinda.)
Babies adore white noise because it reminds them of when they were nestled cosily in the womb, so if you’re having trouble getting your baby to sleep, I do recommend giving this machine or an app — of which there are many — a go. Alongside swaddling like a burrito, these are things we adults might file under WTF… but they work.
COMFORTERS AND TOYS :: Kippin Comforter
These home-grown organic comforters have become quite the cult item and it took me a while to hunt down a River Kippin because they were sold out everywhere for some time.
Ryder hasn’t quite cottoned on yet, but I’m sure they’ll be the best of friends in future.
BREAST PUMP :: Medela Swing
This electric pump came recommended by just about everyone I know.
Hot tips:
1. Ensure you have the right flange size for your ‘girls’ as it makes the world of difference.
2. I would hold out on purchasing this until you’ve had your baby, as breastfeeding just may not happen for you and I know a few women who were left with a reasonably expensive purchase they couldn’t use. Know that you can also hire hospital-grade pumps from many pharmacies so that’s an option if you need it and don’t want to buy a pump of your own.
BOOKS ::
+ Buddhism for Mothers — a truly beautiful book on what really matters. If you get lost in the parenting forums and sleep training mumbo jumbo, come back here to soothe your mama heart.
+ The Conscious Parent — confession: I haven’t actually read this as it only arrived last week. HOWEVER, after watching this interview with Dr Shefali, I’m already a huge fan of her wisdom on parenting. Add it to your list.
+ Ina May x 2: Guide to Childbirth and Guide to Breastfeeding — I absolutely love these two tomes. Full of stories and gentle mothering techniques.
+ The Wonder Weeks — my tip is to get the app AND the book. Next time your babe is uncharacteristically unsettled, you may just find he/ she is in a ‘wonder week’ — a developmental leap that can shake things up in their world. Knowledge is power!
+ The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer — I found this one super comprehensive on all things ‘calming’ and ‘connecting’ with your child, and the least rigid when it comes to sleep training / establishing a routine.
Now that’s it from me for now, mamas, but I’m calling on your expert recommendations…
What would you add to the list? Please tell us in the comments below.
And before we go, posts like these are for ripe for sharing, so I’d be ever grateful if you could hit the buttons below or share over on Facebook. Thank you!
Small sidenote: this post is not a sponsored one, nor am I an affiliate for any products mentioned. The Chekoh Wrap and Soothe Shirt were gifted to me (without expectation — mentioned because I use ’em.)
