10 Essentials Items for a New Baby

I know exactly how it can be when you're expecting your first baby. You and your partner feel slightly like the blind leading the blind when it comes to baby shopping and things have changed so much since your mum had children that her shopping list doesn't always keep up with the latest trends or safety advice. Friends will tell you not to buy too much in newborn or their opinion on the best brand of pram or car seat but it can be a little hard to listen when you're so excited you just want all the things!

I'm not going to tell you what NOT to buy (although I would go easy on the cute little baby hats as you'll be amazed how many you end up with and never use!) but these 10 items are the ones that have made motherhood so much easier for me!

1) A baby bath with a seat or ledge. My sister-in-law actually told me this was an essential but I got seduced by a cheap, quality looking bath in Ikea and went with that instead. I thought I was being very thrifty and saving money. And then I bathed a newborn and realised it's next to impossible to hold this wriggly slippy being and wash them. My lovely friend Rachy came to the rescue and bought me a Nuby bath with a ledge and a non-slip headrest. What a lifesaver!! I actually enjoy bathtime now and Oakley feels way more secure. He loves to lean his bum on the ledge and kick his legs about!

2) An Isofix. I have the Maxi Cosi car seat with the Isofix base and it is a God send. I would constantly be worried that he wasn't securely strapped in without it so it really does give peace of mind when driving with baby - something that's scary enough as it is! Also if it's raining or you have your hands full, it's so nice to just click and go!

3) Pukka Motherkind Baby tea. If you're breastfeeding it can be easy to ruin the whole experience for yourself by doubting your milk supply. Is my baby hungry? Am I producing enough milk? I purchased this tea to help boost my supply (even though I probably was producing enough but it was for my own peace of mind) and I noticed a difference in days! My boobs felt fuller and I was leaking if he went a few hours without a feed, particularly at night. In fact I had to reduce how many I was having per day!

4) An electric breast pump. Again, if you're breastfeeding this helps to boost your supply. I started off with a manual pump which was fine but it was tiresome when you're tired enough from feeding anyway! An electric pump is also great if you'd prefer to give an expressed bottle in public, you want to leave baby with someone else for a few hours or you just need an early night and baby has other ideas! I don't think anyone enjoys pumping as it's nicer to rest your boobs especially in those early cluster feeding days but an electric pump certainly makes things easier. Next baby I think I might opt for a double pump though for even more efficient pumping.

5) A next to me crib. We bought the most gorgeous mose basket at an artisan baby fair and I was so in love with it. Oakley, however, was less enamoured! He hated being lifted into it after a feed and I hated not being able to see him or easily reach over to comfort him. We purchased a next to me crib eventually and it has been a life saver! I can roll Oakley into it whilst he's still asleep and he doesn't wake from the motion of being lifted. He can see us and we can easily see him which means I sleep better too and it's easy to reach over to stroke his nose or hold his hand if he's just a little unsettled.

6) Bibs dummies. These are a Swedish design company and they come in an array of gorgeous muted colours such as peach or sage. They look super stylish but they are also BPA free and made from natural rubber so no little nasties for your baby to suck on. They are also specifically designed for babies who breastfeed so they don't interfere with their sucking reflex at all.

7) Gro Bags or sleeping bags. These prevent the worry of whether they'll kick a blanket off or pull it up too high or over their heads. You can get different Tog weights like a duvet so you can tailor them to the weather conditions. They super easy to zip baby into and look so cosy. The only downside is that Oakley can get really cold hands at night but having said that, he never keeps them under a blanket either so I think he'd always have good hands!

8) Baby sensory classes. Not an item as such but a great thing to spread your pennies on for sure. Try to find a class like Tots Play that covers a lot of different subjects including massage, yoga, sing and sign and sensory play. It will give you confidence to try new things with baby at home as well as teaching baby to socialise and interact with others.

9) IKEA drawer organisers. You'll find dressing baby way more fun if everything is organised. I'm not a naturally tidy person but Oakley's clothes and accessories are organised within an inch of their life and it makes picking out outfits so much fun! The drawer organisers mean you can separate all their little bits and bobs like shoes, socks, dribble bibs, mits and hats. So handy!

10) Pacapod changing bag. These are so stylish, they don't even look like changing bags! That was a big selling point for me but they're actually really practical as well. Mine can be worn as a backpack, carried with the handle on top or attached to my pram with the clips provided. You can fit loads in them and they come with little pods to separate everything. The changing pod means you can take everything you need to change baby without taking the whole bag and it comes with a roll up changing mat too. The feeding pod is insulated so it keeps milk cool and the small pod on the outside is great for when you need to quickly reach that spare dummy! I've also discovered it wipes clean very well after a sick incident...