Having a baby or twins?? The 10 items you NEED for your first year!

  1. Video Monitor - Some people worry they will spend every night looking at it even when their baby is asleep. For us it was a great tool to prevent us from rushing in at the first whimper. We used BT 1000 then the BT 7000.
  2. Baby Bjorn Bouncer - Not only is it simple, light and portable, babies love it. Once they are big enough they can make it bounce themselves.
  3. Helpful books - Baby Secrets by Jo Tatum is really excellent if you do want some order in your home, this book allows you to find a routine your baby is close to and then helps you to progress from there till they are in the best routine to suit your families needs / lifestyle.
  4. Travel cot with bassinet - Having twins, the bending over was a nightmare. With these you can start with the babies at a higher level like normal cots and then drop it down as they get older. It was a life saver for my back.
  5. Mamas and papas baby snug followed by an Ikea high chair - the first item is great as the inner part comes out when the baby gets bigger. The Ikea high chair is £12 and faultless. It offers better support than most of the chairs I have tried, (and I have tried quite a few) Save your money for something else - maybe a nice changing bag for example ;)
  6. Annabel Karmel First Foods book and Baby Led Weaning by Gill Grapley - Great books to get you started on weaning. AK has lots of lovely recipes whilst GP explains the idea behind BLW. I would also suggest a basic hand blender / small chopper as these are great to have in your kitchen. I am all for items that change with your needs.
  7. Steriliser and nappy bin - If you are just having one baby then the microwave Avent steriliser is brilliant. Lightweight, simple to use and clean. If twins are on the agenda I found the Avent tall version perfect as it holds more bottles. For smelly nappies the Sangenic bin is a godsend. It cleverly wraps each nappy in a plastic cover so that the smell is kept at bay even in your babies nursery.
  8. Body worn baby carrier - These are great for getting you out and about without a pram. There are lots of options out there to choose from and its all about trying one that fits you well and suits your needs. I found the baby bjorn carrier gave really good back support.
  9. A decent changing bag - Being organised = happy mother = happy children. I have done my best to solve this problem with my début range :)
  10. Nighties - Far easier and quicker to use in the middle of the night. Ask your granny, they were all the rage in her day! Luckily you can still find them. Forget poppers they are so fiddly at 2am!
I haven’t mentioned all the usual items you know you will be buying such as a pram, nappies, bottles, wipes, Calpol, teething granules, bedding and muslins etc. I just wanted to share some of my experiences with you on the key items I not only found the most practical but also ones which didn’t cost the earth. Good luck to all you pregnant Mummies to be, it's an exciting, tiring and rewarding journey for us all.

Keri x

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