Little Miss I Want

Little Miss I Want Blog post Written by Fiona

A new arrival

Well you can only imagine my excitement when I felt it was the right time to start shopping for our new arrival, this was a whole new shopping world to me!

I left buying items for the baby until I was over the half way mark, I’d been caught out before and this time I didn’t want to jinx anything. The first thing I did was research everything and I mean everything even muslin cloths! I consulted my girlfriends and asked them what they had bought and what they found useful and what was a waste of money. Now you’d think I’d be in my element with my shopaholic tendencies but actually I felt like a rabbit in the head lights and totally out of my depth! So strange I never thought I’d have been so bamboozled with everything but the reality is there are a million things out there to buy and some of them are big purchases and you want to make sure you buy the right thing for your precious cargo your carrying.

A helping hand

I went with my good friend Sally to John Lewis in Birmingham and had a good look at the prams, car seats, furniture and other items I’d need and started to feel like I was a little more informed. The staff at John Lewis were fantastic and really patient with me especially when I wasn’t 100% sure of what I wanted. The one thing I found terribly frustrating in the whole process was that you couldn’t test out the pram, as in you are not allowed to put the pram up/down so you can see how it works. Obviously health & safety comes into it when you are eight months pregnant, which I totally understand but it was a big thing for me knowing if it would be easy to get in and out of the car. 

I’m a big fan of The White Company and bought a few things for the nursery from there. They have a section online in The Little White Company where you could download a Baby Checklist and this is what I used to make sure I was getting everything I needed and to keep me on the right track. I’ll put the link below for you. I spent hours and hours online looking at various options and finding the cheapest deals, you really feel like your constantly spending when getting ready for a baby.

I will write about what I bought for the nursery and other big purchases later in the blog but I wanted to focus on what I really used and LOVED during my first month’s with Rufus and finding my feet as a new mummy.

Aden + Anais Classic Swaddles

I knew I wanted to try this brand when I started researching into what to buy for the baby. This American brand is so popular, I do believe it’s used by Kate & Will’s for their little bundles of joy! These 100% muslin swaddles are such great quality, breathable, versatile and super soft to touch. I’ve also been able to use them in various ways too such as a tummy time blanket for Rufus, a pram cover when I’ve needed him to sleep when out, a burp cloth, nursing cover (the first few days) and of course I used them to swaddle Rufus in this moses basket. Fourteen months on they are still going strong and looking good, definitely worth the money.

Shnuggle Bath

One of my favourite purchases. This was so great to use with a new baby. Bath time was daunting enough in the early days so this was wonderful to use knowing he was safe and secure in his little Shnuggle. There’s a foam back rest that keeps your baby comfortable and cosy. A bum bump and anti-slip surface helps to secure the baby making bath time much more enjoyable for you. The clever shape fully supports new born babies and allows older babies to sit up and play.  I was so sad when he grew out of it!

Philips Avent digital dual purpose bath and room thermometer

Such a great thermometer to have both in the bathroom or nursery and looks cute too. This thermometer gives a reliable measurement every time, and is even safe for babies and children of any age to play with when they’re in the bath, which is good as it often ends up in Rufus’s mouth most days. 

Kit & Kin Eco Friendly Nappies & Wipes

If you are looking for echo friendly disposable nappies these award winning nappies are a must. I have used them from day one. Not only do I feel less guilty about what damage I’m doing to the environment (Did you know a normal nappy can take 500 years to decompose? Shocking isn’t it?!) I know that buying their nappies they are giving back to The World Land Trust so I feel like I’m contributing in my own small way. They also offer a subscription service which I’ve always used, I have found it so easy to use online. They are however now stocked in Tesco and Boots since I’ve started using them and have an array of other products including pull-ups which is great now Rufus is older. Also they have the cutest designs, who doesn’t love a baby with a bear bum?

Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Machine

As I couldn’t breast feed Rufus after the first week I had to give him bottles of milk. I spent those hazy early week’s boiling the kettle, then sticking the bottle in cold water to get it to the right temperature and worrying that it wasn’t the right temperature. Not great at 3am in the morning. My husband came home one day with this prep machine and it was a revelation, I never had to boil a kettle again! I cannot recommend this enough to help out new mum’s, it makes your life so much easier. I’ve just recently loaned mine to my friend who is now expecting her 2nd child so she has one downstairs in the kitchen and one upstairs!

Calico Clouds Blankets

I found this little independent company on instagram and fell in love with them. All the blankets and fabrics of products looked so soft and cosy. As I was having my little boy in December I wanted to get him a lovely warm blanket for his pram. Leah who runs Calico Clouds is just wonderful, she makes all of these beautiful luxury blankets by hand and offers a bespoke service too. I have bought a couple for Rufus and his friends and they have been so versatile. I have used our blankets all year round, they have come with us to baby yoga, picnics, used for tummy time and taken on road trips. Not only can you find these wonderful blankets but Leah now stocks lots of other goodies on her website, I urge you to check them out.

Ewan The Dream Sheep

We love Ewan in our house. He has been a permanent fixture in the nursery or when we have been away. Ewan the Sheep is a soft cuddly toy with light and sound features, including actual womb and heartbeat recordings. We have used this since birth with Rufus and each night Ewan is turned on when Rufus is placed in his cot so he know’s its bed time. 

Braun Thermoscan 7 IRT6520 Thermometer

No question you have to have a thermometer. I have used this so much and so glad I had it. What I like about this product is that it has a colour coded display of green, orange and red so you know when the temperature is dangerously high. Unfortunately I’ve experienced this many times with Rufus, so I’m so glad I had this. 

Motorola MBP50 Video Baby Monitor with Large 5-inch Full Colour Curved Parent Display Unit 

So many monitors on the market to choose from but I ended up with this Motorola 5-inch. I loved that the monitor was so large so I got a good clear view of the cot and the baby. Other features include a remote pan, tilt and zoom providing a 270 degree view of your nursery in real time via the parent display unit. I found that this is also great to use at night with the infrared night vision capability. We also use the two way audio communication. This is also great so you can speak to your baby and they can hear your voice too! 

The Little Green Sheep Sleeping Bag

Another one of my firm favourites is this company. They specialise in providing natural and organic materials creating beautiful, long-lasting products that are free from chemicals. I have bought their sleeping bags, bedding and sleepwear for Rufus so he is always snug and cosy at night. They also make fantastic gifts too. The whole range is super soft and created with 100% organic brushed cotton, so its ideal for baby’s delicate skin. I just love them. You’ll also find a whole range of products for the baby and nursery on their website.

H&M Leggings

My friend told me about these and I need to share the love! These are so handy for your new baby. I bought so many of them over the first few months with Rufus and he looked super cute in them too. Easy to get on and off which we know is important! They come in a pack of 3 in various colours, a must buy.

Aden + Anais Serenity Star

Another fab product from Aden + Anais. This is a multi-tasking electronic sleep and feeding system. I originally bought it just for the time and to check the temperature of the nursery but found the feeding diary really useful in the early days. The unique feeding diary simplifies bottle feeding and nursing by allowing you to record the time feeding started and when nursing, to easily recall which side you last fed from. It also has a soothing sound machine and nightlight. I especially love the star design as it looks fabulous in our nursery.