New Mum Recommendations! Quick Fire Suggestions

[pinkpepperclove]

Hi All,

Baby incoming May – Overwhelmed with options for everything so coming straight to the experts on your recommendations for the following. Can you quick fire out names and brands that would be amazing.

1. Next To Me Style Bed
2. Nursery Crib that will see them through the years into bed
3. Nursing and bottles/Cleaning – The most convenient/less sterilising/cleaning (is that a thing?)
4. On-body baby Carrier (not what it’s called) where baby can face chest and outward
5. MamaRoo Style Rocker – Open to suggestions
6. Playmat for living room – To save a cream carpet which is bound to get messy

Would love to get as many responses as possible!

1. next to me - Tutti bambini cozee crib is fab and so easy to fold down for travel too.
2. nursery crib - we have mamas and papas atlas which is great for us in a small nursery whilst still being a full size cot that transitions to a toddler bed.
3. Steriliser - can’t recommend Milton cold water steriliser enough. You’ll get people saying it’s a faff but it’s really not! Pop a tablet in and it’s sterile for 24 hours so you can add and take bottles as needed (allow 15 mins to sterilise) then refresh next day.
4. I’ll jump straight to play mat, we got a cheap chad valley one in the sale and it did the job, we gave LO additional toys a lot of the time anyway.

I'm sure others can suggest good carriers and rockers but I don’t have much experience with these.

1. Tuttee Bambini Cozee. As pp said it folds down super easy so we used it as a travel cot for a good while.

1. We used the Mokee mini cot as we were very space limited at the time. It was great but would have chosen a cot that converts to a bed if I were to choose again.

1. I mostly breastfed but Mam self sterilising bottles were great as was the tommee tippee microwave steriliser. But we literally used it a handful of times so I don't really know what's best if you're sterilising multiple times a day.

1. Ergobaby 360 omni carrier by far. So comfy, multiple positions, easy to adjust. Most people usually have an Ergobaby or the Baby Bjorn carrier but anyone I knew who had the Baby Bjorn said it didn't support their back enough and got small pretty quickly.

1. Don't know about Mama roo style but the Baby bjorn bouncer was amazing for us. Incredibly lightweight and easy to store/transport if needed.

1. Totter and tumble playmat. Looks good, large area, soft enough to break any falls and super easy to clean. It's like thick yoga mat material.

• Next To Me Style Bed

Snuzpod

• Nursery Crib that will see them through the years into bed
IKEA do lots and at a good price! Otherwise mamas and papas is a good bet although our old cot from them snapped in half after 12 months which was infuriating and quite concerning 😫

• Nursing and bottles/Cleaning – The most convenient/less sterilising/cleaning (is that a thing?)

We have one off Amazon that just goes in the microwave. It was very cheap and it is a bit bulky, but saves countertop space.

• On-body baby Carrier (not what it’s called) where baby can face chest and outward

Ergo baby carrier. Lasts from newborn to about 18 months.

• MamaRoo Style Rocker – Open to suggestions

I got an electric one off John Lewis.

• Playmat for living room – To save a cream carpet which is bound to get messy

We got a "sensory" gym and used the mat from that, plus muslin cloths.

Totter and tumble playmat.

• Next To Me Style Bed - we borrowed a next to me. It worked well until we moved her into a mokee cot

• Nursery Crib that will see them through the years into bed

• Nursing and bottles/Cleaning – The most convenient/less sterilising/cleaning (is that a thing?) I breastfed mainly but used MAM bottles. We were broke at the time so just used sterilising tablets.

• On-body baby Carrier (not what it’s called) where baby can face chest and outward - Ergo 360

• MamaRoo Style Rocker – Open to suggestions - didn't have one

• Playmat for living room – To save a cream carpet which is bound to get messy

We bought a mat from totter & tumble. It's not a playmat but 5 years later is still going strong and if it wasn't for the fact that they are meant to be for kids, I'd buy another as I just really like them.

Glad to see the Ergo 360 and totter and tumble mats are so popular!

1. Another vote here for the Tutti Bambini!
2. We got one from IKEA, but from Facebook marketplace, and then bought a brand new mattress and sheets etc
3. We mostly breastfed but when he was first born we used the ready made bottles for a bit - also handy when out and about in the early days and you don’t want to faff around making bottles. We also used the Milton cold water steriliser and Tommee Tippee bottles.
4. Ergo 360 carrier is fab - I know a few other mums who also use it. My little one is 11 months now and we still pop him in it outward facing and he loves it. Also, a bit ahead of time, but if you’re wanting one of the backpack style carriers for when baby is bigger and for longer walks, the Little Life carriers are really good.
5. I’m not entirely convinced the expensive rocker chairs for babies are super worth it. General guidance is that they shouldn’t sleep in them really, but obviously the rocking makes them sleepy! We had just a normal one that vibrated and he enjoyed sitting in there. Also they outgrow them really quickly, so again I’m not sure they’re worth the cost - maybe a second hand one would be worth it though!
6. We have a playpen by Hengmei which is really good and then those colourful jigsaw mat pieces that we use as the playmat (helpful as you can make it the size you need).

Any next to me will do, get second hand just buy a new mattress.

again any cotbed is fine again new mattress

mam do self sterilising bottles or get a microwave steriliser is the easiest

Carriers- why do you want a forward facing? Baby must have strong core strength before using so minimum 4 months but recommend more 6 months. Plus it puts a lot of strain on baby so it’s not recommended for longer than 20 minutes at a time and they shouldn’t sleep forward facing. You might be better looking at one that has a back carry option so baby can look over your shoulder. Personally I love my Tula free to grow, but carriers will depend on what you find comfortable, body shape etc. You are better off looking into a sling library to try some either in person or have them delivered to try. For a newborn something like a close caboo are very popular and very cheap second hand. Remember a lot of carriers state from birth but if you have a small/short baby they are not suitable.

Rocker/chairs, again babies shouldn’t be in them for a long time or be sleeping in them so just get something second hand. My second born absolutely hated any sort of chair so it’s not worth spending a lot

Playmat anything you like the look of.

Next To Me - I've got the chicco next 2 me, which I've found great
Nursery Crib that will see them through the years into bed - Tutti Bambini have some great options, we have the Rio I think!
Nursing and bottles/Cleaning – The most convenient/less sterilising/cleaning (is that a thing?) - I swear by mam bottles, sterilise in the microwave by themselves which is a space and time saver!
On-body baby Carrier (not what it’s called) where baby can face chest and outward - I like the freerider slings, and ergobaby embrace