What were your absolute lifesavers during the baby and toddler years? Win a £200 Tesco voucher

[CeriMumsnet]

The baby and toddler years can involve a lot of trial and error - but most parents eventually discover a few things they genuinely couldn’t do without.

Maybe it was the nappies that finally stopped those 3am leaks, a buggy you could actually fold one-handed, the snack your toddler would reliably eat, a cup that didn’t spill everywhere, or something small that simply made getting through the day that bit easier.
We’d love to know your baby and toddler must-haves - which products did you swear by, buy on repeat or find yourself recommending to other parents?

We’re working with Tesco to celebrate the relaunch of the Fred & Flo range, which has a fresh new look and product updates including improved leak protection on nappies.

Everyone who shares their baby and toddler lifesavers below by 18 September will be entered into a prize draw to win a £200 Tesco voucher (T&Cs).

Breastfeeding cushion, muslins, scratch mitts for the early months, sock ons,

A small lightweight bouncer that can be easily moved with one hand to the kitchen/bathroom/living room/bedroom so that you can shower and make food!

Perhaps bit controversial for some… but Tommee Tippee Perfect prep station! We had twins so we naturally needed two! One upstairs and one downstairs as they both wanted to eat at the same time!!

My absolute lifesavers were reliable leak-proof nappies, plenty of baby wipes and a lightweight buggy I could fold with one hand. Once the toddler stage arrived, I never left the house without snacks, a spill-proof cup and a favourite small toy for emergencies! 😊

The sling i bought. I loved it, lightweight and easy to use

A sling was so useful, I had a good pram too but wrap sling could be used in the house, and when I had 2, it could be used for baby or toddler which made getting places much easier!

Another vote for Connecta sling. Fabric books for when they were little and word books as they got a bit bigger

A jumperoo! Both my kids loved it, and they stayed in one place.

Wrap sling. Initially I couldn't imagine being able to tie it, but became second nature very quickly and was brilliant!

a bag that fits everything you need when out and about with lots of pockets

HOH BOY

okay, a Few tips here…

A lot of gin.

The Morrisons own weaning meal range was a lifesaver for our fussy baby and getting her used to solids. Organix own range is great for snacks also.

Henry hoover white noise on YouTube for getting at least a few hours of sleep, as it took way over a year to even bother to attempt a full nights sleep. One cm away descended into chaos. All hail the hoover! Dummies didn’t work for her and after exhausting other options, this worked best - I could have cried!

Aldi own range of nappies. These worked best for our little one and her sensitive botty.

a tommee tippee non spill cup also. Every parent will agree it’s like being Moses parting the water trying to mop it up. Or feeling like Noah’s ark navigating your way through the chaos. Bedlam.

Little things that ended up being very important to my child, but could not be predicted. Eg a particular twig, sone colourful plastic jelly moulds, a piece of blue silk. Be aware of what they are drawn to without prejudice, encourage their playful Bindung and look after what they value,

Muslins were and still are a must have with babies and young children, we have almost 50. Breastfeeding and want to catch the milk from the other side, use a muslin. There's a runny nose or stray unusual liquid on you or your child, use a muslin. Need a light layer on your child when it's too hot for clothes but don't want to burn their skin, use a muslin. Those first baths, use a muslin. Little blankets for them to tuck their toys into sleep, use a muslin. The list could go on and on!!

Really good biodegradable nappies. I was so conscious that having a baby bringing someone into a world already messed up. Knowing we were doing it as green as possible was good.

An excellent carrier (ours was a Manduca but I really benefited from a sling library that allowed me to try a load and see what worked for me), and then a Make My Belly Fit insert for my coat so I could zip it up over the top of baby + carrier meaning I didn't have to constantly get baby in and out of a coat to keep them warm.

A Velcro swaddle! Mine wouldn’t sleep otherwise and we used them until 9 months old.

Also loved those cheese sticks for eating snacks out and about. And many many small lidded tubs to carry various snacks in.

I also used at least 3 different types of baby carrier for different stages during that first year. Mine liked to be held and I couldn’t have gotten it the sofa for crying otherwise.

Netflix (or other) subscription since I suddenly spent so much time at home in the evenings. Especially for background tv for my entertainment but where I didn’t need to follow the plot too carefully.

The main thing I’d recommend to all first time parents is get a tumble dryer! That was an absolute lifesaver - we utterly love our Miele Tumble dryer. The vomits at bedtime and you could have the stuff clean and dry again by morning. It often felt like we were running a laundrette and you feel like you’ve lived three days by 09:00 but that was hands down the best thing we bought. Second place goes to our Bugaboo Fox 2 which is a truly fabulous push chair and definitely worth the money.

The gro clock! As soon as I put it in all my kids started understanding and sleeping through the night. Game changer.

Definitely Fred & Flo Ultra Dry nappies and wipes! They’ve been two of those everyday essentials we’ve bought on repeat. The nappies kept us feeling confident, especially overnight, while the wipes have been there for everything from nappy changes to sticky hands and messy faces!

They’re simple little things, but honestly, they’ve helped make the baby and toddler years that bit easier.

Instead of bids a coverall. Light weight material, wipeable and long sleeves

Two main things for me.
A packed changing bag so I could just grab it and go when it was the right window to be able to leave with the baby/toddler. The bag had nappies, bags, wipes, foldable changing mat, a change of clothes or two, a little blanket and toy and later, some snacks.
Also, a swinging seat. I’d put the baby in there in front of some baby tv and I could then do a few things in peace.

Good quality children’s songs that adults enjoyed listening to too. I always found singing got us all through the trickier times of the day.

Lots of muslin clothes, bibs and plenty of baby clothes..

A playpen. My toddler could move faster than Usain Bolt, I swear. Saved me and my sanity.

Muslin cloths. I had loads of them. Useful for putting over my shoulder when winding baby, to stop sick getting on my clothes. One my the nappy mat as my son always started to wee as soon as I removed his nappy, One to wipe pureed food off baby's chin. etc. etc.