I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of the whole 3 kid thing! Who knows, I might even get back into regular blogging (let’s not be hasty though!).
I think I have more than enough experience now to share with you the things that I couldn’t have done without. I know they are different for everyone, but these have been good enough to make the grade and in use every day.
1. Milkbar nursing pillow. For Hugh and Charles, I just used a triangle pillow and it was good enough BUT this really is awesome. It’s a very rare feed that I don’t use the pillow with Leo and I use it for those long cuddles when he just wants holding (and this supports my arms fabulously). Highly recommend!
2. Bella Buttercup Play Space. Having the 2 older boys and their limitations with knowing personal space, I found this great for putting on the floor and them knowing that they had to be really careful with Leo in that area. I still use it occasionally, but Leo is more likely to roll around it than on it!
3. Nursery Works Empire Rocker. Lucky for me, I was working with a client who’s nursery was just calling out for one of these chairs. I got in touch with the distrubiter and was able to get one for my client and one for me (before I was pregnant with Leo)….hoorah! And if you’ve been lusting after one of these chairs for as long as I have, you’ll know they are difficult to get in Australia. Yes, this is a complete splurge BUT after we’ve finished with it in the nursery, I’ll be moving it into my office. With the older boys, I never had a decent chair and it’s something I hated. The hours you spend in there, I think it’s essential to be comfortable. And this baby sure is. I love it.
4. Ergo 360. On an easy day, I get Leo in and out of the car about 10 times (school and kinder pick ups at different times don’t help!). Rather than get the pram in and out of the car all the time, I pop him in the ergo. I know if it’s close to sleep time, I can guarantee a sleep in this too. We use it (and the pram) about half and half. Brilliant for keeping the arms free when I’ve got all 3 boys.
5. Reds Baby Pram. This is my 4th pram (eeek! In fairness, my first pram was a single, then I had the other boys really close together and needed a double and then I just needed a stroller) and by far the best. 8 months in, I still love it. They aren’t available in stores and are based in Sydney, so it was good timing when I went and visited my brother and sister in law when I met Reds Baby for a trial of it. Light weight, easy to manoeuvre, look good and good price. It doesn’t hurt that it’s called Red’s baby….my husband calls me Red.
6. Ikea Hemnes dresser. A change table on my essentials list? Yep. I know a lot of people don’t use a change table at all (I don’t know how you do it, my back hurts when I do it on the floor or bed) but I’ve always had one. With the older boys, I used a traditional change table and it was fine. But with the layout of Leo’s nursery, it just wasn’t going to work so I decided to pop the change pad on the top of the dresser. It’s a brilliant height, the drawers underneath hide the ugly things whilst still being really easy access and it’s a piece that will work after nappies are finished.
7. Boori Urbane Bassinet. I don’t know what it was….maybe Leo being our last….but I was really hesitant about him being away from me! Right through my pregnancy, I couldn’t decide if I wanted one or not. I never used one for the boys, they went pretty much straight into their cots. I decided the week before I had Leo that I needed one, ordered one from Melbourne and it arrived the day before I had Leo. I could wheel it out to our family room during the day and at night, Leo would be right beside our bed. It was only when he was too big for it (at just over 6 months) that he went into his cot all the time.
8. Love to dream swaddle. After the first month, Leo was an arms up sleeper so we popped him into one of these and done. When it was time to transition, we went for the 50/50.
9. Alphabet Monkey Swaddle. Awww look at baby Leo on his 2nd day of life here. The AM swaddle was the first one I would reach for when Leo was a newborn. They are really lovely stretchy fabric and they look good!
10. Instagram. Really, insta? Yes, really. With the amount of hours you spend under a sleeping or feeding baby it gave me something to look at and do.
So tell me, are any of these on your essential list? What else would you add?