When you fall pregnant, a whole new world opens up to you. Makeup and skincare – that I know. I know everything about hyalauronic acid, concealers and anti ageing but I realised very quickly I knew nothing about babies and products! It didn’t take me very long (being the researcher I am) to start realising what brands and products are well loved in the mommy community. I read blog, asked mom friends and visited stores. Very soon I had a really great list of items I just knew I’d need to have before baby arrived.
Now that the time is drawing closer and the baby room is almost done, I thought I’d share with you some of the items I literally can’t wait to use on my little one!
The Doona Travel System
Prams and car seats are ‘big ticket’ items that you need to research thoroughly. I’d seen the Doona being used by a few friends and I just loved how convenient it is. The Doona is a car seat and stroller in one (it literally converts in a few seconds) so makes it very easy to use on the go. We spend quite a bit of time travelling and going home to see family in Port Elizabeth, so I just love the idea of being able to travel with my car seat and pram in such a convenient way.
It converts from a pram to a stroller in seconds!
The Doona has won many awards and has been tested to meet super strict EU and US safety standards. We got ours from Takealot but they are available at most baby stores nationwide.
The Love to Dream Swaddle UP™
When I asked on my Instagram what products were simply ‘Must haves’, the amount of Love to Dream Swaddle UP™ recommendations was amazing! So many moms said it was an absolute lifesaver and they couldn’t have done without it. I love getting tried & tested recommendations like that.
Swaddling is an age old technique to help your baby sleep better- Swaddling a baby may calm their ‘startle reflex’ which wakes them up & disturbs their sleep. The Love to Dream Swaddle Up takes it a step further and makes it even easier – especially for newbies like me! The “Arms Up” design allows baby to sleep in its most natural position and self-soothe if needed. It also has a certified ‘hip-healthy’ design allows the recommended flexion for hips & legs.
Available from Takealot or directly from Love to Dream.
There are a variety of designs as well as different sizes so that baby can transition as it grows. Besides that I literally can’t even imagine how cute my baby is going to look zipped up in this!!! Heart melting.
The Noola Sleep Pod
The Noola Sleep Pod, like the Doona, was a ‘big ticket’ item that I felt would be an essential for Cam and me. We’re on the go a lot, and travel relatively often. I absolutely loved the idea of the Noola Sleep Pod and had seen a few friends who had one too. The pod is a transportable little ‘bed’ for babies aged 0 -18 months and is ideal for travel (Even travelling around the house from room to room!). It also fits nicely in the cot and we will probably let the baby sleep in that vs. being directly on the cot mattress.
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Something I love about the pod is that it is very multi-functional – it’s a safe and comfy spot that lets baby sleep, rest, co-sleep, lounge, play, cuddle, do tummy time and diaper change. We live in an apartment so these sorts of multifunctional items are such a win and will make life much more easier and less cramped.
The material is also really great quality- it’s 400 thread count down cotton and feels like it must be super comfy! Watch this space for baby spam of baby Williams in his little pod.
See more: Noola Sleep Pod
The Child’s Farm Baby Products
I think it is so lovely that these days moms have such a wide variety of products to choose from, based according to their needs. When my sister had her baby, Child’s Farm became a firm favorite for her and I think she’s passed on the obsession to me. Child’s Farm are dermatologist and paediatrician-approved products made from naturally derived ingredients and essential oils.
The products are formulated with sensitive skin in mind – so they are super mild and gentle. They’re even safe for use on skin prone to eczema. They’re suitable from birth onwards and have a specific baby range as well as a whole range of products for toddlers and children. I love that they have child-friendly sunscreen as well!
I also think their products are very reasonably priced– for example their Baby Wash retails for R79,99 for a 250ml bottle. They are available at various retailers throughout SA, including online stores such as Takealot.
The Gro Egg 2 from the Gro Company
The Gro Egg is an item I never knew about before I fell pregnant, but I’m SO glad I have. I‘m going to be a new mom with a lot of very real fears – and the Gro Egg is something to help bring peace of mind! The Gro Egg is a a unique colour-changing nursery thermometer that provides safety reassurance at a glance. It has a very easy to understand colour coded system that indicates room temperature. This way, if the room is too hot for the baby, you’ll know immediately.
It also acts as a nightlight and has adjustable brightness to suit your baby. A nightlight was on my list of baby items so this acting as a “two in one” is very convenient!
Cost and Availability: You can buy the Gro Egg from various retailers such as Takealot and Babies R Us. It retails for R449 but you can also customise it by adding a cute outer shell, such as this adorable Owl design.
Noo Noo Pie Wrap
I’m all for baby wearing and simply cannot wait to have my little baby boy close to my chest. Especially in the early stages of our baby, I’d love to be able to have him close to me while still freeing me up to answer emails. Hopefully to get a little work done (Wishful thinking, I know – but I’m a freelancer and will be working from home.. so I’m hoping it works out!) Not only that, having a wrap such as the Noo Noo Pie Wrap provides the super important skin to skin contact which babies really need and especially help newborns with the transition from the womb.
The Noo Noo Pie Wrap has a blend of 95% cotton and just a little added lycra for stretch. This allows you to enjoy all the benefits that natural cotton fibers provides, as well as the added flexibility and support that the lycra brings. You can also breastfeed in the wrap. Another benefit is that dads can wear it too (Cam doesn’t know it yet but I’m totally gonna make him try it!!)
Not sure about baby wearing and wraps? Read this blog post on the benefits of baby wearing published by Noo Noo Pie.
Availability and cost: The wraps cost R475 and can be purchased online directly or retailers such as Takealot or Kids Living.
Maccie Muslin Swaddle Blanket
Baby W already has an impressive collection of blankets but the one I am most excited about is the Maccie Swaddle Blanket! They are 70% bamboo and are just so incredibly light, breathable and soft. They can be use as a blanket, swaddle, pram cover etc. Super versatile! All the prints are super trendy and they also come in gorgeous muted tones such as mustard, grey and rust.
Taken directly from the website:
Made from 70% bamboo and 30% cotton muslin, MACCIE swaddle blankets are luxuriously soft, light-weight, breathable and generously sized. MACCIE swaddle blankets are a versatile baby essential that can be used as a swaddle, light blanket, cot sheet, burp cloth, nursing shield, pram cover or play mat.
Cost: The blankets cost R309 when bought directly from the Maccie website.
P.S. Maccie also have gorgeous dribble bibs with dummy clips and covers. I’m dying to get my hands on a few of their dribble bibs, so gorgeous!! Look at this one – it’s irresistible.
Yay – just 2.5 months to go until we meet our little one!! I can’t wait to use all these goodies!