Sarah Jane is a freelance beauty editor based in London with a self confessed obsession for designer shoes, pugs and pink lipstick. She has written on all aspects of health and beauty for big publications including Tatler, Zest, Look and Fabulous. She is currently expecting her first baby.
I have two beliefs in life. Firstly, do whatever makes your life easier. Secondly, if three or more people recommend the same thing whether it’s a mascara, hairdresser or restaurant, then you’re onto a winner. With less than two months until our baby arrives we have bought the big-ticket items (buggy, furniture etc.) but it’s the smaller things, and perhaps the products I’ll be using all day every day, that have alluded me.
Where do you start? I decided my best buying strategy was to merge my two beliefs and only go with items that came with three or more pregnant or new-mum friends recommendations with the promise they would make my life easier. Here’s that magical list:
1) The Cocoonababy
Sleeping is one of my favourite hobbies but I’ve heard these babies don’t always share the same enthusiasm for it. So when friends told me about the Red Castle Cocoonababy Nest, and how it got their little ones sleeping soundly from an early age, I thought ‘this is for me/ us’. It’s an ergonomically designed mattress that keeps the baby’s head higher than its tummy, mimicking the foetal position, limiting gastric reflux and maximising comfort. I can totally understand why you may look at it and think it’s faddy however the common story I’ve heard is friends started with a conventional Moses basket and their babies wouldn’t settle. After nights of trying to cajole their babies off their chests and into the basket, they bought this hoping it would work, and it did, immediately. That’s no fad, that’s a genius buy.
2) Seraphine Long Line Popper Nursing Top
I honestly hadn’t given much thought to the whole subject of feeding (am I a terrible mother already?!) apart from that I wanted to give breast-feeding a go and hope it will work. But when friends told me that there are clothes that can help you do it more easily and discreetly, I was all ears. The Seraphine Long Line Popper Nursing Top is the top all my friends have stocked up on at the end of their pregnancies to fit over their burgeoning bumps and to wear on the other side, to help them feed more easily on the go – and I can see why. It has easy to un-do and do-up poppers and it’s long length covers up any wobbly bits, which I have a feeling I’m going to have plenty of. I’m also buying their Knot Front Maternity Top which you may recognise as the top version of the dress that Kate Middleton wore in her first official picture with Baby George. Also designed to be worn during pregnancy and for breastfeeding. Well if it’s good enough for Kate…..
3) aden + anais Muslins
Muslins are apparently an absolute essential for life with a baby. Friends have told me they used them during labour to tie their hair up when they realised they’d forgotten hairbands (note to self: remember to put hair bands in hospital bag), wiping off sick, swaddling, using as a blanket. Basically, if in doubt use a muslin. And when it comes to muslins it has to be aden + anais, it’s the brand that Kate turned to for Baby George, and if it’s good enough for Baby George…
4) Caboo Carrier
There’s a whole new set of vocab you learn when expecting a baby. And ‘Caboo’ is one of those words. The Caboo sling has been designed so you can carry your baby in the ‘frog legged position’. This helps prevent too much pressure being put on their hips and knees. That’s the technical side of things. What I’ve witnessed is friend’s popping their babies into their caboo, where they nestle down and go straight to sleep, leaving mum or dad with their hands free to enjoy a drink. I’ve also been told they’re exceptionally handy for when you take your baby to have injections as it keeps them calmer.
5) Water Wipes
As a Beauty Editor I have tested many make-up wipes and found most to be packed with alcohol which can leave skin feeling dry and tight. If I’m not happy using them on myself I’m not going to use them on my baby, so I was thrilled when friends told me about Water Wipes. As the name suggests, these are literally just water on a wipe. No nasty ingredients, no alcohol and perhaps most importantly, can be used instead of having to find cotton wool, water and a bowl for top and tailing. Plus, I’ve heard these are genius for cleaning up those first few sticky nappies when the last thing you want to use is fluffy cotton wool that gets everywhere. I have placed a bulk order.
Other Articles You May Like:
Get inspired to create a beautiful nursery for you and baby
How to dress a small bump – by fashion stylist Charlotte Kewley
Dressing my bump – by Fabric Magazine Editor, Liz Skone James