The Essentials Our Baby Can’t Live Without // When it comes to planning, preparing and organising for the arrival of your brand new baby, it can get very overwhelming! There is so much information out there with a never-ending list of all the “must-haves”. Researching and wondering if you’ll actually use all of the things, can be daunting! Now that little dolly is 1 years old, we’ve figured out for ourselves what the essentials truly are. As well as what we couldn’t live without since bringing our bundle home from the hospital. I’m here to help you with a basic guide to the essentials our baby can’t live without.
1. A Doona Car Seat and Stroller: Doona is the world’s first hybrid car seat and stroller in one. This allows for an easy seamless transition from car seat to stroller mode in seconds. For a new born baby up until the certain weight restrictions (I think it is 13 kg’s), it makes life so much easier! To be able to move from car to stroller without disturbing a sleeping baby, is a real game changer. Trust me! The only thing though is the certain weight and height restrictions, so once baby reaches a certain weight or height, you’ll need a new car seat. But when I say a Doona is a game changer, especially for travelling, trust me!
Doona is available on Takealot or even Checkers 60 App!
2. White Noise Machine: I didn’t think we would ever need a white noise machine but alas we did … And now I think all babies need a white noise machine! The machine creates a continuous calming sound of white noise which helps your little one drift between sleep cycles and stay in the zone for sleep. It blocks out all sounds in and around the house. Especially loud fireworks on New Years Eve! Another great thing, is it can also act as a sleep cue for the baby to help them transition to sleepy time.
We love the The Dream Pod White Noise Machine which is available off Takealot or Dreamy Days as it works as a white noise machine as well as a night light.
3. Sophie La Giraffe: This is one of the first things we bought when we found out we were expecting. I have no idea why though, I think it’s because we saw what hype there was about Sophie La Giraffe, so we just had to get one. And no wonder there is such hype! The babies love them. It is made from 100% natural rubber. It is baby’s first toy they become interested in, which is rather special to watch! And it’s made from natural rubber and has several parts to chew on with a range of textures.
Available on Takealot or Kids Living.
4. Ergopouch Sleep Sack: Before we had the baby, everyone said we must get sleep sacks for bed time. I didn’t understand what the fuss was about and why we needed one! Now I know why – a baby sleeps snug and cosy and is kept so warm in a sleep sack – especially come winter time! A sleep sack ranges in tog sizes designed for all the seasons. We love the Ergopouch brand of sleep sacks from Australia. We order them off Star Sweepers which is an amazing website for all things baby and the service is impeccable too!
5. Kiddylicious Snacks: I didn’t quite believe fellow moms when they used to say they ALWAYS carry a selection of snacks in the baby bag. Now that little dolly is eating proper food, and is a proper snacker like her mommy, these kiddylicious snacks are an absolute must in the baby bag and at home! What I like about Kiddylicious snacks that they are made using natural ingredients, and are free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. They also help with the pincer grip and self feeding. Our best are the veggie straws as well as the strawberry and banana puffs.
Available from Dischem, Takealot, Clicks and even Faithful To Nature.
6. Mustela: We love all things Mustela for baby girl! Mustela is amazing! The ingredients are all very clean, non toxic, and safe for little ones with their natural origin. The products are a little bit more expensive, n. Each product simply “works” and does what they say. Our favourites include Mustela Gentle Cleansing Gel and the Mustela Gentle Shampoo.
Available from Dermastore.
7. Medela Breast Pump: The Freestyleâ„¢ Hands-free is a wearable hands-free double electric breast pump. This means that you can carry on and do all your day to day tasks while still expressing milk for baba! It is compact, pocket sized, lightweight and fits directly inside your bra. Simply put, this is an absolute game changer life changing breast pump.
This breast pump saved me hours of sitting while pumping and doing nothing when as a mom, there is SO much to do! I was able to do all the things while still expressing milk. The Medela customer support here in South Africa is also absolutely amazing. Medela made my breastfeeding journey so much easier as we all know, its not an easy thing to do!
Available on Takealot.
8. Pure Beginnings: When it comes to local organic baby skincare, Pure Beginnings is just the best! I may or may not even use this brand for myself as it’s just so gentle especially for sensitive skin. We love the Fun Time Kids Bubble Bath and now that little dolly girl has a few teeth, we’ve started using the Gentle Berry Toothpaste.
Available from Woolworths, Dischem and Takealot.
9. Magnetic Munchkin: The easiest and quickest way to dress a little newborn is by putting them in a romper from Magnetic Munchkin! Why, because of the easy magnetic fastening. I definitely speak from experience here 😉 Magnetic Munchkin rompers are also made from pure cotton and made in South Africa. The online service and customer service is also brilliant which definitely does make the whole shopping experience so much more enjoyable! The designs are too cute and if I could, I would wear one myself – thats how comfortable and cosy they are!
10. Sadie Playmat: When shopping for a play mat you want one that will last for the longest time! I did all the necessary research and found that Sadie Playmats tick all the right boxes! A 2cm thick padded play mat that is double sided with a softer neutral colour on the one side. They also easy to clean. The colouring is beautiful and not harsh on the eyes or in a living room! And they are fun! Baby girl loves her Sadie Platmat and is really learning so much about South Africa as we have the very fun ABC Africa/ Dune Play Mat.
11. Good ‘Ol Miss Rachel: Screen time is a very rare occurrence in our home but when it’s desperately needed, we do allow for it. And in this time, baby girl has learnt so much from Miss Rachel! From clapping, to singing and dancing and even talking. She loves Miss Rachel so much that we bought her the Miss Rachel doll and my goodness, this doll is her little best friend. It is just too cute and so special!
12. Weaning Sense: Starting solids is a scary thing and can be extremely overwhelming! With the help of Weaning Sense book, our solids journey has been easy and fun. And thankfully, baby girl LOVES her food! The Weaning Sense book guides you on a baby led weaning approach to solids and is just so helpful!
Available on Takealot.
There you have it – The Essentials Our Baby Can’t Live Without. If there’s anything missing, comment below!
Read: 5 Things I Can’t Live Without As A Mommy
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