I recently welcomed my second baby and these are my tried and true favourite products that I have loved using with both children.
The Memo is a fantastic resource for parents. They have the best brands and products- many that are exclusive only to The Memo. They have curated shopping lists (because how overwhelming is it to know what to buy- and what not to buy- for your baby), video resources and helpful/funny/relatable blog posts to help guide you through the wild and wonderful journey of parenting. I especially loved this one from beauty journalist Sarah Tarca about travelling with young children.
So let's get into my new baby essentials:
I love these instant zip-up swaddles made from organic cotton from Ergopouch. I've been using the 2.5 tog for my newborn son this winter and it's quick, safe and easy to use. My 2 year old daughter even uses the larger size for toddlers- she loves her 'cosy sleeping bag'. Plus they're currently on sale.
This bouncer from Baby Bjorn is versatile and grows with your baby. It's lightweight so I carry it all over the house, and it's perfect to put baby into while you need to do something. And baby can sit up, see what you're doing and learn to bounce themselves! Plus the cover comes off very easily to wash.
Fun fact I learned when I had my daughter is that babies can come out with long fingernails, so you really need a nail file at the hospital so they don't scratch themselves! This electric nail care set is the easiest and safest way to trim baby's nails to avoid scratches.
Both my babies sleep better in the dark, so to help with naps and to avoid early morning wakeups in the summer, this window blockout is a godsend. It simply attaches with water and it's stuck to my daughter's bedroom window for more than 2 years.
This is everything you could want in a sound machine- small, portable, long lasting, good sound range. It doesn't play lullaby's, its function is to provide a comforting sound to babies that is similar to the womb to help with sleep.
These probiotics were recommended to me by my doctor to help prevent mastitis. Of course I recommend you seek your own medical advice, but these worked for me. You take one sachet daily in a glass of water, and it's totally tasteless.
You would be right in thinking that as a skincare founder I am very particular in what products I would use on my children. Honestly, most baby and children's skincare contains ingredients I want to avoid, including essential oils and fragrance. And I can't understand why you would add fragrance to baby skincare when babies smell so delicious on their own! This MooGoo cleanser is perfect for my newborn son, plus I add it to my toddlers bath and she loves the bubbles.
I also love this nappy balm from Moogoo as it's clean and nourishing and actually works.
I used these onesies for Emily when she was a newborn. They are SO soft and are made from organic cotton with little footsies and optional hand covers. Perfect.
These Comotomo bottles are the creme de la creme of baby bottles. They are made from food grade silicone (not plastic) and super easy to clean.
This change mat is on the pricier side, but totally worth it. It's large, so grows with your baby from newborn to toddler, but also compact. It has a mesh wallet to hold nappies and wipes, and most importantly wipes completely clean. Plus it's chic looking (which is a hard feat for a nappy change pad in my opinion). We've taken it to parks, friends houses, shopping centres, restaurants, planes, trains and all the way to Switzerland and Greece.
This is the best stroller, hands down. Everyone I know who has it, loves it. It's easy to push and manoeuvre and I love how large it is (I have done full grocery store shops with everything fitting in the canopy underneath!) It's chic and easy to clean and very easy to collapse and reassemble. I use it now with both kids in it at the same time.
Plus this is a great deal because it comes with the hanging organiser and upper adaptor (which you need if you want to use the bassinet and toddler seat at the same time). We ended up purchasing both of these (plus the coffee cup holder and the travel bag!).
This carrier is great when you need your hands free or baby needs a nap. When my daughter was little I'd often wear her in this at the shops instead of taking the stroller so she could nap and have a cuddle and I'd use a trolley. Plus my husband could use it, too, and carried her on his back when she was older. It's extremely padded and supportive. We got the Air Mesh One because we live in Brisbane it's warmer and we wanted slightly extra ventilation.
And don't forget YOU!
With the busyness that comes with a newborn baby and children, sometimes we put our own needs on the back-burner because we're so busy taking care of everyone else. This is your reminder- you deserve to take the time to care for yourself! And as I always remind myself, you can't pour from an empty cup.
It's reality that life will look different once you have children, but I still always make time for my skincare. Firstly, I love the confidence that comes with having healthy, beautiful skin. And secondly, just the act of taking the time to care for myself for me is an act of self love and self respect.
Thankfully, all Status Quo skincare is safe to use while pregnant and breastfeeding. It does not contain any retinol, salicylic acid, parabens, phthalates or any other ingredients that are generally not recommended while pregnant and breastfeeding. However do discuss with your doctor before using our products if you have any questions or concerns.