I have had so many people ask me about what I use for Orlando.
What works best, what we use the most of, quantities, etc, etc.
So I thought it would be good to write a post about what I'm using which works really well for me/what I would be completely LOST without.
1. Love To Dream Swaddle
Orlando will RARELY go to sleep easily unless he is swaddled be it wrapped or in a sleeping bag.
I can change Orlando's nappy by just unzipping from the bottom therefore not disturbing him at night.
On 40 degree days I put him in his bag with just his nappy on, it works really well and I think better than a wrap is it's just one layer of "wrapping".
I would recommend having 3 because you have to wash them so often.
The bag is said to help prevent SIDS.
Buy yours here or at places like Baby Bunting.
2. Swaddle Technique
I wrote about it here.
3. White Noise Giraffe
If Orlando stirs and he needs to sleep more I put this on and he (fingers crossed) goes back to sleep.
We have been having him self settle from day dot and we put this on, leave the room, and all things going to plan he fusses for a moment then zones out to the shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
IT HELPS BLOCK OUT HAMISH'S SNORING... his snoring disturbs Orlando and annoys the beejeebus out of me.
Buy yours here or again at places like Baby Bunting.
4. Angel Care AC1100 Video + Movement Monitor
I know this is way out of budget for a lot of people but if you can afford it or know a kind soul that will buy it for you then get it.
It has beeped at night twice (that I know of) to make Orlando breathe/move.
We can watch him/hear him from the monitor so when he is self settling if the cries are persistent/needy we know he's not ready to sleep and we go in.
On the other hand if he is just having a tired cry we know we can leave him.
It has night vision so we can see him in the dark.
We know the temperature in the room which is so good for deciding what he will wear to bed/if it's too hot/cold. (19 degrees is the "perfect" temperature for a baby)
I could go on and on about this monitor
Buy it here.
5. Bath Support
Believe it or not I don't have 5 arms and 20 hands.
Bathing Orlando can be difficult, at least with the bath support I have 2 hands free to wash him.
The support holds his head out of the bath without me having to have my hand under it.
NEVER LEAVE YOUR BABY ALONE/ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BABY IN WATER.
Buy it here.
6. Ikea Face Washers
Oh my stars, you need 3 packs of these.
Even with 3 packs and regular washing sometimes we get super low with clean/ready stock.
These are burp cloths, vomit rags, have cleaned up poo explosions, wiped up urine on the change table - everything.
They wash really, really well.
I keep 5 in the nappy bag, always take one on a walk, have them in my top bedside draw, stuffed in the glove box - I hide them everywhere.
Find them here.
7. Big Softies Cotton Nappies
Again I use these to line the moses basket, pram, clean up massive poo explosions, lay on the ground when we are out etc, etc.
They have saved me SO many times when Orlando has blown out his nappy, just do the major clean up with one of these and everything goes in the bin.
They are cheap so I don't feel guilty throwing them out.
Keep them close to the change table!
You can buy them from Target.
8. Bumbo Seat
This is awesome, we've just started using it in the past few weeks and Orlando LOVES it.
He can "sit" with us at the dining table and sits up in his seat when I'm doing things leaving me hands free.
Buy yours here.
9. iCandy Jogger Pram
Look, each pram to their own but this one is bomb dot com for us.
We literally took it to the back of the park where the naughty kids go the other week and drove it over branches and grass and down a completely unmade path.
Orlando slept the whole time, the big, bouncy wheels coped with all the bumps really well.
If you don't have a park with sandy paths/want to take the pram over grass and sticks and rocks then you probably don't need this.
If going off road is your style then take this pram into consideration.
Find it here.
10. Sakura Bloom Baby Sling
This is another item I've just started using (purely because I was being too lazy to figure it out).
I first read about it on Day Book Blog.
Orlando loves it and falls asleep in it.
It looks beautiful (well I think it does).
It's actually very easy to use haahahaha despite my initial brain freeze at it.
Find it here.
That's it for my top 10 could-not live-without-in-the-first-two-months baby stuff.
Hopefully this helps the people that have been asking.
xox