Having a baby can be so daunting when it comes to buying things they need. People constantly telling you to buy this, buy that, and half the time you don’t even use it.

Here’s the top 5 baby items that we used and loved, with either one or all of the children.

1. Chicco Next to me Crib

The Chicco Next to me Crib is fantastic. It’s smaller than a cot, but bigger than a moses basket and is designed to make life easier for breastfeeding mums. I personally haven’t breastfed any of mine but I still think it’s a must have. One side unzips and you can attach the crib to the side of your bed so baby is literally right next to you without having to co-sleep. It lasts until baby is around 6 months, sometimes longer, Elsie was in hers until she was about 11months. They price in at about £150 but they’re so worth the money.

2. MAM Anti-Colic Bottles

I cannot fault these bottles at all. When Elsie was 6 weeks, the doctor told us she had colic so we went and brought these bottles to help. (Turns out she didn’t have colic but hey ho😂). And I’ve used them with both Elsie and George. They’ve got holes at the bottom to let air out to stop baby from getting gassy and the teat is long and flat so it’s easy for them to suck. They’re also self sterilising. Give them a good wash, measure out the water to put in the bottom of the bottle and put them in the microwave. Super easy and super fast.

3. Baby Bean Bag

I was brought a baby Bean bag as a gift when I was pregnant with Elsie. It came with 2 covers so I knew I always had 1 to put on and 1 to wash. They come in so many designs and I think they’re great. The way they’re made makes them really comfortable for baby to lie on. I also found that it was nice for baby to look around and see us instead of being stuck in a moses basket.

4. Muslin Squares

So many people buy muslins but don’t really use them. I found them so useful. You can drape then over your shoulder incase baby is sick, use them as swaddles and I put them on the changing matt so it wasn’t cold when changing their nappy. You can buy plain ones or ones with really lovely designs on. George was awful for dribbling his milk everytime he had a bottle so muslins were perfect, I literally draped them over his when he was feeding so he didn’t get wet. Most shops sell them, any they range anywhere from £3-£30 depending on size, design and shop.

5. Ear Thermometer

I’ve tried every type of thermometer over the years, the under arm, in mouth, forehead strips. But I honestly think the in ear thermometer is definitely the best and most accurate. They are quite expensive but they’re worth the money. We brought ours when Elsie was a baby, with her constantly being poorly I needed a thermometer i knew I could rely on. We’ve got the Braun one which items so easy to use and really accurate. It’s £34.99 at Argos, but I got ours for £24.99 in the Asda Baby Event.

So there’s our top five baby items. What baby items did you find really useful?

Thank you for reading,

Katie ❤️