Hello January! As we embrace the fresh start of the year, many of us are diving back into routines and setting our sights on New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s exploring a new hobby, finding the perfect baby essentials, establishing a well-being routine, or pursuing fitness goals, we’re all earnestly striving to bring positive changes into our lives.
One resolution that frequently comes my way is “Rachel, how do I lose my mummy tummy?”. While I love to recommend a leisurely daily stroll outdoors with your little one, I understand that it may not always suffice. That’s why Yummy Tummies is a fantastic way to jumpstart your newfound fitness journey. Specialising in post pregnancy fitness, they offer tailored solutions to help you regain strength and fitness without damaging your new, beautiful body.
Moving on to baby essentials, I’m commonly asked if I can recommend different products that parents will need for their babies and toddlers. It’s often difficult as so many of these things are personal choices. However, there are a few things that I always recommend.
My Top Choice Baby Essentials Stores
John Lewis – your one-stop shop for absolutely everything baby related. From clothing to cots and all things in between, John Lewis is a fantastic store to find everything you need for baby.
JoJo Maman Bébé – for the best quality and unique clothing, I will always recommend JoJo Maman Bébeé. Their adorable little baby grows, sleepsuits and sleeping bags are high-quality and an essential for your baby’s wardrobe.
The White Company – whether you’re looking for cosy sleepsuits and comforters for bedtime or stylish outfits for daytime activities, The White Company is also a lovely store for baby essentials and clothing.
Feeding Bottles, Teats, Sterilisers and Breast Pumps
There are several good bottles I’ve found that I regularly use. The Nuk bottle and teat is good if you’re breastfeeding and want the baby to have one bottle a day. Teats need to be Latex, not silicone, for new babies and the Nuk teat is very soft and gentle for a breastfed baby.
Mam bottles are also good, but if you have the plastic ones you can’t see how much milk is left in the bottle. Which could be rather annoying when you want to see how much baby has taken!
Dr Browns are also good, but they have lots of fiddly bits in them which could make the cleaning and putting them back together rather a chore!
Many people use Tommee Tippee, they are a very popular baby essential. It’s a good idea to start with the small bottles, then if you need the larger ones to get them when needed. Teats need to be first size and then change to number 2 when the baby is about 2 to 3 months old.
An example of a great steriliser is Milton– which is quite popular again. This means you have a bowl that you fill with cold water and have Milton tablets which dissolve in the cold water and act as a steriliser.
The Tommee Tippee Super-steam Advanced Electric steriliser is also very popular. If you’re going away and don’t have a microwave the electric one is easy, however, many people use Milton when they travel.
Microwave sterilisers are also very popular. A great example is the Tommee Tippee Microsteri Microwave Steam Steriliser. Simply pour water into the base, place baby bottles into the tray, place the lid on securely and pop in the microwave.
Breast Pumps
When it comes to baby essentials my favourite breast pump is the Medela pump, which can be a single or a double pump. The double is a good idea as you can pump both sides at once if you wish to. In my experience it’s definitely worth having an electric pump. The manual ones are not so efficient.
Prams, Cots and Car Seats
This is a baby essential that is a matter of choice.
Prams – do get one that is big enough for the baby to be in until he sits up in a buggy. I do love the Moses basket as babies are very comfortable in these until they are about 12 Lbs in weight when they really need more space.
Cots – many people use the next to me cots until they outgrow this and go into the big cot. It’s a good idea to have a travel cot so that you can go away with your baby when you’re ready to.
Car seats – again, these are also a very personal choice too. The first car seat you buy will face towards the back of the car until your baby is too big and needs to be facing forwards. The recommended time for change is when the baby is about 9-18kg 20-40lbs in weight.
As we step into January with hopes for a fresh start, many of us are diving into routines and setting New Year’s resolutions. Whether you’re working on fitness goals with Yummy Tummies or navigating the world of baby essentials, remember that this journey is unique to you. Whether you’re taking leisurely strolls with your little one or figuring out the best baby gear, may this year bring you growth, joy, and the wonderful adventure of parenthood!