For this week’s motherhood tip, I decided to cover the top 5 baby essentials I should have bought. For me, the pregnancy months seemed to go on forever. I really needed something to occupy my time with to help things along. Planning my baby shower, the nursery (well the corner of my room for the time being) and all baby essentials were on my list of things to do. I bought a whole load of things: some were necessary, some were not. As time went on and after a lot of Instagram watching, I knew there were a whole load of stuff I wish I had bought.

Full Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links which means that when you click on these links and buy something, I may earn a little commission but it does not affect you in any way. I only recommend products I myself love, know about and/or have purchased before. Some of the items have been gifted to me as part of a collaboration to review but please note that all of the opinions are 100% my own 😊

5 Baby Essentials I wish I had purchased

1. Rocking Chair

I think a rocking chair is vital for any parent and carer of children. They can be used to feed and soothe a baby. I found sitting and feeding my baby really hurt my back without the proper setting and proper comfortable chair.

Also, I really felt like I needed to pick my feet up to rest on something and these great gliders come with just that: a footstool. They also glide/ rock so help to soothe baby whether you are putting them to bed at night or just resting during the day.

The colours are neutral so can be used for boys and girls and would suit in any nursery. Once I finally move house and my little angel gets his own room I will be designing the nursery and this item is a MUST!!!

Related post: Breast Feeding Essentials

Angel Line Glider and Ottoman US version

Tutti Bambini Glider and Ottoman UK version

Serenity Nursing Glider Maternity Chair with Stool UK version

2. Sound Machine

The 2nd of 5 top baby essentials I wanted to buy but didn’t is a sound machine. I have heard a lot of good things about having a sound machine or white noise machine to help baby sleep peacefully and through the night. These are assertions and I cannot say whether this, in fact, helps as I have never bought one and not sure how the noise exactly soothes babies but apparently it does. If you are reading this and you’re thinking “this never worked with my baby” don’t fret – seriously. Every baby is so different that one thing may help one mum and a completely different thing will help another.

I’ll be putting together a blog post on the misconceptions of the recommended approach for dealing with babies that never worked for me and will be going through what actually worked for us and our crazy flexible routine. I’m doing this because I myself felt so bad that all of these recommendations I read about online and things that worked with babies never actually worked for us. I don’t want other mums to feel disappointment unnecessarily when each baby decides for itself what works and what doesn’t. Sign up for my weekly motherhood tips below to stay up to date with all of my blog posts so you don’t miss this.

Why a sound machine is on my top 5 baby essentials list

The way the noise machines work is that they are supposed to replicate sounds inside the womb reassuring baby and keeping him calm and relaxed in an environment he is familiar with. Therefore I always assumed that these machines are only suitable for newborns. These white noise machines are always being recommended by various sleep consultants on Instagram. I enquired whether it would work with an 8-month-old who never used it before. She said yes! I still haven’t tried but it is in my Amazon basket so maybe I’ll take the plunge and buy one.

If your babies are anything like mine, and white noise has no effect on them, you need to find some other soothing music to relax them. Both my sons love listening to a lullaby before they drift off to sleep and it works wonders for me. Soothing baby melodies may work better for your baby than white noise.

Make sure you read up on why I love Amazon Prime – as you can get next day delivery and amazing deals by buying all your essentials from Amazon.

Here are a few I came across:

Marpac Rohm Portable White Noise Machine (US link)

SweetDreamers Ewan The Dream Sheep (US link)

Bubzi Co White Noise Sleep Aid (US link)

Gro Company Ollie The Owl Sleep Aid (US link)

MyHummy Lily Sleep Sensor and white and pink noise machine UK only

Snooz White Noise Machine US only

3. Snuggle Pod

As I cyberstalk all my favourite mummy bloggers on Instagram, I keep coming across a pillow-like lounger with very adorable babies sleeping in them.

After a little more digging I realised that these clever little pillows (or snuggle pods) actually keep baby cocooned safely and snuggly. This apparently recreates mummy’s hugs and the womb. At this point I understood that I, again, was missing a valuable item in my “nursery”.

There are soo many types of snuggle pods and to my surprise it isn’t just for newborns. There are actually ones for older babies. The question of course remains, would an older baby, lay in one of these??

If you have any experience of this please let me know below!! I think it may be a little late in the day for me to purchase one now but for baby number 2 this is on my DEFINITELY list.

These are the ones I have been coming across on Instagram:

Sleepyhead Deluxe Plus (US link)

This seems to be the most popular choice. It’s an all in one baby lounger which is great for co-sleeping too. It’s suitable for babies aged 0-8 months – but doubt it would hold slightly larger babies that are younger than 8 months.

I have read that those with larger babies should go for the bigger size from the outset: the Dockatot Grande (US link) – which is suitable for babies aged 9-36 months. Yes, that is quite a big age gap to try to fit into but sorry I honestly cannot comment on this until I try it out for myself.

These Dockatot snuggle pods are a little on the expensive side too so not sure whether the benefit outweighs the expensive price-tag so another point to check. Again if any experienced mamas out there have tried it and agree that it is worth it – holla!!

Poddle Pod

A slightly (more than slightly) cheaper version of these snuggle pods is the Poddle Pod for babies aged 0-6 months. A toddler version is the Toddle Pod (for 6-36 months). The idea behind this is the same as the Dockatot minus the brand name and price tag.

The shape seems to be a little different: more rectangle as opposed to oval but the babies in the pictures on Amazon seem comfortable and cosy enough.

If you looking for another well-known brand then the Snuggle Me Organic (a US brand) is also quite popular on Instagram. Here is the UK link but they send it from the US so allow for shipping costs and times if you looking to buy it.

Related post: Nursery Essentials

4. Baby Rocker

In a way this item is not super necessary but it does give you a couple of minutes to pop to the toilet. It allows you to put your baby into the rocker (always at eyesight preferably) and go about your business. But please always keep an eye on your baby. Some rockers are even great at rocking and soothing your baby.

This is a great thing if your hands look like they are about to fall off and you need something else to rock him instead.I haven’t actually used one of these before as my baby isn’t one to sit for a prolonged period of time but I imagine it would be quite helpful.

4 moms mamaroo (US link) – This is a Bluetooth enabled high-tech swing set with 5 motions

BabyBjorn Bouncer (US link)

Babymoov Swoon Motion (US link)

DISCLAIMER – never leave your baby unattended in one of these nor leave them to sleep in these for too long. Always read the instructions and follow any specific recommendations. I am in no way a specialist or medical profession so please use with caution at your own accord.

5. Nappy Bin

A nappy bin/ disposal system is a MUST when it comes to a list of 5 top baby essentials you must buy. I have on many occasions found myself throwing a wet nappy on the floor after changing my boy as there was no bin nearby.

The smell from some nappies are seriously smelly (seriously) and you really need to put it somewhere away from your normal bin. The smell lingers and affects your normal household bins, therefore, separate them.

The Tommee Tippee Sangenic Nappy Disposal System – here is a great starter pack for the newbies (US link). It includes the actual bin itself plus cassettes with the special nappy sacks.

What’s great about the Tommee Tippee Bin is that it twists and wraps each nappy when you put it in. The odour is locked in and the antibacterial film kills 99% of germs on contact. In the States, I know that the Diaper Genie is quite popular.

Related post: How to save money on nappies

Well there you have it, my top 5 baby essentials you should really buy when planning your pregnancy! Even if you don’t buy items 1-4, the Diaper bin is really a must!! I’ll be sure to buy all of these for baby number 2 – then I’ll be able to properly report them to you!!