The Baby Cloud Guest Blog:
Here at The Baby Cloud we are proud to bring you our next instalment of The Baby Cloud Blog, from our Nursery Advisor at John Lewis Bluewater, Maria!
Here Maria gives her expert advice and guidance on some of the key purchases you may consider as expectant and new parents.
Maria Allen – Nursery Advisor, John Lewis
I'm Maria, a mum of two, an 11 year old daughter and a 4 year old boy, the pair of them certainly keep me on my toes. I am a Nursery advisor at John Lewis Bluewater, I love to help expectant parents by using my own experiences as a mum and my expert knowledge to guide them through the choices that they have to make.
So here I am to give you a few pointers. One of the first purchases and the biggest one most people consider is what pushchair they are going to have.
The first thing I think you should consider when buying a buggy is how you are going to use it. Do you live in the countryside and do lots of walking on rough terrains? Are you more city based and use public transport alot. Whichever one you fall into you are going to need a different type of buggy.
Consider the wheel size, basket size, foldability and weight. Definitely try out a few and give them a push around. Also practise collapsing them to see how easy it is and if it's manageable for you to lift.
Here are a few of my favourite items that I would recommend to new parents:
Baby bouncer
A bouncer is a great place to pop your baby down to free up your arms to get stuff done. One that is easy to move around the house from room to room, makes taking a shower or doing the washing up easier. A bouncer that has a soothing vibration to calm the baby at first and then as they grow and begin to kick their legs they create their own movement. This was a must have in our house.
Baby car mirror
A car mirror attaches to the headrest of your back car seat. Allowing you to safely see into your baby's rearward facing seat from your rearview mirror. Meaning you can keep an eye on your little one whilst driving giving you peace of mind whilst driving.
Muslins squares
In my opinion you can never have too many muslin squares. These are a great piece of kit for every eventuality, feeding, burping, mopping up accidents and comforting. Our soft muslin squares are gentle on baby's skin.
Bath and room thermometer
This little piece of kit provides you with a fast and accurate temperature of your baby's bath water. It is so comforting knowing you have that water at the correct temperature required. This can also be used as a room thermometer making it great to travel with. I wouldn't be without ours and still use it now.
Portable white noise machine
A pocket sized sleep aid helps your baby drift off to sleep. Some have different sounds to choose from. They can offer great versatility allowing you to stand it on the side, clip it to a curtain or strap it to your pushchair. Meaning you can take your baby's sleep routine with you wherever you go.
There are a few items that I would recommend holding off buying until the baby is here. You might not need them straight away or not at all.
A baby monitor, the baby is going to be sleeping in your room for the first 6 months and generally with you whilst they nap too. So you probably won't be too far from them. You can purchase one when they move into their own space. Many of these now are video based so you can view a picture of a baby as well as hear sound. Some also allow you to stream to your phones via apps for when you're out.
A breast pump, these can be quite expensive and depending on how your feeding journey goes, you may never need it. An electric pump is a game changer, if you decide to purchase one further down the line - it makes pumping so much easier and so flexible now with wearable pumps.
If you are looking at purchasing a baby carrier, I would advise that you wait until after you have had your baby. We have lots of demo ones that you can try on to see how they fit and how easy they are to use. If you try on whilst pregnant you will not get a true feel of how they sit on you because of your bump!
Remember we offer free All Things Baby appointments at John Lewis. During your time with an advisor you get to go around the department and discuss all the different areas and compile a wish list. These are such lovely appointments and can really put your worries to rest and make you feel more organised.
Thank you to Maria for your Baby Cloud blog, so many great tips & hints on those first purchases for expectant & new parents! Also how amazing that you can book a free appointment with Maria & her team to go through all of these items & test out pushchairs, car seats etc!
Watch this space for more guest speakers in the coming months. #newmum #newborn #newbornshopping #johnlewis #johnlewisnursery #nurseryadvisor #babyexpert
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