When you find out your are having a baby there are a million things that people will tell you you need. All of the advise is contradictory and can be extremely overwhelming so I thought I would put together a list of 5 thing you definitely need as a parent. I won’t be mentioning the obvious like nappies or a cot but the things you may not have thought about or may be unsure whether you need!
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1. A universal changing bag.
The thing I was most excited about when I found out I was pregnant with Harry was picking out my changing bag. Since then I have had about 6. It’s really important to think about what you are using the bag for and how long realistically you will be using it. Also how practical is the bag you are looking at? Will your partner, parents and friends be happy carrying it too? The amount of changing bags out there are incredible but I highly recommend a plain backpack style with endless pockets. Realistically you are going to use the bag for a long time even once your child is out of nappies so it’s worth getting a good quality one too. I really like this one from Amazon.
2. Adaptable high chair.
High chairs are a minefield. You can get all sorts of fancy high chairs with fancy designs, however we found the most useful high hair ones that grows with you child. We found this one at Toys R Us (RIP) and it was amazing! It's available from Amazon here.
3. Pushchair organiser.
You've chosen your beautiful pushchair and got all the great accessories, but have you thought of a pushchair organiser? For me it was an absolute essential from the very beginning, somewhere to pop all my things. I had a cheap one from Aldi, but this one looks like it would be brilliant.
4. UV tent
This one is obviously most useful in the summer but you will be amazed about how much you will use it! Picnics, the beach, even some time in the garden and if looked after they last really well too! Available here from Amazon
5. Travel high chair/booster
I think this was our most used item for Harry really. We got the munchkin one and loved that it had storage too. We generally left this in the car with a pack of wipes, spare cup and some children's cutlery for whenever we decided to go out for a meal, it meant that we didn't need a highchair from the restaurant and always had things for Harry with us! You can get the munchkin one from Amazon here