Absolute baby essentials by Dunja

As Ari’s becoming a big girl now, I’ve had to start putting aside certain products she’s growing out of, and to make the whole process easier on myself, because we all know how sentimental we can get about these things, I decided to share with you a few of my all time favourites!

Number one has to be the Bonds zip wondersuit. No word of a lie, the instant Ari started sleeping in these, she went 12 hours straight. They regulate temperature so can be used all year round, you just change the sleeping bag to a lower tog in summer.

As for sleeping bags, the best of the best has to be the Aden + Anais muslin cozy for warmer months, and cozy plus for the cooler months. Combined with the wondersuit, it guarantees a perfect night of sleep!

My husband thankfully didn’t get involved in many baby purchases, but one thing he absolutely insisted on was the baby bjorn high chair. It has no harness to strap on the baby, the tray just clicks up (easily done with just one hand), and hey presto, the baby can’t go anywhere!

Now, I don’t like to blow my own trumpet, but using an army backpack as an alternative to a nappy bag, was a genious idea. It has even more compartments than a nappy bag; it’s ten times cheaper; is waterproof; comes in lots of different sizes although I think the smallest ones work the best; is extremely comfortable on your back and shoulders; and ofcourse, it looks great on both mum and dad, which my husband was very greatful for.

And finally, the foldable travel bath. An essential product for those of us who don’t want to clatter our house with baby things! Baby baths can be especialy unattractive, so having one that looks good and can easily be stashed away, is very important in my book.

Sleep loving baby by Dunja Knezevic

I thank my lucky stars for having a sleep-loving baby!  Not only does she have two good long naps during the day, she’s been sleeping eleven hour nights since she was three months. The four month sleep regression did knock me of my feet for a few days but all is back to normal now.

Just started solids and there is nothing cuter in the world than her little expression when she tries a new flavor. Her preference is rice pudding but I change it up every now and again to keep her on her tiny toes.

I may also have mentioned in a previous post that my husband and I tried for years to get pregnant, and since I suffer from arthritis, and had to keep of my meds whilst we were trying, I saw an acupuncturist once a week to keep me mobile.  A wonderful wonderful lady who was intent on getting me pregnant. I stopped seeing her a few months before I got pregnant, and decided to not tell her about the great news, but to surprise her with a baby! Well I did just that yesterday and it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I met her in a caffee and hid Ari in her car seat under the table, as an extra surprise. Seeing her excitement made me think back to when I first laid eyes on Ari myself, the shock and wonderment taking over.

Babies do truly rule, just the best things since sliced bread!

Baby No 2 week 24 by Oreke Mosheshe

“Every pregnancy is different” so my mum tells me and with your second it’s a lot easier everyone else tells me.  Well, I don’t know what planet these people are from (or am I the alien?) but my second pregnancy I still experienced all the nausea and fatigue that I did with Carter throughout the first trimester. If anything I would say that it is harder with your second – feeling nauseous all day but not being able to be sick; having random odours irritate you and make you feel even more sick; feeling tired enough to sleep standing up and then the added bonus of having to entertain a super energetic 15 month old toddler who wants to play peek a boo or catch me if you can all day. The joy!

Now in my second Trimester I am beginning to feel more like myself and have started taking care of me – hooray! This is where Marianne Kyprianou comes in. Marianne is a qualified massage therapist based in central London. She came highly recommended and her treatments can be tailored to anyone and their individual needs. I call Marianne and just from speaking to her I felt relaxed and de-stressed; she has a great knack of knowing just what is going on beneath the surface of her clients and how to put them at ease.

I booked a pregnancy massage which I have to say was one of the best massages I have ever had and believe me I have had plenty. I felt like she worked on my body mind and soul and I was completely regenerated after one treatment, needless to say I am booked to go and see her again next week… www.justholistic.co.uk . If you would like to experience a treatment from Marianne (pregnant or not) receive a 10% discount by mentioning Bump and Bloom.

Till next time. xx