Baby sun care

The phrase 'sleeping like a baby' soon started to drive me mad as a new mama: its out-for-the-count meaning bears little resemblance to the reality of short bursts of sleep and broken nights with a newborn. But another phase - 'as soft as a baby's bottom' rang far truer. A photographer pal told me recently that she loves snapping newborns because their skin is so perfect it requires zero time-consuming editing - and my tiny man's skin is certainly silky soft and perfect. Particularly the bottom of his squidgy feet.

So the sun poses a bit of a problem for baby skin: it doesn't have enough natural melanin to protect itself from UV light. I obsessively use my buggy's sunshade (and shade itself) to keep the babe out of the sun entirely (although there's a whole other debate about Vitamin D deficiency to think about too!) - but sometimes 100% shade is impossible, so I was keen to try out baby sun cream from Bepanthen*. It's made by big German pharma firm Bayer, which made me confident about the science side, but also doesn't contain parabens, preservatives, colours or fragrances - the kind of unnecessary chemicals that can irritate babies' skin. 

But then it turned out that the tiny print on the back of the bottle says its factor 50 Baby Sun Cream is only suitable for those older than six months, so I'm holding out until then. For now, it's a buggy sun shade, tiny hat (with crucial-for-any-staying-power chin strap), UV tent and cool clothes for sun protection, but as my baby gets older I'll be thinking a lot more about sun cream - and if you have any tips or recommendations, please comment below.

* Item sent to Run out of Womb for review. Rest assured, though, that I'm seriously gobby and would never rave about something that's rubbish.

These are a few of my favourite things...

Sometimes Western World parenting is a battle against Stuff and people trying to make you feel guilty for not having the Latest Thing or doing the hot new class or using the most natural/expensive/hardest-to-get products... etc. Living in a two-bedroom London flat we really try to only get necessary stuff. But I thought I'd do a post about some baby essentials and some totally non-essentials but really pretty/useful/happy-giving things that my tiny man and I are currently enjoying using.

Also, I've accidentally made them look like a bingo card... But they're definitely not about telling everyone to get a full house (not least because too much baby shopping leads to one).

First up is this cute Paul Frank baby grow (£16). It's really soft, the poppers work smoothly, and it looks great on. I go through phases of wanting to dress my baby up in jeans, shirts, tiny man outfits, etc, and wanting him to be cuddly and cosy in babygrows: this one doubles up by being smart and easy. 

Number two is the bath soak from Love Boo. One of my friends bought me the mama-to-be pack of Love Boo toiletries for my baby shower, and I've loved looong relaxing baths in the products ever since - albeit less often since becoming a mum. The potions all smell amazing, and don't have any parabens or other yuck stuff. LB also makes a miracle oil that I've been using on my stomach since birth. No idea if it's really miraculous or would have happened anyway, but my stretch marks have almost entirely disappeared.

Third up is Babycademy's Music Time box. On rainy indoors days I sometimes don't know what to do next with my baby. He's napped, we've gone through our song repertoire (four times), done dancing, mat play, he's not yet into toys.. So this box of songs, games, toys, noise-makers and a book has been really useful. It's a bit like going to a music class like Monkey Music or similar: a CD has 10 hours of songs, activities and stories, each session lasts from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on age (it's aimed from birth to 12 months) and claims to focus on development skills around language, intelligence, sensory, and social skills. It's not cheap at £50, and I don't yet know if the Music Time box is going send my tiny man to Oxford... But I will say he really likes Wilson the frog who lives inside it and it keeps him - and so me - happy for a good amount of time.

Number four is Ikea's baby bath. Just because it's easy to spend a fortune on these, but Ikea's is £6, easily moveable, has a useful rubber tread on the bottom and works really well.

Next are Babymoov's pretty muslins. Most of the time I use plain cheap ones from Mothercare - but I have noticed these are softer and bigger (they come in a pack of three of varying sizes) than the bog standard ones, so I use them in my baby's cot as they're kinder to his so-soft cheeks.

Meanwhile, Diono's car mirror -at number 6- is never going to win a prize for being cute, but it's v. useful. I bought a cuddly, elephant-adorned mirror originally for the car, but its rubbish flat-ness meant I could never actually see my baby in the reflection. This one twists to every possible angle, so you can see your baby, he/she can see him/herself (mine coos at himself admiringly) and it even has a remote control light so you can easily check on them whilst driving in the dark at night.

On the opposite end of the useful spectrum, this set of John Lewis crocodile dungarees (7) has no serious purpose except looking totally gorgeous. I love it especially as designers often seem to make baby boys' clothes a little boring, and this is so fun. Also, you can endlessly croon 'never smile at a crocodile' to your baby... Costs £16.

Number eight is the Sky Baby travel mattress. Travelling with a baby already means a helluva lot of stuff so I was curious to see if this was worthwhile for a plane journey. It rolls up into a small sausage shape and you unfurl it so your baby can snooze easily on your lap. It's really only useful on journeys where no on-board basinette is available, but if that's the case, it's great. You can easily snap the seat belt around the mattress and let your baby stay slumbering during take-off/landing/turbulence and it gives them support for a more comfortable journey. It's light and inexpensive (£30) too.

The last thing I'm loving this week is the Pacapod Idaho changing bag. Pre-baby, I couldn't understand why anyone paid three-figures for a bag which seemed to me like an oversized handbag. Well, I've found the answer here: my usual handbag is a mishmash of old tissues, decomposing bananas and a lot of receipts, which I had to rummage between to find my keys/wallet/etc. This bag makes you organised. PacaPod's USP is having three bags - an outer feeding one with an insulated bottle holder, another changing one for wipes, nappies etc, and a mat in between. You can just grab one of the small pods if dashing out and only needing, say, nappies, and best of all to me, this bag has the appearance of a good-looking handbag and doesn't say 'I love cupcakes' anywhere on its surface! 

*Some items were sent to Run out of Womb for review. Rest assured, though, that I'm seriously gobby and would never rave about something that's rubbish.

baby lifehacks

A baby? A mop? Or both.. pic credit: Firebox

You might get nine months to prepare for becoming a parent, but that doesn't stop it all feeling like a bit of a shock when you've got a tiny, vulnerable baby to look after. So these genius baby hacks - crowdsurfed from experienced parents - could save you time, money and sanity...

Pic source: tiarasandprozac.co.uk

1. Avoid poonami disasters
Those random 'envelope' folds on baby vests and growers aren't for accommodating huge heads: they let you pull the outfit down over a baby's chest and off their legs if they have a poo-nami - so the poop doesn't touch their head.

2. Limit the nappy damage
Place a clean nappy open under the baby's dirty nappy. Change, wipe then place the clean bum on new nappy. During winter, placing a few wipes on the radiator can make night-changes a little quieter..

Pic source: anwjohnston.blogspot.co.uk

3. Help teething traumas
Freeze the teat of a dummy in an ice cube tray filled with milk (breast or formula) or cooled, boiled water to cool painful gums. (Advised for babies aged six months-plus)

Pic source: Pinterest

4. Never be without a bib
Attach a sticky hook to the back of a high chair to hang a few bibs so you never forget one.

5. Save the outfit... 
Feed your baby in a nappy, and put newspaper or a towel under the high-chair. 

6. Brainy breastfeeding 
Put something on your wrist or bra strap to remind you which boob to start on next feed!

Pic source: socreativethings.com

7. Avoid finger trauma
Slice a pool noodle in half, and slide onto the edge of a door to prevent trapped fingers.

8. Keep the car clean 
Put cupcake liners in the cupholders so you can whisk away all those crumbs/bogeys/rubbish rather than let it get stuck in the nooks and crannies

9. Potty-training hack: stop them using up all the loo roll by doing this... ---->

Pic source: amandathevirtuouswife.com

10. Never forget your baby monitor.
Download an app like this one - live video, and uses white noise or even your voice to soothe the babe.

11. Sleep soundly 
Don't do all the poppers up on your baby's vest during the night - it gives the nappy more room to expand.

Pic source: lifehacker.com

12. Never run out of wardrobe space: attach the ring-pull of a drink can to a hanger and then hook another one through it to double the space.

13. Avoid wet night disasters
Layer your baby's bedding - so sheet, mattress protector, sheet, mattress protector - make a late-night bedding change far easier.

14. Muslin hack. 
Put them everywhere. In their carrycot, on their activity gym, on the sofa - then any sick/wee/poop means you just have to wash a muslin, not a whole set of furniture.

15. Stop chucking stained clothes
For berry stains on clothes, boil the kettle and pour the water over the clothes before washing - magically disappears! To get pasta sauce or ketchup out of clothes, scrap excess off (even if dry) with a knife and then run cold water through the stain (from the inside) then use washing liquid rub into stain! Simply vanishes! Then wash as normal.


16. Bathing hack: when your babe outgrows a baby bath, use a dam rather than filling up a huge bath with water. Or pop them in a washing basket to keep them still.

17. Hot car hack
 When it's boiling hot, keep a spray bottle in the car to cool the metal bits on the car seat to prevent them from burning baby legs.

18. For tummy-time haters
Recline on your back with baby lying on you, tummy to tummy. It's the same thing but it works for those who just cry when placed on a mat in the same position.

19. Messy face magic
 To clean up after eating, use a wet muslin. Wipe her face, then her hands then the high chair then the table. So everything is wiped with one cloth which then gets washed. Easy and avoids using loads of baby wipes!

Slinging it

When I was pregnant, I imagined spending maternity leave days jumping on and off the Tube (baby in sling), wandering around galleries and museums (hands free, baby in sling), and dashing around shops (arms swinging, baby in sling). And then along came tiny man, weighing six pounds 13, and I did indeed hoist him into soft Caboo sling and walk around the house, getting him to sleep, and slipping him into it as I hung up the washing in the garden.

But when I tried to go for a walk with it, my back started to ache. Uh oh, I thought - he's only a few weeks old and weighs the same as a few bags of sugar - and the sling dream started to fade. We used the Caboo out and about a bit, but I knew I wasn't confident enough to take the baby out for a day with just a sling to transport him.

So I tried a hand-me-down Baby Bjorn. Black, and stained with another baby's sick, it didn't look as earth-mama, but it did have a bit more support. Still, though, when I walked to some local shops, after an hour my back was aching as if I'd been hauling around an elephant all day. 

What next? Well, you can buy the classic Baby Bjorn for £60, much less if you find a second-hand deal, so investing a whopping two times that in a new bells-and-whistles BB One* carrier sounded painful.

After trying it out though, it turned out the reduced back pain is worth any wallet pain. The BB One has thick hip straps - like a hiking backpack - which means you're not taking all the weight on your shoulders. It's adaptable into lots of positions too, so you can carry a newborn, then a bigger baby facing outwards, and even a toddler (it's suitable for those up to aged three) on your back. If you're stronger than me...

Go for one from the "ice cream range", as mine is in the pic above, and you also steer clear from the boring standard black baby carrier. Although, being five foot two, I do think I look a bit like Arietty Borrower behind the sling.

How it works:
Newborns (0-4 months/min 3.5kg) face inwards, legs dangling down.

Older baby (4-15 months/max 12kg) face inwards, legs dangling.

Aged 4-36 months/max 15kg: face inwards, legs out wide thanks to a fabric flap.

Aged 5-15 months/max 12kg: face outwards, legs dangling.

Aged 12-36 months/max 15kg: on your back, legs out wide.

I walked around the Tate Modern for three hours yesterday with not-so-tiny man in this sling - without pain. It meant he got to appreciate Kandinskys stare hard at random tourists, without just gazing at his buggy walls, and he slept for longer than usual too.

Other pros? The padded waistband and strong clips feel sturdy and secure for you and the baby; there are lots of positions for growing kids. 

But there are some cons: you have to pull the sling on like a top, over your head, which requires both hands unless you're Houdini - making it tough if you're out alone. Breast-feeding mums can't feed whilst wearing it - which again could be a problem if you're out alone as you'd need someone to hold the baby whilst stripping out of and then into the sling. Other slings also have a pocket, which is good for carrying keys or money etc - but this one doesn't. 

They're niggles, though, if you're after a comfortable way to carry your baby without always schlepping a buggy around - and after testing three slings, this is the one I like best.

* Item sent to Run out of Womb for review. Rest assured, though, that I'm seriously gobby and would never rave about something that's rubbish.

Healthy morning granola

As a kid, the best place in the kitchen was The Drawer. Every week it was replenished with a pack of fun-size chocolates (when Crunchie entered, it was a Bad Week; Milky Way? Amazing). The biscuits lived there too. 

Permission wasn't freely granted - you had to ask - but it was easily given. I was always running around and a long way from fat, so treats were just that. I remember one of my school friends being agog at The Drawer. He was chubby as a kid, and his worried parents were super-strict about food; rice cakes were 'snacks' in his house (ugh) so he'd gorge when the opportunity arose whilst playing at our house.

Parents face treat dilemmas nowadays when sugar is the new food enemy. I still love Dairy Milk and all of its pals, and don't know what my own parenting style will be about treats - in my mind, the days when I was in reception weren't all that long ago so the thought of facing the snack dilemma with my child, still a newborn cooing in his first-size babygrows, feels a long way off. 

But in my own diet I am trying to avoid loads of sugar secretly entering in joyless ways - like cereals that don't taste great but you eat out of habit, without knowing they're pretty unhealthy. (Shreddies; Harvest Crunch - I'm looking at you.) For the last few months I've been alternating between porridge and Weetabix.

They're not bad - but are getting a bit boring. So I decided to make my own granola. This recipe is really easy and speedy (it makes about a week's supply for one person but you can double the ingredients to make far more). You can also add more or less honey depending on the extent of your sweet tooth / virtuousness, plus whatever nuts, fruits or seeds you like best. And unlike some recipes, all the ingredients are available in any supermarket.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or water
150-200ml honey
500g porridge oats
Small handful each of sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, chia or other favoured seeds
Handful flaked almonds or chopped walnuts or other favoured nuts
Two handful raisins (and/or other favourite dried fruits)

Method

Turn on oven at 160C. Mix all the ingredients apart from the raisins or dried fruit in a big bowl. If too dry, add a little water. Spread out over two baking trays and lightly press down, like a flapjack. Bake for about 30 mins, or until lightly browned (more brown means more crunchy).
Remove from the oven and break into small clumps. Allow to cool, then stir in raisins or other dried fruit. Store in a Kilner jar or airtight Tupperware - can last for weeks, but never does in our house... gobble gobble.
Serve with milk, and add fresh fruit like banana or raspberry if desired.

Best presents to buy a newborn (and their parents)

Google 'best newborn present' and you'll be hit with a whole load of photos of 'baby gift sets' (vest, teddy, silver rattle if you've gone upmarket, plastic one otherwise). 

Or maybe you'll stroll into BabyGap and snap up a super-cute babygrow; and the new parents might love it - or might have three the same. Or maybe you'll think ahead and buy an age 18m snow suit .. but they live in a tiny flat with no storage space. Or  it won't actually be winter when their babe hits the age range... etc. 

It sounds ungrateful for any new parent to complain about presents - but if you want your gift to wow, here's advice from a host of new parents. 

Their top tips? Gift receipts are useful - parents might want to change the items for a bigger or smaller size, or receive duplicates. Going for luxury versions of everyday goods - which parents couldn't justify but are lovely to use - is a great idea. And personalised gifts are brilliant - they add a dose of nostalgia to everyday items and older kids love them on something like a toy box that lasts longer. I've found the best site around for these to be My1stYears.

For other present ideas, don't forget the gift of time: one brilliant friend organised a 'meal train' - a schedule for the first two weeks' of tiny man's life where family and friends signed up to bring us dinner each night. Amazing - and tech makes it easy to sort out.

If you're struggling for inspiration and want to buy a stand-out memorable present or something really useful for new parents, here are some other great ideas. The best thing about them? They're all provided by current parents-of-babies, who share their best gifts (or the ones they wish they'd received). So... happy shopping! 

Practical parental ideas

"A week by week guide book for new parents (such as "Your Baby Week by Week" or "The Wonder Weeks") is great - they can read it ahead of each week. It's been invaluable to us as it's contextualised our little one's behaviour."

"A little present I really appreciated was the Milestone cards - you can capture your baby, the milestone and the date in one image."

"I loved receiving luxury items I wouldn't necessarily have shelled out on - like Aden & Anais' comfort muslin."

"A Beaba for weaning, a sheepskin mat/rug... and a handheld vacuum cleaner..."

"I loved Sock Ons for a non-summer baby - keeps you from losing all their tiny socks."

"My most useful were a Morrck blanket, toys for when slightly older (stacking cups etc), and bowls, spoons, plates for weaning. Remind people to consider season changes when buying slightly bigger clothes- I received lots of summer outfits age 3-6 months when it will be oct-dec!"

"Gro bags and pyjamas for 9-12 and 12-18 month (i.e. anything you use over and over again)."

Personalised goodies

"A gorgeous fluffy, hooded bath towel from The White Company was my fave."

"The personalised blankets, shawl and teddy we received from My1stYears are so cute.... but be aware that they then can't be reused for future kids."

"A hand painted personalised wall plaque, and a hand-knitted baby blanket."

Thoughtful gifts

"My favourite was vouchers to get my newborn's hand & footprints made."

"The best thing that anyone did for me after both children was bring over home cooked, healthy meals for the freezer. I found it considerably more useful than another Jellycat rabbit... (Not to sound ungrateful, the rabbits are great!)"

"We were in hospital for a long time following our baby's birth, so it was really touching when people sent fruit and cakes etc to the ward (for us and the neonatal staff)."

"Cook" frozen ready meals - they were amazing!!

"The friends who turned up wearing ropey clothes, carrying Cif and just cleaned our house for us to the backdrop of our dropped jaws!"

"Parents' night in pack - DVD, takeaway vouchers, chocolate, wine..."

"My friends clubbed together to buy us a family and newborn photoshoot - such beautiful shots, they're framed all over our house."

"A baby tree to grow alongside the tiny baby."

The presents mums remember best...

"My sister-in-law got us a weekly chunk of cake delivered in the post for the first three months. It was amazing and just what we needed."

"We received a silver piggy bank, such a lovely prezzie!"

"A box of newborn and baby medicines."

"The best present ever was a Tuppence & Crumble star wrap. Used it pretty much everyday for 9 months."

"Books. The nice thing about having others getting us books was that their choices were very different from what we (would have) bought. And many of those given books turned out to be a favourite of our son! Also I find it such a nice touch to give a book in this day and age where everything is a screen and electronic."

"I was given some expensive essential bath oils. When I finally managed to have a long soak in the bath (rather than a 2 second shower in between feeds) this was totally relaxing and luxurious."

"Cuddle dry apron towel... still using it five years on, mainly to keep me dry when they're splashing!!"

"A fold away play mat for when you're out and about - super useful."

"The presents I loved/appreciated the most were given before I had the baby - Tena pants,breast pads,nipple balm,snuffle babe,Kirkland wipes,Milton wipes,Infacol,moisturising antibac hand wash,hand cream - all the essentials."

"My sister gave me babysitting vouchers."

"Clothes from anywhere with a very relaxed exchange/refund policy - changed about 15 presents from Next for different sizes so that I had a good range of clothes to last her whole first year with very few receipts and no trouble! Good old Next.."

"I most appreciated it when friends or family clubbed together to buy things that are essential and more expensive - like the car seat. Teddies were a big no no for me! Just haven't got a purpose for 20+ teddies!"

But one mother responded: "I used to think that about all the teddies my little one received, but now she is one she loves them all and likes to pick a different one each night to take to bed. It's really cute how she cuddles and kisses them. They will serve a purpose one day!"

"Something nice for the mum who may well be in need a pick-me-up - chocolate, toasty bed socks, new hoodie, bottle of gin..."

"The baby had everything we needed for her anyway - so I loved the engraved ring I got from my parents and the wine my friend bought for me (even if it took me a year to actually drink it!"

"A piece of rain forest."

"My best present is coming tomorrow: my night nurse."

"Someone bought a Starbucks gift card as she said I'd be spending lots of time there."

"The things that still stand out 11 months later are: a really nice framed pic from notonthehighstreet with baby's date of birth, place of birth, number 1 song, price of a stamp, PM etc that we love, also a Sophie the giraffe toy that I had never heard of and is the best thing we've used for teething (even if it does sound like a dog toy), and clothes/sleeping bags in bigger sizes so we ended up not having to buy much as he grew."

"A friend dropped in with a home cooked lasagne and a cake, stayed 20 mins to coo at the baby and declined a cup of tea. Excellent present. Better than any number of pink babygros!"

"I would have preferred it if everyone who kindly bought us gifts had just donated money to a children's charity."

"We had a nursery list at John Lewis which made it so much easier."

Brent Cross for babies and toddlers

I thought I knew everything there was to know about Brent Cross. It was the first place I went without a grown-up; for years it was the place for our tweenage meet-ups (Claire's Accessories, then McFlurries), and for the past decade it's been the place I 'pop' to of a Saturday or after work to 'grab a few bits' (returning several hours later, loaded with bags of stuff which I generally return the following week).

I've always parked in the same place (Fenwicks/Ted Baker entrance: get outta my way), and sped-walked the same shop-route. So obviously it was the first place I took tiny man shopping (with my mum, casually hoping to bump into people to Show Him Off).. 

And then I realised there was a whole side of Brent Cross that I hadn't known about... the best loos to visit with a buggy, the speediest lifts, best feeding rooms, and changing places.. Here's the inside track, with more excellent shared wisdom from Facebook mamas.

Changing 

Don't make the easily-made mistake of heading to the main Brent Cross loos: in the ones near M&S you'll queue for ages for the single cubicle, and the whole place always seems to stink. 

The centre ones near the food hall are better - but the best option of all is to head to a shop. Mothercare, John Lewis and Fenwicks all have changing/feeding areas. Mothercare's is in the back, right corner as you enter. There are three changing stations, a sink, water machine, and three rocking chairs for feeding. 

Mothercare is best if your baby has older sibling as they have a couple of toys to play with... but it can get smelly by the end of the day.. 

John Lewis' facilities are on the top floor near A Place to Eat, and it has paper mats to lay on the changing table to put more of a barrier between your baby and icky surface. It also has a mini proper toilet which is good for potty training. The restaurant also has bottle warmers and a microwave, and a curtained-off bit for breastfeeding mums who want more privacy.

Fenwicks facilities are on the third floor, next to the ladies' loos. It's usually empty.

Eating

Leon is top-rated by mums: "they do the most baby-friendly food (low salt and sugar even baby friendly ketchup) and have a play-corner in the restaurant." "Pizza Express also does good kids' meals - and don't forget Carluccios in Fenwicks. All do activity packs too." 

Parking

There are 68 'parent and baby' spaces in Car Park 'G', located outside of John Lewis, but it's not covered so you might prefer the multi-storey car parks if it's raining.

Random

You can get your buggy cleaned at American Carwash in Brent Cross. Says one mum: "they did an amazing job, they also clean car seats for under £10 - really worth it!"

"I'm always aware that kids utilise all senses lots at different classes but not so much smell," adds another, "so I go to John Lewis or the White Company and we do some candle/infusers smelling. Baby looks confused but toddler loves it."

The best baby thing I never knew I needed

I live in a two-bedroom flat, in London, and my two-month-old baby already has more trousers, beds, coats, hats, and PJs than I do; it's only a matter of time before his book and shoe collection overtakes mine in space demands too. So I'm not a fan of superfluous baby cr*p: as I wrote here, I was in a state of shock'n'awe wandering around Babies R Us and discovering you can actually buy such rot as baby wipe warmers - it would surely be easier to cut out the middle-man and flush your money rather than the wipes directly down the drain.

So when I heard about the Babyni* - an oddly-named "multi-function play-pen" - I was sceptical. Looked to me like a baby could just as happily lie on a play mat, which I've already got and takes up a lot less room. But then I tried out this contraption - and it turns out the Babyni's annoying name is almost the only bad thing about it. It's brilliant. Here's why:

* I used it in the garden, where its hood provided 50 SPF shade protection from the sun, its mosquito net kept out any bugs, and its high sides deterred the nasty biting red ants that litter my lawn and are a big reason why I've been staying inside my flat with my newborn on warm summer days. But now we'll be outside all the time.

* I'm also definitely going to take it on holiday, because it's the perfect way to provide clean wriggle-space at the airport, or on the beach or by the pool. And...

* It has a soft mattress that means you can use it as a travel cot (though I'd put the whole thing on a duvet rather than directly on a hard floor) and...

* There's this video (below) where a woman swiftly and easily gets the Babyni back into its tiny portable carry-bag. I thought, yeah, right, this is going to be like those sleeping bags where it's impossible to return the mahoosive contents back into their sack. But that's not true - it's a pop-up tent and it really, really is easy.

There are some bad points: the instructions are primarily in French (the company was set up by a gaggle of French dads) or made up of confusing diagrams that'll remind you of Ikea building struggles. But the two-minute video (above) sort that out. And construction does take a minute or two - you have to pull up about a dozen little pegs - but it's very easy especially after the first time. Also, there's little info about ages - but the product itself says only use it until the baby crawls as he/she will be able to climb out otherwise.

I'm looking forward to taking this on holiday - not least because of one Amazon review I just read of the Babyni, where the buyer said he took the bag on the plane as his 10kg allowance for baby equipment. "There is plenty room in its wee bag to shove in nappies and a bit more, as the thing itself weighs nothing close to 10 kg which they give you," he wrote. "So I brought back three bottles of Rioja in mine, padded with left over nappies." Cunning stuff.

* Item sent to Run out of Womb for review. Rest assured, though, that I'm seriously gobby and would never rave about something that's rubbish.

Guest post: Why changing bags are a waste of money

Mum-blogger Emma Ross talks bags and babies:

I ummed and ahh-ed about choosing a baby changing bag for ages. I think it was because it was my first opportunity to add some of “me” into motherhood.. But everything I saw in the shops was either covered in cupcakes or polka dots or plain and "trendy" to a degree that it looked like something my hipster friends would take to work. 

On top of these so extremely important stylistic issues, I suffer from back pain which isn't ideal for lugging copious amounts around with me (read: everything you need to keep a baby alive). Moreover, I don’t even own a traditional handbag so there was little chance that as I embarked on motherhood that I would suddenly embrace normal female bag habits. The situation was calling for one thing and one thing only: a rucksack.

Why men get to wear rucksacks when women blatantly have a tonne more to carry around has always baffled me. And with motherhood looming, I decided to full on embrace geek motherhood. In the end I went for an Eastpak Aztec rucksack, which I absolutely love - and my son Jack is now one and a bit. It sits firmly on my back, is big enough to hold everything I need for him, plus a few of my own essentials, and I think it's pretty funky too. 

If someone could just invent a rucksack with compartments, I'd be sorted as my lipsticks have ended up stuck in the creases of Jack's nappies a fair few times.. 

So if any pregnant ladies are reading this, embrace comfort and space, with a bit of chaos - eschew the stereotypical changing bag and get yourself a backpack.

Read and watch more from Emma at 

youtube.com/mamalina

twitter.com/mamalinauk

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What I Wish I'd Known - Feeding the Baby

When 200 mums responded to my question 'What's the one thing you wish you'd known before becoming a parent?' on Facebook, by FAR the most common response was about feeding their baby. Breastfeeding, formula feeding, or struggles with either can be one of the most stressful parts of newborn life.. especially since many pregnant women are led to believe it's straightforward. 

Personally the thing I wish I'd known is that the maxim that if breastfeeding hurts, you're doing it wrong is... wrong. Newborns might be little but they come out all set to win an Olympic gold in suction - and nipples are sensitive things that probably haven't had much rough treatment in their pre-baby life. So even though I was breastfeeding effectively and my tiny man was thriving off the milk, in those early days the first latch was toe-curlingly ouch-y for a few seconds. I'd actually do labour-style breathing to get through it. And when I had a shower and the (soft) towel brushed those boobs... OW. 

But after a few weeks, it eased up. I was really impressed by the range of breastfeeding support out there - NCT helpline, health visitors, expert breastfeeding counselors at local children's centres - use them! One helped me improve a dodgy latch that made me feel much more comfortable and my baby happier.

Equally, breastfeeding doesn't always work out - don't over-stress if so. This is the collective wisdom and advice of new parents on feeding babies:

I WISH I'D KNOWN...

"That breastfeeding doesn't make you a good mother. Feeding your child in the best way for you does. A happy mummy is way more important for your baby than breast milk is."

"How agonizingly painful breastfeeding would be at first - and, how once I got over the pain (3 months down the line), how comforting and enjoyable it could be."

"I wish someone had told me about newborns cluster feeding - that it may happen, that there's no point in fighting it and you may as well just watch lots of TV. Don't feed in bed, in the dark, with a sleeping other half next to you, and don't try to put the baby back in their Moses basket every two minutes! No point."

"Not to feel guilty if you had a Caesarean or can't breastfeed. As long as your baby is healthy & being fed suitable milk, then that's fine. My now-11 year old is proof these two things don't matter."

"About the after pains (uterus contracting) that you get whilst breastfeeding in the early days. They can be horrendous and you will feel very emotional on about day 3." (I agree - felt like bad period pains, but I told myself it was helping to get my body back to normal.)

"That breastfeeding isn't easy and requires perseverance in the early days but it's rewarding once established."

"That I'd learnt how to milk myself (ie extract the colostrum from the nipple) - it's so useful in cases where baby doesn't latch on - you can bottle the goodness. Hospitals offer classes on how to do it."

"How much time I would spend feeding the baby in the first 3 months.."

"One thing I wish I'd learnt beforehand was how to make up a bottle! I never realised that sometimes breast feeding doesn't work out! Breastfeeding is a huge sacrifice and commitment of your time. Everyone does things differently, there is no right and wrong just do what makes you feel comfortable and happy. I remember being discharged from hospital and the midwife asking if I had any questions before I went home and I said "oh you haven't told me how to make up a bottle" (as they just have you the ready made ones) and she just laughed at me! I had to call a friend over as soon as I got home to show me!"

"My top breastfeeding, especially in summer, is to have large bottles of water and a glass in all the places you might feed!" I agree - and used bottles with sports caps that are easy to open one handed. Also, have a muslin to hand for inevitable post-meal sick..

"I wish I'd known that if your child has not passed urine give them a bottle to see if he/she is not dehydrated. NHS staff is so hell bent on breastfeeding they will not advise you of a formula top up even when it's evidently in the best interest of your child."

"Put a muslin between you and the baby when breastfeeding in the height of the summer or u will end up having to peel your baby off your skin!!"

"There is plenty to prepare you for labour if you want it and you expect pain but NOBODY tells you how hard breastfeeding is initially. I wasn't prepared for the searing toe curling pain when baby first latches and then the contractions during a feed. I wasn't prepared for the super pain that comes with engorgement and blocked ducts and the tears that followed when having to feed baby."

"Get a dual breast pump with a bra that attaches so that your hands are free." 

"If you plan to bottle feed at any point buy a Perfect prep machine- the best bit of kit we owned."

"if you want to bottle feed (expressed milk or formula) introduce the bottle earlier rather than later. Parents who introduce a bottle around 4 or 5 weeks seem to do well. Parents who wait until their baby is 3 months old often struggle to get their baby to accept it."

"Whilst in hospital, ask advice on different positions to breast feed (you may be sore after birth & not want sit upright/baby might not latch on in the "usual" position). If you wish to breastfeed and the baby is not latching on and one - or even two - midwives are spectacularly unhelpful (as happened to me) don't be afraid to keep asking for help but with different midwives. It took three different midwives before one actually helped and actually suggested skin to skin contact and not just simply force baby onto my breast!"