Newborn Essentials - Things We Actually Used!

When you're pregnant you're bombarded with recommendations of things you MUST buy. I fell for this on my first pregnancy and ended up with a ton of stuff I never really used but felt like I had to have just because I'd been told to.

This time round I was abit more savvy and didn't make any unnecessary purchases, instead sticking with the things I'd tried and tested for myself the first time round.

So here's my list of essentials - stuff we actually used!

Asda Little Angels Newborn Nappies - At half the price of Pampers, I really don't think you can beat the Little Angels range of nappies. They are soft on bums and sizes 0-2 even come with a freedom section at the navel to protect the umbilical area which can be extra sensitive in the first few months.
Hayley Westenra - Hushabye CD - This is a bit of a random one but Erin really reacts to music and I found that this CD, which is a collection of gorgeous lullabies, really soothes her if she's tired. Our favourite is Hayley's rendition of Brahms Lullaby!
Kinder Valley Nursing Pillow - This was on offer for £9.99 in Asda so I picked one up thinking I'd use it for feeding Erin. I haven't actually used it for that purpose but we do use it to prop her up in if she's on the bed or playmat. She likes to be able to see everything and it's a bit better for her than being flat on her back! It's also good for practising tummy time.
Silver Cross Isofix - We bought ours when Elliot was a baby and couldn't be without it now. Initially we thought we could just make do without one and save ourselves some money. But after getting drenched one too many times as we faffed about strapping the carseat in we decided to invest...and I'm glad we did! It's so quick and easy, it literally takes a second to pop the seat into the mount and it makes things so much easier when trying to get the carseat in in the dark!
Sudocrem - Love this product! I'd never used it before having kids, now I've always got a pot stashed away for emergencies. It's great that it's multipurpose, for instance it works really well on nappy rash but also, I used it after my c-section which really helped. Also good for sunburn!
Professional Photos - These days most of us have decent cameras on our phones but I think it's lovely to have some professional pics done of baby, especially in the early days when they are so small and squishy. A very talented lady called Samantha Prewett did ours and I'm so pleased, I would never have been able to achieve this using my camera and (lack of) skills! She even wrote about the shoot on her blog.
Babymoov Changing Bag - I initially bought a cheap changing bag on Amazon to use with Erin but you really do get what you pay for as it broke within a few weeks. My husband took pity on me and treated me to a lovely Babymoov bag for Mother's Day and I love it! It's got loads of pockets which I love and I can fit so much in there..which is very important when you have kids. (one pocket is just for snacks alone!)
Neutral 0% Baby Products - We were sent some of these to review for the blog but I really like them and will definitely continue to use on Erin. I like that they are specifically for sensitive skin so I know that her soft delicate newborn skin is having anything too harsh on it.
Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Machine -  The prep machines have had a lot of bad press recently after some customers found mould in their machine's pipes. We checked ours for mould and it was fine...phew! I love the prep machine, it's so handy for making bottles and a god send in the middle of the night when you have a screaming hungry baby! I only wish we'd had one when Elliot was a baby! I'm a big fan of the Tommee Tippee products and other essentials we use are the bottles and electric steriliser.

What was your number one essential item for a newborn?!