Mums reveal: Essentials we needed as new mums

• I used lavender essential oil – on me (pure and natural) – at night after my shower. The aroma kept us all calm and kept a regular routine. My mothers’ helper also mentioned to stock up on your fave bath/shower gel as it keeps your ‘smell’.
• A great nipple cream – personal choice for this one but always buy a few tubes if you come across a winner, as you’ll need a few dotted around the house and in the car, and in your bag, and in bub’s bag and at your besties house … if you are wanting to breastfeed.
• Heat packs – lots of heat packs. They help with tummy cramping and achy legs and back if you are ‘stuck’ in one spot all day. They are also great to keep yourself warm on cool nights if you are in and out of bed.
• Music that you listen to at a particular time of the night is nice, too; something bub (and you) can sleep to.
• Ready-to-eat meals – buy a few each week before bub’s arrival and stash. They will be a life saver at 3am when you are starving – a good go-to and better than jam toast.
• A bouncer you can move around – the old style is still the best in my eyes. A swing is also a great option so you can get stuff done, but not great for bigger babies to sleep in. My three slept in theirs during the day while I was up and about doing stuff. Books and magazines (even ‘old’ ones from friends) can keep you entertained.
• If you are expecting a winter bub, BLANKETS everywhere in every room. The first few months are all about getting through the day and doing it the best you can.
• The best thing you can have is HELP – if someone offers and you are comfortable with them helping, let them – it means as much to them as it does to you … promise! 

Organise some home delivery food. The Dinner Ladies is fab! ~ Lisa

A baby swing; baby carrier; white noise app or music box; if you plan to breast feed, then, a ‘breastfriend pillow’; breast pads; breastfeeding cover, and breastfeeding singlets/bras; pre-made meals in freezer, if possible ~ Ashley

Sudocrem for bub, and one of those things that stop the baby from rolling in their sleep ~ Kanada

Lansinoh cream (for nipples, nappy rash, everything), a baby carrier (I got a stretchy wrap I could breastfeed in), hooded towels (not the kind with the hood in the corner) ~ Josana

• White noise machine. We went with a dream sheep and the baby loved the heartbeat sound.
• TV shows on the laptop and ebooks on your phone for all those night feeds.
• Someone you trust to look after bub at your place so you can grab some extra naptime.
• Muslin wraps (or flannel if it’s a winter baby) to swaddle – no need to buy expensive swaddles initially if you don’t want to as they grow out of them so quickly in those first few months (we were still using our original muslins at six months).
• Onesies that zip open from the bottom so you don’t have to completely strip baby to change them.

Cloth nappies, otherwise known as chucky cloths in my house. My kids are six and four now and we still have a pile of them in our kitchen for spills and things ~ Amanda

Wraps to swaddle your baby in (for sleep time) ~ Ashley

• For the late night feeds have a few good TV series ready to go.
• Plenty of healthy snack foods such as bars and nuts.
• If you have time before bub is born, stock your freezer with small meal portions so you don’t have to cook/prep if you are tired.
• I used a boomerang pillow as my feeding pillow.
• A hair elastic on my wrist worked well to know which side I was up to when breastfeeding (you have to remember to move it each feed, though).
• Cheap tea towels as burping cloths.
• A baby carrier, like a Manduca or ErgoBaby, once they’re over 3.5 kg.

A slow cooker. Throw everything in when you get a minute and dinner cooks itself. Freeze portions for later ~ Debbie

Snacks (chocolate and of the healthy variety), a digital thermometer and Panadol for babies on the ready, and a vibrating bouncer! We had a Fisher-Price one ~ Nicola