Friday Fives: Top 5 Baby Products We Couldn't Live Without!

Over the last 6 weeks, I have found that the abundance of products I had collected during my 38 weeks and 5 days of pregnancy have fallen into two categories....
Category 1 - Looked Great But Is Largely Useless
There are MANY items in this category....things I just HAD to have while I was pregnant, that I was absolutely convinced that I wouldn't be able to get by without .... which are now, 6 weeks on, still in their boxes completely untouched. I will come back to this category and discuss the items in it in a later post....
for now, I want to concentrate on Catergory 2...
Category 2 - Things We Would NOT Have Survived The Last 6 Weeks Without!
There are lots of products in this category, probably too many for me to list in one go. So I thought that instead I would share with you my Top 5!
Obviously every parent is different, and a lot of people may disagree with my choices or have ones that would be far more integral to their lives - but for us, these are Top 5!1. Johnsons BabyI have always LOVED Johnsons baby products, even for use on myself. I'm sure other brands are just as good, but there is something about the smell of Johnsons products that is absolutely unbeatable in my opinion - the smell instantly reminds me of new little babies, and I would never use any other kind of talcum powder because I want Tyne to smell like a Johnsons Baby all the time!
We have used Johnsons Baby Oil for bedtime massages and to help with Tyne's dry skin from birth and it is really soothing and effective, we have also used Johnsons Top To Toe Baby Wash since birth - its very gentle so suitable for sensitive newborn skin, and it leaves him feeling fresh and clean and smelling divine!
We also use Johnsons Extra Sensitive Baby Wipes for nappy changes, and though I have tried lots of other brands of wipes I keep coming back to these - I find that other brands either smell a bit "chemical"-y or they tear easily when taking them out of the packet - I never have any problems with the Johnsons wipes and again, they smell lovely!
We have recently started using Johnsons Baby Powder (as I just mentioned, I LOVE the smell!) and I am sure I'll be introducing more Johnson's products as the weeks go on.
Johnsons Baby products are widely available nationwide, and are often available at very low prices from shops such as Home Bargains and Poundland, etc.2. Pampers MicroWhen Tyne was born, I had a selection of nappies to choose from which I had collected over the last weeks of my pregnancy - everything from Aldi's Mamia range, Tesco Loves Baby, and Huggies - I decided to take the Pampers Newborn nappies into the hospital with me so thats what we used first, but Tyne was much smaller than we expected and so we ended up having to send Nanny out to buy some smaller ones - she came back with Pampers Micro and we've been using these ever since.
The nappies still fit Tyne's small frame perfectly, so we don't have any nasty nappy leaks! 
I find the wetness indicator really handy - there is a yellow line down the front of the nappy which turns green if the nappy is wet, so its easy to pop open the vest and check the color of the line without having to go through the hassle of fully undressing them if their nappy is actually dry!3. SMAI knew throughout my pregnancy that I would not be breast feeding Tyne as I am on a lot of medication to control my medical disorder, so it wouldn't be advisable - luckily for me I wasn't too upset about this as I have personally never felt the desire to breast feed. I know that this is a controversial choice, but I believe it is a very personal decision that every mother has to make for themselves.
And so, I started looking into baby formula early on - I read up on all the different brands available, and it really is a mine field! There are SO many to choose from. 
In the end, I decided to go with SMA because they have been around for such a long time and are the brand that myself and my sister were fed on as babies ourselves.
I was worried that Tyne might not take to it and we may have to switch, but he has had no issues with it whatsoever. 
Tyne LOVES his "Miggy" and we certainly couldn't get by without our SMA!4. MAM Soothers
I first gave Tyne a dummy on my second night in the hospital. He wasn't settling at all - he wasn't hungry or wet/dirty, but he was very upset and couldnt seem to drop off to sleep - I was really tired and so desperate to sleep myself. I was rocking him, as I had been for hours, when I suddenly remembered that I had been given a packet of MAM dummies in my gift basket from my Mum - I decided to try them.
Tyne knew what to do with it right away and INSTANTLY dropped right off to sleep!
From then on, Tyne has had a dummy for comfort when he is upset and sometimes has it to go to sleep. 
We have numerous brands of dummies but he seems to already know the difference, and will spit out any other brand instantly - he will only take the MAM soothers!
5. The Essential Baby Guide DVDWe were sent this fabulous DVD set while I was pregnant, and as first time parents-to-be found it very interesting!The DVDs have sections on all aspects of raising a baby - including sections on sleep routines, feeding, first aid and much much more.
You can either watch the DVDs in sequence, or skip through to whichever section you are currently interested in learning more about.
I think the DVDs are a brilliant idea for First Time parents - especially the First Aid sections, as I think its so important to be aware of First Aid procedures and not everybody can afford to go on a course before having a baby.
I would highly recommend these DVDs as gifts for parents to be, or even as just something to buy for yourself before the arrival of your first baby. 
The DVDS are available from John Lewis, Mamas & Papas or online at www.essentialparent.com, or there is also an Essential Parent app available from the App store.
What are you baby essentials?! As always, I'd love to hear from you!