5 things I now can’t live without since becoming a Mummy.

Since becoming a Mummy for the first time 2 and a half years ago I have found there a few items that I use every single day that I now couldn’t live without. Well, I probably could live without them but they do make things in My Mummy life that little bit easier. So here are 5 things I use the most…

Wipes

Not just used for mucky bums or sticky hands and faces but also handy for a wide range of things. Blob of yoghurt on the carpet? Use a wipe. Out for lunch and the table hasn’t been cleaned properly (if at all)? Use a wipe. Grubby looking high chair? (Seriously, do food places think babies/children don’t need clean surfaces?) Use a wipe. Phone screen covered in the snot and saliva of a small child? Use a wipe. Baby sick on your top and/or dripping down your cleavage? Yeh you get my drift.

The problem with becoming a parent is that you now rely on wipes a little too much. You have a (rare) trip out for lunch without the kids and suddenly realise you can’t just grab a wipe to clean the sauce that missed your mouth and dribbled down your chin because you don’t have your kids with you, meaning you don’t have your change bag. And because you don’t have the kids you seized the opportunity to take a small handbag to give your shoulders a well earned rest from carrying the jam packed large change bag, but it’s too small to stick a pack of wipes in for your own clumsy needs.

Muslin Cloths

I love these. Just like wipes, muslin cloths too have a variety of uses. If it’s too warm a day to wear your usual 2 layers of tops for breastfeeding (normal top to pull up and vest top underneath to pull down) then a Muslin can be used to either place on your chest if you pull your top up or around your middle if you pull your top down. Or again if it’s a warm day and you don’t want to cover your baby with a thick blanket but want to give them a little coverage against the cool breeze then a Muslin is both thin enough and big enough to tuck around them. And then of course there’s the most obvious uses such as putting on your shoulder when burping baby to catch any potential spit ups, wiping said spit ups from baby’s mouth/neck/hair, etc. There’s also those times when feeding the baby when your other boob decides to flood the deck and all you have nearby is your trusty Muslin cloth which does the job just fine until baby has finished his feast.

Nappy Bags

Not just for dirty nappies, oh no. These are handy for when one of the little darlings mess their clothes and you need to change them and get the dirty, wet clothes home without risking any cross contamination onto other things in your bag. And if you’re out and about and need to bin that sticky half eaten sweet or lollipop that your child has suddenly decided they no longer want, then a nappy bag is perfect to put it in until a bin is found.

Change Bag

So after I’ve moaned previously about having to take a large change bag everywhere you go, I do actually love my change bag. My relationship with my change bag is similar to that of the one I have with stationary. Yes I’m one of those people who can’t walk past a stationary shop without going inside! It has pockets to organise everything and that excites me. Nappies have their own little compartment to keep them neat and tidy. There’s a fold up changing mat and a little separate zip up pouch in most bags on sale (in my case the mat has it’s own pocket on the front of the bag for easy access). There’s space for bottles, and in my bag I have plenty of space for spare clothes for both Munchkins as well as my own things I need. And it’s pretty. Did I mention I love my change bag?

Hand Sanitiser

If you’ve just changed your baby’s nappy with a lovely little surprise inside and there are no hand washing facilities nearby (or in some cases there may be some but they are inadequate), then a little bottle of hand sanitiser will do the job until you’re able to wash your hands.

Or picture this.. you’re having a lovely walk in the park when your little girl steps in some dog poo hiding in the autumn leaves and there’s nothing nearby to wash it with. So you use some wipes from your change bag to clean it off, a nappy bag to put the dirty wipes in until a bin is found, some more wipes to wipe your own and your little girls hands and lastly some hand sanitiser to keep any germs at bay until you get to a sink. Need I say anymore?