Mum influencer Catherine Hudson on the four baby buys you need

Image of Catherine Hudson holding her baby in a carrier on a canva background

published 25 November 2021

Instagram influencer and new-mum-of-two, Catherine Hudson shares her best baby buys with us.

Catherine lives in Surrey with her family, including daughters toddler Evie and 3-month old Iris. With over 1,100 followers on her instagram account Catherine has positioned herself as genuine go-to for everything child-focused; from travelling and what to pack to the things you really need to spend your money on to get through early parenthood.

"As an influencer who shares a lot about life with my babies, people ask my opinion on my baby buys. And as a recent new-mum-of-two myself, I know a handful that I would recommend to anyone who is about to have a baby.

There are perhaps two life events guaranteed to have you throwing money about? A wedding and a new baby. Oh yes, the ‘panic buying’ before baby arrives. Not to mention shopping for colic or sleep remedies online during endless night feeds. It's all a little bit inevitable; but can be avoided if you talk to the right people.

So here are a few things I now realise I should have invested in first time round. And trust me when I say, step away from that wet wipe warmer. New parents pay attention... Friends and family of pregnant women pay even closer attention - these make amazing gifts too.

'When breastfeeding didn't work for me, I turned to these'

Image of cur out MAM anti colic bottles in blue and grey with dummies — Credit: MAM

I had planned to breastfeed my first child, and we were woefully unprepared when that didn’t work out for us. So, we arrived home with no idea of how to feed our hungry baby. Throwing money at our ‘hangry’ little problem, our kitchen quickly resembled the bottles aisle of the supermarket.

We literally tried them all; some leaked, some gave her extra wind (I swear), some she couldn’t suck anything out of… and then we found MAM. Not only did they reduce her wind-related crying, but she started sucking neatly straight away.

And the fact they can be self-sterilized in the microwave meant we could do away with our sterilizer machine. To sterilize you just add a little water and heat in the microwave. (there are actual instructions obvious, but that really is as easy at it gets!) Praise be.

MAM Easy Start Anti Colic Bottle Small Starter Set – £38 | Boots (Save 15% when you spend £30)

'This BabyBjorn carrier is SO easy to use'

Trialling baby carriers with our first child was a tangled mess; we never looked like the serene parents on the packaging. But, using the Baby Bjorn Mini for child number two now makes us feel as smug as they look.

It is SO simple to use and sends our newborn to sleep every single time, no genuinely. I use mine outdoors - hello there free hands for coffee and scrolling.

A photo posted by on

And I use it around the house as it makes it easier to get stuff done with my ‘velcro baby’ attached.

Plus, at any signs of colic, it’s the first thing I reach for to calm the storm. And it's my go-to recommendation as a gift for new mums when they have a newborn.

Because you are literally offering them the gift of their baby sleeping, and all parents want that. (And maybe 12 uninterrupted hours for themselves... but, I'm not a magician.)

BabyBjorn Mini Baby Carrier – ~~£90~~ £81 (SAVE £9) | Mamas & Papas

'The value of a built-in board on a pram is REAL'

Image of a toddler standing on a pram board with mum holding pram — Credit: Catherine Hudson

As baby buys go slings are great, but there are times when you just need a pram, preferably one of the best prams; how else could I carry all the shopping, and the older child?

The Eclipse by Ickle Bubba has a built-in ‘Bubba Board’, AKA a board a pre-schooler can stand on and ride when they are done walking.

And, for anyone who has pushed a pram while dragging an older child, saying ‘come on’ repeatedly, or screaming ‘STOP!’ after they run blindly ahead, the value of a built-in board is REAL.

Being able to easily pop the pram seat off to fold, push the hood down with one hand, and have a basket fit for a week’s shop (or a beach-worth of toddler-collected stones), makes me think it must have been designed by a team of parents.

It certainly makes on-the-go naps possible and the nursery run a heck of lot less shouty, for us anyway.

Ickle Bubba Eclipse Carrycot and pushchair bundle – £599 | Amazon

'The best sleep signaller for my baby'

image of a baby in the start blanket on a colourful background — Credit: Canva

'Why anyone would pay more for a blanket in any kind of special shape. It's just a blanket, right? Surely it's a gimmick?' This was me before the Tuppence and Crumble baby wrap blanket became a sleep signaller for my second child.

And now I live in fear that I will lose or ruin it in some way. [Note to self: buy another Tuppence and Crumble blanket].

Aside from the fact that a baby looks incredibly cute laid out in a star shape, there is some magic in that there fleece and swaddle front that lulls them into sweet comfort, and, usually, slumber.

Having the legs separated means it is the perfect shape to use with a carrier or sling, too, and is ideal for using in the pram without getting reams of blanket in the way of the straps. A simple but effective way of making parenting life more efficient.

Tuppence and Crumble Baby Wrap Blanket – £26 | Not On The High Street

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Stephanie Lowe is Family Editor at GoodToKnow covering all things parenting, pregnancy and more. She has over 13 years' experience as a digital journalist with a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to all things family and lifestyle. Stephanie lives in Kent with her husband and son, Ted. Just keeping on top of school emails/fund raisers/non-uniform days/packed lunches is her second full time job.