We were recently sent the lovely Kick 'N Play Musical Bouncer from Fisher Price, and it's definitely been one of those baby products we didn't know we needed. Lilah absolutely loves it and happily sits kicking away in it at least once a day now - and the interactive elements keeps my older two entertained too!

The Kick 'N Play Bouncer is a 2-in-1 soother and entertaining seat, suitable from birth. When your baby is younger the musical and vibrating functions will help to soothe them. The seat cover is wonderful soft and padded, so it's a comfortable spot to place baby that's not just flat on their back too - especially perfect if your little one has reflux. Then as they become older and more mobile, the seat becomes somewhere fun to play and entertain baby! Helping to develop their gross motor skills, and encouraging sensory development through play.

There are two different functions, depending on what your little one prefers. There is a 'short play' option, where the lights on the toy bar light up as your baby kicks the piano keys with their feet. Or the 'long play' option, which plays a continuous 15 minutes of music and lights. Both can be played at two volume settings - an absolute must for me, as I prefer to keep musical toys as quiet as possible!

The toy bar also features two hanging toys (a microphone rattle and a tambourine), which your baby can grab and play with. Lilah absolutely loves these, and is now trying to pull them towards herself to chew on too! Unlike other basic bouncers, the toy bar is incredibly sturdy and doesn't fall off - yet it's still easy to remove. We like to take it off so Lilah can enjoy the toy bar toys while not in the seat too.

One negative of the bouncer however, is that it cannot be stored or transported very easily. The frame is metal and therefore it doesn't fold down or pack down any smaller! We have a relatively small living room so it does take up a fair bit of space. We liked to take a bouncer with us when visiting friends and family, when Lilah was smaller too, and this bouncer definitely isn't the easiest to take from house to house.

Overall though we absolutely love the Kick 'N Play bouncer. The bright colours and patterns are perfect for little ones, and it really is a fun and interactive toy for them. And from personal experience, I can tell you that the seat cover is really easy to pop off and wash too... thanks Lilah!

The Fisher Price Kick 'N Play Musical Bouncer currently retails for around £59.99, however I'm giving my readers the chance to win one for themselves! Simply enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

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I received this bouncer in exchange for my review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 Duo Digital Video Monitor | Review

Lilah is now over 4 months old and in a pretty set bedtime routine. She goes down upstairs without us in the evenings now, although she's still in our room while she's this little. To make the transition easier for us (well... me, I still miss her!), we were sent the Summer Infant Duo Digital Video Monitor. So not only can we hear if she stirs and needs us, but we can keep a close eye of her too!

Setting up the monitors was incredibly simple. The monitor comes with two cameras (and you can buy extra ones if necessary too), so we can have one in the older twos bedroom as well. A feature that I really like is that cable clips are also included. This means that the wires are secure and safe - an absolute must for a baby product.

The parent screen is really easy to use as well. It has a 5" screen, which means that you can see more of your child's room. This feature is great for us as it means we can see both Indie and Parker in the screen at the same time. You do have to give this a long initial charge before first use though, so definitely keep this in mind.

The main on/off switch also controls the nightlight on the cameras. I found you have to hold this button down for quite a while to get it to turn on, but the rest of the buttons work fine. The 'Video' button turns the screen on/off to conserve power, and you can find the volume buttons here too.

The menu buttons on the right are how you connect the cameras to the parent monitor. You simply click 'add camera' and it will find those that are switched on. Once connected you don't need to do this again, and you can add up to 4 different cameras. We usually keep the camera on the monitor in our room to watch Lilah. But you can have it on 'Scan' which will switch the screen between the cameras you have connected. This is especially handy if you don't want to manually switch between each camera.

The Duo Digital Monitor has an inbuilt talk back function, which you use by simply holding down the button on the left and talking. This isn't something we use for little Lilah just yet, but it is perfect for the older two. If they aren't going to sleep, we can just talk through the monitor without having to go upstairs or shout!

Another feature that has been especially handy during the recent heatwaves, is the onscreen temperature display. It means you don't have to have a separate thermometer, as you can see how hot (or cold) each room with a camera is.

Although the monitor is really easy to use, I do think it has a few flaws. The main being that the image isn't very clear. The camera is stated to have enhanced night vision - however we have found the image to be a little fuzzy when the room is dark. This doesn't affect using the monitor completely, as you can still see hear child, but it is a little disappointing for a video monitor. I also dislike that you can't control the cameras from the parent unit. I'd like to be able to set them up perfectly from downstairs, without having to manually move the cameras to get them in the right place.

The Summer Infant Wide View 2.0 Duo Digital Video Monitor currently retails at £179.99, which I do think is a little on the higher side for what the monitor includes. As although you get two cameras, and features such as talk-back and built in nightlights, the picture quality really isn't what I expected! However if you need a reasonably priced monitor for multiple rooms like we do, this is definitely one to consider.

We received this monitor as part of our role as a Summer Mama. All opinions are honest and my own.

10 Newborn Essentials as a Third Time Mum

Despite Lilah being my third baby, I still found myself constantly googling and searching for the 'essential' newborn products. Things really do change so quickly - especially in the baby world it seems - so there were so many products around this time, that we didn't even know about when Parker was a baby, let alone Indie.

So I thought I'd put together a list of the products we've absolutely loved using this time around. Items that we think really are newborn essentials! This list includes a few brand new products to us, and a some trusted oldies too...

The Sleepyhead Deluxe

I've written a whole separate review of the Sleepyhead. But my goodness what a product! The Sleepyhead is a sleep pod/nest, and has been designed to create a 'womb like' environment for baby to rest in. Lilah has slept in hers from day one, and it the best sleeper out of all three of the Littles - whether this was the reason or not we can't be sure, but I like to think it's definitely helped!

A Co-Sleeper

Another brand new product to us, but one I would recommend 1000%, is a co-sleeper crib. We have the Knuma Huddle, although there are a few different ones available. It fits right next to our bed, and means Lilah is right by our side during the night. Not only does this give her comfort, but made night feeds and wakings soo much easier too. A co-sleeper is much bigger than a traditional moses basket too (and fits the Sleepyhead perfectly!), so it will last a lot longer too. The older two outgrew the moses basket at 4 months, whereas I know there's still plenty of room left in the Huddle.

White Noise (Whisbear)

We've used white noise to help settle all three of the Littles at night. It's worked like magic with all three (and I actually find it pretty soothing myself now!), but the Whisbear that we're using with Lilah now, is definitely the best white noise toy we've had. The automatic cry sensor turns on if Lilah stirs, so she settles back to sleep by herself before waking up completely. It's really easy to attach to things too, as it's legs are magnetic - especially compared to Ewan the Dreamsheep which we found difficult to put anywhere.

WaterWipes

When your baby is first born, they recommend you use cotton wool and water when changing their nappies. We've never found the need to though, as we've always used WaterWipes. Made with 99.9% water and 0.1% fruit extract, they really are as gentle on babies skin - without the faff of cotton wool! Not only does this make cleaning those first meconium nappies easier, but they're much easier to use out and about too. On the subject of nappies, we love Aldi and Asda Little Angels ones the best!

Shnuggle Bath

This is also another new product this third time around, but one that we'd now couldn't be without. With two older ones to bath, there's no way we could put Lilah in at the same time with her so little. The Shnuggle bath means she is safe in her own little space, but without taking up the room of a huuuge baby bath. The bath also has an inbuilt seat, so that baby can sit upright. This is great if your baby is sicky, or just doesn't like laying down like Lilah!

Sleepsuits

We really learnt our lesson with Lilah, and she was in sleepsuits day and night for the first few months. When they're newborn they are just so tiny, that grown up outfits just look silly on them (and are a nightmare to put on!). The poop explosions and sick makes for frequent outfits changes too, so you might as well just stick to buying lots of sleepsuits instead! Our favourite place to buy them is Next, as they're great quality, lovely and soft, wash well, and the in-built scratch mitts are really handy.

Muslins

You seriously can't have enough of these, especially if you have a sicky or refluxy baby. Muslins are perfect for laying over items such as the Sleepyhead or moses basket to protect them, and of course over your shoulder for burping too. I'd definitely suggest getting a few more 'expensive' ones, rather than the cheap ones from somewhere like Primark. You can really notice the difference in quality, and the the cheap ones are usually thinner so don't do a very good job.

Perfect Prep Machine, Dr Brown's Bottles and a Cold Water Steriliser

If you're bottle feeding like we are or even expressing, then these three products are definitely essentials. We have used our Perfect Prep Machine with all three children now, and it's not only a time saver, but a sanity saver! It makes the bottle to the perfect temperature within just a few minutes, so baby isn't having to wait for a bottle to cool.

The best bottles we've used are the Dr Brown's ones too. They contain a few more pieces, but they have been designed to help reduce wind and colic - something we've definitely seen improve!

And to keep them clean, you can't go wrong with a basic cold water steriliser. With our first we thought you needed an electric one, as it seemed 'better'. But after using this Milton one, I can't believe we didn't get one from day one. You simply fill with water and add a steriliser tablet, and the water is good to use for 24 hours. Muuuuch easier than waiting for an electric or microwave steriliser to finish and cool, and you can add items such as teether and dummies too.

Baby Wrap / Sling

Newborns loved to be held and cuddled, but things such as washing and cooking still need to get done. So a baby wrap or sling is perfect for them! We have a few (here are my reviews of the Aura Wrap, Wuti Wrap and Izmi Baby Carrier), but my favourite for a newborn is probably the Close Caboo Carrier.

Bouncer (Joie Dreamer)

We've used a bouncy chair with all three littles as well, as none of them have liked a swing. It's a comfortable and safe place to put baby while you do other things, or just to give them a different environment from laying flat - they're also great if your little ones prefers to be raised slightly. We have the Joie Dreamer this time around which is brilliant and I would really recommend it - just like everyone else did to me!

What would your newborn essentials be?

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Sleepyhead Deluxe+ Pod | Review

From the moment we arrived home from hospital with our little Lilah, we've used our Sleepyhead Deluxe+ Pod. She's now been sleeping snuggly by our side in it for over three months, and I must say it's quickly become one of my favourite baby items. And one I would recommend to parents new or old a million times over!

The Sleepyhead Deluxe is the original baby pod. Designed and produced by Swedish company Enfant Terrible, it has been thoroughly tested to ensure it's safety. The pods comply with the British standard on air-permeability (a test designed to replicate a baby placing its mouth on an item and breathing through it), so is therefore safe for supervised overnight sleeping.

Lilah has slept in her Sleepyhead every night since she was born, and I like to think it's one of the reasons for how well she sleeps at night. When she was a newborn we had the clip at the bottom closed to create an even snugglier 'womb like' environment. However now she is 3 months, and stretched out a lot more, we have unclipped this to give her a little more room. The Sleepyhead Deluxe is suitable for up to 8 months (approximately 22lbs) though, so there's still plenty of growing room left.

As well as overnight sleeping, the Sleepyhead Pod has multiple other uses. Day time naps, supervised tummy time, playtime or even just a safe and comfortable spot to place baby during the day. With two older children at home, we've found the Sleepyhead to be a perfect safe space to place Lilah. The Pod creates a perfect barrier between her and everyone else in our bed - plus it's lovely and comfortable for her too!

The Sleepyhead Deluxe is hypoallergenic, so there's no need to worry about the materials against your newborns delicate skin. The cover is fully removable and washable too, which is an absolute must with a baby! We've washed ours a number of times now, and although the cover is rather tricky to get back on (although very easy to get off thanks to it's zips), it's definitely worth it. You can purchase spare covers, but as these are quite pricey we've chosen not too. 

The updated Deluxe+ version of the Sleepyhead, has been designed to be compatible with the Mobile Toy Arch and toys (both sold separately). So although we mainly use the pod for overnight sleeping, it's lovely that we can use it for playtime too. The toys are crinkly and engaging, and the black and white on the arch is perfect for babies. Lilah has just started reaching and grabbing for toys, so this is a perfect addition for her now.

Overall we absolutely love our Sleepyhead Deluxe Pod. Lilah has slept well in it from the very beginning, and I love putting her to bed knowing she is comfortable and snug. We love the pod so much we even packed it in our suitcase on our recent holiday to Disneyland Paris! The pod is light so it was easy to transport, plus it was much more comfortable for her to sleep in than a hard travel cot.

The Sleepyhead Deluxe+ Pod is available to buy from a number or retailers including John Lewis, Mothercare and Amazon. It retails at around £130, which I do believe it quite high - however it's definitely worth it for a good nights sleep for you and your baby!

We received this item in exchange for our review. All opinions are honest and my own. This post contains an affiliate link which means if you buy the product when using my link, I’ll receive a few pence in return.

Izmi Baby Carrier | Review

Baby wearing wasn't something I really knew much about, when we had our first child almost 5 years ago. But when our third little one came along this year, there was absolutely no way we could cope without it! It not only keeps your hands free, but it is perfect for baby snuggles too.

We have been trying out the Izmi Baby Carrier from Cheeky Rascals for a few months, and it's definitely become my husband Jack's go-to carrier of choice. The award winning Izmi Carrier combines the comfort and closeness of a fabric sling, with the support and comfort of a buckled carrier. I know Jack's not too sure on wrap style carriers, so I think this combination is perfect for him.

Suitable from birth until walking (7-33lbs), it has been designed to adjust and grow with your child as they do. It has also been designed to be hip-healthy, which is the best possible way to carry your little one (as well as being a lot more comfortable for the wearer too!).

We did find the Izmi carrier a little tricky to put on at first. It is definitely a little fiddly to pop on with such a small baby, as you have to reach around to secure the buckles. But now we've been using it for a while Jack has found it much easier and quicker to put on. But I'm sure if you were an experienced baby wearer this wouldn't be an issue for you though!

Also, while the carrier is easy to adjust, we have found that it is something we haven't really wanted to do. We would have to adjust it every time Jack or I wore it, so it would become a bit of a pain. This has meant the carrier has become the one that Jack solely uses. Which although is a shame, isn't really much of an issue for us!

We have only used the carrier in the traditional front carry so far, as Lilah is still quite little. The Izmi Carrier can also be used in three other ways though - front facing, hip carry and back carry. Lilah seems to really enjoy the carrier though, and will happily fall asleep within minutes of being in it and snuggled close to Jack.

Overall we are really impressed with the Izmi Baby Carrier, and it is definitely a baby item we would recommend to new parents! It is a little fiddly to work out at first, but once you get used to putting baby in the carrier, it is comfortable to wear and feels lovely and secure. The carrier also comes with it's own storage bag, so it's easy to take out and about with you too!

"The Izmi cotton baby carrier was designed by Emily Williamson, a mother and expert babywearing consultant. After extensive research with both Mums and Dads tackling common problems Emily designed the Izmi carrier in the UK to be comfortable, supportive and long lasting with the approval from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute."

We recieved this carrier in exchange for our review. All opinions are honest and my own.