Pregnancy is synonymous with excitement. From the moment you announce, until you hit your due date (sore, heavy and ready to have this baby already!), you will have everyone from your well-meaning MIL through to your bestie from high school giving you their advice and well-meaning opinions.
Pretty quickly it becomes overwhelming and you can be left scrambling to sort fact from old-wives-tale. We have put the time into building a Must-Haves list for new mothers with the preface of keeping it interesting, unique and genuinely useful. Drop us a comment below or keep the conversation going on social @thecollabsociety.
Birth & Postpartum – Got You Hospital Bags
If you are pregnant, birth and postpartum is inevitable. These not-so-typical Hospital Bags designed by Australian brand Got You have absolutely everything you will need to support you through labour, delivery, postpartum and beyond. Kitting you out with everything from perennial ice packs and breast pads to rejuvenating bath tea soaks and luxe slippers, postpartum couldn’t seem easier!
Lactation Nourishment – Milky Goodness
Nourishing yourself postpartum, whether you choose to breastfeed or not, is one of the most important things you can do as a new mum. We are obsessed with the huge range of lactation cookies (Caramilk Lactation Cookies anyone?!), granola and brownies by Milky Goodness that are overflowing with clean, milk-boosting ingredients such as flaxseed, brewers yeast and oats.
Gentle Skincare – Madre Australia
Something changes when you see those two lines and for most mums, a big part of pregnancy is going above and beyond to look after yourself inside and out. If you are on the hunt for a skincare brand devoted to non-toxic and pregnancy-safe products, then Madre is your go to. Offering premium, restorative solutions to stretch marks, cracked nipples and sleepless nights, it’ll feel like a gentle hug for your soul.
Mama-Friendly Baby Travel – Bugaboo
Blending all the must-haves you could think of when it comes to transporting your precious cargo around, we are partial to cult-faves Bugaboo. Not only do they offer an incredibly comfortable ride for your littles, but these prams exceed every industry safety and quality standard there is and are 100% mama-friendly with washable fabrics, replaceable parts and puncture-proof tires.
Eco-Friendly Nappies – Eco Naps
There’s no doubt about it: the modern cloth nappy is an easy way to go green, allowing you to diaper your littles from birth through to toilet training. Given a single nappy can sit in landfill for up to 500 years, Eco Naps provide an easy, aesthetic way to give the MCN-way a try. If you are still on the fence, dip your toes into the world of reusables with their gorgeous reusable swim nappies.
Baby Monitors & More - Oricom
Offering a suite of options when it comes to video and audio baby monitors, breathing movement monitors and baby health care, it pays to settle on a reputable brand to deliver true peace of mind. Oricom sell premium baby monitoring packs used by over 500,000 Australian parents, offering total nursery solutions with their white noise machines, thermometers, night lights and more.
Organise Your Life - OiOi
There are so many different options when it comes to nappy bags; from traditional carry all styles to backpacks and pram-friendly totes. The innovative OiOi have been designing total organisational solutions for mum+bub for over 25 years, which makes analysing, comparing and adding to cart so, SO easy. Bonus points that they’re all stunning and come in a variety of muted colourways.
Catch Those Zzzzz - Baby Sleep School
If there’s two things that are hard to do with a baby it’s a) getting enough sleep and b) leaving the house. Luckily Baby Sleep School offer a totally online solution to encouraging your little one to sleep sounder and for longer stretches. They also sell fantastic sleep aides such as their transportable blackout blinds (perf for rentals!) and signature Sleepy Light.
An Online Hub for Mums – BumpnBub
Founded by midwife and perinatal mental health specialist, Aliza, Bumpnbub is a thriving online community designed to educate and share in the excitement of becoming a mother. Sip your lactation tea and scroll through their endless blogs, connect with other mums at the same stage you are or browse their curation of Parenthood Preparation packs.
Wear, Wrap and Keep Close – Chekoh
For the newborns (ahem, so, 99%) who just want to be cuddled and held all day long, we cannot stress how lifesaving a quality wrap or carrier is. It makes everything a breeze: eating, doing washing, scrolling TikTok, exercising… The list goes on! Chekoh offer clip carriers, plus their traditional wraps and slings to make baby wearing stylish and oh-so-simple.