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"I'm looking for a baby play gym that I can put my baby down on and will keep her entertained but that isn't too big for our living room please can you share some good brands? Thanks a lot!" Play gyms are so brilliant for little ones and are a great place to put your baby down if you need both hands and to keep them busy! Play gyms are ideal for baby from birth until they can move about by themselves as no doubt they will wiggle themselves off their play gym and find other things to occupy themselves! There are a number of different baby play gyms out there, here are the ones that we would recommend and have used for our little ones! Remember to always make sure you are watching your baby on their play mat and don't leave them unattended. Lupantte 7 in 1 Baby Play Mat - £51.00 - This mat is suitable from 0-24 months and contains 7 different toys to keep your little one entertained. It's very easy to assemble, has a soft mat for baby to lay down on, contains a self discovery mirror and helps with improving babies development. Tiny Love Luxe Developmental Gymini Baby Activity Mat - £107.99 - this play mat has 20 different activities for baby helping to keep your baby engaged and entertained. It is suitable from birth and is also very cute looking if this is something that you are bothered about! Tiny Love Black and White Gymini - £60 - This 2 in 1 play mat has a number of different activities and interactive toys to help keep your little one entertained. This mat is suitable from 0-6 months. This mat is very easy to clean, comfortable for baby to lay down on and very easy to put together. The toys are stimulating for your little one and this mat is a great sensory play mat. Baby Einstein 4 in 1 Kickin' Tunes and Language Discovery Play Gym - £44.99 - this play mat is very interactive, contains a lot of different sensory and stimulating activities. We would say that compared with other play mats, the mat on the Baby Einstein was a little thin and did seem more uncomfortable for our little ones to lay on.

"What were your babies favourite dummies? Getting organised for the arrival of my baby boy and want to have some ready! Thank you." Dummies were a total game changer for our babies here at Carol App - we didn't all use them as some of our little ones wouldn't take them, but for those babies that would, we found dummies to really soothe and comfort them, particularly for night time and naps. It can be a challenge to choose the best dummy for your baby and is actually quite hard to determine as each baby will have a different preference, but here are the dummies our babies loved! We also found that once our baby had cottoned on to which dummy they liked, it was hard to change the brand/ dummy as they knew! BiBS Soother - Our babies really took to the BiBS soothers - we really liked that they were a natural rubber latex and had a very nipple-like teat. We found the BiBS to be very comforting as well as being BPA and phthalates free. The BiBS are also nicer looking than most other brands we found! Tommee Tippee Night Time Glow in the Dark- these dummies are also BPA-free silicone - they are great because if they go missing in the night and your toddler is crying out - you can easily find them as they are glow in the dark! Chicco Physio Soft Soother - We found these dummies to be very hygienic as they are only made of one piece, unlike other dummies where dirt could hide between the handle and around the dummy centre. The Chicco Physio are ergonomic meaning that they are meant to be better for your little ones teeth - they are also loved by babies too!! MAM Start Soothers - These dummies are great for 0-2 months, they are made with a very soft silicone, easy for babies to use and also look v cute!!

"What are the baby teethers that you got for your babies that you found worked?" The baby teethers that we used for our little ones at the Carol App that our babies seemed to get some relief from were: Sophie la Girafe Matchstick Monkey Nuby Ice Teether Baby ELEFUN We found it was definitely trial and error with teething and baby teethers - good luck and know that it will pass! We've all been there mama.

"Can you please share which bottles you used for your little ones either for expressing or formula feeding?" Without doubt our top bottles are the MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic Bottle - these bottles are BPA and BPS-free , are anti-colic, dishwasher safe, are self-sterilising and all round brilliant! We found that they also didn't spill as badly as other brands if they were tipped upside down by accident when out and about. The MAM Easy Start also have the option of different teat sizes so they can be used as your baby grows too. We would absolutely recommend looking into the MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic Bottles. Other brands that we have used are: Tommee Tippee Advanced Anti-Colic Bottles - Made from BPA-free plastics, a soft silicone teat which can be purchased in 4 flow rates meaning they can be used as baby grows. The downside is that we found the Tommee Tippee Anti-Colic quite fiddly to take apart, clean and put back together and you have to buy the specific Anti-Colic Teats for the bottles, you can't swap with Closer to Nature bottle teats - just to point that out! Dr Browns Anti-Colic Bottles - Dr Browns' are clinically proven to reduce windy colic in babies and are trusted by many parents. We have used Dr Browns' at Carol App and although we found our babies took the bottles well, we found them a little fiddly to clean and that's why MAM Easy Start are our number 1 brand for baby bottles.

"Hello Mamas! Can you share which baby wipes you used for your babies? We are wanting some that are good for sensitive skin but aren't too expensive as I've been told we will go through a lot of them!" Baby wipes are definitely an essential for us - not only for nappy changing but also for wiping babies face, hands and spilt food and drink when they get older - especially when out and about! There are a lot of brands out there and these are the ones we used for our little ones - for newborns, it's recommended that they only be cleaned with cotton wool and warm water and 'fragrance free and alcohol-free wipes' - NHS Guidance. For Newborns, WaterWipes are most often used and preferred by parents, they cost around £3 for 60 wipes and contain 99.9% purified and filtered water with a tiny amount of grapefruit seed extract. WaterWipes are very gentle on babies skin. They are on the more expensive side per wipe and although great for the newborn stage, the Carol App Team moved onto different brands once baby was over 10 weeks old. We also loved the Cheeky Panda 99% purified water wipes for the newborn stage too! When baby is a little older, the Mamabear Sensitive wipes are great - they are gentle on baby, unscented, do a good job of cleaning up and are reasonably priced too - around £5 for 6 packs of wipes! We also use the Pampers Sensitive wipes - non fragranced and are a great wet consistency so do a good job at cleaning too! The Pampers are a little more pricey than the Mamabear wipes so that's definitely worth noting!

"Can you please share which baby sleep bags you use for your little ones? Thank you" In terms of sleeping bags there are so many on the market and finding one that is comfortable, safe, helps baby regulate their temperature and isn't too expensive can be hard! NB: We want to avoid adding anything into babies crib such as pillows, toys, blankets -making sure that the crib is completely empty, until baby is over 1 years old to avoid a possibility of accidental suffocation - this is why sleeping bags are often recommended. The Lullaby Trust has recommended sleeping bags to help reduce the chance of SIDS. Sleeping bags also help to keep your baby snug, comfortable and could therefore help with babies sleep. There are many options available with sleeping bags and we want to be aware of the different 'Tog' size - The tog size depends on the time of year and thickness of the sleeping bag - generally speaking, a 2.5 tog is the most popular thickness for a lot of the year, especially in the UK, however you would likely want to switch to 0.5 - 1.5 tog during the height of summer for warmer nights. We would recommend always doing your research with sleeping bags and buy from a reputable brand to ensure the safety of the product. Some of our top sleeping bags are: Lictin Baby Sleeping Bag 0.5 Tog (2 pack) - £22.95 Tommee Tippee The Original Grobag - £29.99 Snuz Baby Sleeping Bag 2.5 Tog - £24.95 Jojomamanbebe Sleeping Bag 2.5 Tog - £28 M&S Pure Cotton Sleeping Bag (2 pack) - £40

"I've been recommended to get a TENS machine for labour but not really sure what it is and where to get one from? Have any of you mums used one? Thank you" TENS Machines can provide some relief during the early stages of labour - we have all used one here at Carol App and found it to be a great way to ease the pain in the early stages of labour so would recommend getting one if you are thinking about it but as always, please speak with your midwife or GP before purchasing a TENS machine to check whether it would be suitable for you. It's important to note that TENS machines can't be used if you suffer heart problems, have a heart pacemaker or suffer from epilepsy. How TENS machines work is that they provide tiny electric shocks to the body which interfere with pain messages being sent to the brain - hence why they can offer some pain relief in the early stages of about! TENS machines generally attach to your back muscles by sticky patches which are then attached to the machine via thin wires - the pulses start off fairly light and you can increase them as you feel appropriate for you. Some of our top TENS machines are: Boots TENS Maternity Unit - £29.99 AUVON Tens Machine - £29.99 Elle TENS2 - £79.99 You can either rent or buy your TENS machine with renting costing around £20 - £40.

"Can you share which pregnancy pillow you used? There's too many to choose from and not sure what I'm really looking for." Pregnancy pillows were such a life saver throughout our pregnancies, they can really help with easing back discomfort which can often keep you awake during the night throughout your second and third trimester. A pregnancy pillow is a sleep aid that is designed to help support your bump, back, bum, legs and neck. There are so many out there and it can be hard to know which are actually worth it, so we have compiled our top pregnancy pillows that we found helpful through our pregnancies, hope this helps! bbhugme Pregnancy Pillow - £137.70 Microbean Maternity Sleep Pillow - £39.00 Kally Sleep Body Pillow - £39.00 sleepdove Big U Pillow - £18.95

"Hi Mums! Do you have any tips for prepping for birth? I'm in my third trimester now with my first and starting to think about birth - any advices you could share? Thank you :)" Yes absolutely! Birth is different for every woman and although you can never plan 100% how your birth will go, here are some tips that may help. Do your research and empower yourself - finding out as much information as you can about labour and birth, your options, pros and cons of each option can help you feel more confident in your decisions about how and where you want to deliver your baby, and what your options are if things don't quite go to plan. Ask your midwife any questions you have and do your own research too - you may find NCT classes helpful too! Listen to positive birth stories on podcasts, on Youtube videos and try to avoid hearing any birth horror stories as much as you can. Having a positive outlook on birth can really help reduce anxiety and stress as you head towards the final weeks. Hypnobirthing - at Carol we have all used the Positive Birth Company to help prepare us for going into labour and thought it was brilliant - we have an exclusive discount code within the 'Offers' of your app - hypnobirthing helps equip you with the breath work tools and knowledge of what happens during birth to empower you to make the right decisions for you, and to use breathing techniques to help with pain management! Preparing your body and de-stress - pregnancy yoga can be really helpful to get your baby in a good position for birth as well as educating you on breathing techniques and positions to help you as you move through labour. Meditation and visualisation - these can help you get into a positive frame of mind moving into birth and can reinforce breathing techniques to help you throughout labour. A birth plan - although a birth plan is a good idea to have so that your wishes are down in one place, it's important to mindful that birth may not always go to plan on the day so being flexible is important. Having a birth plan as a guide can definitely help though, although it might not be for everyone.

"Can you please share any tips for starting weaning? My daughter is just over 6 months and has been showing signs she is ready but not sure where to start?" When starting to think about weaning, we would recommend that you get as prepped as you can, although you never really know how it's going to go at first, making sure you have a range of vegetables in the house ready to cook, decide if you want to start with baby-led or purees. Remember that no one weaning journey will be the same as every baby is so different. It's very normal for babies to not actually eat any of the solid foods in the first few weeks of weaning whilst they are exploring the texture, smells and tastes of solid foods. We all started our weaning journey with our little ones with veggies and would recommend doing the same - starting weaning with more bitter tastes has been shown to encourage babies to become more used to a wider variety of flavours as they grow up! When starting your weaning journey with your baby, you want to start to think about how you want to establish a new routine with your little one that includes solid foods - including allowing your little one to explore new foods and become familiar with different types of foods, exploring first tastes of new foods. We want to encourage our little ones to enjoy their weaning journey and make it as fun and positive as possible with little pressure on you and your baby! Some of our top tips for starting weaning that have worked for the Carol App Team: - Offer your babys' first solid food meal when they have had a little bit of milk but aren't too full - around 45 minutes after a milk feed may be a good time. - Offer your babys' first solid food meal when they tend to be most calm - this could be early or late afternoon depending on your little one and their schedule! - Try to keep the weaning environment as relaxing and stress-free as possible - Sit with your baby whilst they are picking up and playing with the food and be present with them with lots of smiles - this can help them feel more comfortable in this new journey. - Show your baby how to use a spoon and how to attempt finger foods - modelling goes a long way, especially with weaning. - Try to stick with a vague routine for weaning, if you start solid foods at a certain time, try to stay with that time as closely as possible so your baby starts to understand when they will be getting solid foods and milk.

"Does anyone have any advice on dealing with a cows' milk allergy? My son is 2 months and on Prescription Milk?" This was the case for one of our little ones too - it sounds like you have seen your GP and have taken their advice on this by feeding your little one prescription milk and that's great - we would always recommend seeing your GP if you haven't already. With a cows' milk allergy (CMA), removing all cows' milk from your babies diet is recommended and scheduling appointments with your GP for checkups every 6 months or so to see whether your little one has grown out of their allergy or not. A CMA can also cause constipation - some things that worked for us to help with constipation were light stomach massage, the Windi, a warm bath and moving babies legs in a gentle bicycle motion. CMA is one of the most common childhood food allergies, so please know you aren't alone in this!

Becoming a new mum is an extraordinary journey that encompasses the transformative phases of pregnancy through the tender moments of postpartum. During pregnancy, it can be helpful for new mums to prioritise self-care and seek valuable pregnancy tips and parenting advice so they know they aren't alone in this journey of Motherhood. Over 80% of new mums say that they experienced feeling lonely. Here are some tips to help you navigate this journey from mums who have been through it just like you. Remember that every motherhood journey is different, every baby unique and you have to do what works best for you and your baby. Throughout pregnancy, try to embrace the physical and emotional changes as your body nurtures new life. Focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating nutritious foods, and staying active with pregnancy-approved exercises. As you approach birth, consider attending prenatal classes to prepare for the birthing process and early parenting. These classes provide valuable insights, and connecting with other expectant mums can create a supportive network. Our favourite is Bump & Baby Club by far. After childbirth, the postpartum period brings unique challenges and joys. Be gentle with yourself, as your body and emotions adjust to the changes. Reach out to friends, family, or support groups for guidance and encouragement during this sensitive time. Bonding with your baby is a beautiful aspect of new motherhood. Take time to cuddle, sing, and talk to your little one, fostering a strong connection from the beginning. Parenting advice often emphasises the importance of this early bonding process. They really do grow so quickly. Remember, every stage of new motherhood is an adventure. Seek support, celebrate milestones, and savour the precious moments with your growing family. You aren't in this alone, mama.