In the early days of having a baby everything is just a bit harder. I had a winter baby and I was keen to keep him wrapped up at home. So I've put together a list of a few things that made the days of bed to sofa and back a little bit easier for me (not baby). if you have a friend with an upcoming baby shower I highly recommend a few of these made up into a hamper for mama. In my experience baby gets a lot while mama is overlooked.

1. Number one is a good caddy this beauty is ideal for a gift or I got this simple one its perfect for keeping all your bits organised so that when you're under a sleeping baby your pump and fresh breast pads.

2. The first thing I recommend to go in your caddy is a cup with a straw. There was no way I could get a lid off a bottle with one hand while balancing the baby in the other and theres always a chance of the baby kicking a full cup of water over so this truly was a life saver and meant I always had water to hand while breast feeding- essential.

3. If you want to have a hot drink without reheating it 1000 times I recommend a thermos.

4. Next get some snacks. My Oat Lactation Cookies are a great thing to make in advance and freeze or ask a friend to bring you some. you can also get ready made lactation cookies however, I found everyone brought biscuits and I was sick of sugar after a few days. Protein bars such as Cliff or TREK are a great alternative, or try biltong for an energy boost.

5. This could be considered a baby item however the relief a silicone pump can give engorged breasts makes this a mama essential in my book and it definitely falls into that category of things people might not buy for you usually.

6. Reusable nursing pads. Even if you're not breast feeding a few of these are helpful. My favourite were the ones by HOT Milk but they're more pricey and harder to come by. The simple ones like these or pictured above can still get the job done, I never had a problem with leaking through clothes using them. they can just tend to be a little bulkier. its worth having a couple to wear and a couple in the wash I found about 8 pairs worked best as they need changing before bed.
7. Hair bands

8. With a new born dirtying their nappy roughly two million times a day hand cream is a must get a decent barrier cream like this one above or if your buying for a friend treat them to a little luxury among the baby poo with a l'occitane classic.

9. And finally some tissues- pretty self explanatory

if you're looking to round this out a little more for a shower gift recommend some fluffy socks and a good book, or an audible subscription for the night feeds. If you're looking to add a lot more why not freeze some dinners to help the family out in those early days or check out Cook who deliver fresh-frozen meals.