If you buy one thing...

...let it be the Connecta baby carrier. Yes, they're on the pricey side but when I think how much we've used ours and what good condition it's still in, it was totally worth every penny. They also sell amazingly on eBay for almost their RRP, especially in some colours and designs so that's worth thinking about if you aren't sure you can justify spending so much.

Henry had reflux when we was a newborn (linked to his dairy allergy but we didn't know this) and he HATED lying flat in his pram. He would eventually cry himself to sleep but we couldn't take him shopping in the pram without him screaming down the shop. We tried a friend's Connecta and I loved how easy it was to fasten so I took myself off to the North East Sling Library which is held in Meadowfield, Durham*. I borrowed one for a fortnight and fell in love....it was a miracle worker. Taking Henry shopping was so easy, he was so happy being carried around everywhere and would almost always fall asleep within about 10 minutes, leaving me to shop in peace. It's been great for beachy dog walks and carrying him around the airport on holiday. It was a lifesaver on days when he wouldn't be put down but I still had housework calling my name. It kept him warm and happy and I love having him close to me and his little head close enough to kiss when I'm carrying him around. I honestly can't recommend these enough, any friends or family having a baby anytime soon will definitely be getting one of these as a present from Auntie Bee and Henry!!

Here are a couple of photos of us using ours...

Fast asleep doing the Christmas food shop!

On the beach...pretty sure he slept through this walk!

A very wet Daddy walking to the pub with a snug baby tucked away!!

Mummy and Henry selfie!

A walk in the woods...not very buggy friendly!

* I can't recommend sling libraries enough either. Ours was fab, so cheap to hire the slings and Rachel who runs it is so knowledgeable and helpful. Not every sling or carrier will suit everyone so I definitely recommend trying as many as you can.  There are surprisingly plenty of libraries dotted around the country so it's definitely worth Googling to see if there's one near you.  Many of them can also arrange postage too.

Check out the North East Sling Library here: http://thenortheastslinglibrary.weebly.com/
Check out Connecta Baby Carriers here: http://www.connectababycarrier.com/