How to sterilise a whole load of stuff in 6 minutes only

Product name: Philips Avent 24-Hour Steam Steriliser (Philips AVENT iQ24 Steam Sterilizer)

What is it?A digital steriliser for bottles, dummies, teething rings and other things that are in contact with your baby’s food or designed for him/her to put in the mouth, and that you want to make sure do not have any harmful bacteria on them. It is only a little bit bigger than an average electric water boiler and just as easy to operate

Why did it catch my attention?This was something that my husband found before our little one was born and it turned out to be one of our most important investments we made

How old was my baby when I bought it?We bought it before he was born and started using it the first night after we came home from the hospital

What value does it add for us?With a minimum of hassle (not any more complicated to operate than an electric water boiler) it keeps bottles, dummies and teething rings safe for our son to use. Because of its size it can typically steam 4 bottles (including all its parts) and 10-15 dummies in one go. By starting the steriliser before we leave it helps us make sure that his babysitters use clean bottles when they feed him

What does it replace?Boiling items in a pot on the stove as our little one’s grandparents do, which is more time-consuming, or giving your baby food from an unclean bottle and make him/her sick – a classical cause of infant deaths among uninformed populations in developing countries

How did my baby respond to it?He does not know that it exists, but his parents and babysitters use it all the time – although the frequency has decreased since the early days when we sterilised his dummies as soon as they fell on the floor

How much does it cost?£45 at Boots

Can I see any drawbacks?It does take up space in our tiny kitchen and it is not the most practical item to bring along when travelling, even if we did when we went on holiday to Spain in Octobre

A thermos for milk bottles

Product name: Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Insulated Bottle Bag (http://www.tommeetippee.com/)

What is it?A bottle-shaped bag made from thermo material that keeps your milk or water bottles at the right temperature. The Velcro straps on the top add value by making it easy to attach to bikes, buggies, cots, armchairs etc

Why did it catch my attention?Another one of the clever things that my husband found while equipping the house with everything related to bottle-feeding the last few weeks before our son was born

How old was my baby when I bought it?This was bought before he was born but is suitable from the moment you start bottle-feeding

What value does it add for us?It makes it easier to bring bottles of ready-made formula along when we go out, for example during the heatwave in London this summer. In addition it makes nightfeeding more hassle-free for us, since it allows us to keep a ‘ready-to-eat-tempered’ bottle of milk attached to his cot in our 18 degrees cold, air-conditioned bedroom at night

What does it replace?Either having to bring a bottle warmer along, wrapping bottles in blankets and towels to keep them warm in the cold and ice cubes to keep them cold in the heat or feeding your baby with milk with an inappropriate temperature

How did my baby respond to it?He does not have a clue that it exists, but his parents and grandparents find it very helpful

How much does it cost?£8 for two on Amazon UK

Can I see any drawbacks?When the baby’s fingers get stronger and he/she starts grabbing things, it is important to make sure that it is closed if kept close to the baby, as the fabric does not breathe if they put it over their heads

Baby massage - an enjoyable bonding experience for baby and parent

Product name: Baby Massage (www.babymassagewithcaroline.co.uk)

What is it?Baby massage is a set of techniques for bonding with your baby, while helping him/her to relax as well as to stimulate blood circulation and digestion. It is also in some instances used as a way to moderate post-natal depression

Why did it catch my attention?The health visitors in my area sent me an invitation to a short course that they organised and I thought that it sounded like a nice thing to do together with your baby. Because the other mums from my antenatal course also wanted to try we then attended a baby massage course offered by Caroline, who is a qualified baby massage instructor living in our area in West London

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was 2 months when I started, but baby massage is normally recommended from 6-8 weeks, or after the baby has had the first set of immunization (UK rules, conscious the vaccination schemes differ from country to country). For premature babies, baby massage is often done while in hospital in order to stimulate their development and growth

What value does it add for us?We have made some of the relaxing exercises part of the bedtime routine, which has proven to be an efficient way to help my son fall asleep peacefully. With only 2 datapoints it also seems like the anti-congestion exercises are very efficient for my baby! ;-)

What does it replace?It is a complement to other cosy activities that you and your baby can do together and that provide any of the four key benefits of baby massage (a) relaxation (baby and parent), (b) relief (from symptoms like constipation, teething pain and colic), (c) stimulation (of circulation, digestion, muscle development, growth and weight gain) and (d) social interaction

How did my baby respond to it?He seems to enjoy it. I have noticed that most babies in our class often seem to get hungry immediately after the session and then have a good, relaxing sleep afterwards – similar to what tends to happen after a baby swimming session

How much does it cost?Our course instructor offers courses for £55 for five sessions + an extra session for the fathers, or other caregiver who has not had the opportunity to participate during the main course. She does 10% discounts for groups of more than 3 families

Can I see any drawbacks?You need to know your baby well and to be good at reading his/her mood to make sure that the timing of the baby massage session is favorable for him/her, otherwise it can turn out to be a stressful experience for both of you

Dummy-thermometer for convenient checking of baby's temperature

Product name: Philips Avent Soother Digital Thermometer (http://www.philips.co.uk/)

What is it?A dummy with a built-in thermometer to check baby’s temperature

Why did it catch my attention?Another one of the clever gadgets that my husband bought before our son was born, mainly out of fascination for the invention! J

How old was my baby when I bought it?It was bought before he was born but is suitable from birth

What value does it add for us?
a) It provides a smooth way of checking baby’s temperature without him even noticing what is going on – he just thinks that it is a normal dummy
b) At one occasion we have used it as a dummy - on our first longer trip in the car, when our little one started screaming in the middle of a very slow-moving congestion with no highway exit within sight. He did not understand that it was anything else than a normal dummy!

What does it replace?Tip thermometers (which I have so far never used with my baby)

How did my baby respond to it?He thought it was a normal dummy

How much does it cost?£25 in a set with a tip thermometer and a dummy at Boots

Can I see any drawbacks?None experienced so far