droolicious : newborns

First Week Home: 5 Things That Didn't Work Out

editors — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:10:00 GMT

5. Safety 1st "Safe Saver" Bathtub, $12.99 - I'm a sucker for any product that says it saves space, but this sink bathtub, while tiny and collapsible, didn't fit in my fairly standard kitchen sink. In fact, it was a hand-me-down from another set of parents, who didn't want it because it didn't fit in their sink. Even when we used it in the bathtub, it felt flimsy and a little unsafe. Luckily, for only $4 more, you can buy the Safety 1st Comfy Bath Center -- which has served us quite well.

4. Timboo baby washcloths - Cute, right? Different shapes, different colors, and made of organic sustainable bamboo. Except that the brightly colored dye bled onto everything, and the soft bamboo cloth left little pieces of lint all over the baby. Maybe that's why Dagny Baby no longer seems to sell them.

3. Orthodontic pacifiers - Our lactation consultant made us throw these away; apparently, if your baby is having trouble latching, they can exacerbate the problem.

2. Johnson's Nursing Pads - They're bulky, the adhesive doesn't work, and if they get wet they completely soak through.

1. Avent Bottles: Newborn Starter Set - We registered for a bunch of these thanks to the persuasive wiles of Babies R Us. Not only did our baby hate the hard plastic nipple, but the freakin things leaked every time we tried to use them. Our friend, who uses these bottles with her toddler, says the leaking thing stops when you get used to tightening the bottles correctly. But as the parent of a newborn, my hand-eye coordination was not that advanced, and I wound up returning 2 boxes to the store.

First Week Home: The Best Bottle

editors — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:25:00 GMT

As you may have gathered from my previous posts, I’m breastfeeding. But due to weight gain problems, we had to supplement for a while – and now, I occasionally have to leave the house for more than two hours, so my husband bottle-feeds him pumped milk. We tried a number of bottles during those first difficult weeks. Some of them, he wouldn’t take at all. Others, he’d drink from, but it would be a messy, long process with frequent burping.

Until we discovered the Playtex Drop-Ins System. The Playtex website describes this as:

A bottle system with a Nurser holder and pre-formed, pre-sterilized liners. The liner collapses as baby drinks to keep air out of the liquid and out of baby. It is clinically shown to reduce gas and colic, and clinically shown to mimic breastfeeding.

All I know is that they make feedings go three times as fast, with no fussing and minimal burping (and for the record, no nipple confusion). A starter set of bottles and liners is available on Amazon for $19.99.

Agree? Disagree? Tell us in feedback. – Gwynne Watkins

First Week Home: 3 Places to Put Down Your New Baby

editors — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:15:00 GMT

Like many new babies, mine wanted to be held constantly at first – so it was a relief to realize, after a few days, that we could actually put him down: in his crib, or the bassinet in the play yard, or the middle of our bed. Here are three more products that have helped give our arms a break.

3. Bright Starts Bouncer – $15.99 on Amazon

An infant bouncer is a great thing to have in the living room; it allows the baby to be semi-upright and look around, but it’s comfy enough that he can take a nap. As seen in the picture, we have a slightly older version of the Bright Starts bouncer.

2. Shangrila Activity Mat by Kushies - $120 on Amazon

If you have splintery hardwood floors – or if you don’t like to vacuum – a good-quality play mat is perfect for tummy time. This one by Kushies actually stays put as our baby maneuvers over it, and he’s fascinated by the black-and-white patterns. Flip the mat over, and it’s got a multi-colored, multi-textured surface with Velcro tabs for the included toy attachments. This is the softest, most well-designed activity mat we’ve seen – a world away from the cheap-looking plastic ones at the baby superstores. Then again, it’s twice the cost – and chances are your newborn can’t tell the difference.

1. Coco Mat Organic Crib Mattress by Natural Mat – $375 on Amazon

After reading our Parental Advisory column about the dangers of plastic in mattresses, I started to re-think the cheap used mattress that came with my perfectly good used crib. The Coco Mat is a truly amazing creation, made from layers of coconut husks (for support and breathability), lambswool (for softness and insulation), plant extracts (for dust mite protection) and cotton – and it’s naturally fire-retardant. (There’s a diagram here.) But the true test: my squirmy baby went instantly into sleep-mode the first time we put him on it, which he’d never done in his less luxe cradle.

Coming up: one bottle to rule them all. – Gwynne Watkins

First Week Home: 3 Great Non-Girly Diaper Bags

editors — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:21:00 GMT

Let’s be honest with each other: any bag can be a diaper bag. But although I sometimes leave the house with only a few diapers and a burp cloth stashed in my regular purse, I really like these 3 diaper bags.* The abundance of pockets and super-practical design means I’ll probably continue to use them long after I stop using diapers. And since they’re not pink and frilly, my husband and I can switch off without shame.

Dadgear “Messenger” Diaper Bag - $82

Best Feature: The main pocket has an ingenious Velcro closure, allowing for easy access to all your stuff – even when you’re holding a baby.

Downside: For a large bag, it has a pretty narrow space – so bulky items don’t always fit.

Petunia Picklebottom “Scout” Diaper Bag - $235

Best Feature: It’s gorgeous. My husband has co-opted this bag as a briefcase and has gotten tons of compliments. In fact, PPB includes two separate inserts for the bag, one of which is designed for post-baby laptop carrying. It also comes with a generously sized changing pad.

Downside: It’s solid leather, which means it’s heavy. Also, it’s expensive. But my husband plans on using it until it falls apart -- which will probably be in about fifty years.

Skip Hop “Dash” Diaper Bag - $64

Best Feature: The outside pockets, with Velcro or magnetic closures, allow for easy access to keys and pacifiers. Also fits perfectly over stroller handles.

Downside: I dig the 70s color scheme. My husband does not.

If you’re up for some online shopping, there are also tons of great handmade diaper bags on Etsy. Leave your favorites in feedback. – Gwynne Watkins

*Why do I have 3? I actually have more than 3. But that’s because Babble gets lots of samples. You seriously only need one.

First Week Home: 3 Breastfeeding Essentials

editors — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:07:00 GMT

1. Medela Freestyle Pump –about $350; go here for stores.

I started out with a Pump in Style, heretofore the gold standard of home breast pumps. Mine was nine years old (you can buy new kits to keep things sterile) and still worked great. But when it was time for a new one, I opted for this brand-new Medela pump with a hands-free option. I am still in awe of it: for one thing, although it’s more powerful than the larger pump I was using, it’s about the size of a stopwatch. It’s also programmable, and has a rechargeable battery. And did I mention the hands-free thing? My only issue: the snap-together pumps take longer to clean than the old-school pumps, and seem more prone to spillage. And of course, it’s pricey – but for my money, if you’re planning on breastfeeding, this pump is one smart investment.

2. Bella B Nipple Nurture Cream - $8.39 for 2 oz on Amazon

You can use olive oil to soothe cracked and sore nipples, but this smooth, delicious-smelling cream is a much more pleasant option. And in contrast to several others I tried, the baby seemed to like the taste.

3. Lansinoh Nursing Pads - $7.49 for 60 on Amazon

Of the brands I tried, these were the definite winner: they’re large, absorbent and – thanks to a plastic backing – the milk doesn’t leak through them. My only quibble is that they’re individually wrapped, resulting in lots of unnecessary packaging. On the other hand, it makes them easy to throw in your purse. Lansinoh also makes great breastmilk storage bags.

Next up: let's talk diaper bags.

- Gwynne Watkins

First Week Home: 3 Reasons To Get a Boppy

editors — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:44:00 GMT

To sit on, during the inevitably bumpy, pothole-filled ride from the hospital. If you had a vaginal delivery, this use alone will be worth the price.
To put in your lap while you’re typing, so the baby has a cushy place to curl up as you work.
To feed the baby. Although I really like the Brest Friend for the early weeks (see my last post), the Boppy has the advantage of removable, replaceable slip-covers – so when things get messy, you can just toss the cover in the wash.

Do you use your Boppy as much as we do? Or have you survived without one? Let us know in feedback. - Gwynne Watkins

First Week Home: 5 Essential Babble Bests

editors — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:04:00 GMT

I based most of my registry off our Babble Best lists – because I know how much time and effort our writers put into testing all those products, and Lord knows I didn’t have time to test all the available diaper pails myself. I highly recommend this strategy. Here are 6 Babble Bests that are getting lots of mileage in my house (as modeled by my son). — Gwynne Watkins

1. Eddie Bauer Complete Care Play Yard - from Babble Best Play Yards

It’s a changing table, bassinet and play area in one. The design is ingenious. And my baby is obsessed with the included mobile.

2. Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe Blankets - from Babble Best Swaddle Blankets

These Velcro-tabbed blankets make swaddling a cinch for the parents – and the baby actually stays wrapped all night.

3. Diaper Dekor - from Babble Best Diaper Pails

I was skeptical about the refill system (it doesn't take conventional garbage bags), but it's ridiculously easy to use and refills last weeks. Plus, the diaper smell is totally, miraculously contained.

4. My Brest Friend - from Babble Best Nursing Pillows

I love the Boppy for several reasons (we’ll get to that in the next post), but in the early days of learning to feed – when the baby was tiny and I was exhausted – the extra support from the My Brest Friend was a lifesaver.

5. Petunia Pickle Bottom Socks from Babble Best Infant Socks

Totally adorable socks (argyle!) that actually stay on the kid’s feet. Okay, fine, so they’re not essential, but when do you get another chance to buy something this cute?

First Week Home: 5 Surprising Things You’ll Need in the Delivery Room

editors — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:58:00 GMT

1. Camelback water bottle – Three words: Built. In. Straw. Tipping a water bottle over to drink from it is going to seem like a Herculean task while you’re busy pushing out a baby. And you’re gonna be thirsty. Trust me, you will want this. $11.95 on Amazon.

2. A Sock With Tennis Balls In It. – Even if you don’t have back labor, you’ll have back pain, and your partner’s hands will get tired. This works remarkably well.

3. A Soft Headband – Because you’ll be sweaty, and pushing hair out of your face will suddenly seem a tremendous effort.

4. EO Organic Lip Treatment - Lavender and Aloe – Your lips will get dry with all that pushing, so you’re going to want lip balm. Although I was never an aromatherapy person, in the heat of labor, I found that the lavender scent of this organic lip balm really did make me feel less tense. Go figure. $2.99 on Amazon.

5. Notebook and pen – Not for the actual labor part, but immediately afterwards, you’ll want this to record the baby’s weight and length. And then after that, to keep track of feedings, and pain meds, and baby gifts, and shopping lists…

Now, if you want to save yourself some packing trouble, the Deluxe Little Stork Delivery Bag is a worthwhile splurge – for $280, it has pretty much everything you’ll need for during and after the delivery. (Also, the robe and slippers are way nicer than the ones in the photo.) Toss in the tennis balls and the water bottle – plus a change of clothes, a Boppy and some menstrual pads -- and you’re good to go.

Next up: Babble Bests, breastfeeding essentials and more! -- Gwynne Watkins

First Week Home: Introduction

editors — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:55:00 GMT

Hi, Babble Editor Gwynne here. I recently came back to work after having a baby. This baby, in fact:

Now, I’m not a big shopping person (more of a hand-me-down gal), so when I was putting together a baby registry a month before my due date, I found it really stressful. How was I supposed to know what he’d need? Could such a little guy possibly require so much stuff?

Well, yes and no. The 500-item “essentials” list they gave me at Babies R Us – including no less than 4 strollers – is serious overkill. But I was very grateful to have a few key things. In this series of posts, I’ll tell you which products I used during that first week home – the ones I couldn’t live without, the ones I was surprised to need, and the ones I shouldn’t have spent money on in the first place. But first: the delivery room... – Gwynne Watkins