I have recently had a baby and am learning a great deal about baby products. I thought I would share a few things about some products I have found extremely useful over the last 6 weeks of newborn/infant care.
First of all, the book Baby Bargains is a must have for all new parents to be. Not only will it tell you about the better deals but the best information is the reviews of many different brands of various products. For example, they review all types of strollers from the cheapest to the most expensive and score them based on the value of the product for the money spent. This book makes an excellent shower gift!
The very best product we have received (a gift from our registry) is the Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper. It's portable, foldable, and apparently really comfortable. Our baby slept in it for the first month, right alongside our bed. He slept better in it than in his bassinet. We moved it all over the house for him to have a comfy seat. He still likes to hang out in it although he is now sleeping in his bassinet. Since it's angled so baby sits up some, they can see what is going on and see that mommy and daddy are nearby. It's also great for babies with reflux. The cover is removeable and washable, too. It's higher off the ground than a pumpkin or bouncy seat so it's great for homes with dogs and keeps baby from being so close to the floor where dust will be inhaled more easily. This is a product that should be first on the list as a must have.
A great product to help mom and dad get things done is a sling or baby carrier. We went for two types, the structured front carrier from Infantino, and the Baby K'tan. I found the Infantino carrier for 12.99 at Marshalls. It can be used for a newborn if the baby is a bit bigger so their heads are up high enough. As baby gets older, they can sit facing out rather than facing the parent. Our baby seems quite comfy in it as he falls asleep after a few minutes. I use this carrier when we go the store and I need my hands free. He's pretty secure in it, although you should be careful when bending to make sure his head is supported. What I really like about this carrier is that both my husband and I can use it although he is rather thin and I am plus size. The adjustable straps have a pretty wide range.
The Baby K'tan was purchased after a few weeks of fussy baby who wouldn't sleep during the day at all. This all fabric sling is great for carrying/wearing baby and keeping a hand free. It can be used for newborns on up. However, we found that the sling is quite warm so in a warm southern state, baby has to be stripped to a diaper to not overheat. I would not use this sling outdoors on hot days because baby could definitely overheat. For indoors or cooler locales or seasons, it's fine. I also found that I had to have one hand to support his head as he could pop his head out of the fabric. Now, my baby has been holding his head up since the day he was born (big boy, was late being born) so some babies might not do this. Also, the sling has to be sized to the person wearing it so it can't be shared if mom and dad are not close in size. I've also found that it tends to stretch a bit being made of cotton so a smaller size might have been a better choice although I picked the size by the manufacturer's sizing chart. It is more comfortable than the structured carrier, and it has many different ways of being worn.
As with any carrier or sling, be sure to monitor baby and that his breathing is ok and his head is turned so he can breathe easily.
A mobile! Initially I thought a mobile wouldn't really be needed. Boy was I wrong! Luckily for us, the bassinet we were given had a mobile with music and moving animals. Once baby is about a month old, he'll be able to see well enough to see a mobile that is fairly close (not too close!). There are times when baby needs to be entertained while mom does something else, like shower. The mobile is great for this. The movement and music keeps baby's attention and helps to develop their brains.
A video monitor. There are many types and a particular brand doesn't matter all that much. We purchased the Summer Infant Day and Night set. It's great to be able to see what baby is doing without having to run to his room at every squeak. Babies will make noise during sleep but without a video monitor, parents don't know if they need to run get them or leave them be. This particular monitor has a great range and allows me to even go outside and still see that baby is sleeping peacefully. It can be used sound only as well so you still have an audio monitor for night time. The dual channels help prevent interference from other electronics. The handpiece is a bit large so it feels like you're carrying a really clunky old cell phone or radio but overall, this is a good video monitor, especially for the price.
The Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair is a favorite. It straps onto a regular chair. I particularly like this for the sturdiness since we have 4 large dogs and I was afraid a flimsy high chair would be easily knocked over. Plus, the space saver is quite portable, has a huge tray (dishwasher safe!), and it reclines. We've used the high chair as baby's seat in the kitchen since he was born and it's worked great. The one thing we learned quickly is that it's much easier to have a place for baby to be safe and comfy in every room so you don't have to move things about when you are also carrying baby. In a pinch, baby can also be fed his bottle with one hand while mom eats with the other hand (a hot meal for mom, what's that?)
Let me just say, I am in love with my stroller. I find myself wanting to go for walks just so I can use the stroller. It's not the "it" brand but it sure is great. Baby Jogger City Mini is easily maneuverable with the single front wheel, folds with one hand (really it does!), has a single break (hate those breaks that are on all the wheels) that can be easily set and released with a foot, super large canopy, padded seat that reclines to nearly flat so it can be used even with a newborn, larger wheels for all terrain (great for festivals and such that are often held on grass/dirt), and all the standard features like the 5 point restraint. It also has two peep windows in the canopy, a mesh back so the baby gets air but this can also be covered with the built-in cover in case of bad weather or cold, a decent sized lower basket, and an optional tray. The front of the stroller is open, much easier for putting baby in and out, but the tray can be added for older children who need a place for their sippy cup or snack. It's fairly light weight in comparison to other strollers of its class. I only have one complaint. When folded, it doesn't "stand" very well so it has to be propped against something. All in all, I really like this stroller and the price was much better than some of the others we liked.
The Puj Tub was an excellent purchase. It folds flat for storage, folds up into a tub that fits into any standard bathroom sink, is mold/mildew resistant, and really comfy for baby. From the first bath, our baby has liked his baths in this tub. It's lightweight, easily drained with one hand while the other hand holds baby for the bathwater switch (I don't like to leave water running but prefer to fill with soapy water and then clean water). It's so much easier to use than a molded plastic tub, especially in the first few months when baby is so much harder to hold and maneuver since he can't control his head. This tub makes bathtime so much easier and more enjoyable for us both.
Bummis cloth diapers were a lucky find. Cloth diapers, if laundered at home, are cheaper in the long run than disposable and are generally much better on baby's bottom, no diaper rash. Many of the cloth diapers out there are super expensive but the Bummis kit is much less money and has more stuff. The diaper laundry bag is great. We just dump the dirty diapers in and wash every 1-2 days. The bag and all is laundered at once so I would suggest that you purchase an additional bag so they can be swapped out while one is in the laundry. We also purchased a few extra rolls of the disposable liners. The cloth diaper itself is nice and the covers are ok. The only complaint is that there is no way to hold the disposable liners still so when diapering a wiggling baby, they tend to slip around. Also, a newborn has very runny poop so the liners won't contain all of it. The fleece liners do help some with absorbancy at night time so there are fewer leaks. All in all, this is a great cloth diapering system, especially for the money.
Sleep sacks. For some reason, before baby was born, I thought he needed a thousand shortie onesies and never thought about him needing full suit sleepers. However, even in August, maybe especially in August when the A/C is on and the bedroom is quite cool, baby needs more clothing on than mom and dad. He can't sleep in a short onesie and be warm enough. An excellent solution are sleep sacks. They are like full sleepers but without legs. They just zip or snap up. Much easier to change a diaper in the middle of the night and baby stays nice and warm. Baby can still kick his legs about in the sack. Our baby doesn't much like being swaddled and he kicks and moves so much that swaddling is a study in futility anyway so the sleep sack works well. You can get thicker material or fleece ones for winter. This prevents the need for blankets, which shouldn't be in a baby's crib where he could be entangled and suffocate.
That's all for now. I will continue to post as we find more products that are super useful.
