I feel like Mike and I are in Research and Development, or at least something similar. I cannot count the amount of hours each of us have sat at the computer looking at strollers, highchairs, bouncers, swings, carseats, you name it, we've looked at it.... Most of the time, I think we both feel rather overwhelmed with everything that is out there. We look at BabiesRUs which is great, but the closest one is 40 minutes away, so it's not like we can run over there and check things out. We've been to a locally owned place called the Toy House a couple of times. I happen to know the owner and they have been very helpful and knowledgeable, which I appreciate. I get so tired of the highschool BabiesRUs employee who is trying to sell me a stroller.
So, anyone out there have any "must haves" they swear by? I'm particularly interested in strollers. I'll say this now, we are not fans of Gracos. I don't like their bulkiness and Mike says... they look plastic-ey! :) Also, I want something compact. I don't want it taking up our entire trunk space. A friend of ours called strollers Lunar Landers and that made me smile.... it seems very true.
Another piece we are interested in are car seats. We have been looking at lot at safety. We've seen some we like. I'm interested to know if you have a travel car seat what you enjoy, or if you have a permanent seat in your car what you enjoy.
Let's see what else.... information about nursing would also be great. Let me just say first off, I really could care less to nurse. I've never been excited about it, nor do I really care to do it, but financially we feel that it's the better decision. Please don't judge me for that. It's just how I feel about it. I don't need to hear the stats and the benefits etc. I've heard it ALL, trust me. What can I say, if you know me, you know my boobs aren't exactly small anyway, and making them bigger is not on my priority list...
So, I finally said I'd give it the "ol college try." I'm kind of going at it with a if it works great, if not, then that's okay philosophy. I don't think I will be an exclusive breastfeeder. It's not in me to do that, not to mention I have to go back to work. But, I would love any tips you have to offer, because I really don't know much about it. hmmm.. can you tell I'm trying to be excited?? I really am!! Maybe I could win some sort of free formula for a year contest...... that would be fantastic!
Oh and the last thing is cloth diapering. We are extremely interested in this. We've done tons of research. We are looking at more of the pocket-diapers. I feel like if we are going to invest in these, then it would be wise to go for the more expensive, easier to use diapers.
Financially it is a huge savings, not to mention the impact on the environment is incredible... so... if any of you use them, what do you use, what do you recommend etc?
So that's my list of questions to all the mama's out there....
6 comments:
hello there! i hope the tea helps with the sickness. it not, it'll at leasts be beneficial for your body and for the baby! thanks for your comments about liberty and the crib. she only gets in leila's bed AT bed time...not any time during the middle of the night. if she wakes in the middle of the night she makes her way screaming into our room (seriously she screams whether she needs a drink or she had a bad dream...it's all bad to her i guess). anyway. this is going to be long b/c now i want to address your questions from the blog.
strollers...we had a graco with liberty. it was really great except for the BULKINESS. with both girls we bought a cheap front/back stroller and we hate it. again, bulky and it's heavy. i am looking into chicco strollers. i hear they are really nice, and the umbrella-types are lightweight and can be used with newborns. of course we are looking at double strollers, but they have great singles, too. some friends have chiccos and swear by them!
carseats. i really like my graco carseat/carrier. it lasts great, it has the 5-point harness buckle, and it's comfortable. i don't have an opinion on the stay in seats b/c we got one at a shower for liberty and i use what we have :).
nursing. know that at first it is awkward and can be painful. it's definitely a learning experience. i'd say give it a good week or two of trying it before giving up. :) i can say that i really enjoyed nursing my girls. it was a great bonding experience. i stopped nursing leila at 9 months b/c i was prego and she wasn't getting enough and am using formula now. she likes it and all is well :).
cloth diapers. i love them! haven't been using them here b/c we have to use coin laundry and it would be more expensive to use them, but once we get moved i will use them again. i have a lot of bumGenius one-size diapers. i didn't like how bulky they were with the smaller size, but now they have new ones out that come with smaller inserts for when you use the smaller sizes, so i'm excited to get some of those. fuzzi bunz also work well. also, when the baby is a newborn you go through a ton of diapers, so you may want to look into using prefolds with a cover or something like that for the first few months to save money, but it's all up to you guys.
ok...i think i've said enough for now. sorry it's soooo long!! hope something i've said helps you!
As for strollers...can't help you there...we went with the all terrain vehicle option because of camp. Probably not what you are looking for:) We did get it from Babies R Us and love it though.
Car seats, we got one from a cousin for the infant stage and bought the middle of the line big kid one from Target later.
Fuzzi Bunz...we cloth diaper probably 90% of the time. When we are out and about we use disposable and at night (Forrest has always leaked through at night). We were given medium FB hand me downs and they have been great! Forrest has been wearing them for over a year...so that would be what I would suggest. I have been researching them because we want to get the large size for the next step. Seems you can get them on ebay and other places...used are just as good we have found.
Something that I could not have lived without the last 16 months is my ring sling! I have used it since Forrest was 2 weeks old and I still use it with him. They are great!
As for the nursing...you found my soapbox:) I NEVER thought in a million years I would have nursed Forrest until he was almost 17 months old and through being pregnant (we just weaned this last week). I set out to nurse because I knew it was best (health wise and economical! Formula is expensive!) And it was difficult at first. Forrest was a lazy nurser, but I loved it! It was such a great time with him. Give it several weeks...it's like learning anything new...it can be hard and painful. Before you go to the hospital make sure you have nursing pads (Laniosh were the best I found...Target and Walmart have them for sure, Mejier probably does too.) Also, pure Lanolin for soreness, (pharmacy) and cabbage...I know, weird, but cold cabbage leaves in your bra help when your milk comes in. You may want to check out the book called "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" from the La Leache league. It's from a hardcore perspective, but it has great stuff in it. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. I found a lot of help from the La Leache League moms in our area. I found them online at llli.org A couple of calls to them in hard times got us through that all. Use the lactation consultant at the hospital too...they are a big help. Like I said, I was really weired out by it before Forrest was born, but I have enjoyed it so much. As for the big chest thing...it will happen no matter what, your body is going to go through that whole process...:( Yah, I know, I am right there with ya! Oh, and I did find nursing bras with underwires...you can get them. I have the best luck at JC Penny's online. Medela makes one. I just ordered 2 more because after almost 2 years (I used them when I was pregnant too) mine are shot...they aren't cheap...but good bras for us aren't usually:)
Ok, that's enough for now. Let me know what else you want to know about all that.
to add to liz's comments...another place with underwired nursing bras is the motherhood maternity store. they weren't more expensive than any other bras. i got some for $16.
Ok, here we go...again sorry about the length, but baby stuff (as you're discovering) is rarely succinct.
Strollers: We have had Graco's single and double mostly because they were cheap and available, but I've done a lot of research and know what we'd like if we ever decide we have the money to put into it. I have several friend who own these and they absolutely swear by them. (http://strollers.baby-gaga.com/phil-and-teds-e3-explorer.php) This stroller is awesome. It starts as a single stroller (infant to toddler), but can be easily converted to a double with an attachment, so if you're planning on having another child less than four or five years from now, or think you'll be transporting a friend/cousin, etc. at some point it's totally worth it. Otherwise you're in the stroller market again less than 2 years later, and from personal experience that's a pricey proposition. The Phil and Ted's is compact, durable even for off-road use, and it's just so cool that the seats are stacked, so in the double mode you aren't driving a tank. On the flip side of the pricey models, a basic umbrella stroller is a must and you can get a basic one anywhere for less than $25--and in my opinion there's no need to upgrade. But, you'll probably want to have one once Peanut gets a bit older (to the supported sitting stage) for those quick trips because they're SO compact: mall, grocery, etc.
Carseats: We have a Graco Snugride which gets pretty good safety ratings (even though they're older-kid car seats do not) and it can't be beat for the combo of ease of use, price, and portability. We have a base for each of our cars and it goes back and forth so easily. The bases are easy to find at garage sales and not a safety risk to use used, etc. so if you want another for a grandma-car or what have you that's a good option too. I'm not in love with our in-car carseat (middle of the line Wal-Mart brand) but I have tons of friends who swear by the Britax Roundabout in every way. Worth checking out at least.
Nursing: What an awkward thing to think about before you even have a baby! I was totally there with you as far as the awkward, don't need a bigger chest, etc. I was pretty committed to it economically and developmentally for baby, but it still weirded me out to think about. My advice, expect the first few weeks to be hard. I think people hold off on sharing that information with new-moms for fear they won't give it a try at all--but knowing what to expect was the only way I made it through. Some baby's are born old-pros (Lydia was born with her mouth open, for real and always latched perfectly) but most aren't. (Joshua on the other hand was really bad at it) So, especially for a first-time mom it's a joint learning experience. Just know it gets better and in a couple of months you'll feel like you were born knowing how. As a couple of other people have said, give yourself a time-period (a month is ideal) before you make a decision to continue or quit. Just because something is hard in the beginning doesn't mean it always will be. If you decide at that point it's just not for you, you'll know that you gave it your best shot and not deal with "what-if" mommy guilt. That being said, I really have truly enjoyed nursing my kids. I nursed Joshua until 15 mos. and I'm still nursing Lydia for the foreseeable future (she's 7 mos.) and it has been an experience I wouldn't trade for the world. There's nothing quite like that snuggly time one-on-one with them and those adoring, sleepy-baby looks they give you when they're in a nursing-induced "baby coma". It's also terribly convenient to always have their food with you and not have to remember one more thing in the diaper bag. (I didn't think I'd be a nurse while out and about mom either, but one word: hooter-hiders. :)
I do have a bottle I swear by, especially if your baby may be going back and forth between nursing and formula/pumped milk. It's made by the FirstYears and called the "BreastFlow" bottle and you can get it at some Targets or Baby Depot. It's great for keeping baby with the same feeling no matter where they're eating, since some kids have trouble going back and forth.
Cloth Diapering: Good for you starting out this way! I'm seriously considering it once Lydia gets a little bigger (and I've used up the disposable diapers I've already stocked up on.) Bum Genius One-Size 3.0 seems to be the best as far as the research I've done and my friends who cloth-diaper swear they're as easy to use and leak-proof as disposable. One even says they're the only diaper cloth or disposable that will contain her little girl's wetness overnight. Plus, only having to buy one size for the whole time your baby is in diapers makes them a lot more cost effective. Most of my friends who cloth diaper have used disposable for at least part of size N/1/2 (birth to 15lbs) and I know Target sells some disposables that are a lot more "green" than most, but still pretty comparable in price. You'll have to let me know how the cloth-diapering goes--I definitely think it's something I'd like to try for our next one if I don't get to do it with Lydia.
Whew, now that I've written you a book, you're probably wishing you hadn't asked the mommy's. :)I guess the final thing would be don't worry about finding the perfect product right away--hopefully you'll find things that work well for you up front, but you won't wreck your baby's life if you have to try several things to get it right. Parenting is pretty much all about finding what works for your baby (and each baby is different) and many times that means multiple attempts before deciding what fits your family. You'll be great parents, and you'll figure it all out in time. :) Enjoy it as much as possible--it really does go SO fast!
You NEED the book - Baby Bargains. It will give you the low down on every single product by make and model - the pros, cons and what other parents say. They give every single thing a grade too - so you really know what you're getting. It features everything from clothes to diapers, strollers to cribs, nursing to formula, etc! It is my Baby Bible!!! The best part? It really lives up to its name - and tells you where to skimp and where to spend the extra $$. Good Luck! (Their web site is - www.babybargains.com)
feel free to contact me via email if you have any specific questions. i'm always happy to answer. i'll try (try!) to be brief here, because as you've noticed, moms have a lot of advice to give.
my **Most Important Baby Advice Ever**: simpler is usually better. babies need you, your breasts, perhaps a sling, and clothes. everything else? is optional. really.
strollers: we are a big sling family, but enjoy having a stroller, too. i *love* the maclaren trimuph for portability (folds down teeny like an umbrella stroller) and versatility (has two-stage recline, canopy, basket underneath.
carseats: britax marathon or sunshine radian 65. both are durable, top notch, birth through 65 pounds. check car-seat.org for helpful advice. good forums.
nursing: (btw, another financial aspect to consider: studies show that breastfed babies are sick less often, due to immunities in breastmilk, so you have to take less time off of work.) i'd recommend setting a period of time (decide how long before the baby comes) that you'll commit to trying nursing exclusively before giving up. say, six weeks. it gives you something to shoot for and a goal to motivate you if things get tough. breastfeeding can be very difficult initially, and i would probably have been inclined to give up at certain points if i hadn't been committed. i'm glad i powered through, because breastfeeding has become one of the most rewarding aspects of my relationships with my babies. and it gets sooooooo much easier after the first three months. (also, if you plan to supplement with formula rather than pumped milk, keep in mind that your supply will diminish if you nurse less, so be careful not to lose supply unintentionally.)
cloth diapering: after cding three kids, i can tell you that what's most durable and works best over time isn't the same as what's cutest or easiest to use initially. consider whether you're diapering for economy, reduced environmental impact, hobby, or a combo of the three. we used flats, prefolds, PUL covers, and wool. i could write a book (literally) on cding, so let me know if you want to know more.
hope you're feeling better!
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