What baby gear are you undecided on?

[chemmom1]

Feb 3, 2015 18:34:32 GMT -5 kj808 said:

Is anyone planning on using or ever used gDiapers? I don't think I could go full on cloth but these seem like a happy medium between cloth and disposables. I started reading up on them but i'd like to hear real life experiences if anyone has used them before or knows someone who has.

I considered g-diapers for DS, but decided against it. They have 3 parts for each diaper: a cover, insert, and middle part AND you have to buy a new size when they grow. We went for the FLIP system which is an AI2 one size system. The cover fits from something like 8 pounds to 33 pounds, you just snap the rises differently when the baby grows, and the only other thing you need is an insert. FLIP sells an insert that you fold depending on the size you have your cover set at. If you're looking for a disposable option, FLIP also sells disposable inserts that you put in the covers. We never found them all that useful and ended up not using the ones we bought, but it's definitely an option. Just my 2 cents

[seventythree]

Feb 4, 2015 9:25:40 GMT -5 beeorange said:

Feb 4, 2015 1:17:03 GMT -5 seventythree said:

Fair enough! As ignorant as this might make me sound I totally thought that was a thing (to clarify I didn't mean put it up on the table while vibrating, just using it as a seat), but apparently I was mistaken. Thought maybe I had mixed up "bouncer" with some other baby gear - if nothing else I know my parents used to set me on the kitchen table in some infant holder or another - but the Googles have set me straight.

To add to this don't put the car seat or bumbo on the counter either. Many, many parents do this but there is always the potential for the baby to fall off of the counter and be injured. I didn't know this wasn't "allowed" and used to put DD in her Bumbo on the table. One day she tipped the Bumbo and if I would'nt have been standing right there she would have fallen off of the table and gotten really hurt. 

Also, you aren't supposed to put the infant seats on top of grocery carts. They don't actually lock in and can fall out of the cart causing injury. (Not trying to sound preachy, just putting it out there. I didn't know all this stuff with DD). 

Not preachy, pretty sure most of us -- esp FTMs -- are here for advice and information as much as community and entertainment. Besides, there are jerky and non-jerky ways to say this to someone, and yours was definitely the latter

And yeah re: Bumbo et al, that's what I meant by the Googles have set me straight! Funny because I have never seen a Bumbo being used, whether IRL or in someone's photo, where the kid is NOT on a table/counter. Not  that I'm saying I'll go ahead and do it anyway, but obviously I didn't pull this idea out of my ass, either. So, yeah, all the more reason to point it out! You don't know until you don't know.

The most ironic thing about this is that you mention grocery carts... a few weeks ago when DH and I were discussing strollers I said something about the big ones being so bulky to take into a store or whatever and he said "don't you just take the seat and put it on top of the grocery cart?" and I FREAKED OUT on him being like, why would you even THINK of putting the seat down on an unstable surface like that?!? At least I know not ALL of my instincts are off, haha.

ETA: OMG pregnancy brain! Mixed up former/latter, beeorange I was saying you were NOT jerky! I hope the smiley conveyed that, and I was just quickly responding before running off to class, but still... big oops. *hides in shame*

[seventythree]

Feb 4, 2015 11:50:58 GMT -5 viola said:

Preaching infant safety isn't preachy IMO. I didn't know shit about car seat safety until I read some things on TD and started researching

THIS, I read all kinds of baby-related stuff when we were first TTC and I had no idea about how long they need to stay RF and stuff like that. Like I said above, you don't always know that you don't know!

[chailife34]

Feb 4, 2015 13:26:30 GMT -5 seventythree said:

Feb 4, 2015 9:25:40 GMT -5 beeorange said:

Also, you aren't supposed to put the infant seats on top of grocery carts. They don't actually lock in and can fall out of the cart causing injury. (Not trying to sound preachy, just putting it out there. I didn't know all this stuff with DD). 

The most ironic thing about this is that you mention grocery carts... a few weeks ago when DH and I were discussing strollers I said something about the big ones being so bulky to take into a store or whatever and he said "don't you just take the seat and put it on top of the grocery cart?" and I FREAKED OUT on him being like, why would you even THINK of putting the seat down on an unstable surface like that?!? At least I know not ALL of my instincts are off, haha.

Just to be clear - don't put the car seat ON top of the cart but what about IN the big basket part? I'll probably try to just wear baby on grocery trips but on the off chance she's in the car seat, can we put the whole seat inside the shopping cart?

[purpleroses]

I didn't read all of the responses, but thought I would pass along my thoughts on Moby and K-Tan carriers. There is probably already a ton of advice on this above. la79al, I liked my K-Tan but don't think I would have wanted to wear it on a beach or anywhere that the temperature might be over the mid-70s. It's not as much fabric as a Moby, but I'm currently contemplating whether I want to find a lighter weight sling for myself, since it got too hot to wear the K-Tan where I am pretty early on with my son, and he was born in March instead of May. Mine was also purple; perhaps it would have been a little better with a lighter color, but it was mostly the thick knit fabric.

Regarding the ease of use of the Moby vs K-Tan, I had one of both (the Moby was on loan from a friend) and I don't think you'll have any trouble figuring the K-Tan out, sarahchrismck. I did get a demonstration from a woman in a local store, but there's definitely not as much of a learning curve to it as the Moby. It came with detailed instructions and you might even be able to find You Tube how-to videos (I've done this for other confusing products).

Re breast pumps, I wish I had listened to the advice I received as a FTM, which was to wait until DS came to see whether I might need a hospital grade pump before buying one. Many insurance companies will cover the hospital rental charges these days. DS had a lot of problems transferring milk and gaining weight, and I would have rather rented the hospital's pump for at least the first few months, but felt kind of "stuck" after having bought a pump out of pocket (my insurance at the time did not cover). At the very least, I recommend leaving the pump and parts in the box and keeping the receipt -- it's unlikely you'll ever need to use it right away. Clearly, I did not do that, so I couldn't return mine either.

[saltyh2O]

Feb 4, 2015 9:25:40 GMT -5 beeorange said:

Feb 4, 2015 1:17:03 GMT -5 seventythree said:

Fair enough! As ignorant as this might make me sound I totally thought that was a thing (to clarify I didn't mean put it up on the table while vibrating, just using it as a seat), but apparently I was mistaken. Thought maybe I had mixed up "bouncer" with some other baby gear - if nothing else I know my parents used to set me on the kitchen table in some infant holder or another - but the Googles have set me straight.

To add to this don't put the car seat or bumbo on the counter either. Many, many parents do this but there is always the potential for the baby to fall off of the counter and be injured. I didn't know this wasn't "allowed" and used to put DD in her Bumbo on the table. One day she tipped the Bumbo and if I would'nt have been standing right there she would have fallen off of the table and gotten really hurt. 

Also, you aren't supposed to put the infant seats on top of grocery carts. They don't actually lock in and can fall out of the cart causing injury. (Not trying to sound preachy, just putting it out there. I didn't know all this stuff with DD). 

So this comment might better be filed under a FFFC at some juncture since I'm fairly sure it flys in the face of the prevailing consensus once expressed on TB and elsewhere, but I'm going to share it regardless since I personally think this is one of a (very) few "good rules that can be taken too far in application" type things in my humble  opinion. Much respect of course to the ladies already involved in the comments here, not judging in the least, just offering another opinion.

When it comes to placing kids in devices anywhere other than the floor, I think there is a substantial difference between the risks associated with a bumbo (or similar type seat) tipping over and causing injury, and a bouncer type seat.....especially if the latter has a wider base and is placed on a substantially wider, flat surface (like a large table rather than a more narrow counter). The latter, to me, is much less of a concern assuming of course the bouncer and table are both (as stated) wide/large, sturdy and non-moveable, the seat is placed on a non-slip mat or surface itself on the table, and there are no additional factors in play like slippery table cloths, jumping dogs, a more mobile baby that can indeed bounce or move him/herself AND the seat from its location , etc. My defense for making this statement is just simple physics.

We had a papasan type seat with DS when he was itty-bitty that we often used on the kitchen table when cooking, eating etc. Technically it vibrated, but we never used that feature. He wasn't mobile then and the seat didn't bounce or have any movement to it otherwise. I submit it was perfectly safe to have him sit in it while we ate dinner for most of the reasons above (big table, wide base, no tablecloth, no dog, etc.) Bumbo seats and other similar devices on tables unattended (or even semi-attended) are a different story entirely (bumbos especially), as are car-seats on grocery carts, neither of which is a good idea.....but I don't subscribe to the hard-and-fast rule that all devices on elevated surfaces is a total no-no.

Throwing my 2cents out there to share an alternative perspective. I don't think the rule itself is a bad idea, I just file it similarly to other "rules" related to pregnancy and parenting: learn the prevailing wisdom on the subject,  seek advice from experts, and make a decision based on your assessment of that information in light of the risks involved. 

[kellyfm522]

Has anyone used the Bjorn bouncer? I love that it folds flat, just not sure if its worth the cost.

[dukwok]

Does anyone have any experience with the Lotus Everywhere Crib? DH and I looked in the the 4Moms Breeze, but we were surprised by how heavy it was. We also looked into the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light, but I'm super short, and feel like I'd have a hard time getting our LO in and out.

Here's the Lotus www.guavafamily.com/products/lotus-everywhere-travel-crib

[katietopaz]

Is there a particular nursing cover that any of you would recommend? For my own discretion and as I'm learning to BF, I'd like the option to use maybe a somewhat structured cover if I'm out and about and need to feed my LO. I noticed that the "free" one that's going around in that coupon list doesn't necessarily have good reviews, from what someone pointed out in that thread, so I thought I'd see if anyone has other suggestions. Thank you!

[katietopaz]

Feb 4, 2015 18:57:17 GMT -5 @blackpearl08 said:

I echo @lalalady54 on the Bebe au Lait cover. Some ppl just use A&A blankets too but I was too clumsy to keep it on my shoulder reliably.

Thanks! And that's what I would worry about, at least starting out. I'd rather not have to mess with trying to lift and see around a blanket if I can have something with a little more structure that I can just look down into.

[chailife34]

Feb 4, 2015 18:39:15 GMT -5 @lalalady54 said:

Feb 4, 2015 17:50:05 GMT -5 @blackpearl08 said:

chailife34 the biggest issue with putting the infant seat in the cart is that there won't be a lot of room for actual groceries but it's doable.

This. When DD was little I would just bring in her stroller (the uppababy vista) with her seat on top and the basket underneath her stroller was big enough for a weeks worth of groceries including soda and milk, one of the many reasons I have an unhealthy attachment to my Uppababy (I tried once to just put her seat in the actual basket and I had no room for anything and the cart just shook and bounced her around for the 30 minutes I was in the store, I felt awful)

Thanks ladies @lalalady54 and @blackpearl08
Small details, who needs room for groceries when shopping anyway! Sounds like baby wearing on grocery days or just send DH instead =P

[saltyh2O]

Feb 4, 2015 20:16:39 GMT -5 beeorange said:

Feb 4, 2015 16:56:35 GMT -5 saltyh2O said:

So this comment might better be filed under a FFFC at some juncture since I'm fairly sure it flys in the face of the prevailing consensus once expressed on TB and elsewhere, but I'm going to share it regardless since I personally think this is one of a (very) few "good rules that can be taken too far in application" type things in my humble  opinion. Much respect of course to the ladies already involved in the comments here, not judging in the least, just offering another opinion.

When it comes to placing kids in devices anywhere other than the floor, I think there is a substantial difference between the risks associated with a bumbo (or similar type seat) tipping over and causing injury, and a bouncer type seat.....especially if the latter has a wider base and is placed on a substantially wider, flat surface (like a large table rather than a more narrow counter). The latter, to me, is much less of a concern assuming of course the bouncer and table are both (as stated) wide/large, sturdy and non-moveable, the seat is placed on a non-slip mat or surface itself on the table, and there are no additional factors in play like slippery table cloths, jumping dogs, a more mobile baby that can indeed bounce or move him/herself AND the seat from its location , etc. My defense for making this statement is just simple physics.

We had a papasan type seat with DS when he was itty-bitty that we often used on the kitchen table when cooking, eating etc. Technically it vibrated, but we never used that feature. He wasn't mobile then and the seat didn't bounce or have any movement to it otherwise. I submit it was perfectly safe to have him sit in it while we ate dinner for most of the reasons above (big table, wide base, no tablecloth, no dog, etc.) Bumbo seats and other similar devices on tables unattended (or even semi-attended) are a different story entirely (bumbos especially), as are car-seats on grocery carts, neither of which is a good idea.....but I don't subscribe to the hard-and-fast rule that all devices on elevated surfaces is a total no-no.

Throwing my 2cents out there to share an alternative perspective. I don't think the rule itself is a bad idea, I just file it similarly to other "rules" related to pregnancy and parenting: learn the prevailing wisdom on the subject,  seek advice from experts, and make a decision based on your assessment of that information in light of the risks involved. 

Is it less of a risk to put a bouncer/car seat on a table opposed to a bumbo? Yes. But there is still the risk of it falling off and the baby being injured. The seat could get bumped, the table could get bumped, the baby could move the seat enough to knock it off the table (even before they are older it can happen). 

Yes, I will agree it's a smaller risk but the risk is still there. 

Agreed, risks abound here as in most every other situation related to caring for a small, completely dependent and helpless infant....no doubt there. The "coulds" you referenced are all real risks and are examples of what I'm suggesting be taken into specific consideration with each scenario.

I'm simply noting that assessing those risks thoroughly and arriving at different conclusions at different times based on the circumstances/facts at hand is okay too.....within reason of course. I'm not suggesting all child safety decisions are completely up to parental discretion by any means (i.e. car seat regs, choking hazards) but some, like this one as an example, are legitimate in terms of not setting a strict rule of what must be done/not done from my perspective.

We all have different thresholds when it comes to worry or concern too, so that's a factor as well. What freaks me out totally might not make you bat an eyelash and likewise, I might weigh one risk differently than you based on personal experience or history or something else. This stuff all adds to the equation when it comes to our kid-related decisions too.....

(edited to fix grammar because it was killing me...)

[saltyh2O]

Feb 4, 2015 21:09:24 GMT -5 Jesslfar said:

I think the risk with the bouncer or other item on the table is people get complacent. You set a 1 week old in it and it is not going to move out of it, but people forget to strap them in and forget after a month or so that the baby can move and it happens in a second. Setting a bouncer up high while you are right next to it is not unsafe exactly, it is when the phone rings and you step away that it gets unsafe. I will admit DH once came to me and told me the baby fell out of the swing. Since it has straps that went over her shoulders and was a pretty good system I was a little curious how that happened, and yes, he stuck the baby in it without strapping it in because he forgot she was more mobile than she was a week previously and he got lazy. It was one of the low to the floor swings that are portable so she fell 4 inches or so and I only used it on carpet so she was fine, but it happens to a lot of people. This happened more than once and I got rid of the swing.

Great points all, and excellent examples of the difference between patently unsafe and something more akin to "user error" or poor decision making (respectfully).

[lolo918]

Feb 4, 2015 23:30:17 GMT -5 CatLady said:

This thread has been super helpful! I pretty much finished my registry thanks to all the wonderful suggestions!

Also, I have a question. I know this is a smaller purchase so it probably doesn't matter, but do people use boppies? I just don't want to buy something if I can just use something I already have...like a regular pillow.

I know some people who have used boppy's and some who don't use them. I like them when I've given bottles to children of others better than a regular pillow. Probably flame worthy, but my 3yo niece and 2yo nephew like napping and lounging on their boppy pillows now that they are older. I think it's labeled not to use for sleeping, but I don't know if this is sleeping for infants since the boppy is most often associated with infants use not toddlers use.

[kj808]

CatLady - I loved the boppy. DD still uses it as her pillow so i'll have to buy another one for this baby. When it's not being used for nursing it's great to use to prop baby up during play time.

[kj808]

Feb 4, 2015 18:24:36 GMT -5 katietopaz said:

Is there a particular nursing cover that any of you would recommend? For my own discretion and as I'm learning to BF, I'd like the option to use maybe a somewhat structured cover if I'm out and about and need to feed my LO. I noticed that the "free" one that's going around in that coupon list doesn't necessarily have good reviews, from what someone pointed out in that thread, so I thought I'd see if anyone has other suggestions. Thank you!

I had a couple nursing covers similar to the Bebe Au Lait one which worked fine, but I think this time around i'm also going to try a nursing scarf. Looks pretty light weight and I like that it covers you in the front and in back in case you need to pull your shirt up to nurse and don't want to wear a tank underneath.

[chemmom1]

Feb 4, 2015 16:56:35 GMT -5 saltyh2O said:

Feb 4, 2015 9:25:40 GMT -5 beeorange said:

To add to this don't put the car seat or bumbo on the counter either. Many, many parents do this but there is always the potential for the baby to fall off of the counter and be injured. I didn't know this wasn't "allowed" and used to put DD in her Bumbo on the table. One day she tipped the Bumbo and if I would'nt have been standing right there she would have fallen off of the table and gotten really hurt. 

Also, you aren't supposed to put the infant seats on top of grocery carts. They don't actually lock in and can fall out of the cart causing injury. (Not trying to sound preachy, just putting it out there. I didn't know all this stuff with DD). 

So this comment might better be filed under a FFFC at some juncture since I'm fairly sure it flys in the face of the prevailing consensus once expressed on TB and elsewhere, but I'm going to share it regardless since I personally think this is one of a (very) few "good rules that can be taken too far in application" type things in my humble  opinion. Much respect of course to the ladies already involved in the comments here, not judging in the least, just offering another opinion.

When it comes to placing kids in devices anywhere other than the floor, I think there is a substantial difference between the risks associated with a bumbo (or similar type seat) tipping over and causing injury, and a bouncer type seat.....especially if the latter has a wider base and is placed on a substantially wider, flat surface (like a large table rather than a more narrow counter). The latter, to me, is much less of a concern assuming of course the bouncer and table are both (as stated) wide/large, sturdy and non-moveable, the seat is placed on a non-slip mat or surface itself on the table, and there are no additional factors in play like slippery table cloths, jumping dogs, a more mobile baby that can indeed bounce or move him/herself AND the seat from its location , etc. My defense for making this statement is just simple physics.

We had a papasan type seat with DS when he was itty-bitty that we often used on the kitchen table when cooking, eating etc. Technically it vibrated, but we never used that feature. He wasn't mobile then and the seat didn't bounce or have any movement to it otherwise. I submit it was perfectly safe to have him sit in it while we ate dinner for most of the reasons above (big table, wide base, no tablecloth, no dog, etc.) Bumbo seats and other similar devices on tables unattended (or even semi-attended) are a different story entirely (bumbos especially), as are car-seats on grocery carts, neither of which is a good idea.....but I don't subscribe to the hard-and-fast rule that all devices on elevated surfaces is a total no-no.

Throwing my 2cents out there to share an alternative perspective. I don't think the rule itself is a bad idea, I just file it similarly to other "rules" related to pregnancy and parenting: learn the prevailing wisdom on the subject,  seek advice from experts, and make a decision based on your assessment of that information in light of the risks involved. 

I agree with this. Just be smart about it. Some rules have exceptions and you have to look at the situation before you make a decision.

[chemmom1]

Feb 4, 2015 23:30:17 GMT -5 CatLady said:

This thread has been super helpful! I pretty much finished my registry thanks to all the wonderful suggestions!

Also, I have a question. I know this is a smaller purchase so it probably doesn't matter, but do people use boppies? I just don't want to buy something if I can just use something I already have...like a regular pillow.

I actually do not like the boppy. I am not the skinniest person and found it to not really fit properly around my waist and that it wasn't really all that helpful for some of the positions I liked to nurse DS in, like the football hold. I used a regular pillow instead and just moved it around to whatever side I was nursing on. I did like it for a place to rest DS before he could sit up all the way on his own, but didn't find it great for nursing.

[shmee]

CatLady - Team Boppy over here. I used it for with DD for the first 2 years she nursed, and will definitely be using it again. Well worth the investment IMO

[la79al]

Feb 3, 2015 22:56:50 GMT -5 smile55k said:

I know, I'm still stuck on double strollers.... But what are your opinions on side by side vs front and back? I was convinced I wanted front and back (for fitting through doorways and such) but now I'm not sure.

We had a front and back.  There was always a fight over who sat where (even when DD2 was still in a carseat, DD1 always wanted to sit in whichever seat we wanted DD2 in).  And as they got older, the one in back always seemed to torture the one in front.  Of course, they sit side by side in the car and manage to torture each other....

[lolo918]

kj808's post got me thinking-I had liked a similar nursing scarf on ETSY because I wanted to wear more scarves. Then in going to store noticed it was a nursing scarf, but liked the dual purpose. I'm not sure I'll use it in the summer here, but finally my question. Anybody have any input on using one of these and/or making one?