By Valentina Pollard of Just Breathe

My Top 10 Must-Haves: The First 3 Months

Daphne and Poppy are now 3 months old! I cannot believe it. They have been home from the NICU for longer than they were there…and the days are flying by (although some more smoothly than others). During this time there have been some items that have made our lives much, much easier. I have listed my very favorite must-haves below. Please note that this list is made with twins in mind. Of course, it applies to all babies (just don’t buy as much if you have one baby instead of two…or buy more if you have three or four)!

 10. Baby Trend Double Snap N Go Stroller. Confession: We have three double strollers. Two parents. Two babies. Three double strollers. I am a bit stroller obsessed. We have the Bob Duallie (haven’t used just yet since the girls are not big enough to run with yet). And we have the Bumbleride Indie Twin (Love it for neighborhood walks and leisurely strolls, but not the most practical for everyday errands and such). At the advice of another twin mom, I bought the Snap N Go…I didn’t want to – after all it is plastic and pretty ugly. But wow this thing is so easy to use when I am out alone with the girls and easy to maneuver with one hand (leaving the other to shop with…). Ugly or not, the easy and cheap Double Snap N Go is an absolute must have.

 9. Chicco Keyfit 30 car seats. These car seats are approved for preemies 4 pounds and bigger. We first bought Graco carseats with a pattern that I loved. The NICU had us return them to buy the Chicco. The girls both passed their car seat tests, they are lightweight and easy to carry two at a time…love them. We lost one of the seat pad inserts (still a mystery where it ended up!), so I called Chicco to order another one. For $12 they sent me a replacement and it arrived in 2 days! Great customer service. Buy them!

 8. Fisher-Price Newborn Rock & Play Sleeper. Two of them in your bedroom…critically necessary for the first three months (and counting!). We each have one sleeper next to each of us and the girls are now sleeping in them up to 8 hours each night. These keep them on an incline, reduce reflux and are easy to move around the house for impromptu napping. Must have. Period. Must. Best money you will spend.

 7. Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing – My Little Lamb. The big one. The girls rotate using this when one is feeding and the other is fussy. They are HUGE and expensive, so we only bought one, but baby is it worth it. They love it. Immediately calms whichever one is in it, which is great because if you are feeding the other one or changing one, etc. you cannot attend to both at the same time. If we had tons of room we would probably buy a second one, but our house is small!

 6. The Miracle Blanket. Get one for each baby you have. They will not want to share and you will greatly benefit from having two sleeping babies! It is the best swaddle. As bragged about above, both girls are sleeping up to 8 hours at night…but only when we swaddle them with this particular swaddle. A good swaddle is huge for a preemie (which most twins are) because it mimics the womb. I like my babies swaddled. And I like them swaddled tight.

 5. Medela Symphony breast pump. I rented mine from a local store. Many hospitals rent them as well. If you are pumping for twins, don’t mess around with the pumps you can buy at a store – they are no where near powerful enough for how much milk you will need to produce and how quickly you will need to produce it!

4. Moby wrap. I am wrap obsessed. Chances are, if you stop by my house I am wearing one if not two babies. All. The. Time. I have bought three other wraps, but I keep coming back to the Moby. People say it is hard to use or that there is too much fabric. Bull. It is fabulous. I can now tie it without using a mirror and the girls love it. In fact, Daphne is asleep in it now while I am writing this!

 3. Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine. Small, portable and plays multiple sounds. We moved ours to the master bedroom and keep it on all the time. I prefer the rain and bird sounds. Puts the girls to sleep and I really believe it helps them relax at night. On a whim, I put this on our registry and am so glad I did. It was an awesome gift to receive and one of the most useful so far.

 2. Diaper Genie II Elite Diaper Disposal System. I’ll admit: I have talked a lot of trash about diaper genies in the past (pun totally intended). But with two babies (or for that matter any amount of baby(ies)!) and all the dirty diapers they produce (sorry, but I only use disposable diapers…much praise to those of you who are more eco-conscious than I am, but over my dead body am I scrapping poo into a toilet…yack)…must. have. Our house smells great at all times.

 1. California Baby Calendula Cream.  Nature’s First-Aid! As the description states, California Baby Calendula Cream is excellent for use on general diaper area, cradle cap, on cuts and scrapes, and may be used on face and body for extra-dry or sensitive skin. Botanically based, our light and fluffy Calendula Cream contains the active ingredient of Calendula, which has been used to heal the skin for centuries. California Baby Calendula Cream offers deep hydration, absorbs completely, and leaves skin feeling satiny smooth. I’ve been using it on both girls’ sweet faces at night (and mine too!) as part of our bedtime routine and on any little scratches (from those pesky finger nails that grow like weeds), etc. If I notice a scratch on one of the girl’s faces I immediately apply some cream and – ta da! – the scratch literally disappears by the next morning. It smells like heaven, is lightweight and the girls and I love it. You will too.

What am I missing out on? Any suggestions of must-haves for the next 3 months?

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More about our Booty Blogger:

Valentina Vassallo Pollard started …just breathe… in May 2010 when, after many months, she found herself still holding her breath in hopes of a positive pregnancy test. After a year and a half long journey through the trenches of infertility, she is now living her very own happy ending beginning – a successful first round of IVF resulting in a healthy pregnancy with twin girls. Valentina is busy adjusting to the wonderful world of mommyhood with the arrival of her girls, now three months old. She is passionate about spreading the word about infertility treatments and the options available to families. She writes about her experiences, hopes, dreams and shopping binges (now mostly baby related) on her blog – www.just-breathe-blog.blogspot.com. Valentina lives in Austin, Texas with her very handsome (and patient) husband, Blake.

3 Hot New Baby Products

1. Sticky Bellies- remembering to take your BooBear’s monthly photos are one thing and then actually going back and remembering how OLD they were when you took them is a whole different thing:) Thankfully one mama felt your pain and created these adorable stickable decals that say how old baby is! Stick ‘em on, take the pic and your babies age will be forever ingrained. They make FABULOUS shower gifts too and there are Sticky Bellies for you preggos and your monthly pics too!

2. Babiators- there is a real life fighter pilot (along with some other cool peops) behind these glasses. They are the all important sunglasses for the little ones in your life. Did you know that kiddos actually need to wear sunglasses even more than we do? Yep, it’s because they don’t have any pigment in their eyeballs to protect them from harmful rays. These guys are stylish and durable and they are now on our site as a recommended registry item/purchase.

3. Charlie by Timi & Leslie. These diaper bags are beyond cool. They offer everything you need in a diaper bag PLUS they are uber stylish and nice on the eyes. As for the prices tag, they’re in the $200 range. Which may cause some of you to start pitting out. However. For a bag that can be used long after you need a diaper bag, you could justify the expense. Or just add it to your babylist registry and hope someone splurges for you! They are a new addition to our Fashionista Mama diaper bag recommendation.

by Matt Merkel of Radicous Posterous

Maybe It’s Just a Bed

I now find that the bulk of my thinking time is taken up with impending thoughts of parenthood. It’s in this vein that we finally made a decision to start buying the baby some items that might be needed for its upcoming birth. It is three months to go and we’re finally getting “in the game”.

Now as a general rule, I hate shopping. I think most men do, except for the cases where they get to buy a new car, television, or the latest electronic gadget. I especially hate shopping, mostly because of the shoppers. But baby shopping is like regular shopping on crack. Hormone rattled mothers and beat-down fathers ogling over which car seat this, and which crib that. It’s shopping as competition. It’s human nature to keep up with the “Jones’”, its borderline insanity to keep up with the Jones’ baby.

Bearing that in mind, I am a welcome shopper on the internet. It’s comfortable, convenient, and readily absent of shoppers hyped up on their “grande mochas with a double shot”, prowling the aisles like Serengeti tigers waiting for their first real taste of blood. I don’t have to hear their phone calls to their mothers regarding the print or pattern and the functionality of the hanging diaper bag. And I certainly don’t have to hear about what color the baby’s room is and whether the present motif you are looking at would suit his/her tastes. There is only one “taste” that a child comes out with, and your significant other knows right where they are at…like two milk cans strapped to the front of her chest. The kid couldn’t care less about whether he/she has cows or giraffes, they care about the breasts. Motifs and themes are for parents. Any attempt to convince me otherwise is futile.

We scour the internet baby sites with no hopes or expectations. Our only real requirement is that it serves as something functional. It may look cool, but the fact of the matter is that if my kid can’t sleep in it, it doesn’t matter how many race cars it has on it. We’re bad parents already- we have no theme picked out for our son. We’re playing it by ear. How will my son know if he likes horses or cars, sports or music if I don’t have a theme for his pre-life preparations?

We found an item that we liked. It’s called a nursery center, but it’s really a playpen and bassinet on steroids. It’s got more gadgets and gizmos than a full day at FAO Schwartz. Now we just have to find where to buy it.

Apparently in the baby consumer world, the company that makes the item you want doesn’t actually make the item. They get it from a manufacturer. Now before you go and think I am giving you a remedial course on economics and consumerism, there’s a hitch. The company that “has” the item you want to buy doesn’t actually “have” the item to be purchased. You have to go to a “retailer” to purchase the item. So I am now at a site that neither makes nor sells the item that I want. What they do actually do, remains a mystery.

We found a retailer that carries the item, from a link on the “company that neither makes nor sells” site. But the one and only retailer that the company chooses to sell the product that they do not make has a “dead link” (which means that the company that doesn’t make or sell the product has linked to a retailer that apparently doesn’t sell the item either). So I have now spent the better part of an hour looking for an item that a company doesn’t make and a retailer doesn’t sell. I’m beginning to think that maybe my time would have been better spent looking for the Holy Grail.

Back to square one. We found an alternate pattern, with the same features we were looking for in the other pattern (in the interest of self-disclosure, the “features” referred to are a diaper and storage keeper for her, an MP3 input for me). So we go searching for this present version of our now ever-growing obsession. The link from the site leads us to a retailer that carries the item, but is presently out of stock. I’m beginning to think that this search is a cruel joke to be played on expecting parents. I fully expect someone to leap out of the computer screen to tell us that this is just hazing for new parents and we will now be welcomed into the “fraternity”. We decided to call the retailer.

“Hi. I was just wondering when you might be expecting the item. I have the item number here if you need it.”, my wife says rolling her eyes, and I know the person on the other end of the phone has no idea what we are asking of her.

“So no idea then when it might be in stock?”

I see by her face, that the answer brings us no closer to the end of this saga.

“Well, what did they say?”, I ask hesitantly.

“Could be tomorrow, could be 8 weeks.”

Now I’m just frustrated.

“Call the company” I say.

The company answers after 3 rings. Not a great sign, but not a bad one. At least you get to talk to an actual human being. But then again, the human being is only as useful as the information it knows. And the human at the company…knows nothing. When I say nothing, I don’t mean anything useful, I mean NOTHING. The customer service rep has no idea what the order status is from the manufacturer, and no idea IF the retailer has even ordered anymore of the item. I want to strap a live cow into a trebuchet and launch it at light speed.

As a firm believer in the rules of baseball as they are applied to life, I figure three strikes and you are out. It’s a 0-2 count in the bottom of the ninth, and my batter is standing there with the bat on his shoulder- swing for the fences.

We decide we like it enough (our own personal version of pre-parental insanity), to give it one more shot at the third pattern. At this point I’d settle for a bed made of oak branches and pine straw, with a gourd for a diaper holder. I’ll call it the “Cro-Magnon” line.

The third pattern is carried by a retailer and is in stock. It’s that fine line between seeing the batter take his cut, and not knowing if it will be a home-run, a double off the fences, or a fly ball snatched from the air for the third out.

She looks at me. I look at her. And suddenly a weight that Sisyphus would not be jealous of, sits on my chest like a petulant child. What if this is not the right one? What if my son is supposed to have another bed out there that he is predestined for- one that will challenge his awareness of life, and give him the character he needs to be a kind and loving human being? What if the giraffe mobile scares him? What if the color doesn’t match anything else that we buy for him?

-“Let’s just get it”, she says.

-“But what if it’s not THE one?”

-“Gandhi is not sleeping in the bed, our son is.”, she replies as calm as a Hindu cow.

And I order it. Questions and apprehensions swirling in my head like the perfect storm. It’s done. It’s clicked. It’s on its way.

I need a break. I need to clear my head. This is important right? Isn’t every decision I make now going to affect my child for the rest of his life? This bed could be the impetus for my child’s scorned rage.

Then again…maybe it’s just a bed.

*credit

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More about our Booty Blogger:

Matt has been an educator for 15 years. He has taught at both the High School and Collegiate levels. Thousands of students have paid to hear his swill. But that all changed with the birth of his son. He now spends his days being a stay at home Dad, and in his “free” time he teaches Theater and Communication Studies at the local community college. He likes to write his observations about parenting, technology, the demise of western culture, and all around geekery at his blog.

It is a new day in the land of baby registration. Not only are there many places to register, there are a myriad of products to choose from. When showing up to register, many expectant mamas arm themselves with:

1.) Enough preggo hormones to blow up the world.

2.) Kind of an idea of what stuff they’d like for baby but no idea if it’s useful, or good, or safe

3.) Sometimes a lackluster sidekick (such as a daddy), whose only joy in this process right now is using the registry “gun”.

These three factors have the makings of a perfect storm. The kind of storm that shows up unexpectedly unleashing its fury and only dies down when exiting the premises or maybe a bit later while in the drive-thru ordering a decaf frappaccino with extra whip cream.

Those who have gone before you can empathize. Anyone who’s been knocked up in the last half decade, can relate to all the choices, choices, choices that are everywhere! It’s easy to think, in the midst of a hormone induced haze, that if you pick the wrong pacifier for your baby, you will screw up its life. Let us assure you.  You won’t. That’s why Your Baby Booty was established, to be the voice of sanity in the midst of the registry storm.

Here are 3 things to consider before you register for all the baby gear:

1.)    How much space do you have to devote to baby stuff? Remember that baby grows very quickly and some things are only used for a couple months before needing some housing in a closet, garage or basement (or under a bed;).

2.)    Are you finding out the gender of your baby? If you are, you can choose gender specific items. If you are planning on having more kiddos, think about things that you can and will want to use for additional babies. Perhaps those items should be more “gender neutral”. Your choice.

3.)    What baby stores are located close to you? Is it important to you that you can register in one place and have the accessibility to return items you decide you don’t need/ want?  Or do you want to be able to choose “off the grid” products that aren’t necessarily available in a store near you, but can be purchased on the internet and shipped to your door? Returning those items may be a bit more inconvenient but it may be worth it to get more unique items that not everyone and their brother (or mother) has for their baby.

Regardless of what you choose, you MUST check out our new favorite online registry called Babylist.  They are a brand spankin’ new website that makes it super easy to register from anywhere on the web. All you do is sign up to get a free account and install the Babylist bookmark on your toolbar. When you’re surfing for baby gear and find that amazing bedding that’s at an online boutique, you just drag and drop it to your Babylist icon and it adds it to your registry! I seriously wish I had this when I was pregnant. No more meandering glassy eyed under the florescent lights of the baby mega store, pointing a gun at random stuff. Nope. You sit on your comfy couch, in your stretchy pants, sipping your beverage of choice, log onto Your Baby Booty, see what you need, browse online, drag and drop items to your Babylist and you’re done. So. Easy. We even made a showcase Babylist with our Budget Mama registry, go here to see it. It only took us 20 minutes to drag and drop these items to our list.

A super sweet bonus is that you can now easily register for things that you could really use, like carpet cleaning, or pet sitting, or a pre-natal massage, baby and me yoga classes, or diaper service or cloth diapers from anywhere on the web! The world wide web is now your oyster mamas!! So go to Babylist now and check it out!

Do you guys think you’d like this way of registering? Let us know!

Today’s blog post is written by a brand new mama (Jessica) who is totally diggin’ cloth diapering. In fact, she’s probably on the mildly obsessed side (she admits it) and has a stache stash that even Albert Einstein would be jealous of.  She gives her thoughts on lots of cloth diapers below. Happy Reading!

When my husband and I started talking about having a baby, I knew I wanted to do cloth diapers. Since getting pregnant took longer than I had hoped, I had plenty of time to feed my obsessive need to research and indulge my love for shopping. So when our little guy arrived in December, his bottom got to try out a wide range of diapers. For brevity’s sake, I’m not going to define the different types of diapers, just my experience with them. There are so many great websites online that can explain all the different types and lingo. So here’s my assessment of our stash after two months…

Kissaluvs Size 0: All the reviews I read said these are the best fitting diaper for the newborn phase. They are a fitted diaper (need a cover) that fit up to 14 pounds. Seriously, baby bottoms look so cute in these diapers – so much so that we had S.’s newborn photos taken in them. These diapers fit great and even have a fold down for the umbilical cord. We have had zero leaks or blowouts with these diapers. They were great prior to him fitting in one-size diapers. But, I would definitely be cognizant of frequently changing these diapers. They get really heavy and warm when wet. They are extremely absorbent and as a result need lots of rinsing, particularly if you have a HE front loading washer. Now if you are doing cloth diapering solely for the financial savings, I would suggest skipping these and using up all those newborn disposable shower gifts. My chubby guy is almost out of these diapers at two months. If you want to do cloth from the start, they do have regular “second” sales on their website.

Diaper-Rite Prefolds: My husband insists I like prefolds due to my childhood obsession with origami. Possibly. But, I also love how easy they are to wash and care for. No smells ever. They are the most inexpensive to diaper. This particular brand is very soft and their sizing decreases some of the bulk found in other brands. Again no leaks or blowouts, just a little more time consuming than using a pocket diaper. I suggest having some prefolds on hand just because they are so versatile (burp rags, doublers, in all-in-two diaper covers, etc.).

Thirsties Duo Wrap: Since the prefolds and fitted diapers can get so heavy when wet, I love how lightweight these covers are. They adjust from x-smalls to smalls without adding much bulk, increasing their cost efficiency. I love the extra leg gussets. These are my favorite covers. Hands down.

Bummis Super Whisper Wrap: These covers work well and have adorable designs, but I can’t help compare them to the Thirsties. They are heavier and stiffer in comparison and only come in the individual sizes. I haven’t had any leaks with these covers either, but overall prefer the Thirsties covers.

BumGenius All-in-One sized Diapers: First, I have to mention that Cottonbabies just discontinued these diapers in all but the x-small. My husband made me buy extra because these are his favorite. I’m hoping that they come out with a replacement. Personally, I think these diapers are the best for cloth diaper prosletyzing to disposable users. They are just as easy as a disposable and people tend to be surprised at how much cloth diapers have changed.  They take a long time to dry, but I usually just put them on the drying rack after a dryer cycle. I’d recommend having a few for grandparents, babysitters, church nursery, etc.

Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size Pocket Diaper: Another great diaper for converting cloth diaper heathens. They are different from the BumGenius AIO in that they need to be stuffed. But, as their name suggests the hip snaps do make for great sizing. They are extremely well made, so soft and I expect that they will last for multiple kids. The smalls were great for us, prior to S. fitting in one size diapers.

Happy Heiny’s One Size Pocket Diaper: Of the one size diapers, these are my favorites. They are extremely soft, wash well, and fit my baby well. I LOVE the cow print. They also look like they’ll fit my baby longer than the BumGenius one size. It’s not a coincidence that my favorite Kawaii diaper (see below) is the one most like the HH.

BumGenius One Size Pocket Diaper: These are my husband’s favorite one size diaper. They are very well made and wash nicely. We haven’t had any leaks. I like that they come with a newborn insert and the full size insert can be snapped down as your baby grows. Personally, I don’t like the suede cloth lining on the inside and prefer the fleece in the Happy Heiny’s. I do have the older model (3.0), and have heard positive things about the changes in the newest 4.0 style.

Softbums Echo Diaper – I so wanted these to be my favorite because they are just adorable and so soft. They use an elastic slide sizing that makes the fit very customizable. But, I really can’t recommend them. They are an all in two diaper where the cover is supposed to be used multiple times before washed.  Each cover comes with 3 inserts and one mini insert so they are on the expensive side. But since the cover is fleece on the inside, it gets wet almost every time and poop can’t be wiped off the cover. The thought of letting it dry out and using it again feels a little gross to me. So essentially, I tend to use each cover once (maybe twice), making it a very pricey diaper.

Best Bottoms  All-in-Twos (with Hemp inserts): I bought these after reading great reviews and in the hope of having a trim cloth diaper. They also come in a stay dry microfiber insert, but I can only speak to the hemp. I love the covers – adorable colors, stretchy, easily wiped, leg gussets, snap downs for the inserts, no leaks. But, so far I have found that EBF poop tends to get on the cover and the hemp inserts seem to bunch up in the middle. I have noticed though that as my little man gets bigger (which he is doing quickly), this is happening less and less. So while they aren’t my favorite now, I think my opinion of them is going to improve. The AI2 style is great for traveling, and the inserts wash really well.

Flip Hybrid System: At this point the Flips are my favorite hybrid/AI2 diaper. Even without snap downs, the cover keeps the insert secure and I love the stretchy cover fabric. So far, the EBF poop has stayed more consistently on the insert than the Best Bottoms. I’ve tried both the stay dry inserts and the organic cotton and really like the quality of both. Because I only need to pack extra inserts, these are the cloth diaper I most frequently bring in my diaper bag for outings.

Kawaii Assortment – Soft, soft, soft! I bought these because I read about how inexpensive they are while being very similar to some of the big brands. I love them. So even if they don’t last beyond one child, I only paid about $7 for each one.  While they are on the bulky side, they are so soft. My favorites are their one size aplix heavy wetter pocket diaper and the one size snazzy minky pocket diaper. I’ve had some leaking with the bamboo, and think I might just need to wait for the S. to be a bit bigger. The heavy wetter reminds me very much of the Happy Heiny one size and the super soft snaps, my Fuzzibunz. I always pick these diapers at bedtime when I’m putting S. in a sleepsack. So stinking cuddly. They are one of the many low cost diapers now coming out of China, but are sold by a woman in Canada. The owner has a statement on her website related to worker conditions. The quality may not be as consistent as some of the other brands, but they are a really nice way to start out or complete your stash.

So there you have it. On my wish list are Sloomb wool covers, Babykicks, Rumparooz, GroVias and Ragababes. Cloth diapering is an addictive shopping habit that still allows me to save money over time. Perfect.

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NOTE: If any of you have specific questions about cloth diapering, head over to our Community and we will make sure all your questions get answered:)

by Suzi Istvan

I know from experience that the first few days, weeks, and even months after bringing a new baby home can be a blur. Between sleepless nights, seemingly constant feedings, and the hypnotic new hobby of baby-gazing, keeping track of time is virtually impossible. Somewhere in that blur of time, I came across a little gizmo that I would soon refer to as my sanity keeper: The Itzbeen Baby Care Timer.

Its genius in its simplicity; it totally makes sense that this little guy was invented by a new mom and dad grappling with the same time-keeping issues that we’ve all experienced. The Itzbeen has a series of buttons that represent when baby last ate, napped, had a diaper change, or any miscellaneous time that needs to be tracked. Simply touch the diaper button, for example, when you’re finished changing the babe, and the timer starts counting up making it easy to track when you need to check that bum again. This was particularly helpful when switching duties with my husband or when we were working on a sleep schedule. What’s extra nice are the additional features: a right and left switch to keep track of breast-feeding, a soft nightlight for middle of the night care, optional alarms, and a belt clip so my husband could wear the Itzbeen  clipped on his hip like a new dad badge of honor;  Although, I could have lived without that last feature.

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More about our Booty Blogger:

Suzi Istvan is a mom of one rambunctious and adorable three-year old boy. She founded and ran greenmommyguide.com, a website she designed and built herself. She is a lover of technology and gadgets and especially using social media to make life a little easier and often more fun!

It’s baby shower time. The guests are invited. The cheesy shower games are planned. Delicious food and drinks prepared. And you’ve been slathering cocoa butter on your belly for weeks now in joyous anticipation. It’s time to partaay.

Since you’ve already been through one of the first “hazing rituals” of a new parent, ie “registering”, you already know the amount of stuff that one could potentially receive on this joyous occasion. What you might not know, is that many people, who you love and adore will pay no heed to what you have on your registry. After all, those aren’t “fun” items! Those are booooooorrrrr-ing. Everyone wants to get the “cute gift” or the items that they just LOVED when they were pregnant. Sometimes those can be great gifts, items you never knew about and are happy to receive.  Other times those can be rather bizarre.

For example:

the baby carriage that also turns into a scooter. This makes me cringe. Do the creators really want to get sued?

or the rather creepy Zaky Infant Pillow sleep positioner thingie, I hope these kids don’t grow up with attachment issues.

or high heels for your newborn baby, start ‘em young I guess?

Okay hopefully your baby shower won’t be this eventful…(though you may want to think through some phrases to use when opening gifts that are less than desirable like “ohhh wow, how unique”). So while you’ll most likely be spared from baby high heels and creepy hand positioners,  you will probably receive some items that you don’t want. And that’s okay. It’s a lovely gesture for people to buy you presents in anticipation of the baby, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep them or use them!  Either try to take them back (if you can figure out where they came from) or sell them on Craigslist and at least get a few bucks for them. Don’t feel badly. Believe me. You’ll have enough stuff that suddenly consumes your life, that you really only want the stuff you want!

Also, for those gift givers who opt for gift cards instead?  Gift cards are like gold! One helpful tip though? Ration your gift cards.  Inevitably, as your baby grows, there will be new items that you need to buy for baby. It’s definitely nice to have some gift cards to use for the items you decide that you can’t live without after baby arrives.

Questions about baby gear? Check out our Community forum and join in the conversation!

*photo credits

by Sarah Blight, Founder of Your Baby Booty

Car seats. Ahh it can be mind-numbing to figure out strollers and car seats and compatibility. The topic of baby car seats isn’t exactly a riveting one, but the most important thing you will buy for your little butterball.

Before choosing a baby car seat there are a few things you should mull over:

1.      How big is your car? Is it a 2 door, 4 door? Is there a lot of leg room?

2.      Do you want the ease of snapping a seat in and out of a base and taking it with you wherever you go?

3.      Are you on a tight budget?

4.      Will you be using the car seat in two different cars?

Alrighty then. The answers to these questions will really determine your car seat choice.

1.       If you have a small(ish) car, the infant car seats are probably your best bet. They don’t take up as much space as say a convertible car seat facing the rear. (No, this is not a car seat for a convertible car). A convertible car seat can be used forward or rear facing and usually accommodates babies from 5 pounds up to 40 pounds.

2.      If you want the ease of snapping a car seat in and out and being able to put the seat on the grocery cart or snap onto a stroller or take it with you into a restaurant etc, then the infant car seat is the way to go. It’s super convenient, especially when baby is sleeping.  You can do your thing, run errands, etc and your baby will be blissfully unaware, since you won’t have to take them in and out of the seat.

3.      If you’re on a tight budget then the convertible car seat is the way to go. You will definitely get the most bang for your buck as it’s the only car seat you’ll need. However, you’ll need to have somewhere to put baby when you’re out and about, like a sling or baby carrier or stroller that can accommodate a newborn. If you have a smaller car the Evenflo Triumph car seat (which we LOVE) may be a bit wide. In that case, the Britax Marathon car seat is a great alternative.

4.      If you will be using a couple different cars, then choose the infant car seat and buy 2 different bases (definitely a good economical option). That way you just snap and go! No fuss, no muss.

For infant car seats we recommend the Chicco Keyfit 22. This seat fits babies up to 22 pounds.  Now if you have a larger baby, this car seat may not work for you and you may want to go with the Chicco Keyfit 30 (which costs, on average $30 bucks more). If you have an average sized baby, the 22 pound car seat will probably work just fine, since babies can transition to a forward facing car seat when they reach 1 year old and 20 pounds.

For the convertible car seats we recommend the Evenflo Triumph Advance.  It has the highest safety rating for a convertible seat AND it’s significantly less expensive than its competitor the Britax (by around $100 bucks). The straps are super easy to adjust and tighten and though it’s wider than its competitor, the Britax, the high safety ratings and price point, make it a big winner in our book!

If you have any questions about baby car seats and which one is right for you and your family, check out our Community forum section and ask away!

by Sarah Blight

Okay so let me get this straight. “Bob” is NOT compatible with “Chicco” but is compatible with “Peg” and “Graco“. Hmmm. So then who is Chicco compatible with? Because I like Bob. I like Bob a lot. In fact, I think that we could have a wonderful future together, lasting a couple years…but I also like Chicco, though that relationship is more on the 1-year side. But if there’s no compatibility between Chicco and Bob…. then I have to choose between the two!?! Seriously?

Those were the thoughts swirling around my head in the early days of pregnancy…no, I’m not referring to an episode of The Bachelor, or Days of Our Lives or The Housewives of Whatever County…I’m actually talking about strollers & car seats! For the Love of God!! I never thought it would be like this! Why, in the name of all things, didn’t anyone tell me about the jumbled mess of confusion involved in purchasing necessities for your child? As if pregnancy hormones don’t get us all revved up enough, we now have compatibility issues to contend with.

The pragmatist in me was crying out, trying to make sense of all the insanity and gimmicks and “MUST HAVES”. I just wanted products that were multi-functional, even if I had to pay more. I didn’t have the space or desire to have 2 or 3 strollers, or pack n plays or swings etc etc etc. Just 1!!

I was running these jumbled thoughts past my hubby in the midst of this insanity, who said:
“I can probably just make one. Go to Office Depot, pick up an office chair, strap on some handles and we’re good …right?”

“Uh, thanks honey but no.”

This reminded me of the time (we just started dating) when Steve made me a “lamp.” I can’t exactly describe it for you because it was truly “one of a kind” (and NOT in a good way). But if you use your imaginations…take a little wire coat hanger, a light bulb, some fabric, some glue, a socket and cord…you pretty much had my “hanging lamp”. It wasn’t until after the engagement ring was on my finger that I even dared to throw that sucker away. It was precious though, made with love…I just didn’t quite know what to do with it. {eesh}

After I passed on Steve’s offer to “make a stroller” he did suggest that we should get the equivalent of a Porsche 911 (Steve’s dream car) for a stroller. I thought about BOB or maybe we could call her “Bobra“, and figured he/she would fit the bill. Then I found out about this need for compatibility and I was really bummed about Bob & Chicco’s compatibility issues (cause they would’ve been awfully cute together).

But, in the end, it all worked out. We actually ended up with Phil & Ted and Graco and were quite happy with the result.

Who’s your favorite pair?

by Sarah Blight

Did you know that as your baby grows you need to (gasp) buy different sized nipples for your bottles AND bigger pacifiers? (If you’re the bottle or paci sort). I had no idea about this until my little guy lost all of his pacifiers (I think they are having a big party with the socks that seem to evaporate). So I went to the store to get some new ones and realized that they come in sizes! Shock. Gulp. I had no clue! For a split second I felt like an inept mother. Did I somehow miss this in “parenting 101”? Oh wait, there is no “parenting 101”. So I’m sure I’m not the first person to miss this. Thankfully I caught it when I did. I gave my son his new “bigger” paci and at first he gagged, it was definitely bigger, but then he loved it. In fact, it was a lot safer for him.  No, it’s not a marketing ploy. Babies need bigger pacis as their mouth’s grow so the little ones don’t become a choking hazard. For bottle feeding, a baby’s suction does grow with them. As their suction gets really good, the nipple will need to change too (have larger openings), so that more milk comes through.

Also one more tip for pacifiers, try the pacis that don’t have a “right side up”. If your baby gets attached to “those” kind of pacis, your life may become a bit hellish, when, in the middle of the night, your baby loses the paci and can’t get it back in the right way. Your chances of avoiding those midnight encounters will decrease with a paci that can go in either way.

Share your thoughts here or check out our community forum section and get in on the conversation!