Arabella on Baby Products You Might Like to Purchase
(With apologies to Marge Simpson.)
Because 1) I am basically a great big product whore, and 2) I am sucking up to manufacturers of any of the following products in the hopes of winning a lucrative endorsement deal (stop laughing right now), and 3) I am a little bit bossy and like telling other people what to do, I hereby present you with my list of product recommendations that will help you get through the first several months of your baby's life.
Medela Pump in Style Advanced Backpack Breast Pump
It's a fully automatic breast pump that's almost as good as a hospital-grade breast pump. Costs a fortune and worth every penny. It's lightweight, portable, can be plugged in or used with batteries (or even a car cigarette lighter, if you purchase an adapter kit), and comes in a sleek black backpack that doesn't scream "breast pump" (a tote bag model is also available). It pumps both sides at once, and it's comfortable, not too loud, easy to operate, and easy to clean. If you plan to do any pumping at all, I highly recommend this product.
Dr. Brown's Natural Flow baby bottles
The liquid really does flow smoothly out of these bottles. A special vent in the bottle prevents the baby's suction from creating a vacuum effect. While this means there are more parts to clean than in standard bottles, it also means that bubbles don't form in the bottle liquid. Therefore, the baby swallows less air, which helps prevent gas, fussiness, and spit-up. The bottles are a bit pricey, but highly durable--much more so than cheap bottles. I like the sturdy, clear silicone nipples, too. They last a long time, and begin to yellow as they wear, so you can tell that they need to be replaced.
Avent IQ Steam Sterilizer
Pour in some water, press a button, and, a few minutes later, your bottles, pacifiers, etc. are sterilized. Much, much better than pots of boiling water on your stove! Easy to operate, too.
Kirkland Signature diapers
The best I've found. They feel soft, fit well, are inexpensive, and rarely leak. Plus, they don't leave crease marks on my babies' cute little butts, like every other diaper I've tried.
Pampers Sensitive wipes
These are gentle, and incredibly soft and silky.
Nestle Good Start Supreme formula
My children's pediatrician recommended this one as a good, easy-to-digest formula for supplementing. The consistency seems the most like breast milk of any formula I've tried.
The Amazing Miracle Blanket
I have seven years of postsecondary education, and, for the life of me, I can't swaddle a baby with a traditional blanket. This product makes it easy. There were two nights in a row that my children slept through an abbreviated version of the night, at about two months old. I credit this blanket, which makes me feel a lot better about the amount that I paid for it.
Chinese prefold cloth diapers
I use these as burp cloths. They are thick, absorbent, and fairly cheap. Plus, they last forever. I like the unbleached kind. I got mine at amazon.com.
Do you have any to add?
Because 1) I am basically a great big product whore, and 2) I am sucking up to manufacturers of any of the following products in the hopes of winning a lucrative endorsement deal (stop laughing right now), and 3) I am a little bit bossy and like telling other people what to do, I hereby present you with my list of product recommendations that will help you get through the first several months of your baby's life.
Medela Pump in Style Advanced Backpack Breast Pump
It's a fully automatic breast pump that's almost as good as a hospital-grade breast pump. Costs a fortune and worth every penny. It's lightweight, portable, can be plugged in or used with batteries (or even a car cigarette lighter, if you purchase an adapter kit), and comes in a sleek black backpack that doesn't scream "breast pump" (a tote bag model is also available). It pumps both sides at once, and it's comfortable, not too loud, easy to operate, and easy to clean. If you plan to do any pumping at all, I highly recommend this product.
Dr. Brown's Natural Flow baby bottles
The liquid really does flow smoothly out of these bottles. A special vent in the bottle prevents the baby's suction from creating a vacuum effect. While this means there are more parts to clean than in standard bottles, it also means that bubbles don't form in the bottle liquid. Therefore, the baby swallows less air, which helps prevent gas, fussiness, and spit-up. The bottles are a bit pricey, but highly durable--much more so than cheap bottles. I like the sturdy, clear silicone nipples, too. They last a long time, and begin to yellow as they wear, so you can tell that they need to be replaced.
Avent IQ Steam Sterilizer
Pour in some water, press a button, and, a few minutes later, your bottles, pacifiers, etc. are sterilized. Much, much better than pots of boiling water on your stove! Easy to operate, too.
Kirkland Signature diapers
The best I've found. They feel soft, fit well, are inexpensive, and rarely leak. Plus, they don't leave crease marks on my babies' cute little butts, like every other diaper I've tried.
Pampers Sensitive wipes
These are gentle, and incredibly soft and silky.
Nestle Good Start Supreme formula
My children's pediatrician recommended this one as a good, easy-to-digest formula for supplementing. The consistency seems the most like breast milk of any formula I've tried.
The Amazing Miracle Blanket
I have seven years of postsecondary education, and, for the life of me, I can't swaddle a baby with a traditional blanket. This product makes it easy. There were two nights in a row that my children slept through an abbreviated version of the night, at about two months old. I credit this blanket, which makes me feel a lot better about the amount that I paid for it.
Chinese prefold cloth diapers
I use these as burp cloths. They are thick, absorbent, and fairly cheap. Plus, they last forever. I like the unbleached kind. I got mine at amazon.com.
Do you have any to add?
Copyright 2005-2010 by Arabella and Trattoria Breve. All rights reserved. 3:05 PM
4 Comments:
I hate to harp on this stuff, but Gripe Water is really the best thing I ever found for a tummy-achey baby that couldn't be soothed by walking, burping, whatever all those S's stand for, etc. Baby Bliss is the brand we used. Sometimes it still helps Quinn sleep if he's bloated or otherwise uncomfortable at bedtime.
Breastpumps? I had an Ameda and used it every day, 4 times a day for 11 months. In the 9th month the motor gave out, and the manufacturer sent me a new pump unit overnight, no questions asked. It didn't come in a backpack back in the day... That would've been cool. But it also pumped both breasts, had batteries, car adapter, etc.
Best toy? For the bath, both kids couldn't get enough of an old travel toothbrush case. The kind with two plastic halves and a hole in each end. Sometimes Madeleine (5) still plays with one in the tub.
(Arabella, I know you have so much time on your hands and I have a great idea for you: you should do a Mighty Goods-type blog for mom/baby products. I'm sure there's one already, but yours would be much better. I know it.)
Hi! I'm browsing blogs about parents of twins and I just want to tell you how much I have learned already from your site! I much prefer to hear from real people with real twin experiences than from books and even doctors. Keep up the good work!
I'm with Mignon -- I couldn't have survived without Gripe Water. I kept a bottle at home, a bottle in the diaper bag, a bottle in my purse and I outfitted babysitters with their own complimentary bottle as well.
Now that my kids are older I can tell you I wouldn't know how to manage without an umbrella stroller. I'm lost without mine...even though I don't use it that often, it's really convenient and easy and quick.
The Boppy- I can't stand nursing without it now!
And I use a swaddle blanket that velcros- it's the SwaddleMe adjustable fleece wrap by Kiddopotamus (sold at Babies R Us). It comes in different sizes and is only $9.99! Bailey can't sleep without it AT ALL for more than about 20 minutes when she's in her crib. The trick is to put it on her really tight, but it keeps those little arms from flailing...
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