I went to Babies R’ Us last month to buy a gift for a friend, and was blown away by how much baby products have changed in just a few short years. Like the wedding industry, the baby gear manufacturers look to capitalize on the naivete, sky-high expectations and the extreme emotional significance of this super-sacred moment in people’s lives (or at least capitalize on womens’ passion for shopping). Add to that the scares about drop-side cribs and BPA-laden plastic, and you have a slew of new offerings.
Then of course there are the products that have been designed for problems you did not even know you had! Example: Smartly patterned dribble guards that snap onto your Baby Bjorn and come off for easy washing. I didn’t have those – I just draped a good old burp cloth over the edge of the carrier and went about my business!
I could list a few more but I think you get my drift: new parents can save money by finding homemade alternatives to some of these designer solutions.
There are, however, some products I will be investigating this second time around:
1) Fisher Price Newborn Rock n’ Play Sleeper. More portable than a bouncy seat, and more
comfortable for napping, this seems like a great option for travel. I will never forget the time when my son was an infant and we were visiting with friends who encouraged us to leave him in an upstairs crib while we dined on their deck out back. I did not hear him crying and by the time I checked on him, he had managed to vomit from crying so much. If I had owned this seat, I could have kept him closer by.
2) Nursing Tops – The Next Generation. I am amazed at the variety of blouses with hidden openings for easy access to your breasts… even Old Navy has some in their line, so you don’t have to pay designer prices. I remember being challenged by the limitations of various tops, particularly workplace-appropriate styles. I will definitely give these new-fangled tops a try.
3) Glass Bottles. See above re: BPA plastic. Sure, they make BPA-free bottles but I am still leery of putting plastic in the dishwasher. My husband and I are still haunted by memories of scrubbing bottles by hand. If I can put something in the dishwasher, I am all for it.
What newborn and infant products have you found indispensable?
