babies

Product Review: Oeuf Sparrow Crib

Posted on by maggiebettner

I never really got excited about “designing” a nursery for Sam. I absolutely had (and still have) an extensive Pinterest board that ran the gamut of things I like, but I could never really get excited about “airplanes! that is the thing!” or “woodland creatures! the entire room will be thematically centered around woodland creatures!”

My nesting was mostly confined to organizing my kitchen and committing things to my mind palace so I could direct people to where things were in my house while bedridden. Sam’s room was mostly a hodge podge of items we already had, but since we didn’t have a crib I turned to Craigslist. I knew I probably wanted something from Oeuf due to their good design and eco-friendly practices, and the first day I checked Craigslist there was a white Oeuf Sparrow crib that had never been used [because the parents ended up continuing to co-sleep with their then-four-year-old – another story] for sale with the organic mattress for half of retail, so we jumped on it.

This crib was great! It was sturdy and matched any decor and was definitely not a death trap! My friend Shannon emailed me about a recall notice, but I checked the crib and it didn’t look like the recall issue was affecting our crib, so I never contacted the company. Then we moved, and when the movers assembled it at the new house part of the side panel was falling down a little bit. We hammered it back into place a couple of different times, but it still didn’t seem like a complete safety hazard, so we still didn’t contact the company. [Also we assumed it had been assembled incorrectly and was therefore our/the movers’ fault]

Last week, I went to pick up Sam in the morning and the panel on one end of the crib was falling out at a 30 degree angle. Whoops. I called customer service, got an immediate answer from headquarters in Brooklyn, and told them I thought it fell under the safety recall. After I emailed them pictures they replied asking for my shipping address because they were sending a new crib. Just like that. We received it a couple of days ago, and finally got it assembled on Saturday after an hour long fight with my own stubbornness and refusal to carefully read instructions.

The brand is pricey, but their company policies are admirable and their customer service is unmatched.

Baby Registry #2: First Day Home

Posted on by maggiebettner

These are the things that David and I deemed ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY in order to not have a screaming baby and get any amount of sleep. Trust me.

The Wubbanub Buy one in every animal. Tuck them into the swaddle. Leave them in each car, and inside the front door, and all over the house. These are not only the best pacifiers (used in NICU) but they are attached to a bean-bag-like stuffed animal, so they rest on tiny little cabbage babies when they spit them out over and over again instead of falling on the floor, then become trusted companions so that older babies are less inclined to throw them on the floor. Although this last part might be debatable, as Sam has thrown one of his off a moving train, and plays a daily nap time game of throwing them one by one out of his crib until there are none left and he cries for me to come give them all back. I have witnesses.

[Breastfeeding experts recommend waiting several weeks to establish breastfeeding before introducing a pacifier to avoid nipple confusion. This may be true, but DAMN I wish we hadn’t waited five weeks to give one to Sam. When Baby #2 happens, we probably won’t.]

Halo Velcro Swaddle Sack This guy. Please get it. I know everyone swears by the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets, and they really are great and we have lots of them and their other products, too. But our baby could not be swaddled. No matter who swaddled him. Not us. Not our in-laws. Not the doula. Not the lactation consultant who has been swaddling babies for 40 years. He is a little Houdini and was out of all forms of swaddling within 60 seconds, except for this. We were able to zip him up, strap him down, and get some sleep, and no amount of writhing could stop us.

Woombie This is a great alternative/addition to the Velcro Swaddler, but we were hesitant to use it for the first few weeks because it felt like we were going to break our baby. It won’t break the baby. Cinch it down, and everyone will be happier.

My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow People have strong opinions about the My Breast Friend vs the Boppy. Here’s mine: both are great, but the breast friend was invaluable in my first weeks nursing. I did not take easily to nursing, and needed both hand for a very long time. Having a shelf to rest the baby on while I cradled him, manipulated his head, and manhandled my boob was an absolute necessity. The Boppy just didn’t provide the support that I needed, and when I was comfortable enough with nursing to actually use it, I found a regular pillow was just as good. Recommendation: Whichever you go with, get some custom covers in a cute fabric off of Etsy.

Snuggle Nest Surround  I am a huge supporter of limited co-sleeping. For the first few weeks of Sam’s life, he was in the bed with me, while David slept in the guest room. (A tip given to us by a friend, which I highly recommend. One parent should get sleep if at all possible, so that they can make rational decisions and be more forgiving of the crazy sleep-deprived one.) Even without David in the bed, I was afraid of crushing the baby in my sleep, and having him in this, inches away from my face so I could tell at all times that he was still breathing, was awesome. I’ve seen them several times recently at Marshalls and T.J. Maxx, so maybe check there first.

Fleece Blanket I already mentioned the Aden & Anais blankets that everyone is so crazy about, which come in so many cute patterns, of which everyone insisted you couldn’t have too many. I officially have too many of them, but when Sam was first born, I only had ONE actual blanket that my friend Erin, who already had a baby and knew what the hell she was doing, sent. As it turned out Sam was born three weeks early triggered by the Great Polar Vortex of 2014, and blankets were a must. Just putting him in warm clothes was not enough. He wanted to be wrapped up for all waking hours in cuddly, cozy fleece. We actually had one of our many hippie-science-parent freak-outs and worried about putting non-natural fibers on our baby, but after going through many other wool and woven cotton blankets, fleece stuck. Get at least two.

White Noise! Now that I’ve made it this far in the list, I realize I’m basically just ripping off the 5 S’s from The Happiest Baby on the Block (which you also need, and need to read it before you have the baby because words will elude you when you have a 2-day old and desperately need this knowledge, and make note cards because everything you’ve learned will be promptly forgotten), but white noise was our savior. We were completely insane and used a hairdryer on the cool setting for several weeks, because it was the only thing loud enough to soothe Sam, until finally the motor started giving out and our friend Kevin said “What are you doing?? What are your electricity bills?? Use iTunes!” So we switched to a track on our phone on repeat, and it was just as effective. Also portable, which was great for airplanes, cab rides, and trips to the grocery store because it instantly made him stop fussing. Every time. Now we’ve moved on to the one that I linked to, which happens to be the one every massage therapist I’ve ever been to uses. That has to count for something, right?

Amazon Prime Last but not least. Put this on your baby registry. Get someone to get it for you. Every single thing I have on this list is Prime Eligible, which means you get free 2-day shipping, and nothing beats not having to leave your house with a newborn.

I just clicked over to Facebook and saw Pregnant Chicken had posted this article from Babycenter. I’ll probably do a response post, because I have some thoughts about the Bumbo, but it’s a pretty good list. Don’t buy a changing table. Really.

Photo: Sam with his Wubbanub -and- fleece blanket at five weeks old.

7 Baby Things Allegedly Every Parent Will Buy And Supposedly Never Use

Posted on by maggiebettner

As promised.

I saw this article from Babycenter get shared on Monday and I had some thoughts.

1) The Changing Table

Duh. Of course don’t buy a changing table. Buy the $20 changing mat that can go on literally any piece of furniture and go about your day. We have two in our house (one upstairs and one down) and we really put them anywhere. In our last house, the upstairs one started on a dresser in our bedroom, then migrated to an antique buffet in the nursery when Sam moved there too. The other was on a shelf downstairs that used to house our bar and record player before our coolness got usurped. Now, the upstairs one is in its same spot in the nursery, while the downstairs one is on a window seat, because who has energy for another piece of furniture, honestly?

2) The Bumbo Seat

I loved the Bumbo for a limited time. We delayed buying a high chair because I didn’t feel like doing the research before it was necessary, so when the time came for Sam to start eating solid foods we didn’t have one. Also I don’t think he was ready for a high chair for a good couple of months after he started on solids, and the Bumbo came to our rescue. We propped this bad boy on the counter and let him watch while I cooked, watch while his dad played guitar, and had him at the perfect level to give him is first foods, all while being EXTREMELY wipeable (which was necessary because this was also his preferred place to poop.) We also used it one time to prop up Sam when we had two older babies over and he wanted to be part of the gang.

That being said, my brother, father of twins, HATED the Bumbo and cursed it on multiple occasions. We’ve had out of town guests attempt to use ours and also hate it. It’s obviously not for everyone, but I wouldn’t knock it without trying it. Three months of improved baby life is a huge deal while you’re in that three months. Maybe see if you can get one from a friend who hated their Bumbo.

3) Shopping Cart Cover

Really. Don’t buy a shopping cart cover. If it’s cold and flu season, wipe the handle bar because they’re GOING to put their mouth on it, but please leave it at that.

I once was having breakfast with a friend when a young couple with a baby Sam’s age arrived at the table next to us. We watched in our periphery while the dad spent FIVE MINUTES wiping the table and high chair down with antibacterial wipes, unfolded the plush high chair cover from the diaper bag, and THEN unfolded a disposable plastic mat and meticulously covered half the table with it before setting the baby down. Don’t be those people.

4) Pacifier Wipes

Really. Who buys pacifier wipes? The only time I even wipe Sam’s pacifier with a baby wipe is when a stranger picks up his pacifier in public and hands it to me, informs me that it was on the floor, and then lingers to make sure I’m going to wipe it before giving it back to him. Don’t be that person either. If you’re somewhere that you actually need to clean the pacifier, like the doctors’ office or an airport, give it a spritz with the hand sanitizer I know you’re carrying in the diaper bag, wipe vigorously with a baby wipe, and carry on.

5) Wipe Warmer

A wipe warmer is a waste of space and electricity that you have to constantly monitor for mildew. UNLESS you’re using cloth wipes, in which case it is the perfect thing to store them in and the baby will hate you if you don’t use one. Your call.

6) Diaper Pail

We don’t have a diaper pail. You can definitely live without a diaper pail. But we’ve visited multiple families with diaper pails and man are they awesome.

7) Baby Shoes

Right, baby shoes are purely ornamental and a complete waste of money until you’re kid can walk and are probably screwing up your kid’s feet if you leave them in shoes all the time, you selfish monster. UNLESS you have a kid who absolutely will not keep socks on and inherited your poor circulation and constantly has cold feet if the temperature dips below 75 degrees. Then baby shoes are the best. I recommend these.

Other parents: What do you think? Are these products useful, or a waste of money?

Photo: Sam in his Bumbo

Baby Registry #1: Pregnancy

Posted on by maggiebettner

Because the first step to taking care of baby is taking care of your pregnant self.

In no particular order, these are the things that helped alleviate the discomforts of pregnancy.

Snoogle Loop! This thing was simultaneously my best friend and David’s worst enemy – and I can’t wait to use it again. I am a natural stomach sleeper, and that ability went away when I was about 14 weeks pregnant with Sam. You’re not supposed to sleep on your back while pregnant, and side sleeping is just achy joints waiting to happen. This thing brought the joy of sleep back to me. It’s like being wrapped in a hug and supported in all the right places.

Liz Lange Maternity Tank Tops – Target I am convinced that this is actually the perfect shirt. It fits your shape from awkward early pregnancy, big-as-a-house late pregnancy, to postpartum and beyond. (And I mean the beyond – I’d be lying if I said I weren’t still wearing them) I have black, black-and-white, white, grey, and aqua and they are just. so. good. On their own or layered, with literally anything on the bottom, they are the perfect length and perfect shoulder width, and the material is stretchy enough to expand over your belly while pregnant or pull down for nursing. They are the only maternity item I didn’t pack up with all the others.

Preggie Pops I can’t remember who recommended these to me, but they are delicious. I don’t know how or why they work (my guess is the sourness actually just distracts from your nausea) but I can vouch that they do. But mostly they’re delicious.

Peppermint Oil – Good for nausea, good for headaches, good for just feeling nice.

If anyone finds a good remedy for heartburn before my next pregnancy, please let me know. I tried papaya enzyme and a couple of other natural remedies, and in the end the only thing that really worked was slowly eating pints of vanilla ice cream. At least it had calcium!

Photo: Me 35 weeks pregnant, Loki saying hi to her baby brother.

Naming Rights

Posted on by maggiebettner

I wanted to start a blog.

The obvious place to turn for advice was my amazing friend Kendi, who recommended I use WordPress to host it. Next, I turned to two more amazing friends to help me name it because my moniker of choice, The Maggie B, was already taken (although not in use) and also possibly a copyright infringement. I told Allison and Katie that the blog would be about “baby stuff/products, feminism, and travel,” which will probably not be all it’s about if I’m being honest. Allison suggested allthethings.com, which isn’t taken, but it IS taken on WordPress (though not in use), and this is getting hugely frustrating to me! Use your damn domains, people.

So here we are. A Flamboyance of Things, like a flamboyance of flamingos. Thanks, Katie.

And here’s a very fun link of ridiculous animal grouping terminology.

Up next will be a series of posts on what I deem to be the ultimate items for a baby registry, because obviously there aren’t enough of those posts on the internet. Honestly though, we’ve done a ton of personal research and used a lot of products, and since 85% of my female friends are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, I’d like to feel like our accrued knowledge can be put to some use.

Photo: Not actual flamingos.