Here we go, guys and gals. Okay, mostly gals. Nearly exclusively gals. It's time for Product Reviews from a Sleep Deprived Mom (TM), arranged in the order in which I've used them:
The Itzbeen Timer
Thanks to you, my faithful readers, I purchased one of these about a month before Caroline was born. It is, without a doubt, my most favorite baby-related purchase, hands-down, no contest. This small timer (it fits in the palm of your hand) follows a very simple, yet remarkably necessary concept: sleep deprived parents cannot calculate time. In other words, we have no idea how long "itzbeen" since we last did something.
The gadget has four buttons, one for diaper changes, feeding, sleep, and a miscellaneous button that you can assign to things like pain meds for mom, or later, reflux meds for the kid... or perhaps how long it's been since you last elbowed your snoring husband while nursing. Ahem. All you have to do is push the button for the corresponding action each time you do it. The timer starts a count-down, letting you know that indeed, only 2 hours have elapsed since you last fed your wee screaming infant, etc. Simple, yes. Genius, damn skippy.
The timer also comes with several additional features I've found habit-forming useful.
1. a little switch to tell you which breast you last fed on (obviously, for those who're nursing)
2. a miraculously bright, tiny little flash light at the top, which you can aim at your kiddo during the night to a) make sure they're still breathing, b) see if they're about to fall out of their chair since you left the lap belt undone, or c) aim at your snoring husband while nursing in a feeble attempt to annoy him awake.
3. a little button that lights up the display and buttons without blinding the slits you used to refer to as eyes
4. a lock that prevents your two-year-old from reseting each and every timer while she plays with the "cool" purple and blue lights, or you from reseting them when you shove it in your diaper bag
5. an "alarm" you can set if you need some reminder other than a screaming baby... which I haven't yet used
The only way I can conceive to improve upon the product is to offer a more expensive version that could save up to a week's worth of data which could be printed out in a log via your computer. It would be handy to take to the pediatrician's office.
Overall, the Itzbeen Timer earns an unequivocal * * * * * rating from moi.
Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddling Wraps
I ordered these thin muslin swaddling blankets after reading about them in a parenting magazine. I love swaddling, but I knew that doing so in the middle of a Texas summer might prove challenging. Plus, traditional receiving blankets are often too freakin' small to really swaddle well. I took two of these to the hospital with us, and man was I glad I did! Even the nurses commented on how much they liked them. Their large size makes swaddling really easy and they're so thin and light weight that you don't have to fear smothering your baby.
Since the hospital, I've also found them highly useful as nursing cover-ups. Again, the large size means I can cover everything (no tummy rolls showing from the back, thank you very much), and the thinness means Caroline won't emerge a sweat-soaked, red-faced monster.
Care is super easy, too. Regular machine washing and drying, and they get softer ever time.
Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddling wraps get a * * * * * rating, too.
Sweet Pea Baby Slings
This time around, I knew the wonderful magic of slings for fussy babies and moms who crave the use of their arms. But I also knew that the slings I'd used in the past were too big, size-wise, and too bulky, design-wise. I looked all over and found this woman on eBay, but purchased straight through her site. She makes hand-made pouch slings in a wide array of sizes and great color combinations. The best part: they cost about half of what the fancy, name-brand ones do. So I bought two. (My motto: if the shoe fits, find a dress to match!)
I took one to the hospital with me, where it earned its asking price in one single night. After trying to get Caroline squared away, I finally tucked her in the sling and slept for a solid three hours with her against my chest. Later, at home, my mom used the sling to keep her happy while doing other household chores, and I've used them numerous times to go for walks or get work done while Caroline worked her way through some fussy moments hours.
The care for these is great, too. Regular wash and dry on low. They fold easily, take up next to zero space in my diaper bag, and the fabric is just right for nearly any season. Plus, they're reversible! Which means I bought four slings! And I do get a kick out of doing business with a mom-run company.
* * * * * for Sweet Pea Slings.
DVR, Tivo, Call it what you will
I call it a godsend. How I ever got through all those nighttime nursing sessions without my DVR when Hannah was born is beyond me. Now I can watch every show I ever even thought had the slightest chance of holding my interest instead of watching hours of infomercials about the best ladder ever or the newest powder makeup. Plus, I can rewind to watch the part I missed while Caroline was screaming or pause for a diaper change. Miracle, I tell you.
DVR earns yet another * * * * * rating.
LilyPadz
These nifty gadgets are likely the only crossover from the world of stripping into the world of suburban mommyhood. Well, at least the only one I care to know about. Yes indeed, they're pasties for the nursing mom. These little silicon-y, slightly-sticky cups work by depressing the nipple and preventing let-down. Their sleek form keeps you from looking like a sixth-grade bra-stuffing version of yourself and they're constantly re-usable, leaving your trash can less full and your wallet less empty.
However... they haven't really worked for me. There are two basic problems. The first: I can't figure a way to gracefully nurse in public while wearing these. Their shape and stickiness require that they be set somewhere. I find a table top unacceptable because it seems too public and usually too yucky (read: Target snack bar table with questionable food stains). And my knee won't work because I'm just not reliably coordinated and the chances of either me or Caroline knocking it off onto the floor (see above, only even grosser) is simply too great. The second: You have to be careful to keep the edge of the cup from lapping over onto a bit of clothing or nursing bra, or else you'll break the seal and leak.
This may also be related to my oversupply issue, which leaves me uncomfortable with pushing the envelope. I'm hopeful that once the oversupply is solved, I'll figure out a way to make these work for me in public. In the meantime, I've found a way to make the Lansinoh disposable pads a little less obvious (they come folded in half and can leave a noticeable fold right across the nipple) by turning them inside out and working out the fold before putting them in my bra.
The LilyPadz earn * * * rating on the sleep-deprived mom scale.
Interesting Side Notes
- Did you know that the Brest Friend pillow now has the slip covers for sale individually? I bought one because mine was used to begin with and then was handed down to three other mothers between the reigns of Hannah and Caroline. Sadly, I only used mine for about 1.5 weeks this time, as Caroline needs to be held nearly upright during feeds and frankly, the need for a great nursing pillow lessens as you know more about what you're doing the second time around.
- The Fisher-Price Baby Papasan Chair makes a better bassinet than a bassinet. Plus, if you can set it on a table in your bedroom, it takes up less space.
