Friday, February 25, 2005

Baby slings, what works, what doesn't

I have now tried 4 baby slings. You may wonder, why does one person need 4 slings? Well, finding a baby sling that agrees with you and the baby is not necessarily easy. There are two basic types of slings. The first type carries the baby out in front. This type is the most common here in New York. The second type is far more common thoughout the world, but used much less here in NYC.

The Baby Bjorn: I have a love-hate relationship with this carrier. I like the concept, but the weight isn't evenly spread across the back so after 15 minutes or so, it becomes rather painful. As far as Caroline's preferences, I think she feels a bit awkward in the carrier. She's too young to face forward, but she really likes to look around. And the way the carrier is designed, she has to keep her head against my chest and she cannot look around very much. At $120, I wish I looked further before buying this carrier. This carrier is not suitable for breastfeeding.

The Maya Wrap: This is a very versatile carrier. Caroline really seemed to like this one. Mine was actually too small for me, but had it been larger, I would have used it more. The only problem with this carrier is that the metal rings can be very uncomfortable on your shoulders or upper back. There is no padding on this carrier, which I think it a downside. It is possible to breastfeed discretely in this sling, which is very nice.

The Premaxx carrier is a total disaster. It has padding on the bottom, where the baby sits and no padding whatsoever on the strap that goes around your body. It is sort of like a duffel bag for a baby. I really don't understand the thinking behind this one. Bottom line, don't buy it (unless you want mine!).

The Nojo sling has been the best so far. It functions like the Maya Wrap, but is padded. I have really liked it so far. The sling is versatile and comfortable for both me and Caroline. Unfortunately, it is also the most unattractive of the slings. Mine is gray, which I don't mind too much. This sling is endorsed by Dr. Sears (must be good then, right?).

If you are in the market for a sling, my suggestion is to try the Nojo sling first and see how that works.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005


Boy, is daddy funny! Posted by Hello

Or is he funny-looking? Posted by Hello

Daddy is a funny guy! Posted by Hello

I'm going to crawl soon! Posted by Hello

Caroline and her mommy. Posted by Hello

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Sitting and standing

These are Caroline's new favorite tricks. She really likes to grab our fingers and "stand" and look around. The same goes for sitting. While she can neither sit nor stand on her own, she is beginning to get frustrated with laying on her back to play. It seems that sometimes, she is happy only to be up and looking around.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005


Mommy and Caroline Posted by Hello

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

The Baby List

Now that Caroline is 2.5 months old, we have been through the worst of early babyhood and have discovered what items and books are must-haves and what things we could have done without.

Books:
The Baby Book
The Birth Book
The Breastfeeding Book
The Pregnancy Book
The No-Cry Sleep Solution
Our Babies, Ourselves
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

These are my favorite books. I continue to refer to them everyday. I don't think that any of them are priced over $10 on Amazon, so they are quite a steal in terms of price. Everything I have read by the Sears family has been quite good. I hope to buy the rest of their books eventually. Our Babies, Ourselves was a fascinating read about parenting styles cross-culturally. It's definitely a good book.

Books to avoid:
Babywise
The Mother of All Baby Books
The Mother of All Pregnancy Books

I recommend against buying or reading these books. Babywise is a highly controversial parenting philosophy. It is essentially military training for babies. It requires enforced scheduling and timing of feedings. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended against using this overly harsh method of parenting. The Babywsie method makes the formation of the early breastfeeding relationship difficult and has been shown to lead to dehydration in infants and a "failure to thrive." The other two books are just so-so by my measure. The Sears books are much better.

Baby gear that I recommend

Fisher-Price Ocean Aquarium swing

Amby Baby Hammock
Maclaren
Eddie Bauer infant carseat
Eddie Bauer stroller (if you want a travel system)
Ironman Jogging Stroller

The baby swing is a great buy; Caroline loves hers. She usually takes at least one nap in it everyday.

The Amby Baby Hammock is a novel approach to baby sleep--no more cribs with hard bare mattresses. This hammock provides a comfy swaddled environment for the baby to sleep in. Plus, the spring provides the baby with a womb-like movements. Carolein sleeps longer and better in this hammock. Even though it's expensive, it is definitely worth it. You can use it in place of a crib, too.

The Maclaren stroller is a sturdy lightweight stroller that is great for maneuvering around the city. It is easy to fold up for getting on the buses, plus it is small when it folds. Also, it is easy to carry down steps to get on the subway (a must, that even I didn't consider) by oneself. It is the ultimate item that gives you the freedom to get around the city without the exhaustion of pushing a heavy stroller.

We have loved our Eddie Bauer infant car seat. We bought the Snuzzler to put in the car seat. It is a must-have with an infant car seat. Caroline loves the snuzzler and it makes her fit in the seat perfectly. She loves to nap in the seat because she is snuggled up so well.

If you want to go the way of the travel system, consider this stroller.
If you buy the Eddie Bauer carseat, this stroller has a special bar that will allow the carseat to attach to it. It's very convenient for in and out of the car type of use. This sort of arrangement is not good for city walking, though. The stroller + carseat is a lot cheaper ($160) and smaller than the travel systems, which are $200. I have personally found the travel system to be invaluable for the first several months. I am now finding that it is too bulky to use in Manhattan and so I have switched to the Maclaren. My husband gets on my case all the time about my obsession with strollers. He is totally right. I AM obsessed with strollers, because they are the keys to freedom with young children. If a stroller is too burdensome to use, then outings become very unpleasant. I truly believe that you need different strollers for different occasions. Which brings me to my last an final stroller...

The jogging stroller is useful for runners. If you like to run or jog, I recommend the Ironman Bob Stroller. It is bright yellow, which is fantastic for being noticed around the city. The jogger has great shocks and large 16" wheels which are great for running. You should really wait until the baby is about 3 months old to use this stroller.




trip to Manhattan

Even though we only live a short boat ride away from Manhattan, going to the city is quite an adventure. Today, Caroline and I went to Buy Buy Baby. I had no particular reason for going, but we tested a bunch of rattles and picked out a few to buy. We rode on the new Staten Island ferry, which is nice and shiny, and unfortunately, too quiet for Caroline's tastes. When things are too quiet, she must fill the noise vacuum. I don't mind the crying, myself, but I always get annoyed looks from the passengers. "Can't you shut her up!!!" They all seem to want to say. Alas, the trip was generally a success. Mom was able to go somewhere and Caroline got some rattles.

Ooh. Picasa2 has nifty photo effects. I really like the black and white version. Posted by Hello

Here are Caroline's parents. Posted by Hello

Monday, February 14, 2005

update

Caroline has done many new things today. First, she has started going to sleep on her own. It is really amazing. After a feeding, she likes to be put down in her Amby baby hammock or in her crib. She usually sucks on her fist for a little while or puts a colorful teething ring in mouth to chew on. Then she goes to sleep. I almost don't know what to do with myself. I used to rock her to sleep, now she takes care of that part herself.

Here's our million dollar baby! Posted by Hello

Caroline is taking a snooze. She looks so comfortable. Ahh. Posted by Hello

Meet the new boxing sensation! Posted by Hello

Thursday, February 10, 2005


Caroline is sitting in her favorite swing. (I think it is my favorite too, because she takes a lot of her naps here.) Posted by Hello

This is our cat, Bailey. She really seems to like this wreath, a decoration from our wedding. (note to mom: I am really going to hang it up--it will go perfectly in our bedroom; the bow is beautiful, by the way :) Posted by Hello

Tuesday, February 08, 2005


Nanny nanny boo boo! Posted by Hello

Hehehehe! I have hands! Posted by Hello

trying to post some pictures

I am trying to post some pictures of Caroline, but I seem to be having some technical problems right now. Hopefully, I will have some new ones up tomorrow.

Today, Caroline and I went to a La Leche League meeting. It is a lot of fun meeting other moms in my area and spending time with them. LLL is an international organization dedicated to supporting breastfeeding mothers. It is simply a network of moms who help each other work through bf issues.

Sunday, February 06, 2005


Well, mommy can smile on cue... Posted by Hello

Mommy, baby, camera! Posted by Hello

Wow, you can actually stick a tongue out of your mouth! Posted by Hello

Buy equities with PE's still this high! That's funny! Posted by Hello

Why didn't anyone tell me I was this bald? Posted by Hello

Who is that baby? Posted by Hello

Friday, February 04, 2005


She has discovered that hands can shake rattles! Posted by Hello

"I'm not sure about the thing you keep pointing at me, mommy!" Posted by Hello

Here she is staring at our dog, Lucy Posted by Hello

Here is a nice profile. Posted by Hello

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