Preggo stuff, Baby Stuff, Toddler Stuff...post your best finds here!!

[Mara]

yeah i figure if i buy the one from ebay i should be able to resell it if i don't break the seal and hopefully get what i paid for it too. there is CL too. maybe i will buy it and then just keep it and rent for a month from the hospital to see how it goes first month. what do the hospital rentals typically run? also what do you ladies think about 'borrowing' pumps aka from friend etc. i have heard that a lot of people don't think it's sanitary but if you sterilize it? isnt that the same thing as what hospitals do aka rent.

jcrow this is the hands free:
http://www.target.com/Medela-Freestyle-Hands-Free-Breast-Pump/

it is pricey but if BF'ing does pan out then over 6-9 months or however long you BF it is cheaper than formula etc.

one of my coworkers who has the hands free just puts the pumps on her drive into work and just wears a big heavy coat over herself, i laughed so hard when she told me! i am like GOOD IDEA.

 

[jcrow]

thanks for the link mara. that''s the one i''m debating. it''s between that one and this one.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I personally would NOT buy a used pump. Not sure I would even borrow/buy one off a friend. Also wait to make sure your body is willing to BF. You will have time or an available body (DH, MIL, mom, etc) to run out and buy one if you need one.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 12/2/2009 2:32:33 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
I personally would NOT buy a used pump. Not sure I would even borrow/buy one off a friend. Also wait to make sure your body is willing to BF. You will have time or an available body (DH, MIL, mom, etc) to run out and buy one if you need one.

Yeah...I''m with you on that one. If you really want to get it before you have the baby then DON''T open it and save the receipt. Because otherwise it is a total waste of $300 if BFing doesn''t work out for you.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 12/2/2009 1:52:34 PM
Author: Mara
yeah i figure if i buy the one from ebay i should be able to resell it if i don''t break the seal and hopefully get what i paid for it too. there is CL too. maybe i will buy it and then just keep it and rent for a month from the hospital to see how it goes first month. what do the hospital rentals typically run? also what do you ladies think about ''borrowing'' pumps aka from friend etc. i have heard that a lot of people don''t think it''s sanitary but if you sterilize it? isnt that the same thing as what hospitals do aka rent.

No it''s not the same. The hospital grade pumps can be completely disassembled and the ENTIRE thing sterilized. The home pumps can only have the tubes sterilized-not the same thing.

 

[Burk]

I borrowed the pump but bought new parts (tubes, sheilds). Maybe I'm weird but it didn't bother me any?

 

[NovemberBride]

Sleepsacks - I have been using the Halo sleepsacks and Olivia sleeps great in them. She didn''t like the swaddle, so these are a great alternative to keep her warm at night. I ended up having to order off the Halo website because I needed the newborn size. Target and BRU only carry small, which is for 10 lbs and 23 inches and up. At 6 1/2 lbs and 18.5 inches the small were way too big, so something to keep in mind if you want to use them when baby is newborn. They also have a clearance section on the website with pretty good prices.

DSLR - We finally got one and I am so glad we did. I already had the Canon780 IS and while it''s a decent point and shoot, the dslr pics are 100 timex better. The 780IS stays in the diaper bag, I can''t be carrying the DSLR everywhere. We got the Canon XSI. The Canon and Nikons botrh had great reviews, but Canon is having a promotion where if you buy the camera body and basic lens, the telephoto lens is free. Since that lens runs about $250, that pushed me towards the Canon. I haven''t really learned to use anything other than auto or program modes yet, but I am amazed by the quality of the photos.

 

[fieryred33143]

re: buying used, as long as you have your own tubing, shields, ect it shouldn''t be a problem. Someone is borrowing my medela PISA but she has all her own stuff...even the diaphram cap where the tubing is inserted.

 

[MustangGal]

mara - the pump I rented from the hospital was $80 a month, it was a Medela Symphony. They gave me the tubing/sheilds for it and a manual pump for free with that. I would have considered a used pump if I got new plastic pieces though. And I was able to use it "hands free" with a nursing sports bra

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 12/2/2009 2:59:03 PM
Author: fiery
re: buying used, as long as you have your own tubing, shields, ect it shouldn''t be a problem. Someone is borrowing my medela PISA but she has all her own stuff...even the diaphram cap where the tubing is inserted.

I was told milk still got in the motor and only hospital grade pumps could TRULY be sterilized.

 

[fieryred33143]

I just looked at my PISA and noticed where it can get on the motor. The holes are very, very small though but I can see where it can get on the motor.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Does anyone have a phil and teds sport? Or any of the phil and teds? If so...how do you like it?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 12/2/2009 3:30:35 PM
Author: AllieLuv83
Does anyone have a phil and teds sport? Or any of the phil and teds? If so...how do you like it?

I know Curly loves her''s! Look back in the earlier pages. I think she talks about it there.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 12/2/2009 2:54:00 PM
Author: Burk
I borrowed the pump but bought new parts (tubes, sheilds). Maybe I''m weird but it didn''t bother me any?

I bought a pump from my friend. Bought new hoses. I don''t care what was done with the actualy pump aparatus, it isn''t touching me or my milk. Plus she is cleaner than me so I am sure it is fine

 

[qtiekiki]

I didn’t start pumping until 4 weeks and breastfeeding was established.  We, then offered, one bottle a day for a few weeks to introduce the bottle.  Then I stopped pumping and started pumping a week before I went back to work 18 weeks later. 

I bought the pump the day I decided to pump and introduce the bottle at 4 weeks, didn’t bother to look for deal.  I figure the pump cost much less than formula in the long run, so I was already saving.  I say you should buy from ebay or online medical supply places to get the deal, and don’t open it until you need it.  I am against borrowing b/c the non-hospital grade pumps are open system, and there’s a chance of someone else’s milk getting into the motor.  I just think it’s icky, but I know people who had done that without issues. It is labeled on the pump to not share pump though.

I wish the hand free one was out when I got mine b/c it would make pumping easier.  I would’ve definitely gotten that one.

 

[sbde]

just wanted to chime in on the pump debate.

i purchased the medela PIS new at the hospital when my baby was born and would personally only use a new pump. however i was lucky because my insurance covered 80% of the cost of the pump with a prescription from my doctor. so check with your insurance companies ladies!! i personally had to call them to find out whether it was covered beforehand, and the dr. had no issues writing me a quick prescription for it.

i don''t pump for his regular feedings, but i still pump every day so that i can use milk instead of water in my son''s cereal and have an emergency stash of a few oz in the freezer.

 

[Pandora II]

I have a small Tommee Tippee hand pump that I wish I had bought BEFORE I had Daisy. I didn''t start to use it till 10 days after she was born and had been hand-expressing before then. As I had no milk I ended up with terrible shoulder and neck pain due to hunch over a container for hours trying to get 5ml...

By the time I started to use the pump, my nipples had turned black and the thought of them going anywhere near her mouth was enough to make me cry! Getting the pump meant I could start to get my supply up while allowing my nipples to heal. I was also in charge of the suction which meant I could limit the pain I was in! Daisy was also getting a mix of formula and whatever milk I could produce.

I''ve never bothered getting an electric pump - I rarely express as I''m always with D and I don''t have to go back to work for a year - but I can see the advantage if you need to do serious pumping.

 

[Mara]

yeah jcrow the PIS is a popular one. i just know i want hands free from what other work moms have told me, plus price diff is not much in general. one of my friends said she just walks around with it in her sports bra in the house. HA.

i also know i won't want to be doing hand pumping or anything like that, it seems like sometimes moms have issues or more trouble in the beginning BECAUSE of the pumps that they get (aka if it's a a manual hand pump or similar). so i don't want to sabotage my efforts before even trying and end up with purple nipples because of my pump.

i think i will prob try to rent a PIS from the hospital for a month and buy the hands free in the meantime and not open it. the PIS should be very similar to the hands free in general and i really just wanted hands free for when i went back to work (i can work on the laptop in a conf room!)...so if the PIS is similar in pumping style to hands free then that will give me a good feel for it before i open the hands free.

whew... i am glad i talked that out with myself HA HA. thanks for all the input!! honestly it seems like the BF'ing aspect might harder than gestating and popping the kid out (don't quote me).

 

[qtiekiki]

Mara
I don''t think u can rent a PIS since the hospital will only rent out the hospital grade pumps (symphony and lactina) to guarantee sterile equipments.

 

[fieryred33143]

I do the hair tie trick for hands free with my PISA or I just use my nursing bra

.

My hospital pump was the Ameda Elite. I loved it but it is way too bulky for work.

 

[NovemberBride]

Mara,

You may not need a pump for the first month, so you may want to either wait to buy one or wait to open the one you buy until you are sure breastfeeding works for you and probably won''t need to rent one for that month. I think you are in a similar situation as I am, going back to work when baby is 3-4 months old. The recommendation I got from the lactation consultant (also the recommendation from the Medela website) was not to start pumping until breastfeeding is well established, so usually 3-4 weeks. At 3-4 weeks they recommend you start pumping to build a supply for the return to work and also start introducing one bottle a day at that time so baby gets used to a bottle (some babies apparently have trouble taking a bottle is not introduced until later). I got my breastpump at my shower, but just opened it today (Olivia will be 3 weeks tomorrow). I pumped for the first time today and plan to do so once a day until I go back to work. DH will give one bottle a day with 1/2 the milk I pump and I''ll bank the other half for my return to work.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Date: 12/2/2009 4:14:00 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 12/2/2009 3:30:35 PM

Author: AllieLuv83

Does anyone have a phil and teds sport? Or any of the phil and teds? If so...how do you like it?

I know Curly loves her's! Look back in the earlier pages. I think she talks about it there.

I thought that Curly has a bugaboo...unless she changed her stroller since page 10.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 12/2/2009 6:53:26 PM
Author: AllieLuv83

Date: 12/2/2009 4:14:00 PM

Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 12/2/2009 3:30:35 PM


Author: AllieLuv83


Does anyone have a phil and teds sport? Or any of the phil and teds? If so...how do you like it?

I know Curly loves her''s! Look back in the earlier pages. I think she talks about it there.

I thought that Curly has a bugaboo...unless she changed her stroller since page 10.

Hey there!!! She has changed strollers b/c she had a second kid since page 10.

 

[curlygirl]

Date: 12/2/2009 7:07:27 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 12/2/2009 6:53:26 PM
Author: AllieLuv83

Date: 12/2/2009 4:14:00 PM

Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 12/2/2009 3:30:35 PM


Author: AllieLuv83


Does anyone have a phil and teds sport? Or any of the phil and teds? If so...how do you like it?

I know Curly loves her''s! Look back in the earlier pages. I think she talks about it there.

I thought that Curly has a bugaboo...unless she changed her stroller since page 10.

Hey there!!! She has changed strollers b/c she had a second kid since page 10.

Tis true--Tacori and neatfreak know me too well!! I started with the Bugaboo but Allie, you need to keep reading beyond page 10! I had my children back to back so after having a 2nd child, I moved on to the Phil and Teds and absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it and highly recommend. There is a review in here somewhere. I''ve said it before and I''ll say it again, if I knew then what I know now I would have only purchased the Phil and Teds. It is great as a single stroller and even more amazing as a double. Of course, it all depends on your needs--where you live, how often you''ll use it, etc. But if you plan on having a second child within the next few years after having your first, it''s a great way to go.

 

[qtiekiki]

Aden & Anais Muslin Wrap
The winter warmth ones are more expensive because they are double layered.
And for those of you who are due before me, let me know how you like them. I am still debating on whether or not to get some. I used regular Carter''s or Gerber brand receiving blanket for M, and they are smaller than I''d like. But she was only swaddled for first month and a half.

 

[curlygirl]

Date: 12/1/2009 7:10:26 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 12/1/2009 5:23:06 PM
Author: curlygirl
Lily has this tricycle and loves it:


http://www.radioflyer.com/products/trikes/21p.asp


I think it''s cute too--it''s not too big and very girly, just like our divas!

Thanks curly. I was thinking of the one with the parents steering bar and it is currently on sale right now at Target. Glad you like their quality. Can Lily reach the pedals?

You know, I really like the ones with the steering bars--your back will thank you! We got ours as a hand me down from Lily''s cousin and she had figured out how to get around by keeping her feet on the ground and kind of pushing off but since this summer, she has mastered pedaling and thinks she''s really cool now!

 

[D&T]

Date: 12/2/2009 3:30:35 PM
Author: AllieLuv83
Does anyone have a phil and teds sport? Or any of the phil and teds? If so...how do you like it?

I have one! The apple green sport its great if your not doing a lot of running - my DH kicks the double back, I bought it more for a two stroller duo but the feel and width of just a single which I absolutely LOVE! very compact in my car. The thing that bugs me is that there is no Parent tray and the tires I find myself pumping it up weekly! I also think the brake is a bit hard and annoying too!... I bought the BOB trailer handle bar console http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2333820 and it works PERFECTLY with the Phil&Ted. If I were to buy it just for the single, I would look elsewhere, but for Two I definitely recommend the Phil&Ted with the double kit.

 

[Mara]

qt i thought someone said they got a PIS from their hospital, but not i see someone bought one. i have to check on the insurance as well.

thanks for the additional info november... i didn't know you shouldn't pump til after about 3-4 weeks...but yep i will go back to work at about 3-4 months.

 

[jcrow]

so today we checked out another baby store and looked again at strollers. i thought we were sold on the city mini, but i must say i fell in love with bugaboo bee today! at the first store we saw it at, it must have been broken or something because hubs, 2 sales associates + i couldn't get it to open after we closed it. today it was like, poof it's closed, poof it's open. easy peasy + small + adjustable in the handlebar height [unlike the CM] and unlike the CM [i think] the cloths are machine washable. and the seat part comes completely off and you can put a graco car seat on it with the attachment. the CM you have to put the car seat on top of the regular seat because it doesn't come off.

anyone have the bee and love it or hate it?

 

[neatfreak]

Jcrow I know Pandora had strong opinions on the Bee. Might have even bought one? If she doesn''t chime in here might want to page her on the newborn thread.