Baby products? Questions for PT skin kid moms.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I would get the aquafor....WAY better then any other bum cream, and my son has the sensitive skin award for 4 years running. I would stay with a generic soap/shampoo. I did use the baby detergent, but, really, it was for the smell more than anything else. I heard the local Children's Hospital uses regular detergent. (but, what do they know, right?).

I was one of those moms that dressed her child in sleepers for the first year. LOL, well, close to it. I did very litte 'dressing' of Jonah. I didn't do the shoes, the shirts, the pants, the socks. In fact, Jonah's first shoes were one his first birthday. Up til then, he wore socks, and when he started walking, he wore "Robees". Clothing wise, it was simpler and cheaper. (I do dress him now for preschool).

I'm not a fan of the baby detergents. I just used regular detergent. I use a dye and fragrance free detergent though, nothing harsh.

I didn't put Nathan in shoes until he started walking either. Then he wore soft soled shoes (Robees knock- offs) until he was 15 months. He was really bow-legged and his doctor didn't want him in hard soled shoes until his legs straightened out. By 15 months his legs were looking good and we bought him his first pair of hard soled shoes. I'll definitely keep this baby in soft soled shoes for awhile too even if his/her legs aren't bowed.

[prechrswife]

Target has Robeez knock-offs that are great, and much cheaper than the real thing. Both of my girls have worn those.

We have gotten crib sets for ours. We just don't use the comforter part until they reach the toddler bed stage. We don't use pillows until then, either, but most crib sets don't come with pillows. Personally, I just think the crib looks more "put together" with a dust ruffle, and it makes it nice for hiding under-bed storage boxes, which we need with the lack of storage space in our little house. That is another one of those matters of personal preference, though. If you don't want to go the crib set route, though, the mesh bumpers sound like a good idea.

For the record, we went and started a registry at Target tonight. (Not our first baby, but our first boy and when people start asking what you need, it is much easier to point them toward a registry than to try and think off-the-cuff.) Anyway, this is not the best time to be doing that. They are transitioning a lot of their baby merchandise and a lot of things are on clearance, which means you really don't need to include them on a registry list. That said, if you are just looking to purchase some items yourself, check out Target for LOTS of clearance stuff in the baby department.

[caseysmom]

I am hosting a baby shower for my sister in law in two weeks.

Gosh we went to 'Babies r Us' saturday where she is registered, how things have changed! My youngest is 16.

I wanted to spend about 300 and she was registered for the fancy pump but I thought bleh how boring so I bought the video monitor, bath center, diaper pail thingie, diaper bag, and mirror for the car. I am still going to buy a box of diapers but she is registered at babies r us and they are cheaper and you get a lot more at sams so I told her to take it off the registration but she hasn't so I am waiting on that one....

I have already started cooking and freezing the food, we are having a full dinner and hubbies are invited also.

Oh and we went a little nuts on the bibs....bought one that says "chicks dig me", the baby is a boy...hehe and "if you think I am cute you should see my dad" and of course "i love my aunt" and "my uncle loves me"

[beeniesmom]

That's really sweet of you to do that for your sister in law.
I am sure she will appreciate it.

[caseysmom]

That's really sweet of you to do that for your sister in law.
I am sure she will appreciate it.

Thanks...hubby and I went to party city last night, a person could really go crazy there

Does anyone know any fun baby shower games that could include men?

[finn's mom]

What do you guys think of sleepers, sleepsacs, gowns, etc? I like them a lot, but obviously have never put them on a baby or seen how babies enjoy them.

[caseysmom]

What do you guys think of sleepers, sleepsacs, gowns, etc? I like them a lot, but obviously have never put them on a baby or seen how babies enjoy them.

I used them when mine were babies...in fact at first that is pretty much what they live in.

[finn's mom]

I used them when mine were babies...in fact at first that is pretty much what they live in.

That's kinda what I was thinking. Thanks!

[prechrswife]

What do you guys think of sleepers, sleepsacs, gowns, etc? I like them a lot, but obviously have never put them on a baby or seen how babies enjoy them.

We used sleepers and gowns with Katherine. Personally, I prefer sleepers, but I know others that like the gowns better. We never used sleepsacs. That said, we are in Florida, and Katherine was born in early August. We mostly used the sleepers at night, and she was in cooler clothes during the day. (She was born during a horrible heat wave.) One thing we used quite a bit with both girls for easy dressing during warm weather were onesies and the stretchy pants that are made to match them.

[sparks19]

Yeah sleepers are the best. Hannah is wearing a monkey one right now lol. I love them. But I would suggest zippered sleepers over the snap button ones. I have had both and don't have a problem using the snap buttons but then she wakes in the middle of the night and I have to try to figure out these stupid snap buttons while half asleep lol.

and onesies... LOVE onesies. they are great for when it's cold out too. put them underneath a top or sweater and it provides layers to keep them warm and prevents their belly from getting cold when you lift them up and their shirt is up to their armpits lol. and they are great in summer for reasons already posted above.

[beeniesmom]

Does anyone know any fun baby shower games that could include men?

Well, a friend of mine was telling me about a game that you melt different chocolate bars into diapers and the person has to smell or lick it and guess what kind of candy it is. I'm sure a man could handle that and make himself sick with laughter!

[caseysmom]

Well, a friend of mine was telling me about a game that you melt different chocolate bars into diapers and the person has to smell or lick it and guess what kind of candy it is. I'm sure a man could handle that and make himself sick with laughter!

blech!!!!! but funny!

[k9krazee]

I've played the candy bar game several times, it's quite fun! lol

I really don't have anything to contribute to this thread regarding baby products, but I was reading through my anthropology book today and they were talking about a baby's sleeping arrangement and I found it an interesting read. However, I'm sure it's a debatable topic and you all have some knowledge on the pros and cons to sleeping with/without baby.

"Infants in the U.S. typically sleep apart from their parents. To most North Americans, this may seen normal, but cross-cultural research shows that co-sleeping, of mother and baby in particular, is the rule. Only in the past 200 years, generally in Western industrial societies, has it been considered proper for parents to sleep apart from their infants. In a way, this practice amounts to a cultural experiment in child rearing.

Recent studies have shown that separation of mother and infant in Western societies has importat biological and cultural consequences. For one thing, it increases the lenth of the child's crying bouts. Some mothers incorrectly interpret the cause as a deficiency in breast milk and switch to less healthy bottle formulas; and in extreme cases the crying may provoke physical abuse. But the benefits of co-sleeping go beyond significant reduction in crying: Infants also nurse more often and have 3 times as long per feeding; they receive more stimulation (important for brain development); and they are less susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome. There are benefits to the mother as well: Frequent nursing prevents early ovulation after childbirth, and she gets at least as much sleep as mothers who sleep without their infants.

The benefits may lead us to ask, Why do so many mothers continue to sleep apart from their infants? In North America the cultural values of independence and consumerism come into play. To begin building identities, babies are provided with rooms (or at least space) of their own. This room of one's own also provides parents with a place for the paraphernalia associated with good parenting in North America."

[beeniesmom]

Interesting article.
My husband and I have been debating whether to have a nursery right away or wait awhile and just put the crib in our room for easy access. I don't know how I would feel about sleeping with the baby in the bed with me. I am sure I would crush it. We sleep with both dogs in the bed and they both snuggle up to my husband because I jerk around and roll about a lot. I would probably smush the baby too.

[sparks19]

It's a personal choice.

Honestly I don't think a child is better or worse off either way. Lord Knows Hannah has slept in her own crib from day one and she almost NEVER cries... EVER. and if she does it is only for a minute or two. and I know kids who sleep with their parents who aren't clingy and totally dependant and who made the transition to their own bed just fine. I think if a child has loving parents who tend to their needs... it doesn't matter if they sleep on their own or in their parents bed... they are both well off.

for me I couldn't have Hannah in my bed all the time. I have a hard time sleeping now as it is lol