Baby related equipment in 2008...

Let me tell you about the equipment that a new baby needs and what I used many years ago.

Boppy- a semi doughnut shaped pillow thing that serves many purposes. The mother puts it around her waist in order to hold the baby closer to her face. Later the baby can be propped in the middle to help her sit up. I used bed pillows...this is better.

Pack and Play-a portable bed, changing table, storage for diapering. Until it goes to Grandma's for overnight stays, it stays assembled in the parents room. I needed two things that served the same purpose-a Bassinet, a basket on wheels with some sort of lace trim (baby boys would be horrified), and a play pen which was finally banned because the spaces between the wood restraints were too far apart and babies got their heads stuck. I'm amazed at how many children survived this jail-like contraption.

Breast pump-this thing can actually fill bottles in record time. The baby can be nursing on one breast while the apparatus is sucking away on the other. It latches on and does it thing. Try hand pumping and holding a bottle at the same time....got the picture?!

Strollers-this is amazing! They now have cup holders, brakes, wind shields, sun shields and plastic shields for when you caught in the rain while walking the baby. Not to mention storage baskets, suspension and the car seat snaps right in. I really hated the drama of taking a hot sweaty baby from one seat to another while my milk came down. If you're a runner they make strollers for you too!

Car seats-these now are installed by certified car seat installers. The baby is seated backwards for the first few months (meaning you need to buy a special mirror to see them from the front seat) and later they can be turned around. At this point, the mother can go back to the front seat with the dad because her seat can be repositioned to accomodate an adult.

That's it for today. I'll leave you with an image from my first photo session with Grace at 8 days.