Product Spotlight: Baby containers

m6agua

Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product. Feel free to comment on threads like these throughout your time at the board, not just when they're in their week in the spotlight, if you discover something new OR are new to the board. This week it's.... Baby Containers!

FTMs are encouraged to ask questions & STM/+s encouraged to share their knowledge based on experience. You can use any or all the prompts relevant to you below to share info in an easy-to-read format. Pictures/screen grabs, if put in spoilers, are welcome!

STMs....

• What type of products did you have to contain your baby throughout the first year?
• Anything new you are looking into?

FTMs...

• Any products you're looking at or have questions about?

To view the upcoming PSS schedule, see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XX4aUSPsDbdyEEK5HIzMzwH2ztOVOnNCehSgMAc5w6U/edit?usp=sharing
Next up: Misc. Nursery Decor

catem07

LOL I opened this just to find out what a baby container is. 

I am a boppy lounger EVANGELIST. It is great for newborns and cheap.
https://www.boppy.com/collections/newborn-loungers

We have a sit-me-up which are fine but sort of short-lived in their usefulness. 

heyybritt

The first thing that popped into my head when I read this title was a plastic storage container 🤣 I was very confused

thepretzelchick

Same, @heyybritt I was like, poke some holes in a Sterilite tote?  I did put them in the pantry once while I made dinner; the door had glass panels so we could see each other and they had toys in there. It was a peaceful 20 minutes   

m6agua

LOL, yeah I tried to look up past BMB for this one and couldn't find anything.

We used the pack n play, the crib, a large gate that I could put into a circle or attach to the wall and divide part of our living room. Then when she was older we also had an accordion gate in our large opening between the living room and dining room and a regular gate in the open doorway between the living room and foyer. That way she had access to the whole living room while I was in the kitchen cooking, showering, doing laundry or whatever else.

We did use the swing when she was young, she hated the jumper thing, we had an exersaucer at my parents and she liked that.

I guess it evolved as she got older.

This time around I'm not sure what we will do since DD will be 3.5-4.5 for the first year and I don't need to contain her. But I may need to contain the baby FROM her.

ETA: When I needed to do work outside I used the PnP with a net thing over it, in the shade.

catem07

We also have this which is cool because it is a play zone but also becomes a table when baby sizes out of it. 

https://www.loveoribel.com/products/portaplay-convertible-activity-center

Skip Hop makes something similar

rox7777

Hahahaha. Baby containers. 

For the newborn stage we will be using the mamaroo in the living room, a bassinet in the master bedroom and a crib in the nursery for naps. I’m not buying a bouncer until I know how she does with being put down. DS2 hated all the baby containers so I mostly baby wore using the moby and lillebaby. 

For the older stage I used the high chair while cooking and cleaning the kitchen, a jumper for entertainment and shower time and a baby gate at the door of the nursery for when I need to save my sanity and just keep contained to a small area. The nursery is fully baby proofed already from DS2, so it’s an area that I can let her be on a play mat or whatnot and walk away for a few minutes.

pourmeanothermocktail

I have a swing, but so far both of my kids hated it. Until about 6 months old, if a wanted my hands free it was a baby carrier on me, though the Sit Me Up chair was great while I was eating. Cooking was a huge issue as she'd only be OK with it for 10 min. Our house has two main play areas that are generally baby proof since we moved in, so closing doors or gates to keep them there works for me. Have never had a play pen or anything, though I'd like a corral or something for outside, to try to keep my eyes on 3 at once. 

Once she was 4-5 months old, the exer-saucer would work for 15 ish minutes (to get older one down for nap). And sometimes a doorway jumper for cooking. 

catem07

@pourmeanothermocktail summer infant makes a good collapsible outdoor play yard. You can get them with a canopy if you need sun coverage. 

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Play-Portable-Playard/dp/B00KBGTRAC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3U65J1FLUTF68&keywords=summer+infant+play+yard&qid=1582316164&sprefix=summer+infant+play%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-2

pourmeanothermocktail

@catem7 I think that's on my list, but with my unexpected disability, we're depending on generosity from others or used for things this time!

chewie5990

we used a swing with DS a lot - he liked it for the most part and the boppy a lot! Around 6 months+ we also used his highchair - throw him in there and give him a few of those toys that stick to hard surfaces and he was good to go. We also have a jumper thing that DS loved but it takes up so much space that IDK if we will bust it out this time around. 

Most of the time though I just wore DS while doing chores or whatever and plan to do the same this go around. 

I guess my only advice is to find/have something that can fit in your bathroom! We had a really small bouncer that fit in the bathroom, so I could put baby in that while I took a quick shower when we were home alone. When DS was a little bigger I would put him in a laundry basket with a bunch of toys while I showered and it worked pretty . well most of the time.

rachelg777

For newborn stage we mainly used the dockatot, bassinet, and swing. I love the dockatot (or similiar item) because it was so easy to move him around place to place or from upstairs to downstairs. Bassinet was mainly at night (before we started the RNP...) and we could get a good 20 minutes in the swing. 

For a little older I used the sit me up, which was nice but yes short lived. I used the jumper in the kitchen or in the bathroom during showers.