Does anyone have a suggestion for a video monitor with super low volume setting options? My current one (Summer Infant) is too loud on its softest setting. If DS is breathing heavily I can hear it! I want to be able to hear that at higher volumes but not at the lowest. The ones that cancel out background noise sound promising, but I want the breakthrough sound volume to be pretty low too.
I just spent some time reading monitor comparisons and apparently this is not a factor for most people! I need some Bump Mama input.
@mamadcb we used the levana astra. The PEEP mode that only goes on was pretty good, it almost never alerted us if the noise wasn't from DD. We had it next to a sound machine too and while you could hear that as an annoying buzzing it didn't make the alert mode go on. It stopped charging after a year but we bought another one because we liked it enough, and will use the camera from the first in DD's new room for a split screen. Oh, also the camera pans and tilts which I really like and it was realitively cheap ($110-ish).
TTC: 1/2014
BFP: 9/24
EDD: 6/8/2015
Sorry for the poor man's siggy...ticker won't load regardless of how many tips I read.
Thanks @dancegurl1118, I will look into that one. I had hoped to just get a second camera for my current monitor but since I don't love it (and the screen is messed up) I'm going to start from scratch.
Is anyone else waiting for the uppababy mesa car seat? I'm lazy so I want to order it online (preferably from Amazon) but I'm not sure when the 2017 will be released.
I guess if it's not out by June I can just get the 2016 version. I think that should still work with the 2017 Vista. I just got sold on the flame retardant seat (not that I'm planning to drive through fire...)
@lanie1000 most car seats are flame retardant...I think you are thinking of the new uppababy that will not have flame retardants so if you are sold on a flame retardant seat pretty much anything except the uppababy mesa Henry will fit that requirement.
@abmommy15 you're so right! Thanks for this. I guess the only difference is not using those chemicals. Since I didn't know they were bad to begin with I guess I can get the 2016 and maybe save some $$. Thanks again!
@soontobemrsrlb I think the breastfriend positions the baby a little easier, less hands required.... but personally I found the boppy to be much more multi functional (tummy time, sitting assistance, helping others hold baby)
Is there an advantage to the Breastfriend over a boppy?
I've heard people prefer the Breastfriend for breastfeeding. But the boppy does a lot more. I only used it for feedings for a couple of weeks. After that, it was nice for tummy time or helping the baby to sit up, or laying the baby next to you on the couch and preventing them from rolling off. DS liked to lay on it until he was over a year old, so we got plenty of use out of it.
If I'm getting the boppy, would getting the new born lounger be a waste? I really like the comfort and ease of the new born lounger and reviews are great. Would love some insight.
@soontobemrsrlb I think it all depends on your preference. I have a pillow similar to the Boppy and I loved mine (and it was easy to transport!). My friend had the brestfriend pillow and I tried to use it at her place and hated it. It was too big and bulky, and the back support part was not comfy at all for me.
Married 8 years - Aug 23/08 DD - 6 years old, March 17/11 #2 due July 19th! (It's a boy!)
Ftm, but from what I have read and been told, it's a lot personal preference between the mbf and boppy. Some of it seems to depend on mama's size and breast size, as to whether it fits right around the waist and brings baby to the right height/angle. And then those variables change as mama's body changes and baby grows.
Boppy has a newer two sided version. I don't know anyone who has used it irl, but it seems like it's partway between the two. No removable cover though, so you have to wash the whole thing and it takes longer to dry. Also has fleecy material on one side, so might get hot.
I loved the Boppy. Never tried the other one, but it looked so bulky in comparison. I also didn't like the idea of it going behind my back. I'm pretty sure you'll like whichever you get, because you won't know any differently. You'll just get used to your new experience with whatever tool you have.
I got the boppy on a friend's recommendation. Someone told me that the breastfriend cannot be put in the washer because it's a block of foam. Not sure if that's accurate.
I never cared for the boppy but haven't tried the mbf. I also have larger breast and for that I found the boppy to be too high and useless (for me) when it came to breastfeeding. I had to use a flat pillow. I did use the boppy for tummy time but I still felt it was too high up. We used the bumbo more than anything.
@fiorip I am large-chested and had the same issue with the boppy. I barely used it at all. I don't know if the MBF would have been better but I also just used a small pillow under my arm to give me support.
I have an off-brand boppy but I really prefer that shape to the my breast friend. Full disclosure- I don't own a mbf but I've used it to give bottles to friend's babies while babysitting them. I felt like the shape was awkward and the snap around the back didn't help me with support. I prefer to use a boppy shape pillow on my knee and cross my legs to prop it up while nursing.
Also agree that the boppy is great for other uses too.
I was an E cup then, and am a G cup now and I still liked the boppy. I didnt have issues being larhe-chested. I used it until baby was big enough to reach while lying on me sitting cross-legged. I liked the football hold in the beginning, and I liked the support it gave others who were nervous.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a video monitor with super low volume setting options? My current one (Summer Infant) is too loud on its softest setting. If DS is breathing heavily I can hear it! I want to be able to hear that at higher volumes but not at the lowest. The ones that cancel out background noise sound promising, but I want the breakthrough sound volume to be pretty low too.
I just spent some time reading monitor comparisons and apparently this is not a factor for most people! I need some Bump Mama input.
We had a Baby Optics monitor for dd and loved it until the on/off button broke and it stopped holding a charge. We did invest in a nest cam instead. Fb loves it because he travels a lot for work and is able to peek in and check on her, listen to her jabber, and talk to her. We're getting another one for ds room.
I did a breastfeeding class last time around and the nurse recommended the MBF over the Boppy, so I bought it. I did not like it - I used a pillow. I'm tempted to get the boppy this time because it seems like such a comfortable place to rest baby in those early months.
+1 for large breasts and not finding the boppy comfortable. For what it's worth, I also didn't use it much for tummy time or sitting my son up. MBF sounds interesting, but I'm not sure I want something behind me.
I can't decide what I want to do about a PnP. We currently have one on our registry that has a bassinet and changing table topper. My thought is that the baby will sleep in the PnP in our room for the first few months. However, I am wondering if getting one of the side sleeper bassinets and a travel/small PnP would be a better option for us. We have a one level house and the nursery is right down the hall from the living room and the master bedroom. We travel often and I think the regular PnP may be too bulky to bring with us and a more compact PnP may be the better way to go. I don't really want to buy both (that seems excessive) BUT if we do go that route I can eventually give one of the PnPs to my inlaws to keep at their house for when we visit.
I can't decide what I want to do about a PnP. We currently have one on our registry that has a bassinet and changing table topper. My thought is that the baby will sleep in the PnP in our room for the first few months. However, I am wondering if getting one of the side sleeper bassinets and a travel/small PnP would be a better option for us. We have a one level house and the nursery is right down the hall from the living room and the master bedroom. We travel often and I think the regular PnP may be too bulky to bring with us and a more compact PnP may be the better way to go. I don't really want to buy both (that seems excessive) BUT if we do go that route I can eventually give one of the PnPs to my inlaws to keep at their house for when we visit.
Check out the lotus travel crib by guava family. You can get a bassinet conversion for it for when baby is small and it is super compact. We travel a ton and the lotus packs up small enough to be a carry on item on planes.
@oheliza44 A regular pnp isn't exactly light to travel with, but they become fairly compact when they're collapsed and aren't too much of a hassle to throw in a car (not sure if you usually travel by plane or car). I don't think the compact travel pnps have as much of a shelf life--seems like babies outgrow them fairly early on, whereas my almost two year old still naps in a pnp at my parents' and at day care. We have a spare pnp that we bought used for fairly cheap; it's nothing fancy (no bassinet), but it works when we take our son to my ILs.
I'm also large chested, I'm a G cup before, during, and after pregnancy. They never seem to change, except for the first few days in the hospital when they fill up with colostrum and I get engorged. I loved my boppy, I never had any issues with it being to big while nursing. I think it also depends on mom and baby and how you're comfortable. There are different positions to hold baby in and if they don't work with the boppy then they don't work. If you have one and decide you don't like it, you do have to use it sole for nursing. I use it for everything baby.
Is anyone else waiting for the uppababy mesa car seat? I'm lazy so I want to order it online (preferably from Amazon) but I'm not sure when the 2017 will be released.
I guess if it's not out by June I can just get the 2016 version. I think that should still work with the 2017 Vista. I just got sold on the flame retardant seat (not that I'm planning to drive through fire...)
I bought the Vista solely because I want the Henry which is the first car seat on the market to be 100% flame-retardant free. If that's what you're looking for then the Henry is the only one that is available. It's already out in the U.S.
If you don't care about flame-retardants, then I would just go with the current or 2016 model and save yourself some coin as the Henry is about $50 more expensive I believe. The Henry doesn't come out in Canada until May so I'm patiently waiting for it and hoping it doesn't go on back-order before I can get my hands on one!
I can't decide what I want to do about a PnP. We currently have one on our registry that has a bassinet and changing table topper. My thought is that the baby will sleep in the PnP in our room for the first few months. However, I am wondering if getting one of the side sleeper bassinets and a travel/small PnP would be a better option for us. We have a one level house and the nursery is right down the hall from the living room and the master bedroom. We travel often and I think the regular PnP may be too bulky to bring with us and a more compact PnP may be the better way to go. I don't really want to buy both (that seems excessive) BUT if we do go that route I can eventually give one of the PnPs to my inlaws to keep at their house for when we visit.
We've gotten so much use out of our full sized PNP. My daughter could not be trusted in a new hotel room with unsecured furniture so she was in it while traveling until 3 plus and definitely would have outgrown a compact one far before she was ready to not torch the place if freed lol. We do also have an arms reach cosleeper this time because I don't want to get out of bed to grab the baby at night. I got it used and very inexpensively since I know it doesn't have the shelf life of the pnp.
@oheliza44 We have a basic full size pnp that we've taken all over the world. Like others have said, it folds up pretty small so it's not too cumbersome when you travel. Most airlines don't charge you for baby items so I've never paid to check it. Definite must have for my family!
We love our regular pnp with the bassinet and changing table options way more than the smaller ones we bought to keep at various family members houses. DD is crunched in there and the one at my moms broke already. Our "big one" folds up nicely except for the additions, they don't fit anywhere.
+1 on the lotus pack and play - we still use it for our 21 month old toddler / he keeps toys in it, hides out there, and gets 'time in' in there. We traveled with it a bunch - it's great for airports if you have a layover and it comes with its own backpack. Sometimes we check it as one of baby's items, sometimes we carry it through, it just depends on flight duration, layover situation, etc.
We used a bassinet (baby Bjorn) for our room because we didn't like the large footprint of traditional pack and plays.
This is a stupid question and Im pretty sure the answer is no, but the money saver in me has to ask. I have a $50 gift card to carseat canopy, but they only sell car seat canopies (I know shocking) and Im not getting an infant car seat. I only have and want the convertible. Is there any point to getting a canopy with a convertible in the car to protect against the sun? Would it just suffocate the baby? Is there another way to use the canopy? I could get one for $50, so it wouldnt be any cost to me, but if I cant use it then I dont want to get one.
Hubby and Me Friends since 2008 Started dating: July 1st, 2013 Engaged: July 1st, 2014 Married: July 1st, 2016 R born: July 8th, 2017 N born: June 30th, 2019 Baby #3 Due: July 7th, 2022 (maybe I only ovulate in October XD)
@kerils I don't think it will work with a convertible. We use a sun shade in the window to block as much sun as possible as well as have tinted windows.
@kerils - if you got the drape one (vs stretchy) it can be used as just a play mat/blanket. And I have heard the stretchy ones can be used as BF covers and shopping cart covers.
ETA - I got one with the GC and you will have to pay shipping (I think it was like $8-10) but still a great deal!
@kerils I only wanted a convertible too but my county has a rule where you have to take the baby in an infant car seat. This great store near me did offer to lend me one for that purpose, but we ended up getting it anyway so we could attach it to the stroller, take the baby to people's houses etc. I don't know what the rule is in your county or at your birthing centre but I thought I'd let you know just in case!
I got the brestfriend this time around. I had a boppy and found it wasn't thick enough for my long torso. It definitely was useful for tummy time and stuff but for breastfeeding I found it more trouble than it was worth.
TTC: 1/2014
BFP: 9/24
EDD: 6/8/2015
Sorry for the poor man's siggy...ticker won't load regardless of how many tips I read.
Re: Baby Gear Questions and Recommendations
I just spent some time reading monitor comparisons and apparently this is not a factor for most people! I need some Bump Mama input.
I guess if it's not out by June I can just get the 2016 version. I think that should still work with the 2017 Vista. I just got sold on the flame retardant seat (not that I'm planning to drive through fire...)
Married 8 years - Aug 23/08
DD - 6 years old, March 17/11
#2 due July 19th! (It's a boy!)
Boppy has a newer two sided version. I don't know anyone who has used it irl, but it seems like it's partway between the two. No removable cover though, so you have to wash the whole thing and it takes longer to dry. Also has fleecy material on one side, so might get hot.
Together since 2006
Married 01.17.15
Also agree that the boppy is great for other uses too.
If you don't care about flame-retardants, then I would just go with the current or 2016 model and save yourself some coin as the Henry is about $50 more expensive I believe. The Henry doesn't come out in Canada until May so I'm patiently waiting for it and hoping it doesn't go on back-order before I can get my hands on one!
Met: 08/2001 ~ Dating: 07/2004 ~ Engaged: 11/2009 ~ Married: 06/2011
TTC: Since 09/16 ~ BFP 10/28/16 ~ EDD 7/5/17
Team Pink * Canadian Bumpie
We used a bassinet (baby Bjorn) for our room because we didn't like the large footprint of traditional pack and plays.
Friends since 2008
Started dating: July 1st, 2013
Engaged: July 1st, 2014
Married: July 1st, 2016
R born: July 8th, 2017
N born: June 30th, 2019
Baby #3 Due: July 7th, 2022
(maybe I only ovulate in October XD)
ETA - I got one with the GC and you will have to pay shipping (I think it was like $8-10) but still a great deal!