Experiments in the Making and Old Favorites

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It's amazing to me how many things change on the baby market and how quickly it happens. When I was pregnant with Aedyn I had several people with kids under 3 say somethign similar to "I really wish they'd had that when I was expecting." At the time I thought maybe they just didn't know about it, but in the past 2 years I've found some new things that I will be adding to my list of "Really Cool Stuff That I'm Glad I Don't Have To Do Without"

I'm picking up materials today for a couple of new things for me.

#1 - A birthing skirt (aka Binsi skirt) I saw this last time but couldn't rationalize $60 for a skirt that I might very well never be able to use again. This time around they have an economy model for only $30, but I'd rather spend a little less to get the fabric I want and know that it's going to fit comfortably and right. Essentially it's 4 overlapping panels that are only connected at the waistband. It sits below the belly and with the 4 flaps it covers everything while you're up and moving but you don't have to pull the whole thing up or off for monitoring or exams. Easier than the pants I tried to wear and take on and off with Aedyn and NOT a hospital gown! I'll just use a tank top to go with it.

#2 - Nursing Cover - I love my Bebe Au Lait Cover, but I'm honestly sick of the print. I wanted something that was a little more me and more fun than polkadots, paisleys, florals, or swirls. So I'll be picking up some blue flame patterned fabric today. Materials will only be about $7 (of course you can never buy exactly what you need for just one, so I'll be spending about $15 and making an extra while having some leftovers) and that is a huge difference from the $35 or $40 that you normally find them for.  I won't be compromising the boning in the neck, so I can still see baby, but I'm not going to worry about the terry cloth corner since I never actually used it anyway.


Those are my only two sewing projects for the moment, but I'm thinking about some possibilities for nursing tops later. I'd love to make a Sleepy Wrap, but in order to make it worthwhile money-wise I'd have to buy the fabric I want wholesale and end up with more carriers than I have friends, so until I can find what I want at a price I can afford that one will be on hold.



These are some new favorites that I hope will stay favorites once I actually get to use them, I'm excited at the potential though!

#1 - Econobum diapers - We couldn't manage the up-front cost of all-in-one diapers last time so I used prefolds and the Gerber vinyl covers. They did pretty well, but the covers deteriorated more quickly than they should have. They saved us some and worked well, but I was never really thrilled with them. The Econobum is made by the same company that has one of the top selling all-in-ones,  but is only about half the price and since they are covers for prefolds you can buy significantly less. The all-in-ones would have run us aobut $400 if I did laundry every other day while a combo of the Econobums and prefolds will last 2-3 days (newborn frequency diapers) and cost less than $75. On top of it they are one size (snaps change the size) so I'll be able to use them for birth until we potty train. Not a bad deal!

#2 - WashPOD -I first saw this when Aedyn was about 3 months old. It is more than just a bucket, it's contoured, stabilized and lets be honest, cuter. It takes less water and the water stays warm longer. it also covers more of baby so you don't have to worry about covering and bathing all at the same time. It takes up less space than the tub we have (which is a big deal in this house!) and I think I would enjoy it more than a traditional bath, so why not baby?

This is my big I'm so glad I didn't have to live without this!

#1 - Sleepy Wrap - This was a lifesaver and let me get so much done around the house and was so nice to have for errands and not have to haul the infant carrier around or compromise the use of my hands. I know it will be even more useful now that I'm also managing a toddler. In my opinion it's a better investment than the Moby because of the fabric. The SW is 95% cotton, 5% spandex; the Moby is 100% cotton. That 5% makes a HUGE difference. The Moby has to be wrapped just right so the baby will fit comfortably and when the the baby is taken in and out multiple times the Moby stretches out and has to be retied or washed and dried to regain it's shape and usefulness. The spandex in the SW  means that I can tie the wrap before I head out of the day and take baby in and out as many times as I need to and it still fits right. I can just tie it to myself snugly and then it stretches to accommodate baby so we both feel secure. My best investment with Aedyn!! This would be in the I'll make it myself section, but the fabric that I like (2-way stretch, tight weave on one side, loose on the other etc) would cost me almost as much as just buying it straight out, so I chose to go that route.


So I guess this even boils down to my top 5 baby items and there you have it!