Carrier Review: Mei Tai Baby

You might say I've become addicted to babywearing. Go ahead, say it. I'm proud to wear my baby. And for mamas who want to get out of the house, there is no easier way to bring baby than to wear him.

Like a good addict, I've acquired a small stash paraphernalia to support my habit. My latest acquisition: A Mei Tai Baby carrier. I already have some wraps and soft structured carriers, all of which I love, but until last week my collection was missing the staple mei tai.

 

I did some digging around before I decided to order a carrier from Mei Tai Baby. The carriers have good reviews on TheBabywearer.com, and the designs looked great from what I could see on the website. I saw this khaki-colored carrier in the Ready-to-Ship section of their shop and decided to go for it.

I am thrilled with this carrier. It is extremely well-made, the construction is flawless and the shape of the carrier is perfect. It's very comfortable, and look at how good it looks! I've worn it for several hours every day the past few days and it still feels great. At $89 the Mei Tai Baby costs about the same as many popular buckle carriers, and if I had to choose only one, I'd go with the Mei Tai Baby.

The only thing I wish I had done differently is to order the optional snap tab extender for an additional $3. The bottom of the front panel comes with snaps to cinch the carrier in for smaller babies, and B is currently in an in-between size where he's too big to sit in the carrier with it cinched, but too small to sit in it uncinched. This isn't a huge issue, I'm using a swaddle blanket in the carrier until the extender that I just ordered arrives, but it would have been nicer to have it from the get-go

Overall, the Mei Tai Baby is a beautiful way to carry your little one. It is so artfully made that I'm excited to wear it out of the house.

NursingPillow.com Review

If you're a new mom and you've signed up for anything mommyish online you've likely seen ads for a FREE NURSING PILLOW! from Nursingpillow.com. You might wonder who the suckers are that fall for these deals. Well, guess who? Meeeeeeee!

Here's how it happened: I already owned a Boppy Pillow, which I love. I wanted another nursing pillow to keep in the car. I thought I'd find something smaller or maybe I'd even spring for a travel nursing pillow. Because I am a mom on the go and all.

And then I saw the ad for a free nursing pillow. ($40 value!) I went to the website, which is spare but decent. The pillows looked good enough in the photos, and I figured all I had to lose was the cost of shipping. ($12, to be exact.) So I figured why not? I upgraded to the minky pillow, so for a total of $17 I placed an order for one of these mysterious nursing pillows.

The pillow arrived about two weeks after I ordered it in a pretty small box. I figured that meant it would be good for my travel pillow, right? Smallish is good for travel.

Here's the deal: This is a cheap pillow. Obviously. The minky fabric is soft but definitely inexpensive, and the pillow itself is much thinner than my Boppy pillow. The inner seam of the pillow is inexpertly sewn together. I'm just going to tell myself it was a handmade gift from a dear, unskilled niece. That gives it a certain charm.

These things are not tragedies, and alone I would say that the pillow is almost worth it for the relatively small price tag. But there's more: The Nursingpillow.com pillow has one major flaw:

It does not have a removable cover. Spot cleaning a throw pillow, for example, isn't such a big deal because how dirty is a throw pillow going to get? But a nursing pillow is a different story entirely, I mean it's a nursing pillow for crying out loud! That thing is going to have breastmilk, spit up, and urine spilled on it within a week.

And, I could be nitpicking here, but see those moms in the picture from the website? Those gorgeous, put-together, bleached-teeth smiley moms? I kind of hate them. I mean, who are the women that look that good while caring for an infant?

Bottom line: If you have an extra $17 lying around and you're one of those I won't believe it until I see it for myself people, go for it. Buy one of these pillows. But don't say I didn't warn you.

Shop and Eat! Northbrook Court Mall

After our first venture out of the house together I could not wait to go out again. However, B was born in December in Chicago, so wherever we go we need to be able to stay inside even if he has a major crying fit. I figured a shopping mall would be the perfect place--if he had a meltdown in one store I could just mosey on out, pop into a new place once he calmed down, and pretend I wasn't that mother.

Northbrook Court is the mall closest to our house, and though I've been there many times before I never realized just how baby-friendly it is.

First of all, there is a giant tree-shaped kiddie playground smack dab in the middle of the place. During the day this attracts a lot of kiddos and their moms or nannies. Spend a random afternoon in this place and you'll see a parade of the latest trendy kid and baby items on display. While I don't have anyone old enough to play on this tree yet, it's comforting to see a kid-friendly area in the middle of the mall.

Second, they actually have a nursing room. A NURSING ROOM! It's located in the second level bathroom near the dining area. It's a lovely, clean room with a locking door, a very comfortable glider, and a little table. These may exist in many places, but since I've only been nursing for ten weeks I've never noticed one before.

Third, there are several baby stores for you to wander around in with your little one. Gymboree, Janie and Jack, Hanna Anderson, and Gap Kids, to name a few.

Finally, there's a Gymboree Play and Music space, too, so you can actually take classes there with your little one.

But really, need I say more than nursing room? I mean, jackpot.

Also, Northbrook Court has several restaurants, so this has been my go-to place for lunch and dinner plans so far. I love that we can sit down in an actual restaurant for a meal, and I don't have to panic if B starts screaming. I can simply walk out and wander around the mall until he settles down. Perfection.

WearYOBaby: Chimparoo Woven Wrap

Okay, I'm just going to say it: If you have a baby and you aren't babywearing, you are missing out.

I loved wearing my son in my Moby wrap so much that I decided it was time to buy a woven wrap. I chose a Chimparoo woven, and it is hands-down my favorite new item I've bought since B was born.

The Good
The Chimparoo is a thick, beautiful woven wrap that can be tied in so many different ways. It is so versatile and so pretty that this will quickly become a wrap you reach for often. Because it is a woven wrap you can comfortably wear a heavier little one it, the Chimparoo company says up to 35 pounds. The wrap comes with a 75-minute DVD that very clearly shows you how to tie every carry, including special instructions for carrying newborns and for nursing in every carry.

I wore this wrap the day I bought it, and have reached for it every single day since. My favorite carry is the front wrap cross carry because I can tie it before we leave the house and slip B into it from his car seat when we reach our destination. It's also easy to pop him in and out of this carry.

I've gotten more attention wearing B in the Chimparoo than I have in my Moby and Lucky Baby wrap, probably because the Chimparoo really is a stunning wrap.

The Bad
The only negative I can think of for this is that it costs around $100, but here's the thing: $100 is affordable as far as woven wraps are concerned. So really, this is just another positive detail. It is a heavier wrap, so it's probably going to be too warm to wear in a hot Chicago summer--that's as close to a negative as I'm going to be able to get for this wrap!

Conclusions
The Chimparoo is an awesome woven wrap. You really cannot go wrong with this one. If you live in an extremely hot climate then it may not be for you, but otherwise the Chimparoo is a great woven wrap for any mama who wants to get out of the house with her baby!

WearYOBaby: Lucky Baby Wrap Review

I've already shared my love of babywearing, and how it's a wonderful way for mamas to get out of the house. Like any new enthusiastic convert, I've already purchased and used a couple of different wraps and carriers as a happy new babywearer.

I saw this Lucky Baby wrap on sale on Zulily and figured I might as well add another stretchy wrap to my stash. The Lucky Baby wrap has a decorated fabric panel in the middle of two long stretchy tails. Unlike the Moby, the Lucky Baby wrap tapers out towards the ends, and has much less fabric overall. I figured at the very least this wrap would be much prettier than my Moby, so I'd probably reach for it more.

The Good
The Lucky Baby wrap is pretty, and easier to tie than the Moby because there's much less fabric. It's also easier to throw in a bag and bring along with you because of it's smaller size. It is nicely constructed and easy to care for since it's machine washable.

The Bad
The Lucky Baby wrap is very stretchy, and it does not bounce back very much so it's prone to stretching out quickly while you wear it. This means you have to tie it on very tightly if you want to keep baby in a good position for more than a half hour or so. This also means it is not a good wrap for heavier babies. My son is just over 13 lbs at 8 weeks old, and I feel like this wrap is already too stretchy to wear him in for any length of time. While it is nicely constructed, the wrap does look handmade, especially on the center panel where the cut edge of the fabric is visible on the inside of the wrap.

Conclusions
The Lucky Baby wrap is a great starter wrap for new babywearers with newborns. It's easier to tie than other stretchy wraps, and this alone might be what a newbie needs to gain confidence babywearing before moving on to other wraps. The Lucky Baby wrap is not a good option for larger babies or even extended wear with newborns because it is far too stretchy and doesn't bounce back nearly as well as other stretchy wraps on the market.

Bottom line: If you have the extra cash to buy a starter wrap that you probably won't use very much, and you're intimidated by long panels of fabric on other stretchy wraps, go for it. Otherwise, you're better off starting out with a heftier stretchy wrap, or better yet, skip the stretchies and go straight for a woven.

Diaper Dude Diaper Bag Review

 

One thing that keeps new moms stuck at home with baby is the thought of how much stuff we're going to have to haul around if we leave the house. We've all seen mommies lumbering through crowded stores with their overburdened strollers and bags stuffed near to bursting. Going out with baby does not have to be this much work!

Babies do not need all that much stuff for an afternoon out. In fact, most days I don't even use 75% of what I carry in my diaper bag, and I carry about half as much as most mamas I see.

We use the Diaper Dude bag pictured above. I like it, it's roomy but not too big, and masculine enough that my husband isn't above wearing it. I don't carry a purse in addition to the diaper bag, either. 

What We Carry

In the large main pocket:

• One clean diaper cover (we cloth diaper)
• A small receiving blanket 
• A wet/dry bag
• Changing pad that came with the Diaper Dude
• Change of clothes for baby (a onesie and a pair of pants) in case of a major blowout
• Nursing tank in case of leakage or a major spit-up situation 
• My wallet 

In the first front pocket: 

• Two or three clean diapers

In the second front pocket:

• Wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Diaper cream (LOVE this diaper cream, by the way)

In the third front pocket:

• My tube of Aquaphor (I'm addicted to using it as chap stick)
• My cell phone 

In the back, no-zipper slot:

• A small washcloth for easy grabbing 

Okay,  now that I typed this all out it looks like a lot! Trust me, the bag is small and definitely not burdensome. If you really can't leave the house without ten extra diapers or three extra outfits, consider packing a security bag with all the extras to keep in the car. That way the stuff will be available to you, but you won't have to schlep it around when you're out with baby.

What do you carry in your diaper bag? What kind of diaper bag do you use?

FeedYOBaby In Public! Boob Nursing Tops

As a first-time mom I was nervous about nursing B in public. Would I be comfortable? Would people stare? Would I accidentally flash some boob the exact moment that a current student happens to walk by? When we got home from the hospital with B I realized I needed some nursing tops STAT, so I went online and bought a handful of what I thought would be decent nursing tops.

Wrong.

First of all, they were all of the pull-down-from-the-neck variety, which a) exposes the entire upper chest, and b) shows a bit too much cleavage even when not nursing for a busty woman like myself. They also became misshapen and hangy after a couple washes, which meant I was going to have to keep on buying new tops if I wanted to look like I wasn't wearing a trash bag draped over my shoulders.

Enter Boob nursing tops.

The first day of my new moms group I noticed a fellow new mom nursing her daughter without exposing one bit of skin. At first I thought that maybe her baby was just sleeping in a nursing position, but no! She was nursing yet mom's top remained covered. Now, I know we have the right to nurse in public, and I'm proud to nurse in public, but I'm a bit modest, okay?

My fellow new mom was wearing a Boob nursing top, and I had to have one. Instead of pulling down from the neck, many Boob tops have an overlap at the empire line so you can just lift up the fabric on your boob line and latch baby on without exposing a thing. Genius, right?

My glee at finding the holy grail of nursing tops was squashed when I saw the price tag. A long-sleeve top will put you back around $70, and a short sleeve around $60. I stared at those beautiful nursing tops in sadness for about ten seconds before I thought, "The hell with it! I deserve to be comfortable nursing, and I'm going to buy these outrageously expensive tops anyway. I dare DH to question this rash decision."

So I did.

They're wonderful. They're perfect for nursing BYOBaby moms who want to be out with baby but who aren't comfortable baring it all. I bought a long-sleeve and a short sleeve that day, and I love them both. They're machine washable, but line dried. I've washed them both several times and they haven't lost their shape or color yet. The fabric is nice and soft, and the best part is that I feel really good in them. They're cut to flatter, and nursing in them is so easy and discreet that people might not even notice that you're nursing at all.

I've since scoured the Internet to find deals on more Boob tops. I've been lucky with a few sites that are trying to sell off their winter inventory before spring comes in. My favorite so far has been the B-Warmer Hoodie, which is the coziest thing I wear nowadays. Sizing for different tops of the same style is consistent, but different styles fit differently: The knit tops run larger than all of the others, and the short sleeved tee runs larger than everything but the knit tops.

I'm surprised more companies aren't cutting their nursing tops this way. So far I found a Canadian company called Momzelle that has similar tops, as well as Singapore-based Milky Way. Of course, I had to order a top or two from each for comparison's sake. You know, for the blog.

WearYOBaby: Moby Wrap Review

I am all about getting out of the house, and the easiest way to do that is to wear your baby.

I knew before I had B that I'd want to wear him, so I picked up a Moby before he was born and practiced wrapping it. I know many people shy away from wraps because they look complicated to use, but I found that after doing it just twice I was able to wrap it once B came along without peeking at the instructions. If I can do it, you can too. Trust me.

I was desperate to start wearing B in the Moby around the house as soon as we got home, but waited until he was about two weeks old because I didn't want to bust open my C-section incision. Let me tell you something about my Moby: It was love at first wrap. Not only does it allow us to get some really great skin-to-skin action going on when I'm doing thing around the house (and by "doing things" I mean sitting around searching Zulily and watching movies,) but B absolutely loves being cuddled up close, and this is the best way to do it.

The Moby is a stretchy wrap, meaning the fabric has some give. The best advice I got about tying it was to tie it "ten minutes too tight"--tie it so it feels too tight at first, because it will loosen up a bit after about ten minutes. Stretchy wraps are great for newborns because they swaddle them up nice and tight. Moby says you can use the wrap until your little one weighs 35 pounds, but I'm pretty sure I'll be reaching for my woven wraps almost exclusively once B is that big.

One thing I did find was that B struggled a bit at first when I wore him using the newborn hold. He became much easier to put in the wrap once I started wearing him with his legs out. Either way, though, he typically falls asleep and stays asleep in the Moby for as long as I wear him. This is pretty awesome, because I don't have to fear that he'll start screaming in the middle of a crowded place and send me running out the door in shame.

So far, I've worn B out in the Moby to the mall, several restaurants, new moms group, and the movie theatre. We haven't had a screaming fit yet, so I'd say it's been a success. The best thing about the Moby is that you can pre-tie it at home before you leave, and then slip baby into it in the back seat of the car when you reach your destination. This is absolutely necessary for us right now since we're in the middle of a Chicago winter--try to tie your Moby in the parking lot and you'll end up with slush-soaked tails.

Of course, the Moby isn't the only stretchy wrap on the market. I just got my Lucky Baby stretchy wrap in the mail, so I'll do a write-up of that next. (Thankyouverymuch Zulily for your impossible-to-ignore deals.)

Linkies:

• Here's a great video showing an alternative way to tie your Moby
• Babywearing International of Chicagoland
• The Babywearer

Do you wear your baby? What's your favorite wrap? Any tips for new babywearers?

Shop and Take a Class! New Mother New Baby, Northbrook

This is the first place I took B to on my own, and it was the perfect place to go for our first outing. New Mother New Baby is an adorable baby and mom boutique that also offers classes and lactation counseling. It's owned by a wonderful lactation consultant, and they keep a full schedule of great classes for new moms and babies.

It's obviously baby friendly, so I didn't have to worry about what I would do if B started screaming or needed to nurse or be changed. This alone took so much pressure off of this first mom and baby outing. The store has a nice classroom in the back, and a "rest stop"--a private room outfitted with a sofa and changing tables so you can nurse and change your baby in comfort.

I'll never forget that day when B and I first ventured out on our own to attend the first meeting of our New Moms Group. I basically spent the entire morning obsessing over what I should bring, which meant I packed and unpacked the diaper bag at least three times. It was also the first time I actually put on makeup since B was born, and that alone had me feeling better than I had felt in weeks. I pre-tied my Moby at home so I could wear him into the class, and we were off. We made it to and through that first meeting without a hitch, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I felt like I could do anything when we got back into the car once the class was over. Now I look back and can't remember why I was so scared to take B out on my own, but I was, and this was the perfect destination to help me get over that fear.

In addition to great classes, New Mother New Baby has really adorable baby stuff and clothing for moms, and a staff of super nice women who can tell you anything you want to know about all of it. The upside to this is that you can shop after every class, and the downside to this is that . . . you can shop after every class. I've spent more than I care to share in that place. It is great to have a place where you can be introduced to and try out products that you never knew you needed. I actually have New Mother New Baby to blame for my obsession with Boob nursing tops, but I digress.

So, this or any other baby-friendly boutique is the perfect place to get out with baby, especially if you're a scaredy cat like me and haven't been able to leave the house alone yet. Don't wait! Once you have your first successful trip out alone you are going to have a hard time staying in.

Linkies:

• New Mother New Baby, Northbrook

Have a favorite Chicagoland baby boutique? Let us know!

BYOBaby to the Movies! AMC Randhurst

 Select AMC theatres host Bring Your Baby Matinees the first Tuesday of every month. That's right--we have the opportunity to see a first-run movie in a real theatre every. single. month. Giddyup.

I could not be more excited about this. My husband and I are huge movie fans, and pre-baby we spent nearly every Friday night at the movies. Theeeeeeen I got pregnant and that was the end of our weekly movie dates. I don't know about you, but hauling my big belly in and out of a crowded row for potty breaks every half hour was so not going to happen. And of course once baby got here movies were so out of the question, because you know, I didn't want to be that person--you know, the one who brings her screaming baby to a movie.

Enter AMC and their awesome BYBaby movies.

Every month AMC picks one movie for all participating theatres to show. February 2013's movie was Warm Bodies, the zombie-human love flick based on the book by the same name. Now I love a good zombie love flick, but honestly, they could have picked any movie and I would have gone. So Baby B, my pregnant girlfriend, and I headed out for some zombie love action.

We went to the AMC Randhurst 12 in Mount Prospect. New Kids on the Block were all the rage the last time I visited Randhurst, so I was shocked (and thrilled) to learn that the years have been goooood to this place. The theatre itself was clean and super nice. They have a great selection of traditional movie snacks and hot foods, and since this was the first movie I've seen in months you know I was looking forward to the snack bar.

When we picked up our tickets they gave us each a bib and some organic baby food samples. Surprise free stuff is THE BEST, isn't it?

The theatre itself was awesome. The seats were big and comfy, and get this--the entire right side of the theatre was lined with booth seating with tables for four. We grabbed a booth and quickly spread our snacks and stuff all over our very own table.

There were only three other mommies with babies there, plus one woman who, judging from her death stares every time a baby cried, clearly didn't realize it was a BYBaby movie. The sound was at its normal level for previews, but the movie itself had slightly lowered sound which is great for baby's ears. They also kept the lights up just a bit so we could easily see baby the entire time.

Overall, it was a great experience. We nursed, we cried, we ate junk food, and we did it all without fear of being shamed out of the theatre because it was a BYOBaby movie, damnit! But the best part was that it felt so human to sit in a movie theatre after being cooped up at home for so many weeks.

March's movie is Beautiful Creatures, another book adaptation. I don't know why AMC thinks moms have a thing for supernatural flicks, but it doesn't matter to me, I will definitely be there.

 

 Now, how do we convince AMC to host a BYBaby Saturday night flick so working mamas can get in on the fun?

Have you taken baby to the movies? How did it go? Any rants or raves for specific Chicagoland theatres? Let us know!

BYOBaby Out to Eat! Nibbles Play Cafe, Wheeling

I haven't been here but it looks as baby-friendly as you can get! I'll update with a review once I check it out,
 
Nibbles Play Cafe, Wheeling

Anyone been here? What did you think?

BYOBaby Out for Coffee!

Pining away for those pre-baby day when you could make a cup of coffee last an hour on a lazy afternoon? Here's a great article from ChicagoParent.com with reviews of kid-friendly coffeehouses in Chicagoland. 

I'll update with reviews once I visit some of these places!

Been to a great baby-friendly coffeehouse? Do tell.