We knew that even if nursed for a year, we'd be using bottles and all their doo-dads because of going back to work. However, we wound up having to switch to the medical formula so most of my breastfeeding "gear" was only used for 2+ months. I decided to review it anyway since I did have an opinion on most of it!
Space Saver High chair - Our kitchen is pretty small floor space wise and has a step down into the family room. Due to that step down, we didn't want extra furniture crammed in there that could fall. Even an adult sitting at the kitchen table doesn't feel like thinking about a step being right behind their chair. Every "real" high chair we looked at just had such a big footprint that we couldn't imagine it fitting easily in the kitchen without getting a smaller kitchen table. It seemed more logical to get a high chair that just went right on one of our extra chairs. Extra pro: Ours reclines, so he was able to sit in it with us at the table from a pretty early age. It was amazing how many more meals we were both able to eat hot once we moved him into the high chair! It also had removable shoulder straps. We don't use them anymore, but they were great for when he could only kind of sit up. (Status: Received as gift. Would have purchased. Would have considered new if I could find a clean one. A lot of food related items don't look clean no matter how many times you wash them due to the extreme beating they take!)
Portable high chair – We haven’t used this yet, but that’s because he hasn’t been sitting for super long
and the places we’ve been have had high chairs. We had it packed to take to a
friends house that doesn’t have a baby and can see how it will be useful
eventually. (Status: received as gift. Would have waited until we needed it to
buy it for ourselves.)
Pump – I started hearing
rumor of these being covered under the new healthcare laws and made some phone
calls. With my insurance plan, I was able to walk into a semi local pharmacy
and walk out with a double electric one for free. At the time I was thinking
I’d need it for school, which is why I wanted double and electric. In the long
run, I wound up not needing it very long but it did buy me the extra 10 days
where I tried to clean my milk of dairy and soy enough for the baby to not
react. (Status: received with insurance. Would have purchased one. Probably
would have even splurged on the one insurance bought me. Although the milk does
not go into the machine and from everything I can get a visual on it doesn’t
appear that you’d need anything other than tubes with someone else’s, I
wouldn’t do used.)
Pump bra – A friend who was
in the midst of a couple weeks of marathon pumping gifted me with this because
she could see the benefit. It was GREAT for the 10 days that I pumped around
the clock. To have hands free was life saving that week, since I often had to
be feeding the baby or entertaining the baby while I was pumping. If you are
planning on pumping, I highly recommend something like this. I’ve seen DIY
versions where you can cut holes in a sports bra or something, but I will say
the real deal was nice. (Status: received as gift. Would have been my first
purchase during my pumping marathon week. Would have bought new since it’s
technically underwear.)
Bottles – We chose to use Playtex Vent Aires in the standard width. I wanted the thinner bottles to fit
in the diaper bag, but I understand why many want the wider bottles and nipples
since they supposedly are similar to the real thing. I thought the vents were a
gimmick at first, but in comparison to the bottles that came with the pump, he
definitely got less air into him and burped less. (Sometimes he didn’t need to
burp at all – we can hear the air coming out of the vents while he eats.) The
down side of these is the amount of parts. Cap, nipple, ring, bottle, vent
disc, and bottom. That’s a lot of washing. I would use these again if we have
another kid. Suggested amount: The number of bottles you use in a day x2 +1. We
use 5 a day and have 11 and that works well. That way the bedtime-not-yet-eaten
bottle is in the fridge waiting and I can prep tomorrow’s bottles which have
been drying since last night’s washing. (Status: purchased ourselves. Bought
new.)
Sterilizing bags – I honestly don’t use these at all. I bought them because I was looking for a way
to save time with bottle washing. But you have to wash them first before using
the bag! We run them through the dishwasher once in awhile instead. (I also
wanted the sterilizing kit that went in the microwave, but decided against it
since I don’t use the bags which were the cheapy option.) (Status: purchased
ourselves. Purchased new, however I’ve seen boxes of them sealed at yard sales
and I’d probably buy them.)
Milk freezer bags – These were quite useful, and would have continued to be if I could have kept nursing
after going back to work. I highly recommend Target brand rather than Medela
brand. They’re thicker plastic and cheaper. I did notice that I couldn't really trust the ounce markings on the bag because it changed depending on how wide you opened the bottom. I just marked it with sharpie since I was freezing them flat anyway. (Status: purchased ourselves.)
Nursing pads – Must have. I
know some people buy the washable ones for comfort or to be more green, but
everyone at work recommended the disposable ones for longer term (work day amounts of time without having to remember them) use so
that’s what I bought. I never had one fail and I just used BRU brand. I did
have a sample pack of a nicer brand and they were shaped a little nicer to fit
in a more rounded way, but the BRU did the trick for me. (Status: purchased.
New.)
Bottle drying rack – Must
have, especially if you’re bottle feeding. We have the most basic model and it
does the trick. (Status: purchased new. Did not consider used, but ours was so
cheap I didn’t think twice about buying it new.)
Dishwasher basket for
bottle parts – Useful. We don’t use our dishwasher every day, usually only
about 2x a week. On those days we try to get bottle parts in there. (Status:
received as gift. Would have purchased. Probably would have purchased a 2 pack of a cheaper brand but rarely do we even fill the one basket and this one has held up nicely. Maybe it was worth the extra couple bucks. I find that very few 'Munchkin' brand products hold up, even though they're cheaper and tempting.)
Bibs – Ones that have plastic on the back or have a waterproof inner layer. We didn’t use them much
at first and just used a washcloth as a bib during feedings. Then the teeth
started. For each tooth, there’s 10-14 days of constant drool. The waterproof
bibs keep us from having to change him multiple times a day. (Status: purchased
ourselves, with a couple as gifts here and there. Would buy new because they’re
wearing out already with constant use. Will buy new if we have another kid. Tired of every picture having a bib sometimes!)
Bottle brush – We have a
couple. The Dr. Brown’s one is worth the extra money. The sponge part is softer
than the cheaper ones and it foams better so I use a lot less soap. (The Munchkin ones are blech. Very scratchy. I may not have noticed that if I hadn't had the Dr. Brown's one first.) (Received
as a gift.)
Formula pitcher – We use our
Dr. Brown’s formula pitcher every day. If it broke, I’d buy another the same
day. Formula can only be made in specified amounts because it’s 1 scoop to 2
ounces of water. When your baby is eating amounts in between 2 ounce increments,
it’s no fun to waste formula. This allows us to make his daily amount all at
once and pour it into bottles. (Status: purchased ourselves to solve a problem.
Would buy it again if it broke. Bought new.)
Formula canister – There
are different versions. The new Munchkin one is more pumpkin shaped and the
different sections of the canister aren’t sealed as well. The formula moves
from one to the other. What’s the point, then? The old Munchkin flat top one isgreat. We used to use this a lot, once he changed amounts that he eats in a
sitting and we got the pitcher, we stopped using this. If you’re a formula person,
I’d recommend having one. On the go, it’s easier to have this and some water
than a pre-made bottle since you don’t have to keep it refrigerated or with an
ice pack. (One of the few Munchkin things we got that I like!) (Status: received 1 as gift,
bought another for vacation. Bought new.)
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