To Stroller or Not To Stroller (& Other Tales from the Baby Gear Section)
In the first few months after Munch was born, I must have burned terabytes searching for, clicking on, and reading post upon article upon post on the world wide web with information on how to better care for your firstborn. This included looking for shopping lists for baby gear.
I don't like spending unnecessarily, and baby stuff costs so much, which is why I tried to do my research before actually going out and buying anything. So this post is about what I have found to be invaluable, which purchases I'd gladly repeat if I were to do it over again, and which ones I wish I could have refunded. This is all based on my experience and all my point of view.
Crib vs. Playpen.
My siblings and I grew up owning, sleeping and eventually playing in one of those sturdy wooden cribs in the 80s. Naturally, it was top of mind when I got pregnant, and it was a foregone conclusion in the beginning that I would get a crib. I did look at some playpens before making my decision, and the choice initially threw me for a loop primarily because they were cheaper. Some were even portable. In the end, I went for the crib.
When Munchlax was a newborn, we tried to put him to sleep in it, but he'd wake up, be inconsolable, and end up falling asleep on either my husband or me. This went on until his fourth month. After that, we put him to sleep next to us and he just co-slept with us constantly. He's only in the crib when he wants to play, and he never likes to be kept there for very long.
If I were to do it over again knowing what I know now, maybe, MAYBE, I would have gone for the cheaper, more compact, playpen, just to serve its purpose: as a PLAY-PEN.
But this is a big maybe. I'd probably still get a crib. It's hard to fight against experience. LOL.
Musical Mobile.
A lot of mommies online swore that the mobile was very useful in pacifying and distracting a fussy baby. Fortunately, we were given a wind-up one at our baby shower so I didn't have to drop big bucks on one. Oh. My. God. Was it ever so effective. Pardon my language, but it literally, shut him up. (I'm sorry Munch, but it did.) My regret is not having bought a battery-operated mobile, or at least added it to our baby registry, as I had to get my sleepy self up every time the music stopped to wind it up again.
Strollers and Slings.
Ah, the stroller and the sling! We got both. The sling was surprisingly expensive and also, in the words of my career, very technique-sensitive. And even if I was willing to figure it all out, Munch wasn't -- I'd put him in it, and he'd get cranky because he'd feel warm -- and obviously, it wouldn't work without him.
What he did adapt to later on was the baby carrier that was gifted to us by close friends. He took to it at about 7 or 8 months, but by then he was a significant weight that it made it hard for our backs to carry him that way for long hours.
The stroller was useful for this, of course, although we actually didn't get one until Munch was about two or three months old, and only after I had been through probably all the local parenting forums and sites and read about which strollers were worth it and which ones all the other mommies were getting. I admit I was hesitant on buying one after reading that some babies don't get to use it and just go straight from being carried to walking, and in fact, it did make me a bit nervous when Munch didn't want to be put in it in the early months. But now he's in that stage of "I want to go out and see stuff but I'm still learning to walk", so the stroller has been quite overworked, as all good strollers should be, I think.
Ours is a Peg Perego, which is quite expensive but has good reviews, and is wonderful to fold away for storage or packing in the trunk. My other choice would have been a Combi, a very lightweight Japanese brand sold at Hobbes and Landes stores in Greenbelt and Boni High Street. I tried its one-hand, auto-folding mechanism and was shocked at the technology. (Also made me marvel more at the Japanese mind. Gawd, they think of everything.) However, I saw that the Combi strollers had small, thin wheels, and I read that, apparently, some people had problems with them breaking.
Since I'm sharing, from my research (do note that this was early last year so it's probably outdated), the popular foreign brand for local mommies is Maclaren, that boasts the ultra-lightweight Volo stroller which is favored by families vacationing abroad. The "dream" stroller is the Stokke Xplory, which is priced at about 70,000PHP in Mothercare. (Honestly, it's beautiful and I can understand why it's the "dream" stroller, but I wouldn't be able to reconcile spending that much money on one.) If you like a branded stroller but can't afford a new one, it's possible to buy one secondhand, and sites like Sulit.com.ph, Multiply, Ebay.ph, and AyosDito.ph can be very helpful in this regard. (Sometimes these sites even yield shops that sell brand new but priced lower than the malls.) Like most things, make sure you can see and test the product first. Pictures can be photoshopped, after all.
Bouncer (Also, Rocker and Swing).
Oh, those first few months when I would try anything just to get my baby to sleep so I could do stuff! This was one of those valiant efforts. To its credit, there were times it worked. I'm kind of 50/50 on this being a must-buy though.
Baby Car Seat.
Ah. The baby car seat. Now, in the U.S. and other western countries, I understand this is one of those things you cannot compromise on. The law actually requires you to get one. I mean, I remember reading about celebrities like Britney Spears carrying her baby while sitting in the front passenger seat and being pulled over by police officers! (Okay, I'm not sure if that was while she was driving, too, but that really is questionable.)
This being the Philippines, we're not used to car seats. Car seats are an extra expense, and why have a car seat when you can have a nanny? And even if you don't have a nanny, I've seen people drive with their babies in the front. I've seen people RIDE THEIR MOTORCYCLES WITH BABIES like it's no big deal. For me, this is a BIG DEAL because I have a bias against motorcyclists. Nothing personal. I just think they're altogether a reckless bunch. And to jeopardize their children in the process...
Okay, ranting and digressing now. Going back...
Car seats are not as highly regarded here as in the west. Plus, I think there are no laws to support the requirement, and people would probably rally against it because who could afford one?
Honestly, I never thought about getting a car seat. But when you don't have a nanny and you have no choice but to bring your baby with you to errands instead of leaving him at home, then the need for it becomes more apparent. The price makes me hesitate--they're about the same as high-end branded strollers--but, also like strollers, you can check online for people who are selling almost-like-new secondhand ones. If you time it just right, those sellers will have a new shipment from out of the country, so at least you'll be able to choose.
Electric BreastPump.
This is an absolute must-have if you're intent on breastfeeding your baby. Well, at least for me. Hand-pumping gets tiring after a while so why not make use of the wonders of living in the 21st century? In this vein, I'd like to thank all the scientists responsible for inventing breast pumps. (I will try not to wonder about why you are all men... who, I suppose, do not possess lactating mammary glands. Nor will I question how you were able to test your inventions. Really. I don't want to know.) I'd also like to thank Benjamin Franklin, Michael Faraday, Georg Ohm, Alessandro Volta and all you other guys who had something to do with electricity (whose names all escape me, but that's why we have the internet and wikipedia. Damn. I guess I have to thank those people, too.) Without all you people, where would we modern moms be?
Aaand, this post has now disintegrated into blabber.
Anyway, to summarize:
Crib - 50/50
Playpen - Yes.
Sling - Toss it!
Stroller - GET ONE!
Bouncer - You'll probably survive without one.
Musical Mobile - Yes! I recommend it.
Baby Car Seat - Yes, if you don't have help or are not planning on getting a nanny.
Electric Breastpump - A MUST BUY for breastfeeders.
I don't like spending unnecessarily, and baby stuff costs so much, which is why I tried to do my research before actually going out and buying anything. So this post is about what I have found to be invaluable, which purchases I'd gladly repeat if I were to do it over again, and which ones I wish I could have refunded. This is all based on my experience and all my point of view.
Crib vs. Playpen.
My siblings and I grew up owning, sleeping and eventually playing in one of those sturdy wooden cribs in the 80s. Naturally, it was top of mind when I got pregnant, and it was a foregone conclusion in the beginning that I would get a crib. I did look at some playpens before making my decision, and the choice initially threw me for a loop primarily because they were cheaper. Some were even portable. In the end, I went for the crib.
When Munchlax was a newborn, we tried to put him to sleep in it, but he'd wake up, be inconsolable, and end up falling asleep on either my husband or me. This went on until his fourth month. After that, we put him to sleep next to us and he just co-slept with us constantly. He's only in the crib when he wants to play, and he never likes to be kept there for very long.
If I were to do it over again knowing what I know now, maybe, MAYBE, I would have gone for the cheaper, more compact, playpen, just to serve its purpose: as a PLAY-PEN.
But this is a big maybe. I'd probably still get a crib. It's hard to fight against experience. LOL.
Musical Mobile.
A lot of mommies online swore that the mobile was very useful in pacifying and distracting a fussy baby. Fortunately, we were given a wind-up one at our baby shower so I didn't have to drop big bucks on one. Oh. My. God. Was it ever so effective. Pardon my language, but it literally, shut him up. (I'm sorry Munch, but it did.) My regret is not having bought a battery-operated mobile, or at least added it to our baby registry, as I had to get my sleepy self up every time the music stopped to wind it up again.
Strollers and Slings.
Ah, the stroller and the sling! We got both. The sling was surprisingly expensive and also, in the words of my career, very technique-sensitive. And even if I was willing to figure it all out, Munch wasn't -- I'd put him in it, and he'd get cranky because he'd feel warm -- and obviously, it wouldn't work without him.
 |
| It's almost annoying how they make it look so easy. |
The stroller was useful for this, of course, although we actually didn't get one until Munch was about two or three months old, and only after I had been through probably all the local parenting forums and sites and read about which strollers were worth it and which ones all the other mommies were getting. I admit I was hesitant on buying one after reading that some babies don't get to use it and just go straight from being carried to walking, and in fact, it did make me a bit nervous when Munch didn't want to be put in it in the early months. But now he's in that stage of "I want to go out and see stuff but I'm still learning to walk", so the stroller has been quite overworked, as all good strollers should be, I think.
 |
| The Peg Perego Si |
Since I'm sharing, from my research (do note that this was early last year so it's probably outdated), the popular foreign brand for local mommies is Maclaren, that boasts the ultra-lightweight Volo stroller which is favored by families vacationing abroad. The "dream" stroller is the Stokke Xplory, which is priced at about 70,000PHP in Mothercare. (Honestly, it's beautiful and I can understand why it's the "dream" stroller, but I wouldn't be able to reconcile spending that much money on one.) If you like a branded stroller but can't afford a new one, it's possible to buy one secondhand, and sites like Sulit.com.ph, Multiply, Ebay.ph, and AyosDito.ph can be very helpful in this regard. (Sometimes these sites even yield shops that sell brand new but priced lower than the malls.) Like most things, make sure you can see and test the product first. Pictures can be photoshopped, after all.
Bouncer (Also, Rocker and Swing).
Oh, those first few months when I would try anything just to get my baby to sleep so I could do stuff! This was one of those valiant efforts. To its credit, there were times it worked. I'm kind of 50/50 on this being a must-buy though.
Baby Car Seat.
Ah. The baby car seat. Now, in the U.S. and other western countries, I understand this is one of those things you cannot compromise on. The law actually requires you to get one. I mean, I remember reading about celebrities like Britney Spears carrying her baby while sitting in the front passenger seat and being pulled over by police officers! (Okay, I'm not sure if that was while she was driving, too, but that really is questionable.)
This being the Philippines, we're not used to car seats. Car seats are an extra expense, and why have a car seat when you can have a nanny? And even if you don't have a nanny, I've seen people drive with their babies in the front. I've seen people RIDE THEIR MOTORCYCLES WITH BABIES like it's no big deal. For me, this is a BIG DEAL because I have a bias against motorcyclists. Nothing personal. I just think they're altogether a reckless bunch. And to jeopardize their children in the process...
Okay, ranting and digressing now. Going back...
Car seats are not as highly regarded here as in the west. Plus, I think there are no laws to support the requirement, and people would probably rally against it because who could afford one?
Honestly, I never thought about getting a car seat. But when you don't have a nanny and you have no choice but to bring your baby with you to errands instead of leaving him at home, then the need for it becomes more apparent. The price makes me hesitate--they're about the same as high-end branded strollers--but, also like strollers, you can check online for people who are selling almost-like-new secondhand ones. If you time it just right, those sellers will have a new shipment from out of the country, so at least you'll be able to choose.
Electric BreastPump.
 |
| An expense I don't regret. |
Aaand, this post has now disintegrated into blabber.
Anyway, to summarize:
Crib - 50/50
Playpen - Yes.
Sling - Toss it!
Stroller - GET ONE!
Bouncer - You'll probably survive without one.
Musical Mobile - Yes! I recommend it.
Baby Car Seat - Yes, if you don't have help or are not planning on getting a nanny.
Electric Breastpump - A MUST BUY for breastfeeders.
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