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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 84 Comments · by

Pumping Tuesday: Juno Tote

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Juno Blu Esalen Breast Pump ToteIf you’re not a fan of the standard black nylon tote that your pump may have come with, this lovely breast pump tote (in both mushroom, pictured, and black) looks great. I like the texture, the sleek look, and the details like the thermo-insulated pocket, the two included ice packs, and the regular tote details like interior pockets for your cellphone and keys. Lovely. The bag is $185 at Nordstrom. Juno Blu ‘Esalen’ Breast Pump Tote

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(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

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Comments

  1. MSJ says

    Did anyone else read yesterdays NYTimes’ op-ed The Workplace Culture that Flying Nannies Won’t Fix
    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/24/opinion/the-workplace-culture-that-flying-nannies-wont-fix.html
    In a recent survey, 60% of male executives have spouses who don’t work full time outside of the home compared to only 10% of the women, which ends up perpetuating “the ideal male work model”.
    And amen to this: “We need to reimagine leadership so that the ideal workers are not the ones who stay at work the latest, but the ones who get all their work done and leave at a reasonable hour…”

    • Anon says

      Thanks for sharing! I hadn’t seen this yet.

      Does anyone know of good articles about how to change the 24/7 culture of work? (Not that I can do it on my own.) I didn’t feel that these really went to that but I see it as the major problem in fields like law. In my world it isn’t enough to get your work done because you are still “on call” and expected to be available (even for non-emergencies) at all hours of the day and night.

    • Quail says

      Yes, and I ended up feeling like this is never going to change. I’ve read about every article out there and maybe I’m just in a period of pessimism, but I don’t think there’s a clear solution beyond changing the expectation from “long hours” to “work done”. And I don’t know how that happens. I’m not opposed to a “male work model” as 9-5 rather than flex time; I am opposed to “robot work model” with 24/7 access, because no one male or female actually work-works that much. I feel like I just read an article about how unproductive most workers are during the work day, and from the experiences of friends, it seems like the real problem for them is the timing of work – getting an assignment at 5 PM from a partner, or having a consulting client demand something in the afternoon that could have come either earlier, or the next day. I don’t know how to fix that beyond hard-line “no work” times at night, and resolving to not do that when I’m in a position to make those choices.

      I hope that men in my generation (I’m a cusp “millennial”) will demand some broader policy and culture change, because unfortunately that’s where I think it has to come from, but from the conversations my attorney husband had with my male law school peers about his taking parental leave I’m not sure it will.

  2. PreginVA says

    Wanted to thank everyone for the helpful, reassuring comments yesterday. I’ll check out some books from the library and look into the classes at Inova and VHC. Really appreciate it!

    • Car seat Q from yesterday says

      And another thank you from me! I read and really thought about every single comment, and then my husband read every single comment. He now ‘gets’ why I take so much advice from other commenters on here.

      Thank you!

    • Anonymous says

      Not sure if it was mentioned yesterday, but VHC also has an awesome breastfeeding support group (if you’re planning to bf). It was so helpful to me for getting started – I showed up 4 days postpartum, nearly in tears, and was successfully nursing by the end of the session. It meets Wednesday at noon and Thursday at 10:30, I believe, and you just show up (no need to register or anything).

  3. Lulu says

    I want to say thanks as well for the stoller advice. Leaning towards the Cruz, but still on the fence. So maybe we will just wait for the baby (or at least winter) to come. :)

  5. (was) due in june says

    I go back to work in a month and am starting to look at stuff like breast pump totes. What others do people like? What features are important? I have a mini-fridge and an office with a door. What else do I need? If this had been covered in a previous thread, please feel free to point me in that direction.

    Also, why are nice looking nursing tops so hard to find?!

    • Preemie Mom says

      Extra pumping parts so you don’t have to wash at the office. I pump 3 times so I bring 3 sets to the office, and I use the Madela wipes to wipe them down after using them so they don’t get too gross. Also helps to have another extra set of parts that you keep at the office for emergencies, and a package of extra membranes (since those tend to rip after a while and need to be replaced). Keep your hands-free pumping bra at the office, and get an extra one for home if you need it – one less thing to remember. Also, if at all possible, really helps to have a pump at home and one at the office – at the very least, an inexpensive hand pump for the office that you keep there, just in case. Finally, the Madela 4-bottle cooler with specially-shaped ice pack is great for transporting.

      • SC says

        +1 to all of this. And I carry all of my stuff in a regular travel/gym bag (an old Kate Spade one that I was under-using). I carry my pump back and forth, but it’s not a big deal for me because I drive to work and park in my building.

    • POSITA says

      I used one set of valves and put them in a tupperware between pumping sessions, but wiped the flanges with a Medela wipe and left them out to dry so they wouldn’t be cold from the fridge. It was great to have extra bottles and pumping parts. Sash an extra set at the office, and have at least one extra set in case you don’t have the time or energy to wash some nights. I also stashed extra bottles at the office in case I ever had to work late.

      I also gave up on pumping clothes and just got a big throw to wrap around while half dressed. It was nice to be able to wear normal clothes.

      I kept my good pump at the office, and kept the freebie from insurance at home. The insurance pump wasn’t as nice, but worked in a pinch. It was really nice not carrying the pump back and forth. It just stayed plugged in under my desk.

      • (was) due in june says

        I got a medela pump in style from insurance. Is that a good one? Seems to work well but I have no comparison. And I’m almost always in my office so the optimal scenario is I buy another pump so one lives at work and one lives at home?

        • RDC says

          Yes – buy an extra to keep at home. If you’re open to it, you could probably buy a used one off of someone in a neighborhood moms group or similar. My keep-at-home pump is a used one and is a bit older but still works in a pinch. (Get the same kind so all the parts are compatible!)

    • MDMom says

      I was about to ask a similar question. I am planning to leave pump at work because I am super lazy and forgetful. I bought the Medela manual pump to keep at home just in case. I haven’t used it yet but it wasn’t too expensive and seems much lighter and more portable.

      My question is- are pumping bras worth it? Do I take off my regular bra and put on the pumping bra when time to pump? I bought sort of the cheap version of a hands free bra– its a shoelace type contraption that looks like some sort of BDSM device. I think it might leave me more exposed than I’m comfortable being at the office, just in case someone accidentally walks in… Also my office is cold.

      • TK says

        Totally worth it, you’ll wear it 3-4 times a day. You can buy the bondage type (I had a simple wishes) or cut slits in a sports bra for a diy version. I pumped in the car on occasion and just wore these during the trip; at the office I changed into pumping bra whenever I pumped.

      • Pumping Question says

        Get the Dairy Fairy Arden bra. It works as both a nursing and pumping bra and is amazing. I prefer it to the simple wishes one. I’d suggest sizing up as I have medium Bravado and medium Arden and wish I had gotten a large in the Arden. That said, I still love it.

    • TK says

      In addition to above

      – Change of clothes, spillage happens.

      – Also, don’t know if your door locks or not, but a rubber door stopper (in addition to a sign) saved me from several embarrassing intrusions while pumping at work. I opted to be very frank with my sign, in an attempt to de-stigmatize breastfeeding: “Do not enter – pumping breastmilk.” But opinions will differ on word choice.

    • Anonymous says

      I just bought another pump and left it at the office. Less to carry back and forth. No special tote needed. Just a ziplock bag for used/new parts and then the expressed milk in little insulated bags with cool packs for 30 min. commute. I’d highly recommend looking into getting a second pump to keep at work.

    • Katarina says

      I brought my pump back and forth each day, but I had an Ameda, which I think is smaller, and I have a driving commute, so it is virtually not extra work, because the bottles and pump parts are so much bigger, and need to be carried every day. I had a hand pump, which I used exactly once, because my hand hurt too much before I got much milk out. I reused the pump parts for each pump of the day, I put them in a ziplock bag in the fridge. The pumping bra was vita, the Simple Wishes one was great. I wore a nursing bra, so I turned down the cups, and strapped on the pumping bra with the flanges. I also recommend lots of extra pump parts and bottles, to reduce the need for washing. I did not wear special nursing tops, I either pulled my top up or completely removed it. I did avoid wearing dresses. Early on I always removed my top because I was worried about spillage. I had a lock on my door, so I was not too concerned about being walked in on, although my current office does not have a lock.

    • Quail says

      Thanks for posting – I’m going back to work in a week and a half and am debating about impulse purchasing a second pump, as I’ll likely need to pump at home after kid goes to bed to get enough milk for the next day at day care. The thought of bringing everything back and forth sounds like a recipe for losing stuff and my mind. Or I might just supplement with formula.

      As for nursing tops, I have just given up. I take it all off for pumping but wear a sports bra/cardigan and wear a tank top underneath my top shirt for nursing in public. I’m banking on the fact that if someone walks in while I’m pumping the level of visibility is the same even if the ridiculous level is high.

    • EB0220 says

      Parts: I use one set of towers and flanges per day. I have an extra Medela cooler + ice pack to store them in between sessions. The flanges are cold initially but hasn’t bothered me too much.

      Spare Parts: I have one full set of spare parts (towers, flanges, two bottles) at the office. I also have a spare breastpump that I inherited from my SIL. I know you’re not supposed to share but it’s only an emergency backup, and I’ve never used it. It’s also useful to have a spare set of tubing in case you spill milk or something. They are hard to clean and need to dry fully before use.

      Bra: I have the hands-free Medela bra. It’s not the highest quality but it’s survived almost a year of pumping 3+ times a day.

      Clothes: I wear mostly dresses, and just unzip and pull the top down during pumping. I have a soft pashmina to cover up with. It keep me warm and covered.

      Office Signs: My office doesn’t lock, but I have used the door stop idea with great success. I also have a sign on my office door that says “Please do not disturb.” The only time I’ve ever been walked in on was when I forgot to put up the sign and use the door stop. (Oops.) But I was covered so it wasn’t a big deal. I’ve told most people what I am doing, so that discourages them from interrupting me when the sign is up.

      • Quail says

        Tangent – my main/only breast pump is a used one I got from a friend when she got a new one from her insurance. (My insurance only covered a manual pump, thanks for the generosity, insurance!) I used new tubes/flanges/bottles and am not sure why it would be dangerous or unsanitary to use a pump from a friend or relative (or even a stranger, though that squicks me out more.) The pump is just creating suction through the tubes…right?

        I think it’s a ploy on the manufacturer’s part to prevent a resale market in a long lived but short-term use product.

        • Katarina says

          Some pumps are open systems, and milk can get back into the tubes. The Medela PISA and Freestyle are both open systems. Some pumps, such as the Ameda Purely Yours, is a closed system, and milk cannot get back to the pump. All hospital grade pumps are closed systems.

          • Quail says

            Ah, I see. I guess it is still a risk I’m willing to take if I know the person, but would be uneasy with an open system pump from someone I didn’t know.

          • ChiSquared says

            I have dissected a Medela Pump in Style pump, and it is easily cleanable if milk does somehow travel all the way up the tubes and into the pump itself. The pump mechanism is a piston that pushes on a rubber diaphragm to generate suction. The diaphragm is the only thing that could come into contact with milk, and it can be removed and disinfected. Definitely an industry ploy to claim non-cleanable.

          • Meg Murry says

            The issue is that tiny atomized milk particles could theoretically get behind that diaphragm and into the body of the motor itself, because it is still an open system. In theory, this could spread a disease that is spread by bodily fluids, like HIV. In reality, there has never been a reported case of a disease spread by a shared open breast pump, although I have heard ancedata of thrush (yeast) infections that popped up after using a pump previously used by someone else.

            My personal opinion is that I’d use a pump from someone I know well, but I wouldn’t buy a random one off Craigslist or ebay. And I’d ask the person if they had a history of thrush, because the 2 times I had it were my own definition of hell.

            http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/pumps.shtml#sthash.gxuY0nwE.dpbs

  6. Preemie Mom says

    I have this tote (in black), so thought I’d give my two cents. I love how it looks – I get lots of compliments on it, and people seem to have no idea its a pumping bag. Just unpacking it from the box made me happy. On the minus side, though, I wish it were just a tiny bit bigger so I could use it as an all-in-one bag for business day trips. I have difficulty fitting a 15-inch MacBook Air and/or a few paper files, in addition to my pumping stuff. With some careful packing, however, I have made it work as my briefcase for a day trip – it holds my pump, one Madela cooler, two sets of pumping parts, three types of power adapters (car, wall, battery pack), cleaning wipes, my laptop and a handful of papers, and my wallet/keys/phone. But I prefer to have a little more room to maneuver in my bags, so I don’t feel like an over-packed crazy person when getting something out of my bag in a business context.

  7. Anon S says

    I am not back to work yet, so I am not speaking from experience, but wouldn’t it be easier to buy another pump so that you can have one at the office and one at home?

    • EB0220 says

      This works well if you are in your office every day. If you’re out and about more often, it’s better to keep the pump with you. I’m usually in my office, but I almost always forget to grab my pump the night before a training class/out of office meeting/etc. Very annoying!

    • Babyweight says

      Yes, I bought another pump. Highly recommend that strategy. When I traveled, I found the bag that the pump came in worked just fine.

    • Katarina says

      It was not that much easier for me, because I still had to tote my bottles and pump parts every day, my pump only added a few extra inches. I used the bag the pump came in, though. At first I kept my pump at work, but than I had a mini-nursing strike which required pumping, and it was terribly stressful to try to learn how to use my hand pump after midnight after dealing with a screaming baby who would not nurse for hours.

  8. Anon S says

    Kat (or anyone else) – I’m no longer seeing the box to click so that I get email notifications when someone replies. Is this a glitch on my end or the site’s end?

    • Non Mom says

      Not sure about this s!te, but this feature was recently removed from the main s!te as part of a “fix” for all the tech issues.

  9. D. Meagle says

    Question about crying it out. I am not opposed to it, but wanted to get a sense of what is normal/how long to let someone cry. I tried it with varying levels of success with my first born; she is now a decent sleeper. I wanted to avoid the mistakes I made with her with my son, but I am afraid it is too late (he is 12 months)! I’ve put him in his crib for bedtime and tried to let him cry it out, but just wails. I’d stop in to his room to reassure him, try to get him to lay down (once he could pull up, he would pull up and scream standing up), but the wailing just doesn’t stop. Somewhere between 45 – 60 minutes of this it starts to feel really inhumane so someone picks up him and rocks him to sleep (with him falling asleep once we sit in the chair). Now he generally falls asleep in his stroller, gets moved into his crib and then wakes up a few times during the night (with the same pattern of wailing until he is picked up or placed in his stroller). Sometimes a small bottle will help (2oz), but at 12 months, I know he should be sleeping the night, and without a bottle. Its getting worse, and unsustainable. Husband and I both work, so without sleep, we are zombies. I am tempted to call a sleep specialist, but I feel in my heart I just need to be the stubborn one and let him cry until he figures it out. Thoughts? I’m looking for some encouragement here! TIA

    • POSITA says

      By 12 months you may also be dealing with separation anxiety. Is he also teething at all? The 1 year molars also messed with our DD’s sleep. We didn’t sleep train at that age, but the advice will surely be different than for an infant.

      Will he calm down if you are in the room? We put a mattress on the floor next to the crib and often slept next to our DD when she was waking up with anxiety. We got to sleep and so did she, so it worked for us. She also was still used to sleeping in her crib, so we didn’t have much of a transition when the anxiety phase ended.

    • MDMom says

      No firsthand experience yet, but friends of mine called in a sleep consultant at around 12 mos for their son and they were really happy with the results. I think it helped to have someone just give them a concrete plan and reassure them along the way. No idea what it cost them.

    • Bloom says

      This is so hard, I feel your pain!! We went through this at 9 months, when my son who had been a champion sleeper had a major regression. We put him in the crib awake, then set a timer for ten minutes. At ten minutes we went in, put his pacifier back in, laid him down (because inevitably he was standing up at the side of the crib screaming), patted him on the back, but didn’t say anything and only stayed in the room for a few seconds. The first night it took 40 minutes, but a few nights later he was back to normal. If he has a rough night we revert back to this system, in the middle of the night as well. I hated the crying, but it worked and I’m glad we did it. Consistentcy is key in my experience.

    • Anon says

      Try the book 12 Hours of Sleep by 12 Weeks. Basically you put the kid on a daytime feeding schedule first then work your way toward a sleeping schedule. You pick the kid up after five minutes of crying, but interact very minimally with him. Come up with SEVERAL ways to soothe the baby so that he isn’t always expecting the same thing.

      Basically right now, you’re training the kid to cry until you break. My sister’s toddler could cry for 3 hours. She knew if she kept it up she’d get what she wanted, always. Delightful teenager/sarcasm.

    • CIO says

      Don’t even attempt CIO if you are going to cave. Like another poster said, you are just training him to cry longer, even though you are well intentioned. Figure out what your plan is–extinction CIO, graduated CIO, etc.; bedtime routine; midnight wakeups–and stick to it, or don’t do it at all.

      That said, I’m a big fan of extinction CIO. Your circumstances aren’t ideal because of his age (IMO 7-9 months is ideal–old enough to self soothe but young enough to not be a maximum stubborn) and the fact that you’ve unintentionally worked against yourself by letting him cry long periods of time and then going in anyway. However, if it were me, I’d explain to him that he needs to go to sleep now and you will see him in the morning, leave, and turn the monitor down low. You will have a really, really, really crappy first night. The second night will be better, but still crappy. By the 3rd or 4th night, though, he should be sleeping.

      I have 3 kids–two of them were naturally good sleepers. The third, my son, was not. We did CIO with him at 7 months without too much difficulty (one night crying for 45 minutes, one night crying for 10 minutes, then done), but he regressed around age 2. We tried a lot of different things short of CIO, but we weren’t sleeping and more importantly he was starting to show the effects of lack of sleep. So, we had to do CIO with him again–when he was 2. The first night SUCKED. But the second night was exponentially better, and by the third night he was sleeping “like a baby,” and we never had issues again.

      • CIO says

        I wanted to come back and add that, both times we did CIO with my son, that first awful night was awful, but both times he woke up happy and over it. And the second time, when he was so tired to start with, you could just see the change in how much more rested he was and thus how much happier and able to tackle the world he was. We’ve gotten YEARS of great sleep in exchange for a couple bad nights. Worth it, for everyone involved.

    • anonymama says

      Yeah, now you have pretty much trained him to cry for 45-60 minutes and then get rocked to sleep. (No judgement, I have done the same thing many times, it is so hard to hear them cry! A lot of this comment is the pep talk I give myself.) Think about it… isn’t it better to let him cry for 2 or even 3 hours for just 2-3 nights and learn to fall asleep on his own, so he can go to sleep with little or no crying on subsequent nights? I did checks roughly every 10 minutes, and found it much better if they were quicker. If I couldn’t let him cry til he was asleep (if he was sick, or off schedule, and I wasn’t feeling up to it) I would pick him up after a few minutes and rock him to sleep, so he could learn that if I didn’t pick him up right away he had to go to sleep on his own. Checks every 10 or 15 minutes can help, and you can lie him down when you check on him. But you HAVE TO be consistent about it so he knows what to expect, and you have to put him down awake so he can learn to fall asleep on his own.

  10. Anon says

    Update on the wood floors from yesterday. The floor contractor verbally agreed to credit the amount it costs us to hire a painter toward our balance after seeing the mess herself. We got a quote from our painter that’s about 10% of what we were supposed to pay for the floors. Hopefully the floor contractor won’t balk at that price–it’s expensive to tape out, prime and repaint an entire house worth of baseboards.

    Thanks all.

    • HSAL says

      This is silly, but I like that your floor contractor is a woman. You don’t see a lot of that.

      • babyweight says

        I had same reaction! I liked it. I like working with other women when I have the opportunity to do so.

  11. NewMomAnon says

    Moment of mom truth: we were running late this morning and my kiddo was really needy and messy and angry and clingy. I just didn’t have time to tend to her feelings or her messes (see: got to work wearing two different shoes and no makeup), so I wrangled her into her car seat and basically dumped her at daycare then ran out the door. I feel so guilty and just want to go back to daycare and give her a ton of hugs and kisses, but I know that would be even more disruptive.

    Sigh…and tonight she’s with her dad for dinner, so I won’t get to cuddle her until bedtime.

    Also, does anyone know if there are child-proofing drawer latches that don’t require screws? We are in a short-term living arrangement and I don’t want to affix a whole bunch of permanent latches, but it would make it easier to leave the house if my bathroom and kitchen drawers weren’t emptied on the floor every morning.

  12. Pumping Question says

    Does anyone have any tips how to pump faster? I pump 3x per day at work, about 3.5 hours apart. I usually get 4 oz total per session (which I need all of as DD drinks 16 oz per day at daycare), but while one side is done after 20 minutes, the other takes 40. It is starting to be very disruptive to my work to be chained to my desk for so long. Any suggestions? I already have the pump at the max I can stand. Thanks!

    • anon says

      Do you stop and start? I found stopping for a minute or two and then restarting to be enormously helpful with getting another letdown.

      • Pumping Question says

        It’s not that I need another let down but just that it’s really slow. I.e., I’m getting milk at a slow steady pace over the 40 minutes from that side.

        • same anon says

          Right. I found, though, that although the milk kept coming slowly, starting and stopping to get additional letdowns helped it flow faster.

    • EB0220 says

      Look up active pumping – basically breast massage during pumping. I found that a) stopping and restarting a few times to encourage letdown and b) active pumping toward the end of the session helped me make more milk in the same amount of time. Hopefully it would have the similar effect of helping you make the same amount in less time! Getting another letdown or two does help, though, as the milk flows faster then.

    • JEB says

      Is it a new/worsening problem? I found my pump times getting longer and longer. I replaced all of my pump parts (not just the valves), and everything went back to normal. It might be worth a shot. And for what it’s worth, I’ve read that turning up the pump too high can actually make things worse.

      Otherwise, are you massaging while you pump? I go in concentric circles from the outside in, which seems to speed things along.

    • POSITA says

      Do you have the right size flange on that side? There are several options available.

  13. D. Meagle says

    Those mornings, and the rest of those days, are the worst — for you. If your daughter even realized, she will have forgotten by the time you see her tonight. On those days when I am at my breaking point (i.e., dropped kiddo off at camp wearing only a bathing suit and t-shirt, shorts and shoes in her bag, without a kiss or “love you,” because she was being a major a-hole and I just couldn’t anymore), I am guilt ridden all day but she is still happy to see me when I get home.

    Regarding the locks, we have these; they are screw in, but on the inside of the cabinet. Perhaps some heavy duty double sided tape or velcro would work to adhere them to the cabinet door…

    http://www.amazon.com/Safety-1st-Magnetic-Locking-System/dp/B004GCJMLG/ref=sr_1_1?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1440518843&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+proof+magnetic+locks

  14. B on desperation maternity purchases says

    Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice a couple of weeks ago on desperation 3rd trimester maternity clothes purchases! I got the Target black t-shirt dress (Liz Lange) you all recommended and it is my new favorite thing. Or as much as any maternity clothing could be.

  15. Chomp says

    I got bit this morning! My 10 month old nurses in the morning (that’s the only time he nurses anymore). This morning, I went in to get him like always, and he bit me – really, really hard. He’s been pushing his top two front teeth through, so I know that’s a factor – but how likely is it to happen again? It was insanely painful (and I cried when it happened – and the little monster seriously latched on), and I was extremely nervous to try again. However, about an hour later, he kept pointing at me and crying. I tried again, and he cuddled and nursed and was happy, but dang. Was it a fluke? Or once a biter, always a biter?

    • (former) preg 3L says

      My LO bit me a few times right around that age, but we continued nursing til 16 months. Around 16 months, she just got bored and preferred the bottle because then she could walk around and play. If you’re considering weaning soon, go for it, and offer him a bottle first thing in the morning. He’ll get used to it! Otherwise, it’s a hazard of babies growing up, but it is (IME) rare. Good luck!! I know how AWFUL it is to get bit!

    • Katarina says

      I was bitten several times over a few weeks, but it did not last. It was much worse during the day on weekends.

    • RDC says

      Also had a traumatic biting experience but it got better quickly, and now (a few weeks later) it’s like it never happened. When he bit, I immediately took him off and said firmly, all done. He happened to be pretty much done at that point. At the next feeding, he bit again, so I took him off again. He clearly was still hungry so after a break I let him finish nursing. It only took those two times for him to learn that biting = no more nursing. I’ve heard you can also set him on the floor briefly or in his crib to say Not OK, and they get the message pretty fast. (Also, in the short term / while you’re healing, you could try a n*pple shield.) Hang in there!

    • ELL says

      When my son bit, I pushed his face firmly into my breast. That made him open his mouth and pull away. Then I said “no biting” and took a several minute break from nursing. He learned quickly.

    • K. says

      Mine started biting at that age and I always ended the nursing session. That didn’t help though. Finally realized she did it when I wasn’t paying attention to her (reading, etc.) Ending that fixed it. Now at 13 months, she very occasionally does when teething, but nothing too bad and it doesn’t become a habit.

  16. Tunnel says

    Any ideas on the best place to buy baby a bundle of books? I have an almost 5 month old but only a few books. Or just recommend you favorite baby book!

    • mascot says

      The “That’s not my …” touch and feel series is super cute and durable.

      • RR says

        +1000. We have gotten so much use out of these books. They were the favorites of my two older kids and they are now the favorites of my toddler.

        I love Goodnight Moon.

        Also second Sandra Boynton, which is one of my favorites to read (“But Not the Hippopotamus” speaks to me, man.) And I will always love all things Dr. Suess. Eric Carle is beautiful–toddlers love the repetition–“Brown Bear, Brown Bear” is the first book all 3 of my kids “read” on their own (memorized). My husband hates them though, so YMMV. And I love the “Baby Primer” series that reinvents classics (author is Jennifer Adams).

        Amazon is a great place to buy books.

    • Maddie Ross says

      We bought a bunch at a second hand book store. Full disclosure: I’m not a germ-phobe and I picked thru carefully for ones that looked relatively unused.

    • JJ says

      Sandra Boynton books! They come in sets and my kids love them. The words and pictures are cute enough that you won’t get overly sick of them, as well (in my experience).

    • TK says

      In my area, Goodwill offers 10 books for 1.99 Wed – Saturday … most of babies’ books came from there. I wipe down the board books with sanitizing wipes, they’re good to go. He’s at a ‘tear pages out’ phase, so we need to replenish supply fairly often.

    • SC says

      Follow your local public library on Facebook. A week or two ago, mine had a book sale, and we picked up 15 books for $1 each. Alternatively, if you live in an area where garage sales are a thing, you could check those out. Finally, check for local consignment stores or seasonal consignment sales.

    • Anonymous says

      Anything by Sandra Boynton. And the board book versions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Goodnight Moon.

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