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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 123 Comments · by

Nursing Tuesday: Cotton Nursing Cami

Nursing· Recent Recs

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Stretch Nursing Tank: Gilligan & O'Malley® Cotton Nursing Cami Numerous readers have sung the praises of these affordable nursing tanks from Target. To be totally honest, I wasn’t particularly fond of them (and I think the nursing clasp broke within a week of wearing it), but lots of other women really, really love them. They’re nice and long, and come in a zillion colors — and even I really like this navy stripe. They’re $19, available in sizes XS-XXL. Gilligan & O’Malley® Cotton Nursing Cami Psst: we talked about regular camisoles for work at Corporette yesterday! (L-2)

Sales of note for 9.10.24

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

Kid/Family Sales

  • Carter’s – Birthday sale, 40-50% off & extra 20% off select styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off all baby; up to 40% off all Halloween
  • J.Crew Crewcuts – Extra 30% off sale styles
  • Old Navy – 40% off everything
  • Target – BOGO 25% off select haircare, up to 25% off floor care items; up to 30% off indoor furniture up to 20% off TVs

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Comments

  1. Jen says

    I really liked these for around the house/ sleeping (especially sleeping). I couldn’t wear them out of the house because they didn’t give me enough coverage without a bra, and with a bra, everything was too smushed.

    They may not work for the very large of chest; I was a pre preg small C, my nursing bras were Ds that got to be very very full Ds before nursing. Any larger than that and I’d think the fit would be too tight, but perhaps sizing up would help?

    • HSAL says

      I disagree on the large-busted aspect. I went from a 36G to 36I and the XL still fit very well. These weren’t my favorite immediately postpartum, but now (four months later) these are my preference hanging out on the weekends.

      • Anonymous says

        Same here. I am a 38J and the XL fit me too. Although, in some ways I do regret wearing them post partum bc of how saggy I am now. Not sure if it would have happened anyway.

  2. Over it. says

    I can handle being 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I can even handle still being at work full time because my company has no maternity leave and I don’t want to waste my FMLA (and honestly I’d rather stay busy). I cannot handle having contractions on-and-off for 2 days that are painful but never get stronger or closer together and eventually stop.

    • Yeah... says

      Just want to send you some empathy on how badly this sucks!!! Also very excited for you to meet your baby!!!

    • Jen says

      i went to 41+3, but didn’t have contractions. Just extremely dilated and it literally felt like the baby was going to fall out by week 41. the good news: labor was EXTREMELY fast. More painful than a slow, normal labor because i went from 0-60 in about an hour, but i pushed for <10 minutes after being told (while the epi was in– got that pretty much upon entering the hospital) "you know, if you push now the baby will come out; I can see her head." The nursing student observing was told "you will not see another delivery this fast for YEARS." So, there is hope!

    • Edna Mazur says

      I feel for you. That is no fun at all. Concur that when that happened to me, baby came less than three hours after the first contraction.

  3. TBK paging Chi Squared says

    Just saw your question re au pair agency. We use Au Pair in America. I understand they might be a little pricey compared to other agencies, but we’ve been very happy with them. They seem to do very thorough screenings in-country, which seems to be key (i.e., making sure she actually has the 3 yrs of infant care experience she claims to have). Also, ours is 24 (arrived when she was 23). I wouldn’t go with an 18 or 19 year old if you’re looking for independent childcare (vs mother’s helper). But my twins had just turned 1 when she arrived and she’s been caring for them solo full time for almost a year now and she’s fantastic. Not only do the kids love her, but she comes up with ideas for projects, looking online or getting suggestions from other au pairs, teaches them letters and numbers (in English and Portuguese), sings songs with them, gives them lots of snuggles, and also keeps the nursery and play areas tidy, the dresser full of clean, folded clothes, and makes them meals and snacks (and cleans up after). I think she sometimes naps during their naptime, but only when her chores are done. If you want more info, search for TBK and this s!te. I’ve sung her praises many, many times on here.

  4. DC Mom Anon says

    We are in a toddler food rut. My 18 month old has been eating some combo of bean/grain/cheese for the last few weeks. For example, peas/quinoa/feta, black beans/rice/cheddar, pesto/pasta/parm – I add the cheese to help the food get a bit sticky so she can feed herself. For breakfast she eats yogurt, cereal, and fruit most days. She eats enough fruit but I have sort of forgotten to add fresh veggies. Whoops! What are your favorite vegetarian or pescatarian toddler meals? Where do you go for inspiration?

    • Anonymous says

      fish sticks, mini quiches (use muffin pan – freezable if you make a big batch), banana pancakes, and waffles are popular at our house right now – make a big batch of pancakes/waffles on the weekends and freeze them – just pop in toast to defrost. or ‘fish tacos’ – open faced soft taco shell in small pieces with mashed avocado and topped with fish.

      I like the peas/quinoa/feta idea- must try that.

    • CHJ says

      I find it helpful to think in terms of countries/regions. So we might do Mexican food one night (tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, etc.), Indian (take-out or TJ’s frozen curries), “Asian” (dumplings or stir fry), Southern U.S. (BBQ and baked beans or chicken & waffles, aka chicken fingers and frozen waffles). None of these ideas are all that exciting, but it helps me brainstorm, especially when I’m tired at the end of the day!

    • TK says

      My kid loves the Dr. Praegers frozen veggie patties – we get them at Trader Joes. My inspiration is, “what is fastest / easiest for my tired and cranky kid.”

    • Spirograph says

      I buy frozen tilapia fillets and use those for quick dinner often. My grocery store sells a giant bag of individually packaged ones. Just defrost in cold water for a few minutes, pan fry in butter, and serve with leftover rice (I always have leftover rice) and a steamer pack of vegetables. Voila, 15 minute dinner!

      Vegetables at my house are side dishes of a steamer pack of frozen vegetables, sliced bell peppers, or baby carrots. Sometimes fresh broccoli or green beans (both steamed), but it strains my creativity to think of non-pasta sauce ways to integrate vegetables into the actual meal.

    • anon says

      For veggies, I honestly just cook a bag or two of frozen veggies on Sunday to supplement whatever meal might need extra veggies. This week it’s cauliflower. Easy to just grab a handful and add to whatever else we’re all eating (i.e. if we adults are getting our veggies through a salad that isn’t baby appropriate).

    • Msj says

      I got my same aged kids to eat Sardines yesterday. Cheap, easy and healthy. Now only if I could get myself to eat them!
      For straight up vegetables, we also do a lot of frozen peas and carrots. Avocado slices and roasted cauliflower generally go over okay too.
      They’ve just gotten into Mac and cheese so I’ve also been mixing various vegetables into that.

  5. Jennifer says

    I love this camisole! But I love the maternity camisole even more! It’s long so it covers my bum when I’m wearing my fancy yoga pants around town and it’s stretchy enough to pull down under my nursing bra to feed.

  6. Sticker Shock says

    I just did the childcare math for kid #3. One infant, one toddler, one preschooler: $54k per year. I love the daycare center, and our HH income is ~$300k split pretty evenly so the math still makes sense for us both to keep working, but ugh. That’s all, just needed to complain for a sec.

    • Betty says

      I only have two, but when I did the total math (Nanny + preschool + summer programs), it made me want to weep. I only take heart in knowing that I could send both kids to public U in my state (tuition + room & board) for less than I pay right now.

    • Anonymous says

      I feel your pain. Childcare for my one preschooler costs more per year than my T10 law school did.

    • Pogo says

      Fact: DH wouldn’t even start TTC until we’d bumped up our income to the point where we could handle the $25K it takes to keep an infant in full time care, without reducing our retirement contributions at all.

      Which means we waited a couple years longer than I would have liked (he got a promotion, I took a new job with higher pay, etc), but probably a good idea in the end. The sticker shock is real.

    • Jen says

      Yup. We’re looking at 40k for 2 in daycare so exploring heavily a 2-day / week preschool for #1 and a FT nanny. May as well keep the house tidy and make my life easier if i’m forking over 40k/year. that assumes i can find a nanny for 35-40k/year….

      ouch.

    • Anonymous says

      This is the biggest thing that’s preventing me from having a third kid.

    • Cdn lawyer says

      These prices are mind boggling for me. Does daycare in the USA get cheaper as the kids get older? Where I am (15 minutes outside of Toronto, Canada’s largest city) a centre is about $900 per month once the child is 18 months old. Most people take a year mat leave so I have no idea what it would cost for a baby under 12 months. But a friend is researching for a 12 month old and an all bells and whistles centre is $1700 per month for months 12-18. With our crappy dollar you ladies should move up here, daycare will be practically free!

      • Anonymous says

        IME (in a HCOL area) if gets slightly cheaper but even for a 2 year old in a state with 12-1 ratios for that age, it was $1500 per month (after costing around $2k/mo for an infant, assuming you can get off the 18+ month long wait lists — seriously, my kid is 4.5 and we are STILL on one waiting list) and don’t have to spend $60k/year for a nanny.
        Then when we switched to preschool, it doubled to like $3k/month (which is high, but the average in my area is $2k/month for full day). And don’t get me started on after care (another $100 per week) and summer camp (just dropped $4000 yesterday).
        It’s no wonder so many people drop out of the work force when they have kids.

      • Sticker Shock says

        If Trump gets elected, I am definitely moving to Canada! :)

        Yes, it gets a little cheaper. DC suburbs, average center: $1700-1800 for infant care, around $1500 for 2 year olds, $1100 for preschool. Add $300-500 for the Cadillac centers. But $900/month sounds GLORIOUS.

        • Anon says

          I am in a middle-sized city in the Midwest and we are paying $915/month for our 12-week-old. So you can still get that price without moving to another country. No paid mat leave though…..

  7. Anonymous says

    I liked these tanks immediately post partum but hated them after a few weeks. I was an XS on top pre pregnancy and am and XS/S now with a 32D bust. After my belly had a chance to go down a but these tanks started being too big in that region and made me feel like I had more rather than less belly. I still sometimes use them for sleeping but never otherwise. They may work better for someone who is a size M or higher (size down!). I’ve been wearing the old navy camis in a size bigger on top of a nursing bra and have been able to just pull them down to nurse.

  8. Reverse shopping challenge! says

    Reverse shopping challenge! I´m expecting my first this summer and am overwhelmed by the amount of stuff one apparently “should” buy. We live in a small 2-bedroom city apartment with lots of stores & parks nearby and have neither a car nor any storage space. So far I´ve come up with:
    – Crib
    – Bassinet (Or would just the crib be sufficient? Or crib at night, bassinet for naps during the day?)
    – Changing table
    – Pram
    – Car seat
    – Baby carrier/ baby sling
    – Baby bathtub
    – Bottles (plan to nurse, but just in case)
    – Activity gym with mat
    – Pacifier
    – Diapers & cleansing products
    – 3-5 baby sleeping bags
    – Some baby clothes
    Am I missing anything obvious that I´ll definitely need in the first 2 – 3 months? Anything on the list that is unnecessary? I´d prefer buying as little as possible.

    • TBK says

      Mine loved the Fisher Price rock-n-play and slept in them for the first 8 weeks. Might be a good alternative to the bassinet (they fold almost flat and can easily be taken to a friend’s house if necessary) – also can serve as a bouncy seat and great for pulling the baby up to the table while you’re eating dinner. Consider getting a changing pad topper to put onto a dresser instead of getting a whole changing table. Don’t rule out a swing. They’re big, expensive, and ugly but when you need it you need it! I wouldn’t get it right away, though. But if you find yourself with a fussy baby, look on Craigslist; you can usually score a new one for about $30 and then turn around and sell it for close to that amount when your baby outgrows it two second later.

      • Due in December says

        We are also in a small city apartment with a 2 mos. old, through we broke down and bought a car when I was pregnant.

        Second the RnP (also in a small city apartment). We bought ours used on Craigslist (covers are machine-washable), and plan to sell as soon as the baby grows out of it (currently she’s about 2 mos.). Haven’t used a swing yet.

        For sleeping, we bought a mini-crib (the Babyletto Oragami) and have been happy with it. It’s relatively expensive (if we’d gone full-size, we would have done IKEA), but it’s small enough that we used it right away (skipped the bassinet/co-sleeper), as it fits in our room. We plan to move it between our bedroom and the den as the baby gets older and we don’t want to sleep with her any more! I’ve heard it can last until around 2 years, depending on the baby’s size and sleeping preferences…we’re hoping to move directly from the mini-crib to a bed or mattress on the floor.

        As of right now, we haven’t used a bouncer or swing. Baby is just starting to get interested in our hand-me-down activity mat (meaning, you can put off buying one until the end of the first month or so if needed). Though honestly, if I’d had to buy the mat, I’d just have plopped her down on a quilt with a couple of rattles and a plastic mirror.

        Agree that you can use a changing pad. We grabbed tons of stuff from the hospital when we left, including small plastic tubs in which we keep diapers, wipes, diaper cream, and cheap changing mats (we keep them in two rooms).

        Rather than so many sleep sacks, I’d recommend a couple of swaddlers. Easier to use than blankets, especially when the baby gets squirmy. We got the Ergobaby swaddler 2-packs (2 in the small/medium size, 2 in the medium/large).

        In terms of bottles, I’ve been breastfeeding but had a couple of days of pumping to get my supply up and 1.5 days of formula supplementation until that point. You can get your pump before giving birth (BTW, I’m kind of happy I had to pump so early, in that I figured it out and have been able, from day 4 on or so, to take a couple of hours a week to go run errands on my own and leave the baby with my husband and some pumped milk). I wish I hadn’t bought bottles, and would have just bought Dr. Brown’s preemie nipples and a couple of Medela collars to use with the Medela bottles that came with my Medela PIS. It seems the nipples, and not the bottle, is the most important thing…no need to have extra bottles laying around. I would get a bottle brush, though.

        I’d also get a diaper bag (or designate something else to use as a diaper bag). We’ve been happy with the Boken bag.

        And lastly, in terms of small stuff, I’d get diaper rash cream, an all-in-one wash, baby washcloth and towel, thermometer, nail clippers, and a snot sucker type thing.

        • JJFM says

          Also second the RnP – we almost didn’t take it from a friend who offered, since we’d already accumulated so many second hand baby containers. Turns out it’s the only thing she sleeps in consistently well – the angle and snugness make a big difference. Was a bit sheepish that she was sleeping in this pretty much all of the time (given the pediatrician party line is “flat on back”) but was relieved when literally everybody at a mom’s group I went to also slept their newborns in one.

          You could try to buy it used or borrow it since it’s only useful a short time.

          I don’t think a pram is all that necessary. If your regular stroller has a carseat adapter you can just use the carseat in the first few months (we don’t own a car but still use the carseat in stroller for our 6 week old).

          Also seconding others who’ve mentioned a changing table and bathtub aren’t necessary. I like our tub but it’s such a waste of space and eyesore in the bathroom. Some of my friends just put a towel on the bottom of the tub.

    • POSITA says

      You really don’t need a changing table. A changing pad works fine if you have a nearby place to stash the supplies. We used a top drawer of a dresser to hold diapers and cream and then just put the pad in the top drawer of the dresser. You could also put the pad on a table or the bed if there’s a nearby spot to store a basket with supplies. You can stash the pad to the side or slide it behind something when it’s not in use.

      I prefer a rigid pad to having to unfold something. There are a lot of diapers at the beginning and that’s just another step.

      • POSITA says

        We also never used 3-5 baby sleeping bags. That seems like a ton. We only ever had 2 and just washed during the day as necessary. They didn’t really get dirty frequently.

    • Mrs. Jones says

      You don’t need a bassinet, bath tub, changing table, or activity gym. I’d suggest a bouncy seat/swing of some sort.

      • October says

        Counterpoint: My baby loved our mat/activity gym and it was so nice to have him be able to occupy himself for 10-20 minutes once he got to be a couple months old. He hated the bouncy seat (it reclined too much; he’s one of those babies that wants to sit STRAIGHT up). I also have loved having the bath tub; useful as a newborn and still now at 7 months when he’s too wobbly for the big tub alone. But, if you’re tight on space, it’s not *totally* necessary I suppose.

    • CHJ says

      Can you borrow a bassinet from a friend? Babies grow out of them quickly and a lot of people receive nice bassinets as gifts but only use them for a few months. Given your lack of storage space, that would be a good one to borrow and return. You could also go straight to the crib and skip the bassinet if space is tight.

    • lsw says

      Also want to follow this very closely! We want to accumulate as little as possible.

    • Anon says

      Re: “cleansing products” – I bought a bunch of special baby products before my first was born and they are still sitting at the bottom of my bathroom cabinets. I doubt you will need anything aside from baby shampoo (I like the California Baby stuff) and diaper cream, and if you do, buy it when you need it.

      Assuming you are going with disposable diapers, I would also put in a plug for some cloth diapers. They make very good burping cloths and are generally great for wiping up the various bodily fluids and other disasters your apartment will be full of for the foreseeable future :)

      I agree that you probably don’t need a baby bath, at least at first. I bought a fancy baby bath that didn’t work for us. At first, sponge baths were best, and then I bathed my babies in the sink.

      • Lkl says

        Yes definitely buy 10-20 plain white cloth diapers as burp cloths. STill using them a year later for all kinds of random body fluids, and they make good baby handkerchiefs for all those runny noses once they’re past the spit up stage.

    • MDMom says

      I mostly agree with what others have said (no way you need 5 sleepsacks but for me a baby bathtub is necessary) but I would suggest embracing the age of Amazon and remember that anything you need can be at your doorstep in 2 days max. So feel free to err on the side of less and just research what you want if you do buy some of the borderline stuff, put it on a wishlist, and buy as needed. You will probably get a lot of gifts too- another reason to delay purchases.

    • Jen says

      I’m in camp skip the bassinet. We had a crib, and baby slept in it from day 1. You could put the crib in your room, then move it if you want a same-room approach.

      I also think you could just get a changing frame (?) for the dresser vs a full on changing table. I preferred to keep baby elevated but want the extra furniture. They sell just the top parts.

      i hated the baby bathtub (we only had one bathroom), but I’d get one anyway. A friend used her sink, but ours wasn’t big enough and the kitchen was too drafty to give our winter baby baths.

      When baby is born, know that you’ll end up getting something- a bouncer, a swing, etc. But you probably don’t need that day 1.

    • Edna Mazur says

      Don’t need a changing table. We havea pad on a dresser and also keep a portable basket with diapers, wipes, cream and a towel for quick floor changes, so that is another option. The basket/towel gets used 95% of the time.

      Agree with the rock n play over the bassinet.

      Baby bathtubs are handy if you have the space but not necessary really. Sink, then laying down in the tub with only a little water, then sitting in the tub works almost as well.

      My kiddos also didn’t get much use out of a crib since they strong armed us into co-sleeping. Don’t know that I would recommend that if it isn’t your plan already though…

    • Anonymous says

      I am in a similar situation with a 3month old right now. A lot of people don’t use a crib right away because newborns prefer to be in a small snug space so we didn’t even bother getting one before baby was born (and we were planning to move so that made sense). We ended up getting a pack and play with infant bassinet/changing table as a gift and put it next to our bed and it’s been great so far. Plan is to transition baby to crib in a month or so but for now just being able to reach over and check on baby/put pacifier back in her mouth has been a lifesaver. Once baby starts sleeping in a crib we’re going to leave the pack and play at my mom’s for sleepovers and use as a travel crib as needed (you can also use it as a play yard when baby is older).
      For naps, we have a rock and play, also a gift & amazing invention, our baby loves it. It’s especially great in an apartment too because v. easy to move room to room or within a room to rock baby mid nap, keep an eye on her while cooking, etc. This also made a great travel bed when we went away for a couple of long weekends.
      Didn’t get a changing table. I have a high bed and just change her on a pad with a cover underneath there. This feels safer to me than a narrow table & it’s been fine so far. You can also get one of those changing table pads for a dresser. So I would personally not get this item.
      Pram – same. We just use her car seat with a stroller. As for the car seat, find one that works with your stroller so you can just snap and go. Makes it easy too if baby falls asleep in the car which babies always do.
      Activity gym and baby carrier – some kids like these and some don’t. If you have friends with older kids, see if you can borrow theirs. A blanket on the floor works just as well for tummy time, btw. I’d say this is not a must in the first 2 months.
      Bottles – yes, get some even if you’re nursing b/c you can pump and leave the house for more than 2 hours this way. Also get a pump (even if a small manual one).
      Baby bath – yes, but you don’t need an expensive one. The bestseller on amazon is $14 and perfect. Also, this may an item you can borrow.
      Pacifier – don’t buy any, take a couple from the hospital, see if your kid likes them.
      Diapers and cleansing products – my only advice here is to not buy scented baby lotions, etc. They aren’t all that good for baby. Also don’t buy a ton of diapers right away because some babies outgrow the newborn size faster than others.
      For sleeping bags, I like swaddle me wraps. I don’t think you need more than 2-3.
      Baby clothes – you will probably get so many as gifts/hand me downs, don’t go overboard. I would just buy a few onesies with hand mittens – gerber and carter both make – b/c babies have the sharpest nails and will scratch the h*ll out of their face otherwise. I think 6 would do (fwiw, the gerber ones run a little larger so will last longer. they’re sized 0-3 mos. and my daughter still wears hers; the carter NB onesies she outgrew by 7-8 weeks). I’d also get a few sleeping gowns like this – baby won;t outgrow them as fast & they make diaper changing easy.
      I’d add to your list a breast pump, n*pple balm, some muslin swaddle cloths & maybe a diaper bag or if you just want to use a reg tote, a diaper pad type thing (i like skip hop’s) to make changing baby when out easier. Also get some overnight heavy flow maxis for yourself (better than the hospital ones) and some plain cotton undies.

      Honestly, I didn’t have a formal shower or register and we got so much of this stuff anyway. And so much more stuff from people who just had kids. Some clothes she’s already outgrown without ever wearing or wearing once. So take a mental inventory of who you know before buying all these things.

    • PregLawyer says

      * Burp cloths – lots and lots of burp cloths. They can just be rags, or any sort of cloth, but you will want them all around the house.

      * Think about a nursing pillow – they help position the baby and make it much more comfortable to nurse (My Brest Friend or a boppy).

      * Swaddle blankets, or a miracle blanket, or swaddle me (anything that allows you to swaddle baby).

      You don’t need a baby bath – just fill your sink with a few inches of water and put a towel on the bottom. Rest the baby on the towel. Or get a bath sponge, like the Babies R Us Turtle Bath Sponge.

      • Spirograph says

        oh yeah burp cloths… we got a couple packs of the Gerber folded cloth diapers. They are cheap, handy for everything and super absorbent!

    • Carrie M says

      Agree with above on: no changing table, no baby bathtub if your sink will work, and do get a nursing pillow if you want to try nursing. I liked the My Breast Friend (terrible name, great product).

      Also agree you don’t need a bouncer or swing on Day 1. But it’s really nice to have semi-portable options for safe spots to put the kiddo down while you shower, pee, eat, etc.

    • Spirograph says

      I’d also skip the bassinet. In a small apartment, I’m guessing there’s not a ton of room between your bed and the baby’s crib in another bedroom. This was our situation; we put #1 in his own crib from the get-go and it was fine. We did put a bassinet in our room for #2 because the plan was for kiddos to share a room and we didn’t want the baby (or parent going to get the baby) waking up the toddler multiple times per night. I ended up co-sleeping in the guest room for a lot of the first 2 months, though. Bassinets are useful for such a short amount of time, definitely <6 months. Not worth it to buy one, but maybe if you can borrow.

      We bathed babies in the bathroom sink for the first few months, then switched to an inflatable bathtub inside the real bathtub (mostly to save water) once they could sit and play. You can probably delay the baby bathtub purchase and see if you really want one.

      No changing table. We also went the route of pad on top of dresser and a portable basket with changing stuff.

      No pram, unless that is regional dialect for "stroller." Lots of strollers can lay basically flat and are ok for newborns; I wouldn't spend on the separate pram conversions. If you need a car seat, I'd try to get a compatible stroller.

      Definitely get a "leash" for the pacifier (clips on to clothes and keeps it from getting lost), and a little fold-up changing station clutch for when you're taking baby out.

    • NewMomAnon says

      We tried so many different baby bathtubs because DH was unsatisfied with all of them. My favorite wasn’t a tub – it was a mesh bath seat that can go in the sink for a little baby or the tub for a bigger baby. I think ours was Summer Infant brand? It folded flat for easy storage.

      My must have list for a newborn:
      * lots of burp cloths
      * some diapers in size Newborn and Size 1 (but Amazon Mom delivers too, so don’t go crazy)
      * some onesies/sleepers (but…Amazon and gifts, so don’t go crazy)
      * a place to set baby down (RnP is pretty compact)
      * a baby carrier (K’tan would be my choice)
      * a car seat, if you’re driving baby home from the hospital
      * a swing of some kind; if space is more scarce than money, consider the Mamaroo or similar

    • anon says

      I’d say you don’t need the bassinet – we did pack n play and then crib.

      • anon says

        A lot of baby stuff has a very short lifespan – like it is heavily used for 3 months, and then useless. And it is really easy to get stuff new, used or free very quickly in the city. We were living in a 1 bedroom apartment when my son was born, and were totally broke, so we bought very little.

        We also had a pack and play because we traveled with him almost immediately (which I don’t necessarily recommend).

        0-3ish months:
        crib
        dresser + changing pad on top – we needed somewhere to put his clothes anyway (And we still often help him get dressed on top of it at 3.5 years old!)
        diaper bag
        so much hand sanitizer
        Breast pump & bottles nursed but he ended up in the NICU for a week
        Swaddles – miracle blanket!
        Other blankets
        Diapers
        Onesies & footed pants & sleepers
        Bouncer and/or swing – get a small folding swing used
        Nose Frieda
        nail clippers!
        rash cream – triple paste
        carrier – Becco Gemini
        Car seat
        Stroller (we used both the snap and go and Britax B-Agile right from birth. Snap and Go + car seat alone is fine for a while)
        brightly colored rattly toy
        baby bath tub – we just hung it up in the shower between uses – our sink was too often full of dirty dishes to be used as a bathtub!
        pack and play – only used for travel, but we traveled before he was 3 months old (I don’t necessarily recommend this)
        dish towels/diapers for burp clothes (we had to buy more)

        approx 3-6 months:
        add teething toys
        add activity mat or gym
        more toys
        less swaddling

        appox 6-9 months:
        add doorway jumper
        phasing out snap and go – too heavy to carry baby in car seat
        phasing out swing
        add spoons, bowls, bibs, high chair, and other feeding supplies
        add toys for mobile baby – push wagon, activity table

        We never had a bassinet, just used the crib from birth, along with bouncy seat and swing.

    • Philanthropy Girl says

      We’re in a small 3 br house – we did have a bassinet because baby slept in our room for about three months or so. Our room was too small to house the crib, and having baby in room made nighttime feeds easier. You could do a pack’n’play instead (most come with a bassinet feature, some also have a changing station feature).

      We had a swing – especially nice if you have a colicky baby, but also good just to have a place to put baby down. A Moses basket, bassinet or pack’n’play or bouncy seat all do the second task, but for a baby who needs motion to soothe, a swing is your best bet. There are some very compact models available.

      Many will say a play mat isn’t necessary. They aren’t particularly useful for tummy time, but once baby starts reaching they are nice to have to keep them entertained. Ikea has one that collapses/folds up, which is convenient for storage and clearing the room.

      We used a dishpan for newborn baths, and then a bathseat in the tub. The seat folded and hung on the back of the bathroom door, as we didn’t have room to store a tub. My sister, also in a small house but without a bathtub at all, used an inflatable tub, which she wasn’t in love with, but did the trick until her son was ready to start showering with an adult.

      For the newborn stage my preference was for swaddles instead of sleep sacks. I liked the SwaddleMes and the Halos. Sleep sacks were way more useful once the Maro reflex had dissipated, around four-five months I think.

      I’d advise a bottle sterilizer to go with those bottles, and be sure you have all your pumping and milk storage necessities.

      Plenty of cozy pajamas. You really only need a couple of newborn outfits – maybe for photos or any religious services or special events you might want to attend. My LO lived in pjs pretty much crawling.

      Lots of burp cloths – I found prefold cloth diapers to be the best – most manufactured ones are so small.

      Have a few blankets on hand. I like the minky fabric for tummy time or chilly carseat/stroller riders. I like crocheted for when you transition to using a blanket down the road/

      Amazon is a dream. If you have Prime, anything you discover you don’t have that you need you can order and have on hand in 48 hours.

    • In House Lobbyist says

      I used a mini-crib from Babies R Us for both of mine until they were 2 and they moved to toddler beds. It was the size of a pack n play and I did buy a better mattress than what it came with. It looked great, was sturdy and didn’t seem as big as a regular crib. I highly recommend it.

  9. Lazy Clementine says

    So I’ve been solo parenting for a month now while my husband has been out of town on work. I’ve officially gotten lazy.

    We do cloth diapers and I wash those, so I do lots of laundry. After having washed EVERYTHING by hand dishes-wise, I just caved and bought a little rack that the tiny dr browns bottle parts go into. The next day, I started putting bottles in the dishwasher. I now feel so free.

    1) please someone tell me they washed bottles in the dishwasher and it was fine

    2)can I put any of my pump parts in the dishwasher too? I’m still hand washing those…

    • mascot says

      We used the Dr Browns dishwasher kit and used the dishwasher for bottles/pump parts. Our child lived. I’ve heard that some people had residue issues washing in the dishwasher, but we didn’t notice that.

    • Mrs. Jones says

      I washed bottles in the dishwasher and it was fine. I was never so glad as when I got rid of the last bottles/parts. Whew.

      • Spirograph says

        My husband told me last night that if plastic didn’t smell so gross when it burns, he would have a bonfire with all the bottle and pump parts.

        We put bottles and pump parts in the dishwasher occasionally (if there was room, and if we were definitely doing a load that night). Sometimes they would look a little cloudy after, but nothing that a quick swipe with a paper towel wouldn’t fix. Our kids lived.

    • Maddie Ross says

      I used the dishwasher for all my bottles and pump parts. Honestly, I felt like it got much cleaner that way because I could never touch water that was as hot as the water in my dishwasher got. I would rinse and then just put in the DW. It was completely fine.

    • Preemie Mom says

      So…no one told me that you weren’t “supposed” to put the baby stuff in the dishwasher, until DS was about 8 or 9 months old. Figuring that by that point, everything had been fine, I kept doing it anyway. The Dr. Brown’s dishwasher basket was AMAZING – we ended up buying two so we could wash more than 3 bottles at once (I’m a huge proponent of having lots and lots of extra stuff to make my life easier). He’s a 32-weeker, and presumably keeping things sterile for him was a bigger deal than for full term babies, and everything was fine. In fact, he didn’t get his first cold until right around his first birthday.

      On the pump parts, I also put them in the dishwasher while I was home on leave, in a more general dishwasher basket (Oxo tots maybe?) and everything was fine there too except that the holes in the basket were too big to reliably contain the membranes (which I usually removed when washing, though not always…not sure what the rule is there). Once I went back to work, I wanted to pack my stuff the night before and since we don’t always run the dishwasher at night (or it wouldn’t be done running before we went to bed), I ended up handwashing every night as part of my prepping for the next day routine. I will say that I had a ton of extra Madela pumping bottles (bought several packs – see above), and I always washed those in the dishwasher. I never realized until Kat posted that special breastmilk soap that you’re supposed to scrub those, and after that I did start scrubbing them out with a bottle brush before putting them in the dishwasher – which helped with the film that had built up on the sides, oops – but again, no issues with this routine before I started doing that.

    • CHJ says

      We switched over to throwing everything (pump parts and bottle parts) in the dishwasher when our son was 6 months old, and it changed our lives. Go for it!

    • Carrie M says

      We used the Dr. B rack thing too and loved it. For some reason, I never did my pump parts in the dishwasher, but I had two full sets. I used one for the whole day (keeping flanges onto bottles and sticking whole thing in fridge). The set not in use soaked in a big bowl of water + Dawn for most of its “off day”. Then I’d scrub with a bottle brush, rinse, and let dry on the counter. My counters were never clutter free, but it worked somehow.

      If we ever have #2, I’ve already vowed to throw out all the Dr. B bottles….loved them for my acid reflux baby, but all those parts are so annoying!

    • PregLawyer says

      Wait, you’re not supposed to put stuff in the dishwasher? Why? I’m been washing bottles and pump parts in the dishwasher since . . . as soon as there was enough stuff for a full load?

      • Anonymous says

        +1 I did not know until this post that I was supposed to handwash stuff! That seems like a huge time waster. We used dishwasher and sterilized afterwards for the first 2-3 months and then just used dishwasher.

      • pockets says

        i had the same response. I will say that my Dr. Brown’s bottles leaked after I put them in the dishwasher.

    • meme says

      I took one look at the hand wash recommendations and said, “yeah, right!” With aaallll of my kids I washed all bottles and pump parts in the dishwasher. No issues at all.

    • Meg Murry says

      I usually hand washed pump parts during the week only because there often wasn’t room in the dishwasher or the timing didn’t work out. Our dishwasher has a sterilize cycle, so that probably got them cleaner than hand washing.

      Always remove the membranes (white flaps) and hand wash those though, or they won’t last as long. You probably want to use the special brush on the straw-like part of the Dr. Brown’s bottles since the dishwasher won’t get inside there. I usually gave everything a quick rinse before putting in the dishwasher just to get milk out of cracks and crevices, and any bottles that had been sitting long enough that the contents didn’t just rinse out got a swipe with a bottle brush, but otherwise it all just went in the dishwasher.

      Occasionally there was a film on the bottles due to the high fat content of milk, but I would wipe it with a paper towel, rinse with hot water and be on my way.

    • Anonymous says

      Yes yes yes. All of it in the dishwasher, DD survived.

      I found that if I threw the bottles and pump parts in soapy water before dishwashing, the residue was pretty much eliminated. I’d leave a container of water + dapple in the sink, and stick all the milky parts in there when I got home from work, dump and throw in in the dishwasher after dinner.

      • Katala says

        This. I rinse pump parts at work to get milk out of crevices before it dries, then drop them in a bowl of soapy water while putting baby down/prepping dinner, rinse and everything goes in the dishwasher. Bottles too. We had a newer dishwasher with sanitize cycle before and that worked really well. The crappy dishwasher in our new apt ends up with more film. We use glass bottles and they seem to have less residue than the plastic parts. Also, I usually hand wash the n*pples because those have the most film IME and are hard to wipe with paper towels.

    • Cdn lawyer says

      The fact that anyone hand washes bottles of pump parts when they have a dishwasher is mind boggling to me. I have done it from the start (granted my dishwasher has a sanitize setting). People have often told me that they don’t run their dishwasher every day, which I also find mind boggling! But we cook a lot and take lunches to work in Tupperware etc so maybe that’s not the norm.

      • JJ says

        I’ll just agree with all of this. My dishwasher gets much hotter (and has a sanitizing cycle!) than I could ever wash bottle/pump parts. And I run my dishwasher at least once daily, if not twice.

    • Lazy Clementine says

      THIS IS ALL SERIOUSLY SO AWESOME YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW!!!

      (Yes, caps was fully necessary for that.)

      I’d like y’all to picture me laughing like a maniac and actually talking to my yellow baby-stuff dishwashing gloves and telling them that the dishwasher is the way of the future.

  10. POSITA says

    Any idea why my 2.5 year old kept waking up to throw tantrums all night?

    We’ve been on an endless train of illness so there’s some chance this is a new cold/bug/something. But it was weird. She would wake up and just scream and scream for us with lots of flailing. When we came she’d scream “go away mommy daddy” and flail wildly at us so we couldn’t touch her. If we left she’d scream for us to come back, continuing the tantrum. We had three hour long tantrums between midnight and 5 AM. Nothing would distract her and she seemed to be awake. She couldn’t tells us if anything hurt. We eventually gave her ibuprofen to see if it would help, but it didnt. She wouldn’t calm down. At the end of each, she promptly passed out in her bed and slept for about 45 minutes before starting again. Any ideas what this could be? I’m zonked.

    • Spirograph says

      Night terrors? No personal experience, but from what I read it sounds like what you’re describing.

      I’m sorry, this sounds awful. I hope for everyone’s sake it was a fluke.

      • POSITA says

        Everything I see about night terrors says they should last 1-2 minutes. She was tantruming for over an hour each time, complete with unreasonable demands (“go outside now”–it was 2 AM and raining) and walking around to slam doors and throw things.

        So weird.

        • Meg Murry says

          My son occasionally does this kind of thing (he’s 4 now) and all I can figure out is that he’s not really awake and it’s almost more like sleepwalking. The only thing that kind of helps is to sit on the floor, pull him into my lap despite the screaming and thrashing and hug him tight while rocking back and forth. Sometimes turning on the light to wake him fully helps, sometimes is just escalates the screaming.

          The only good news is that is doesn’t happen all that often, and be doesn’t seem to remember it in the morning. Getting him calmed down and awake, then getting some water and re-tucking into bed seems to help keep it from re-occuring the same night – sometimes if I go to him quickly I can calm him down from crying or screaming so he goes back to sleep without fully waking, but then is screaming again in an hour.

          You aren’t alone, but I can’t offer much help beyond that, sorry :-/

    • RDC says

      This doesn’t sound like night terrors to me – my son has night terrors and they only happen between 1-2 hrs of going to sleep (not later in the night). During a terror he is completely unconscious and is not aware of our presence – the fact that your daughter tells you to go away tells me that she’s awake enough to see you come and go (and thus not having a night terror). My money’s on a stomach bug (gas? Cramps?) or maybe teething if that’s still going on at 2.5? (My son is 15 months, no idea when they finish teething.)

      • POSITA says

        She has all her teeth. It shouldn’t be that. A stomach bug is possible, but no explicit signs yet.

    • Anonymous says

      My DD does this too. Her tantrums don’t last more than 2 hours, but they can be 2 hours of screaming. I’ve chalked it up to “modified night terrors” and I watch her closely on the video monitor but I don’t go in her room unless she calls for me. Some nights, she will scream alone for 30 minutes and then go back to sleep, some nights she will scream alone for 30 minutes and then want me to be with her while she continues screaming. Sometimes cheerios distract her, so I always have a very small tupperware of cheerios in the cabinet I can just grab in the middle of the night. I’m hoping it goes away. It might be that she’s becoming aware of wetting her diaper? I’m just as stumped as you are.

    • Anonymous says

      My DD had something like this but not for as long. She responded best to holding and rocking in the chair where we read books/sing lullaby before bed. She seemed to respond better to me singing familiar song to her vs trying to reason with her. Does she have any particular song either CD or that you sing that is soothing to her? Hope it gets better soon.

      Diet before bed might also matter – my daughter wasn’t allergic but cheese and peas seemed to make her tummy upset and she was more wakeful as a result if she had them for supper.

  11. NewMomAnon says

    My daughter has been consistently jutting out her lower jaw recently – is this just a phase and I should ignore it? Or if not, who should I talk to about it? Pediatrician, dentist, daycare? She seems to be eating just fine and talking fine, so it doesn’t seem to be a functional problem.

    She did have a new tooth pop through last night (canine, we haven’t had the 2 year molars yet), but in 2 years of teething, I haven’t seen her do this. It’s strange living with a little bulldog wannabe.

    • Philanthropy Girl says

      My kid always does weird things with his mouth when new teeth pop in. I can’t remember if it was canines or 1st molars, he was crunching his teeth together. It was awful, this horrible grinding clicking sound. Once he got use to his new teeth he stopped. My guess is she’s getting used to those canines being through and is experimenting with how the feel in her mouth.

      Chances are good she stops in a couple weeks. If not, I’d check with the ped, who may refer to a dentist.

  12. Advice for urinalysis? says

    I’m trying to get my 2yo, not-potty-trained child to sit and pee into a cup for a urinalysis. We spent an hour at the Dr yesterday with no luck. She does sit on the toilet to pee and is interested in trying the cup. But the issue is we think she may have a UTI, and it’s painful down there, so she just doesn’t want to pee. The dr doesnt think it’s so bad as to do a catheter. I tried loading her up on milk/water, tickling her to get her to pee, putting her hand in water, running the tap. Any other ideas to get her to pee? I guess I could just do no diaper and then as soon as i see her start to pee on the floor, stick the collection cup under there?

    It was almost easier when she was an infant and they let us do the bag in the diaper!

    • NewMomAnon says

      Does she use a potty chair? If so, could you just put the cup in the potty chair bowl and hope it catches something when she goes? Or use the potty chair bowl itself as the collection device?

      Otherwise, hospitals frequently have these big measuring cups that latch into the toilet, so you just use the toilet regularly and nobody is holding anything under you. You could ask or look at a medical supply store (they usually deliver same day in my area).

    • POSITA says

      Can you clean out a Baby Bjorn potty and just get the kid to pee in that? Actually hitting a cup would be hard even for my potty trained 2 yo. Bare bottom time with a small potty might work if your 2 yo knows how to pee on a potty already. If the cup is essential, you could put it in the bottom of the potty and just hope she hits it.

    • OP says

      Sorry, my original post wasn’t clear — I’m more worried about her actually peeing versus the logistics of collecting it — i.e., how do you force a kid to pee? (I know, I know….you don’t.) She’s holding it because it hurts. But they can’t prescribe anything until they do the urinalysis. I may just resign myself to spending several hours this afternoon in the bathroom, with some distractions that will hopefully make her forget momentarily that it hurts to pee.

      • Anonymous says

        Load her up with fluids – maybe try some liquidy smoothies if she won’t drink milk/water.
        Wait 20 minutes then sit her on the potty and let her watch Daniel Tiger/Mother Goose Club etc on Ipad or television

      • Pogo says

        Poor munchkin. I hope she feels better soon!

        I would offer a special treat as a reward, along with telling her you know how much it hurts but she has to do it so the doctor can make her better. Have you given her tylenol yet? Not sure if that would help, but it might.

        That sucks. Even as an adult I’d be annoyed and I fully understand the medical reasoning!

      • Philanthropy Girl says

        What about bath? My kid always seems to pee when he gets out of the bath. Try loading her up on fluids and popping her in the tub.

        You run the risk of her peeing in the tub – but mine always seems to pee when the cold air hits him after getting out.

      • MomAnon4This says

        lots of salty snacks to drive the need to drink to drive the need for the toilet…

        my semi-funny story is about collecting is that the nurse gave me the cup and told me to go into the bathroom with the 7year old at his annual exam and help him. I thought he’d done this already? I said, you know what to do with the cup right?
        He set it down ON THE FLOOR and said, “I guess so, but it’ll be really hard to aim”, and started to unbuckle his pants… I stopped him and said, “I’ll help, in the toilet, kid”. This cracks me up just thinking about it…

  13. K'tan says

    Quick question for K’tan lovers…

    I have one. I thought I would love babywearing. My baby is now 2 mos. old and I’ve used it 3 times.

    She’s usually sleeping after 5 min. or so in there, but she fusses when I put her in and I get nervous because she feels so tight in there! I can’t imagine it working after she gains more weight (maybe 11 lb. or so now).

    And also, I worry about neck support.

    Is there something I’m missing? Any strategies? Favorite how-to YouTube videos? I feel like this shouldn’t be so confusing!

    • BabyWhere? says

      I was a huge, huge fan of the K’tan (awww and miss my snuggly boy in there), but moved the Bjorn right around 3 months. He still slept snuggly in there, but it didn’t hurt my back and he seemed less constricted. We moved to the Ergo around 8-9 months.

    • Lkl says

      We LOVED the k’tan but not until we did the legs-out approach. Our baby would also cry for 3-5 minutes upon being put in it for the first few weeks, but then zonk out for 1-2 hours. (He has never liked baby wearing while awake, but it was a necessity for long naps from months 1.5-3.) The key was to use a pacifier! Calmed him right down. And also to have him get used to it with my husband using it rather than me, so he wouldn’t frantically root around. We used it up to maybe 16 lb, after which it was too hard on our backs. It’s snug but because it is snug it is pretty supportive; if you tuck the baby’s head into the wrap it should support her head (and she will have MUCH better head support very soon).

      • Pigpen's Mama says

        +1 to both the legs out and the pacifier

        I started using it when she had some neck control — i.e., not at first and not in the kangaroo position — so maybe 6 -8 weeks. She wailed when I first tried, but once I put in the pacifier and started bouncing/walking, she was comfortable.

        There was also times ~ 2-3 months when she would only nap in the K’tan.

        We switched to a more structured carrier around 9-10 months.

      • Lkl says

        Best part about K’tan compared to a more structured carrier like Ergo was that once the baby fell asleep, I COULD LIE DOWN TOO. Or go do stuff. But mostly lie down.

    • Anonymous says

      I love the k’tan soooo much. I have used it with my kiddo from birth through 25+ lbs. I *only* use the “hug position” though, never the “kangaroo.” For neck support baby just lays its head against your body. Which position are you trying?

    • K'tan says

      Thanks, these responses are really helpful! I’ve only tried the Kangaroo position, so it seems that I should try the legs-out approach (and maybe start with that for Baby #2 in the future….).

  14. Due in December - Toys says

    OK, I have a question for parents of young children.

    Hypothetically, you have one baby in a relatively small apartment. You are not getting toys as gifts from friends/family because friends/family are awesome and have been giving you gifts like clothes and cloth diapers and other practical stuff (though the baby does have books, stuffed animals, a play mat, and a Sophie the Giraffe). You want to keep the baby gear minimal, but want to get your baby at least a couple of toys at some point.

    What toys would you buy for your baby (say, between birth and 2 years)? And at what ages? TIA!

    • Anon in NYC says

      I think a lot of this will depend on your kid and what sort of things they like. My daughter loves making noise. She loves banging things against one another, loves rattles, loves music. We have the vtech sit-to-stand walker and she loves sitting in front of it and making sounds/hitting it with other things. I’m considering getting her bongos or a drum for her birthday. Whereas, stuffed animals don’t do anything for her yet.

      We got my daughter the Hape Country Critters activity cube for Christmas this year (she’s almost 9 months) and she loves it. So, I would definitely recommend an activity cube.

      I just got a friend’s 1 year old boy this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J5EROC4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 plus a book on firetrucks based on recommendations from here. Per my friend, her son loves it.

      (Separately, I bought my daughter a tent from Land of Nod around Christmastime because it was on sale and I justified the purchase by telling my husband that “she loves the tent at daycare!” and that it would be her birthday present later in the year… the thing is HUGE. I have no idea where we’re going to put it.)

      • Anonymous says

        For a tent, check out the ones Ikea has. They’re so cheap and they’re not MASSIVE. Also, my DD loves her Ikea chair + table set (table and 2 kid chairs together was $25) and preferred that to her high chair once she was walking.

    • PregLawyer says

      My kid (8 mos) loves stacking rings, the cars with rattle wheels, and his VTech activity cube and walker.

    • NewMomAnon says

      For the first year – a cabinet filled with Tupperware and random kitchen implements, plus a couple balls and some toys that played music when touched. Once the kid starts wanting to move, I would add in a push/ride toy. Second year – cars, art supplies, books, music instruments (shakers, little piano, maracas, drum, etc), blocks.

      Starting at about age 2, the dress up and role playing toys became very popular with my kiddo. Art supplies are in heavy rotation, and she uses her Ikea easel constantly. We play with Duplos frequently, and she is just getting into my homemade felt board.

    • Philanthropy Girl says

      I’m a huge fan of open ended toys, and we also have a small house, so we restrict amounts of toys. I also rotate, leaving only a few toys out at a time.

      For the first six months, we had a floor mirror, a rattle, and o-ball, wooden teethers and a play mat. Around six months or so he got an object permanence box, which he really got interested in by about 8 months or so.

      He gradually grew into stacking cups, stacking rings, and anything with wheels.

      He has wooden blocks, a set of farm animals, a set of sharks for his bath tub (along with stacking cups and a boat), a wooden Noah’s ark. Plenty of puzzles, which at 18 months he’s not particularly interest in. He also has some pretend fruits and vegetables, a train set and a farm set, but imaginative play really won’t set in for a few more months.

      I think when you have limited space, the more open-ended toys you have the better. They seem to grow with kids a lot better and have a wide range of uses.

    • Anonymous says

      Babies start to get interested in toys sometime between three and six months (depending on what you mean by toy!) When my daughter was two months she could hold a Montessori/jingle bell rattle (from Etsy), but at three months she still didn’t seem to get that moving her hand made the bell noise. But she was very into trying to gum different textures of fabric. She really like a couple of “lovie” animal things (the head of a stuffed animal, but the body was a blanket). Grasping toys like the Skwish (and the plastic loop thing by the same company) were more like five months.

      But before she was into anything she could hold she liked looking at her mobile. We picked the Flensted swallow mobile because it can be seen properly from the baby’s point of view (most mobiles are made to be seen from the side) and it’s black, white and red which are the only colors babies can see in the first couple of months.

      Everything changes toy wise when your kiddo can sit up.

  15. Camping says

    For those of you that enjoy car camping or backpacking, when would you recommend starting with kids? If my baby is going to be 4-7 months over this summer, should we wait until next summer? I’d love to hear any experiences (and any tips for camping with kids).

    • Pogo says

      No personal experience but I’m eager to hear what others say! We plan to start day hikes and car camping as soon as we can (so, even if baby is still an infant). Backpacking with a kiddo seems intense… not sure I would contemplate that (my max for backpacking is 2 days, so maybe that’s clouding my vision).

    • MomAnon4This says

      I’m glad we joined Cub Scouts with my older son because we actually went on a family campout this past October with a 6monthold! It was not hard – the kid is easygoing and portable. The biggest thing was shielding him from the elements and fear of SIDS in the tent with the sleeping bags, pillows, mattresses, etc. We ended up with 2 tents – I was nursing the baby in one and dad and big brother in the other one. Totally do-able, at least for 2 nights. We did not bring special equipment – I had my baby carrier and stroller but no “camping crib” or anything like that. Also be sure to pack out diapers, of course.

    • Anonymous says

      I can’t imagine backpacking with a kid in diapers, because dirty diapers are heavy and gross. Car camping, though, maybe. I haven’t tried it, but assuming you have a pretty good sleeper and can figure out a setup where you are confident in keeping a sleeping bag away from baby’s face, it seems doable. 4-7 months will probably be slightly mobile by late summer, so I’d just be sure you have a big enough blanket for baby to scoot around on if you look away for a few minutes. I’d worry about all the things on the ground that might end up in his mouth, otherwise. We did take our babies hiking when they were really young, with good success. They either slept in the hiking backpack (metal frame and stands up on the ground, which is convenient. We got it on craigslist and it’s not perfect, but no complaints for day hikes. we usually traded off every couple hours), or were really interested in looking around. I don’t remember any tantrums or crying.

    • Janet says

      I want backpacking once with an infant. I carried the baby in a carrier and a light pack (>20#). We had DH and another grownup who packed most of the gear. We went for 1 night on a fairly easy trail. We co-slept at home, so just did that overnight. The hardest thing was dealing with nursing without a clear place to sit with back support. The experience was fine, but we’ve switched to car camping and find that more fun. We bought a huge Coleman tent and bring the pack and play along.

      My tips would be that it is much, much easier if there are extra adults around. Especially since now we have 2 kids. So we like to camp with family or friends. The most difficult stage so far is when they are mobile but not really walking independently yet. Camping can be dirty, and when they are used to moving on the ground they don’t do well being held or trapped in the tent/ pack and play for long stretches. The huge tent helps with this though.

    • quail says

      We went car camping and hiking twice last summer, when kid was about 5 months and 7 months. Both times we went with at least one pair of childless friends. We bought a new huge Coleman 4 person tent (goodbye for now, ultralight backpacking tent…) and brought the travel crib so that we didn’t roll on him (we were not practiced co-sleepers). We also brought a big blanket for around camp so there was lots of time to catch him when he’d roll/wiggle around. The first time we went it was still pretty chilly at night so we put the kid in about 5 layers and a hat. He sucked his thumb so we couldn’t use mittens – but he survived. I was breastfeeding and that was super convenient both at camp and when hiking.

      We used the Ergo for hiking on day trips and it was fine. We haven’t been camping since he’s been mobile but not walking, but I agree that that would be pretty difficult.

      The main thing I was nervous about was him waking up and crying and bothering other people. It wasn’t really a problem and I just reminded myself that campgrounds are family places. Overall it was really fun and some of my favorite memories of that first summer. It was a nice reminder that life doesn’t end with kids and that we can bring our kid along on adventures we enjoy.

  16. Anonymous says

    Does anyone have recommendations for other nursing tops? I am trying to order a few different ones before baby gets here to figure out which ones to stock up on….Thanks!

    • AIMS says

      I bought Kuci brand nursing bras on amazon and that’s it. Very handy while you adjust to new size. I usually just wear a camisole on top that I can pull up/down as needed or wear button down/zip down type shirts. I haven’t felt the need for an actual nursing top, honestly. Most camisoles are stretchy enough that you can just pull them down like a nursing cami anyway.

    • Cdn lawyer says

      Bravado nursing tanks. They actually provide some support unlike all other nursing tanks.

    • Anonymous says

      I love the glamourmom nursing tanks. They are expensive but so, so supportive. They also offer way more coverage than other nursing tanks, so I can wear a cardigan or something over them without feeling like I am showing tons of cleavage. For the pull-up, pull-down method, I like the undercover mama tanks that Kat has featured here, where you clip on to a nursing bra. I know everyone likes the Bravado, but on me (long torso) they were too low cut and not long enough. But I may be overly sensitive — I was barely a B cup pre-pregnancy, and so I’m definitely not used to all the extra b**bage going on right now (4.5 month-old baby).

    • Katala says

      My favorite tanks were Dynabelly. I got them from zulilly for a pretty good price and they’re much better quality than Target. I also used a random gift card to buy camis from Duluth Trading and they stretch down far enough without losing their shape. Fair warning that you’ll get some weird catalogs (no one living in NYC needs tractor accessories!).

  17. Lorelai Gilmore says

    My 6 yo daughter has been complaining about stomachaches for the last few days. She’s also gotten extremely tired around 5 pm each day – on Sunday, she went right to sleep at 5 and slept through the morning. No fever, she’s eating somewhat normally, and no other symptoms. She’s active and energetic until around 5, when she just crashes.

    At what point do I call the pediatrician? I have no actual evidence that anything is wrong with her, but she’s normally very high-energy and it’s unusual for her to complain like this (and very unusual for her to be so tired!). I’m always worried that the doctor will be annoyed if I waste her time, but I want to take her in if there’s really something wrong.

    • Anon in NYC says

      Personally, I would call today. If it’s been a few days and it’s abnormal behavior, I would want to speak to someone / bring her in. I don’t think the doctor will be annoyed (not that they should be if it turns out to be nothing), and if it will bring you peace of mind, do it.

    • Philanthropy Girl says

      At the very least I’d call the ped’s office and ask to consult with the nurse. Describe what you’re seeing and see what the nurse says. I hate running to the doctor for every little thing, but I love having a nurse to call and ask if it’s smart to see the doctor.

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