[HBV]

YES!! on the boppy. Best thing ever invented. I am ummm....not tall. It was SO much more comfortable to hold H for feedings w/ Boppy.

H's crib has a bedskirt (aka dust ruffle, though his is tailored, like a valance.) If yours has drawers, though, you don't want that---you won't be able to get to them. Is that what you're talking about?

[Stormster]

more like when the mattress is up high, what is directly underneath it?

I can't believe I'm even asking, it's so silly!

[dawnrenee58]

OK, sage voice of wisdom here. I reread this whole thread and feel so much smarter now. Just kidding. But, as the OP, I would LOVE to say what we now can't live without.

1. SwaddleMe blankets. LOVE THEM!! Marco sleeps so well when he is swaddled really tight. And, there is a sale on them right now at BRU. GO GET SOME!!

2. A bouncy seat AND a swing. I have a son who is very easily bored and loves to move between these two. Also, he has reflux and can't sleep laying down. The bouncy is perfect for this as it is on just a slight angle.

3. A white noise machine. We love ours.

4. I will have to agree about the book The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Henry Karp. What a lifesaver, and now my shower givt for all eternity.

5. I love my sling, but it is becoming a little difficult to use with my 15 pound bruiser. I just bought a front carrier today, so we will see how it goes.

I wish I had not bought:
1. Newborn clothes. Ya know how they say babies should be back to birthweight by 2 weeks old? Well, Marco never lost any. Just started gaining from the moment he was born. And has gained a pound a week since then. He is 7 weeks old and we are in 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers!!

2. Newborn diapers. See above.

3. A bassinette. Well, didn't buy it, someone gave us one. But, Marco can't sleep there due to the reflux.


And one more thing, ladies. I have to say, as scared as I was of it, breastfeeding is such a great experience. When we adopted Timo I considered it, but was a little wary of it. I would love to encourage everyone to try it, especially if you are adopting. Even if you never get milk and use a supplementer, it is such a wonderful experience. I do not think that adoption makes us any less as mothers, and so there is no reason we should not breastfeed.


Funney story, though.......

Originally Posted by dawnrenee58

EEK! That thought makes me terrified. Breastfeeding. That is what they are for, but still, I had thought mine were labeled "no output"! Anyone think Timo will have an issue with this, since he was never breastfed? Booby envy?

Turns out I was right! Timo did want to breastfeed when he saw Marco doing it! I just let him try. I thought that would be all it would take, but he seems to want to do it more often. As long as I tell him it is ok, and he can, he doesn't want to actually do it, though. I think he just wants to make sure Marco is not getting something from Mama that he (Timo) can't have!

Dawn

[nikkianni]

We also have a reflux babe. She had a bassinet she never used and has a lovely crib all set up that she can't sleep in unless we prop her up with a Boppy.
Speaking of which, I think I already told you this one Storm, but the Boppy is a MUST. Breastfeeding or not. It's like the mother's version of a Swiss army knife. It does everything!
Oh, and forget those cute little burp cloths. They're adorable, but they don't cover anywhere near enough area. We use receiving blankets.

[HBV]

more like when the mattress is up high, what is directly underneath it?

I can't believe I'm even asking, it's so silly!

It's just the frame---you move it up to the highest position when they're newborns---primarily for ease of putting them down, I think, then down lower as they get bigger. In our crib, the bedskirt fits over it, just like it would on a regular bed.

[Stormster]

gotcha so when the matress is in it's highest position, there is nothing underneath it, just space.

What are all the different things a boppy can do?

[Stormster]

I already bought it and I'm taking it with me for our newborn.

Can you prop the newborn up in it? Or does the baby have to be older?

[dawnrenee58]

I have used the boppy to lay Marco in. He loves to be able to see a little better. I also use it for some tummy time, because he hates to be flat on his stomach. When he was a newborn, I only put him on his tummy there for a fwe minutes at a time. Now he has some great neck strength, so I put him there until he gets frustrated!

I bought a front carrier yesterday. I didn't get a super expensive one, since I was not sure he would like it. Well, he does. I just wore him around the house yesterday and this morning, but he seems to do well in it. It was so cool to have him smiling up at me! The one I bought is by Jeep, and kinda rugged looking. I am not one for kid prints. Ya know, teddy bears and Winnie the Pooh. In fact, our nursery does not have a theme. Just blue and brown and white.

Nevermind. I get off topic so easily.

[HBV]

When they're really little (before they can roll over), Boppy is great to prop them in next to you on the sofa or the bed so they can see, as dawnrenee suggests, or to prop them up on the floor for tummy time. As they learn to sit up, it is useful to prop them into a corner of the couch (you can arrange the Boppy around them so the opening's at the back.

For me, the best thing was that it gave my elbows and forearms a place to rest---I'm petite so my arms aren't long enough to rest comfortably on the arm of a chair while holding baby---or reading a book, or anything else, for that matter!

Go sit in a chair w/ it around your waist w/ a book and you'll see what I mean.

H plays with his now. He'll use it around his waist like I do, or he'll lay it on the floor, then lie on his stomach w/ his elbows propped in it to watch his Thomas DVD.