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First Years (0-2)

Must-have products for mom and baby When it comes to the basics, Mother Nature has pretty well got it covered from pregnancy through the first few years of life. By S. Danyelle Knight Published: July, 2005

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When it comes to the basics, Mother Nature has pretty well got it covered from pregnancy through the first few years of life. Child-bearing and rearing is a natural process after all, a cycle of life set into motion by Adam and his beguiling help-mate Eve. While the earth mother in me embraces the idea that my body is capable of producing and sustaining offspring without interference from science, technology or Babies”R”Us, I am supremely thankful that my experience of mothering will be aided by all the wonders of the modern world. God bless the women who take this opportunity to “go back to nature,” but I’ll have my epidural and disposable diapers, thank you very much. In spite of my husband’s insistence that “women have babies in fields every day without all of this stuff,” I have waddled down many a baby boutique and superstore aisle in search of products that promise comfort, protection and pampering for me and my little one. I am waiting until my husband is severely sleep deprived to remind him that daddies in the bush don’t need Diaper Genies. I agree with him on one thing ­ having babies is big business. It’s also true that many of the products marketed as must-haves to us emotionally unstable women are really useless. In order to sort the wheat from the chaff, I turned to new moms for their recommendations. Having lived through stretch marks, childbirth and 4 a.m. feedings, these women will tell it to you straight. Here are some of the hot items they wouldn’t do without. Miracle Blanket Of all the mysteries of babyhood, one of the most confounding to new parents is how to calm a colicky infant. According to Dr. Harvey Karp, author of “The Happiest Baby on the Block,” swaddling recreates the continuous touching and support infants experience in the womb. It also helps facilitate back-sleeping and may reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Not all babies will appreciate being wrapped tight as beans in a burrito, but the age-old technique is worth a try. It’s easiest to achieve the perfect wrap with a specially designed swaddling blanket like the one-size-fits-all Miracle Blanket available online at www.babyslumber.com. Over the Shoulder Baby Holder What every parent really needs is an extra set of hands. That’s just what you’ll get when you purchase the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder at www.babyholder.com. This ergonomically designed baby sling differs from the popular Baby Bjorn models in that you can hold your infant to 3-year-old in several different positions. It’s easy to take on and off, is made of quality padded fabric, and doubles as a cover-up for breastfeeding in public. Boppy Infant Support Pillow and Boppy Noggin Nest ($10.99) A seven-time winner of the American Baby “Best of the Year Award,” the original Boppy comes highly recommended by moms, dads, and babies alike. The soft, u-shaped pillow provides a cozy place for baby to exercise and practice sitting up and back support for moms and dads while breast- or bottle-feeding. Also check out the Boppy Noggin Nest, a pillow designed to reduce pressure on the back of an infant’s head, helping prevent positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome). SnazzySeat Cover Shopping carts and restaurant high chairs, convenient as they may be, are veritable Petri dishes of bacteria. A self-professed germaphobe, I can avoid restaurants for a while, but trips to the market are a fact of life I have accepted. Luckily, I will be prepared with a stylish, oh-so-sanitary SnazzySeat shopping cart cover available online at www.snazzybaby.com or at Southern California retailer Bassinets & Blueberries. These plush fabric covers completely envelope the child seat area of your basic shopping cart or high chair, creating a safe haven for teething, lounging and all manner of healthy baby activity. S. Danyelle Knight has returned to Orange County after residing in Northern California.

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