I’m very proud to report that I just completed a trip to Target where I successfully resisted the temptations of the baby aisle, and left with only the one item that I went in to acquire.
We just completed a family road trip to NY with me constantly adjusting the hood on L’s car seat to block the sun from falling directly upon her. She seems to be a baby who tans easily (even in the shade), so keeping her out of direct sunlight (even filtered through a car window) is very important to me. I decided it was time to make a baby purchase … one of those baby car window shade thingies.
- The one and only item purchased on my Target run. Yay me!
I found the car window shade thing, then took a leisurely stroll through the toy and accessory aisle. Oh look! A big mirror for crib and floor-time playing! Oooh! A mirror that attaches to the carseat! Cool! A floor mat for tummy time! Wow! A vibrating teething toy! Before I became too overwhelmed by consumerism, I stopped and asked myself, Do we really need any of this? Can the same objectives be achieved with what we already have? Doesn’t Liana really like it better when one of us holds her in front of the bathroom or bedroom mirror? And isn’t this a more interactive form of “Who’s that baby in the mirror?” than if she played by herself? As these thoughts came to me, I purposefully strolled away from the baby aisle with my one purchase in hand, feeling proud that I reisisted the siren call of all those brightly colored playthings.
August 27, 2009 at 12:45 pm |
Love your blog! I remember when I had my daughter I asked my midwife I needed to buy and she told us the only product we really needed was a car seat. She said we didn’t even need a crib, instead we could let the baby sleep with us.
Now that I’m a lactation consultant the only product I recommend is a sling. The number of products out there that actually intefere with breastfeeding is quite scary. From pacifiers, to timers, to fancy cribs, to “hooter covers” most of these products are designed with the understanding that the formula fed baby is the norm. They undermine the breastfeeding mother in subtle ways especially if she doesn’t realize that breastfeeding requires a very different approach than formula feeding.
Kathy Abbott, IBCLC
http://www.TheCuriousLactivist.wordpress.com
August 27, 2009 at 12:56 pm |
Thank you Kathy! I’m honored to get a comment from you. I enjoy reading your blog also, as well as your breatfeeding news items.
I have a Storchenwiege sling, which I *love*, as well as an Ergo. I haven’t figured out how to nurse in the Storch yet (the wrap that we use doesn’t work for nursing). But just this week I started nursing L in the Ergo. It is *awesome*! I nursed her in it while walking around our half-way completed house where there was nowhere to sit down. And I nursed her in it when she was so upset that I couldn’t even set her down on the bed to nurse her.
Thanks for reading my blog!
September 23, 2009 at 5:17 pm |
Well done resisting that siren call that is meant to pull you in, make you say “ooh” and “aah” and open your pocketbook for all the STUFF we don’t need. Congrats and enjoy your time with Liana in front of the mirrors you already own
))