Summer Infant Soothing Baby Spa & Shower

Oh my. You might want to think twice before buying this bathtub for your infant. We used ours once, maybe twice (at the most) and it was the most difficult bathing experience of my life with kids.

I know, it looks tempting. Cozy. Makes you want to hop in a bath like that yourself. However, a tiny baby won't care about a whirlpool bath. Really. Looking at it on a picture will soothe your senses as a parent, but using it most likely won't.

Remember small babies have no neck support. Most parents know that holding a slippery, wet little infant in a bathtub is no easy task. The "deluxe" newborn sling on this Soothing Baby Spa & Shower doesn't offer much help in that department, because it is wobbly to say the least, and you'll be too busy trying to keep your baby from sliding off it into the water to be able to focus on the actual washing. 

The motorized jet and shower is a nice idea in theory (at least the shower part), but you need two people to pull this off... One that holds the baby on the wobbly sling while the other one operates the shower. There are just too many parts to this bath tub and too many things to think about before and while bathing your little one to pull it off alone.

Once babies are old enough to sit up on their own, this bathtub becomes more relevant. Even then, chances are your baby won't care much about the whirlpool effect. Rinsing with the shower obviously becomes more important with toddlers and bubble baths, but you need to somehow empty the tub in between to make rinsing worth while in this tub...

We gave our unused Summer Infant Soothing Baby Spa & Shower bathtub to our friends, who returned it to us about one year later, also unused.

So in my humble opinion...

Pros:

- Hm. This is a tough one. Maybe the shower feature?

Cons:

- Wobbly newborn sling.

- Expensive as far as infant bathtubs go. 

- Does nothing that a cheaper version doesn't do, except that it creates a whirlpool that I can't imagine an infant/baby caring much about at that age.

PRINCE LIONHEART Wipes Warmer

I wonder how we ended up with a wipes-warmer in our house? One we never even used... If I recall we ran out of electrical outlets in our bedroom where our baby’s changing table was.
 
To make this story worse, we actually got the wipes-warmer for our second child. We never owned one before she was born. I can’t imagine what compelled us to buy it after actually “surviving the first year” without one when our son was a baby and we were nervous new parents. Perhaps we felt that our baby girl (being a girl) had higher demands as an infant, and simply required warm wipes to thrive... 

Well, by the time we figured out all the electrical in our bedroom, our little girl had never cried about room-temperature wipes so Prince Lionheart with its great wipes-warmer was stored in our garage, along with all the other baby gear that we own/don't use. 

Of course there is a travel version of this as well, so if you get the home version you might want to consider also getting the travel version. I’m sure it will pack neatly into your child’s backpack years later, when he or she goes to kindergarten.

So in my humble opinion… 

Pros: 

- If you really feel that you need a wipes-warmer for your baby’s delicate bottom, this particular brand keeps the wipes moist, is non-browning and anti-microbial.  
- Might be a useful product for preemies or for the first few weeks at home when babies lose body heat quickly to make diaper changing more comfortable - at least for mommy and daddy. (Using warm water might be sufficient in this case?) 

Cons:  

- If your baby gets used to warm wipes they will most likely be less than pleased when you are out and about and don’t have them handy. It will happen. Even if you own the travel wipes warmer it is bound to happen.  
- Requires yet another electrical outlet (at least we were maxed out between monitors, nightlights, breast pumps, cell phone chargers, etc).  
- If space is an issue around the changing table this device may not work for you.

Combi Twin Sport Stroller

The Combi Twin Sport stroller is just simply put a great stroller. In fact, it's high on my list of "must haves" if you have twins or two small kids close in age and are on the go a lot. Especially when the going involves air travel and foreign countries. 

When our second child was born we already had a garage full of strollers and couldn't imagine buying yet another one. But we also knew that we needed something that could hold both kids, particularly for our upcoming international travel (with two layovers). Our 2.5 year old was too little to walk long distances and our little one was too big to be carried in a carrier for long periods of time. I've also traveled enough with my kids to know exactly what I need to get through airports, especially when layovers and walking long distances are involved.

We came across the Combi Twin Sport and realized quickly that it was going to get us through the next few years. It's light-weight, fits through all standard doors (even in small Spanish towns) and folds very easily. The seats recline all the way down - I even changed my daughter's diaper in it a few times. It's supposed to be compatible with the Combi car seat only, but we were able to squeeze our old Graco Safeseat into the seat just fine and attach it securely with the belt that the stroller comes with. I actually think the new Graco Snugrides are slightly smaller than our old Graco Safeseat so I'm almost sure you can do this with the Snugride as well. The stroller also has an infant safety boot for babies that you can pull up and attach with velcro so your little one feels safe and secure, and pacifiers, bottles, rattles, etc don't fall out. This is one of the details that makes me love this stroller although I'm slightly nostalgic to say my little one no longer needs the boot.

While she was snug in her seat, my son could open and close his side of the stroller bar/guard rail and get in and out on his own, which made him feel big and proud.

The stroller has good pockets for storage, decent baskets underneath, and cup/snack holders on the guard rail for each child.The sunshade is long enough to give decent shade and there are small plastic windows on them that you can peak through, to see what your babes are up to.  

The one unfortunate thing relating to this stroller has nothing to do with its actual features as a stroller. I guess American Airlines got tired of replacing broken gate-checked double BOBs etc, and passed a new rule on June 1, 2011 which allows you to only gate check strollers up to 20 lbs. Well, the Combi Twin Sport weighs 22.25 lbs... In our desperation we figured out that removing the front wheels of the stroller shaves off about 2.25 lbs and so we traveled with it anyway (and made sure there was space in a carry-on for the wheels, just in case). They gave us a hard time at the check-in but let us bring it anyway. Rules are rules. 

So in my humble opinion...

Pros:

- Light-weight (22.25 lbs) as far as twin strollers go.

- Smart, well engineered stroller.

- Great seat recline.

- Good storage.

- Easy to fold ("3-second fold").

- Self-standing when folded.

- Canopies have viewing windows.

- Carrying strap.

- Easy to open/close guard rail.

- Snack/cup holders in guard rail.

- Infant safety boots (if you need them).

- Decent suspension in the wheels (traveled better than expected on cobble stones).

- Does not cost a fortune.

 Cons:

- I honestly can't think of any... As far as twin "umbrella" strollers go, this is a great option.

Graco Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame

I think it's fair to say that this Graco stroller frame is one of the baby products in our household that we got the most use out of. We used it for both kids, so we got almost two years out of it (one per child). And as far as baby gear goes, I think that's pretty good!

It lived in the trunk of my car and came out literally every day for as long as our babies were in their infant car seats. The frame even traveled over-seas with us once. It's light-weight, easy to fold and comes with a huge basket underneath to stuff diaper bags and shopping bags into (and if you've read my review on the UPPAbaby Vista, you know that I'm a huge fan of big stroller baskets). And the best thing is of course that you can seamlessly transfer the car seat into the stroller frame without waking up your sleeping baby.

The "cup holders" are shallow because they are not meant for drinks (especially hot ones!) so you can't use them for that purpose. I used them mainly for small items like my keys and our baby's pacifiers.

This stroller frame doesn't have much suspension in the wheels so don't expect it to run great on cobble stones. However, for your daily errands it's a perfect little invention that makes the life of a parent much easier.

I think this is a must have product, especially if you are on the go a lot and own a Graco car seat. You can use it until your baby grows out of the infant car seat and it's not an expensive item as far as baby gear goes (Amazon and Babies R Us sell them new for $69). Of course, if you have a stroller like the UPPAbaby Vista, that has a car seat adapter (and a large basket for your bags), you technically don't need this frame. We, of course, as stroller obsessed parents, had to have both. But in this case, I'd rather give up the car seat adapter on the UPPAbaby Vista (which I also used quite a bit), than my Graco Infant Car Seat Stroller Frame. 

I feel compelled to remind anyone who buys this frame to always remember to use the locks that are meant to secure the car seat to the frame, after it clicks into place. It's common sense really, but if you don't use them and bump into something, the car seat can actually tilt out of the frame.

So in my humble opinion...

Pros:

- Makes running errands with a baby very easy (especially since babies always tend to conveniently fall asleep in the car).

- Huge basket underneath. I've even used it to do all our grocery shopping for the week.

- Folds easy. 

- Folds flat, so it doesn't take up much space in the trunk.

- Comes as a twin frame as well.

Cons:

- Doesn't have great suspension in the wheels but it's not really meant for off roading anyway so I don't think this is a big deal.

Lille Baby Carrier (EveryWear Style)

We bought this carrier when I realized that our Baby Björn Carrier (Original) would not meet my needs anymore (or more specifically, those of my shoulders and back). I thought about getting the Ergo, but our son really liked to be forward-facing at this point so I knew I needed something else. Don't get me wrong, I love the Ergo. It is well made, sturdy and it is ergonomically as perfect as you can possibly get with a baby carrier. But, I knew my little man would be happier if he saw the world in front of him, so the Ergo was out.

I came across Lille Baby at Giggle and figured it must be worth looking into since Giggle actually sold it. 

The Lille Baby carrier is like the Ergo in many ways. It's ergonomically designed so the weight rests on your hips, not on your shoulders and back. You can comfortably carry your baby in it for very long stretches at a time. The difference with the Lille Baby is that you can carry your baby in 6 different positions, even on your hip with one strap going across your body! The carrier looks great, and I'm sure many improvements have been made since we bought ours "ages" ago as far as baby gear goes (which is about 2.5 years ago). For one, I'm noticing that the newer versions have better head/neck support for the baby, and the carrier looks even better than it did when we bought ours.

I guess it's hard to find a product that has all the things you want, without having a few things you don't want as well. This carrier is close to perfect and does many things, but the shoulder straps bothered me a little bit. The padding on the shoulder straps button onto the straps and ours seemed to get twisted sometimes. That, or they just became uneven because you need to re-button the pads with small, not so sturdy buttons depending on who carries the baby. It's just an extra step that I wish I didn't have to deal with. But this is probably a necessary feature so that the carrier can be used in all those 6 different ways. It's also not the easiest carrier to put on (just like the Ergo). If you are by yourself you may need to grow monkey arms to close it properly in the back... (It's doable, though!).

Another thing worth mentioning is that when I carried our daughter in this carrier in the forward facing position I noticed red marks on her legs where the sides of the carrier had been pressing on her legs. I don't think this is harmful and I'm sure it's because the baby's legs are a bit more spread out in this carrier forward facing than they are for example in the Baby Björn Carriers. There are buttons on the Lille Baby that make it narrower when forward facing, but she still got red marks.

All in all it's a great carrier for longer term that was designed by moms, dads and doctors and supposedly also a rock climber! Would I buy it again? It depends. Unlike my son, my daughter always seemed happier to be facing me, so with her I could probably have gotten by with the Ergo. But since the Lille Baby does all the things the Ergo does and more, this might still be my first choice

So, in my humble opinion...

Pros:

- Ergonomic, yet stylish.

- Unisex (although my husband definitely preferred to be walking around town with the ultra-sleek Baby Björn).

- 6 different positions to carry baby (including forward-facing after a certain age).

- Great for longer-term usage, longer stretches at a time.

Cons:

- Shoulder straps/pads could be sturdier (like the Ergo) and easier to use.

- Requires some finagling to put on and close with baby in it (same as Ergo).

- Baby sits a little bit too wide-legged for what I'm entirely comfortable with, but this product has supposedly been tested and evaluated by pediatricians, chiropractors, etc, so I trust them. (By the way, babies sit equally wide-legged in the Ergo).

www.lillebaby.com

BABY BJÖRN Baby Carrier (Original)

I love this baby carrier. I love how our babies fit snugly and safely in it from 9 lbs onward. And I love how this carrier looked on tired, old me. The Swedes were definitely onto something (as they usually are) when they designed this carrier. Not only does it look great on mommy and daddy (it actually makes both parents look better, ha!), but more importantly, it supports the baby's head and little body perfectly. It also doesn't spread the baby's legs too wide apart when they are little, so you don't need to be concerned about your little one's hips. 

And as your sweetie pie gets older you can use it forward facing as well. Add a cute little hat to your baby's bald head/smiley face and everyone will comment on how cute you two look, strolling around town.

I have one complaint, however. This particular design gets tough on your shoulders and back after a while. It's really great when your baby is small and doesn't weigh much. Or for short amounts of time. But already around 3 months I started having trouble with it. The more your baby weighs, the more you start slumping forward because there is no back support on this model. 

But then again, it's a tough call. Shoulder pain versus a great looking baby carrier? Call me vein, but I think I suffered at least a month too long before looking for another, longer-term option!

Baby Björn actually has an option to this carrier that looks equally great (at least almost as great). The Baby Björn Carrier Active has the lumbar support that most parents need to carry a baby for longer stretches at a time. I don't own this so I can't say much else about it than that I've been very tempted to buy it (but could not in good conscience spend another $100 on yet another carrier...). So without really testing it with my babes, I'd say this: if I was looking for a carrier for the first time now, I'd definitely look into the Baby Björn Active carrier as an option. If it has all the same qualities as the Original, while giving your back and shoulders a break, it's probably worth every penny. 

So in my humble opinion...

Pros:

- Easy to use.

- Snug and safe for baby.

- Beautiful, simple design.

- Definitely unisex - daddies don't feel self-conscious wearing their offspring in this carrier (I'd say the opposite!).

- Weighs next to nothing.

- Well made (truly premium quality).

- Comes with attachable burp bibs when your little drooler is in the forward facing position.

- Of course it is Swedish. Can't go wrong with that, eh?

Cons:

- Does not have the back support that the Baby Björn Carrier Active comes with.

The BUMBO seat.

I honestly cannot decide if I think this is a brilliant or a completely unnecessary baby item. Maybe my reasoning to this is that my son seemed to like it alright (but not for long, or for long stretches at a time), and my daughter hated this chair. She actually managed to squirm herself out of it the third time she sat in it at a very young age. Needless to say we have a nearly unused PINK Bumbo seat gathering dust somewhere. 

The blue Bumbo that my son used two years earlier was returned to a friend. It was one of the few items that I was clever enough to borrow at the time (although it was horribly worn-out and looked like bugs had permanently moved into it when it arrived at our house).

With that said, I know babies that have been very content sitting in a Bumbo, so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. It probably depends on the baby's personality. I also had some friends that took showers with their babies while the babes were nicely planted in the sitter, (although this may be dangerous and against the Bumbo usage rules, not sure). It worked great for them.

One of the things moms frequently use this seat for is as baby's first "high chair" when they start solid foods. Babies can sit upright (by 6 months they should be able to sit upright with or without the Bumbo, but oh well), and you can buy a tray that attaches to the chair as a table for appropriate finger foods. I think I did this once or twice with our son but could never figure out a good spot for the seat and him. The table and kitchen counter or anywhere "off the ground" is a very dangerous place for a Bumbo seat + baby (don't ever, ever, ever do it, there have been numerous reports of injuries) and a regular kitchen chair seemed a bit wobbly/unreliable with a Bumbo and a squirmy 6 month old on top of it. The floor just seemed, well, like the floor. 

I can see this seat getting good use in a daycare or share-care setting for example, where there is a lot of action and things to look at. My kids got bored too quickly in it, even with toys in their hands.

So, in my humble opinion:

Pros:

- It's a way to give your arms a break, weather it's a short or a long one. (Think bathroom break, arms free but baby in sight).

- You don't need to worry about your baby falling backwards when he/she first learns to sit.

- A baby may feel delighted at first to be able to sit in this seat, since they really can't do it on their own yet.

- Tray table for finger foods or toys can be helpful in certain situations.

- It's brilliantly designed (but brilliant doesn't always mean 'necessary').

- Lightweight

- Easy to clean.

Cons:

- I'm sure it depends on the baby, but being stationary in a chair low on the ground does not necessarily guarantee a happy baby, at least not for long (unless there are other small, busy people running around the baby).

- The time frame that this chair gets used is very short although the manufacturer claims it is for babies 3-14 months of age.

- I think this seat has become less versatile than it was meant to be because of a recall in 2007 and general liability issues. Buy it used or borrow it from someone, and save those $30.

www.bumbobabyseat.com