A month ago I had a physical therapist from Early Intervention come out and assess Princess to see if she was developmentally on-target for her adjusted age due to some concerns I had. During this appointment I asked when I should start transitioning Princess out of being swaddled. She was scooting around in her crib at night but she so loved being swaddled. The therapist said now was the time to transition her but that night was a nightmare for Princess and I that ended with a swaddled baby so we could get some sleep at 3 a.m. After this defeat I turned to my fellow mommies in my preemie support group online. Many moms said they waited for their child to let them know when they didn't want to be swaddled anymore and Princess was still young (4 months, 1.5 adjusted). Other moms shared with me special transitioning products like Merlin's Magic Suit and the Zipadee Zip suit. I, however, wasn't interested in buying special products and having to transition Princess out of those too. So I waited for the time when Princess would "tell" me she's over being swaddled (and prayed it happened before her 10th birthday haha).
So fast forward to a month later. She had been flopping around her crib like a fish out of water all swaddled up and her arms were making their way out a lot lately too. After googling swaddle transition I found these were my cues Princess was ready to be swaddle-free. So one night I swaddled her one arm out (I left out her left arm which finds its way out of the swaddle most). She slept so well I decided that the next night I would swaddle the left arm and keep her right arm out. She again slept great. So the next night I kept both arms out and she slept unphased. I will say it is taking her longer to soothe herself to sleep being unswaddled but at least she's sleeping as she normally would, unlike a month ago when I tried it and she would only sleep in 30 min intervals. I got the idea to transition her by pulling one arm out at a time from a mom in the support group. No fancy items needed, not to say they aren't helpful for others.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
Goods to Take FROM the Hospital
I want to start this post by saying that everything you are given in the hospital is paid for by your insurance so it's not stealing. Some of it will be charged to your account even if you don't use it because once something disposable is in your room, it's an infection control issue to let other patients use it. This includes unused diapers and formula (a fact I wish I had known when Princess was admitted).
For Mommy:
For Baby:
- I would have your partner, mother, friend, or whoever is helping you out stash this stuff each time they leave.
For Mommy:
- For the pumping/breastfeeding mommy - take all the breastfeeding supplies you are given. I only pumped for two weeks but my lactation consultant gave me an extra set of supplies to keep in the NICU and special extra large flanges (I wouldn't consider myself busty but your nipples blow up when you are breastfeeding - fact).
- Bath basin - I took two, one to soak my pumping supplies and one to soak our bottles once Princess came home (see my post on washing bottles for more info on this). They are perfectly sized for soaking these items.
- Perineal ice pack or what I call "vagina ice" - these feel great on your sore vagina! I didn't have any tears but I imagine they also feel great for mommies who suffer from tears. I asked for more before I was discharged so I could continue icing at home. I loved my vagina ice during recovery and HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking as much of it as you can before you are discharged.
- Pads - the hospital pads are ridiculously large but SUPER absorbent. They will save your panties when you get home.
- Any other items used to help you recover
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| Perfect picture taken from another Mom's blog "Ten Things to Swipe from the Hospital" |
- I would have your partner, mother, friend, or whoever is helping you out stash this stuff each time they leave.
- Diapers
- Formula (if applicable)
- Bulb syringe - the hospital one is better than the one I bought at the store. If you are paranoid about choking like I am you will want one in every room of the house. The NICU had to change her syringe every week so I always just took it home instead of having them throw it out so I could accommodate my neurosis ;).
- Receiving blankets - these were recommended by my NICU to take home for swaddle baths. I also used to bring home Princess's old hospital blankets for her puppy brother to get used to her smell before she came home.
- Any baby hygiene supplies - the NICU provided us a brush, comb, bath wash, and baby oil
Hospital Bag for Bed Rest, Birthing, and NICU
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Since Princess decided to arrive 10 weeks early I never technically packed a hospital bag. But I will share with you what I would have packed and items I was really glad I had my husband get from the house. I was on bed rest in the hospital for five days before Princess arrived, and then I stayed another two nights to recover from my vaginal birth.While I was pregnant I was oddly always worried about the baby coming early (mother's intuition?) so I had posted a status on my Facebook asking what other mommies recommended for their hospital bag. The best advice I got from that was SNACKS!
My List:
- Snacks - my hospital had pretty strict ordering hours so this was beyond needed for my infant-like eating style of needing to nibble on something every couple of hours.
- Cell phone and charger - this really doesn't require an explanation but whether you go into preterm labor or have a normal labor and delivery there are A LOT of people that will be trying to connect with you for updates and baby pictures.
- IPad/laptop - this was more for my husband because I mainly just used my phone. However, there were times when I was on bed rest for the week that we would watch Netflix on his iPad together.
- Toiletries - you get the basics in the hospital but showering with my own body wash and shampoo made me feel like a million bucks when I was in the hospital.
- Robe - I only ever wore a hospital gown so this made me presentable for guests. It also kept me warm on my walks to the NICU.
- Comfy socks/slippers - I walked back and forth to the NICU in my slippers. They also kept my feet clean and warm when I had to go to the bathroom all 550 times while I was on bed rest.
- Cards or card games - watching TV gets boring after a few days on bed rest so my husband and I started a pretty mean UNO tournament.
- Books/magazines - I had too much anxiety to focus on reading but it would help pass the time.
- Neck pillow - you will be spending A LOT of time in the rocking chair/recliner next to baby's isolette so be comfortable!
- Comfy socks or slippers - again it's all about comfort when you are lounging out in your baby's room for hours on end.
- Boppy or similar pillow - whether or not you breastfeed this pillow is great for when you get to snuggle baby or even for bottle feedings! We hold our NICU babies a lot and even though they are tiny, your arms will get tired. Boppy is a great support for just holding or feeding.
- Hats and outfits for baby - it may be awhile before baby is allowed to wear clothes but generally they can wear hats most of the time. Princess had quite a hat wardrobe going for a while when she couldn't wear clothes because of being on CPAP or dealing with jaundice for a couple weeks. We were also given a few hats by the NICU thanks to volunteers who make them (I think this is pretty common in most hospitals).
- Transition toy or lovey - the NICU gave us Snoedle, which is a fabric doll volunteers make for the babies that the mom's sleep with and keep in baby's isolette so they smell mom. All the other toys we already had for Princess were so much bigger than her when she was in the NICU so Snoedle (whom I call Snoogle) was Princess's transition toy. I still keep it in her crib and sleep with it from time-to-time so it maintains my smell.
- Childrens book - it's never too early to start to read to baby. We kept Princess's children's Bible at the NICU and would read her stories out of it sometimes. FYI I'm not the most religious person but having my baby in the hospital definitely changed things.
- Your pajamas - ladies after birth isn't pretty, and you are not going to want all those bodily fluids on your pajamas. Hospital gowns aren't sexy but you don't have to launder them :).
- Your panties - so I would recommend these if you are on bed rest but not after you've birthed. Again, gross bodily fluids don't need to ruin your panties when you're given the disposable hospital ones. The one time I did wear my own panties after I birthed was because when I was wearing the perineal ice packs (aka vagina ice) they weighed down the disposable panties too much so I wore my panties on top of the disposable ones for more support. If you insist on wearing your own panties just make sure you use your designated period panties so you won't ruin a nice pair.
- Pregnancy book - if you are in preterm labor throw it out, it's no longer useful. What To Expect When You're Expecting only covers average/normal labor and delivery. I felt like once I was admitted for preterm labor none of the content felt relevant to me.
Happy packing mommies!!
Princess's Bedtime Routine
After Princess came home from the NICU we were busy just trying to adjust to life with a baby and working. So once we (sort of) had that down I realized Princess didn't have any sort of a routine. Since babies and kids in general tend to thrive on routine I took to the internet to see what other mommies were doing. As a nurse I work odd hours and my schedule varies every week so a daily routine for Princess is almost impossible. However, a bedtime routine is the one thing we could keep consistent no matter the night. Princess had turned three months old the day I instituted a routine, and it was also the first night she slept through the night (halleluiah!). Since I'm a night owl and the farthest thing from a morning person, I have tried to make Princess a late riser. If you asked her, 6 and 7 a.m. are still considered the middle of the night (as it should be hehe). Prior to instituting a bedtime Princess wasn't settling into her crib until midnight most nights, which I didn't like. I started putting her bedtime at 11 p.m. then backed it up to 10 p.m. and now it's 9 p.m. since the time changed and Princess never got the memo (shh!). Ideally I would like her bedtime to be 8 p.m. but her feedings right now aren't working out to where that's realistic (that would make her last feeding at 6ish p.m. and I doubt she would even make it to midnight in that case). Additionally, ever since Princess turned four months old she decided she's over sleeping through the night; which is currently killing me. I'm currently researching why (possible sleep regression or not getting full enough at her last feeding) and trialing ways to prevent it. If I succeed that will be another post. However, the following is our current bedtime routine, and it generally gets me until at least 3:30 a.m. with a sleeping Princess (she starts waking every three hours after that):
I had read that NICU babies get used to machine lights and sounds and tend to like a little light and sound when they sleep when they come home. Thus I keep a night light on and use the Cloud B Sleep Sheep. Princess has always fallen asleep with it quickly, and I would recommend it to all mommies (especially preemie mommies). I had gotten it for her when I was pregnant because the sheep was cute. However, once Princess came home from the NICU she was still extremely sensitive to sound. I had had a crib aquarium that played music but it was too jarring and stimulating for her. She was too busy paying attention to it to work on falling asleep. I used it for about a week before I nixed that little item. So next I tried the Sleep Sheep, and an easily-soothed baby was born! It plays nature sounds (rain, ocean, whale, and heartbeat) that are soft and soothing. Rain and ocean are my favorite. I'm not too keen on the heartbeat and whale sounds. The whale is a little scary to me and, as a nurse, the heart beat isn't up to snuff for my liking ;). It affixes to the crib for safe sleep (see picture). You can also adjust the volume so it was a lot lower when Princess was just sprung from NICU as opposed to it's current volume. Also, it has a timer for 20 minutes or 45 minutes. This is great for extending battery life. I have yet to change the batteries and I use it on the 45 minute setting every night. I also turn it on when I put her back to bed after feedings. I love it so much I bought her the travel-sized one for her car seat and stroller for Christmas.
At the time Princess used to favor her right side and the wall she stared at was pretty plain so I wanted to give her something to gaze at while she was falling asleep. So I got Princess the Cloud B Twilight Turtle which projects stars that slowly change colors on the wall and ceiling, which is cool to watch. However, Princess was too stimulated by it, and I had to return it. I liked it but I would recommend it for an older child. It was really cute, and I was sad it inhibited Princess sleep.
I hope this helps you and your babies get some better sleep!! Sweet dreams mommies!
*Please note I am not compensated by any items mentioned or store linked here. This reflects my personal views only.
- Every other night 8-8:30 p.m.: Bath and infant massage (YouTube it if you want to learn how to do it. Princess loves it thanks to the OT in the NICU who taught me how to do it).
- 8:30-9 p.m.: Last bottle before bed - we sit in her glider in her room with just a dim table lamp and nightlight on.
- 9-9:30 p.m.: Bedtime story and rocking afterwards. I also give Princess her pacifier to suck on for the rest of the night at this time. She prefers Soothies (as recommended by NICU) and MAM (she can hold onto them a lot better by herself). Additionally, I turn on her Sleep Sheep (see below) to set Princess into "sleep mode".
- After I've rocked Princess to where she's droopy-eyed I put her in her crib, turn off the table lamp, and let her soothe herself to sleep.
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| Cloud B Sleep Sheep |
At the time Princess used to favor her right side and the wall she stared at was pretty plain so I wanted to give her something to gaze at while she was falling asleep. So I got Princess the Cloud B Twilight Turtle which projects stars that slowly change colors on the wall and ceiling, which is cool to watch. However, Princess was too stimulated by it, and I had to return it. I liked it but I would recommend it for an older child. It was really cute, and I was sad it inhibited Princess sleep.
I hope this helps you and your babies get some better sleep!! Sweet dreams mommies!
*Please note I am not compensated by any items mentioned or store linked here. This reflects my personal views only.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Cradle Cap
Princess got a bad case of cradle cap (really dry skin on baby's scalp) after she was discharged from the NICU. Turns out she can't use scented products because the scent was bothering her skin. I now use Aveeno no fragrance, tear-free, body wash for Princess. I also use it to wash her hair. This stuff cleared up her cradle cap within one to two baths! I also use Aveeno 24 hour moisturizing lotion on her body and hair. My pediatrician said Princess's skin was probably just too sensitive to scented products. Oddly, ever since I got pregnant with Princess my skin has also been unable to tolerate scented products.
If switching to fragrance free products doesn't do the trick. Try rubbing mineral oil on baby's head to exfoliate the scales off, then rinse. Be warned this can get messy, but other preemie moms swear by this remedy!
Lastly, if these at-home remedies don't work consult your pediatrician!
*Please note I am not compensated by Aveeno. This is my personal view based on my experiences.
If switching to fragrance free products doesn't do the trick. Try rubbing mineral oil on baby's head to exfoliate the scales off, then rinse. Be warned this can get messy, but other preemie moms swear by this remedy!
Lastly, if these at-home remedies don't work consult your pediatrician!
*Please note I am not compensated by Aveeno. This is my personal view based on my experiences.
Where to Buy Preemie Clothes
Few, if any, people plan to have a preemie. So when you birth your miracle baby where do you buy her clothes? I was quite shocked at how hard they were to find in stores. And the stores I found them in were sometimes just as shocking. Most of Princess's preemie clothes came from Walmart and Target. Walmart carries Carter's and their brand Child of Mine. Target carries Carter's and their brand Precious Ones. Carter's stores also have a good selection of preemie clothes but at the time I just never made it to an actual Carter's store. I later found out Burlington Coat Factory also sells preemie clothes. Oddly, Babies R Us had hardly any preemie clothes. Even odder, what I did find there was mostly boys. So disappointing!! Additionally, a relative also found Princess preemie clothes at Gymboree. My mom would buy Princess preemie outfits online from sites specializing in preemies, however most of them tended to be much larger than her other preemie clothes. I would say most of those outfits were actually newborn sized, not preemie. However, if you have a micro preemie none of the clothes you will find in the store will fit them until they are at least 3 lbs. For those extra tiny miracles I would suggest going online and searching specifically for micro preemie clothes. Happy shopping mommies!!
*Please note I am not compensated by any of the companies mentioned here, and this only reflects my personal view on content mentioned here. Additionally, this post reflects only what I could find in stores in Dayton, OH, and availability can vary by location.
*Please note I am not compensated by any of the companies mentioned here, and this only reflects my personal view on content mentioned here. Additionally, this post reflects only what I could find in stores in Dayton, OH, and availability can vary by location.
Swaddle Sleep Sacks
Halo swaddle sleep sacks are our favorite since Preemie Princess is so small the long strips of Velcro can adjust to her tiny body while keeping a tight swaddle. Swaddle Mes and other brands of swaddle sacks only have small bits of Velcro and a designated place for them that didn't work for Princess. She broke free easily, and when that happens sleepy time is over :(. I also like that I can swaddle half of Princess's pacifier so it stays in her mouth while she's trying to fall asleep. Otherwise, I would be in her room every couple of minutes to replace the paci. I can't wait until she can put her own paci in her mouth! Princess also loves the Halo sacks because she likes to burrow down in them (I'm sure on purpose to give me a SIDS heart attack hehe).
Living in Ohio the winters get cold so the microfleece sacks definitely keep Princess warm. They were especially great when Princess was in the NICU and after she was discharged when her body still wasn't 100% able to regulate it's own temperature. Now that Princess can regulate her own temperature (yay!) she can get really warm in them at night. So much so that I only dress her in a short-sleeve onesie for bed. I actually need to go and buy her some cotton swaddle sacks so she doesn't overheat as she continues to grow.
I will say finding the swaddle sleep sacks are increasingly harder to find in sizes bigger than newborn in stores. However, they are available online. This is frustrating since Princess likes to have them a little larger than her size (which isn't newborn anymore). Also, the fleece swaddle sacks are also much more prevalent than the cotton ones (at least here in Dayton).
Another nice thing about them is that when you are trying to transition baby out of swaddling they can still be used as sleep sacks just by velcroing the swaddle part under baby's arms.
*Please note I am not compensated by Halo for this review, and this only reflects my personal view on the items mentioned here.
Living in Ohio the winters get cold so the microfleece sacks definitely keep Princess warm. They were especially great when Princess was in the NICU and after she was discharged when her body still wasn't 100% able to regulate it's own temperature. Now that Princess can regulate her own temperature (yay!) she can get really warm in them at night. So much so that I only dress her in a short-sleeve onesie for bed. I actually need to go and buy her some cotton swaddle sacks so she doesn't overheat as she continues to grow.
I will say finding the swaddle sleep sacks are increasingly harder to find in sizes bigger than newborn in stores. However, they are available online. This is frustrating since Princess likes to have them a little larger than her size (which isn't newborn anymore). Also, the fleece swaddle sacks are also much more prevalent than the cotton ones (at least here in Dayton).
Another nice thing about them is that when you are trying to transition baby out of swaddling they can still be used as sleep sacks just by velcroing the swaddle part under baby's arms.
*Please note I am not compensated by Halo for this review, and this only reflects my personal view on the items mentioned here.
Dressing Princess
Shopping for baby clothes is one of my favorite things to do! I love shopping for Princess more than I love shopping for myself (she ALWAYS looks adorable, me not so much hehe). I am a practical person and I don't like dressing Princess in anything complicated. Sleepers with buttons are about as complicated as I'm willing to go. So my favorite outfits to dress Princess in are onesies with pants. Pants are so much easier to deal with during diaper changes than 20 buttons on a sleeper. The one downfall of this outfit is the need for socks. Princess's right foot curves out a little and struggles to maintain a sock. So keeping track of her socks can be a bit of a pain. The ultimate easy baby outfit is the zip-up sleeper. Why aren't all sleepers zipped?! I wish these were more abundant because changing a baby in a zippered sleeper is super easy! I dress Princess in sleepers when we are hanging out at home but do a onesie-pants combo when we go out. Princess actually doesn't even sleep in sleepers since her sleepsacks are fleece and she would overheat. At bedtime, I just put Princess in a short-sleeved onesie and swaddle her in the sleepsack. Happy dressing mommies!!
Washing Bottles
We have a dishwasher in our house but it isn't the greatest. I don't trust that it cleans Princess's bottles good enough to put them in there so we hand wash her bottles everyday. Though yes, it is an extra chore, through trial and error I've come up with the following system to make it as efficient as possible.
I use one of the wash basins you get at the hospital, but if you already have a similar basin at home it will work just the same. The basin sits on the counter in the kitchen and throughout the day after Princess is done with the bottle we just toss them in the basin. At the end of the day or the next morning I will disassemble the bottles (we use Dr. Brown's so there's several parts involved), rinse out the bottle of any leftover milk, then place everything back in the basin. Then I fill it up with hot water and dish soap. From there I just scrub out the bottles and nipples and rinse everything else off. I can wash her 12 bottles and parts in about 20 minutes. Because the bottles are soaking while you are washing them it helps cut down on the need to scrub them out as much. When I'm done I hang everything out to dry on my Munchkin High Capacity Drying Rack (which I love!).
Now as far as what I use to scrub out the bottles I use the Dr. Brown's bottle brush, however I'm not a fan of the nipple cleaner on the opposite end of the brush. I actually bought a Munchkin brand brush to try but found it was too big for the regular Dr. Brown's bottles and created a big mess when I pushed the brush in and pulled it out of the bottles. Soap and water sprayed everywhere! That's a mess I only cleaned once before ditching that brush. However, the nipple cleaner on the Munchkin brush is great! So I use the Dr. Brown's bottle brush with the Munchkin nipple cleaner. Before I used the Munchkin nipple cleaner my nipples were getting cloudy, however I no longer have that issue. I also just use Dawn soap to clean Princess's bottles. Happy washing mommies!!
*Please note I am not compensated by Dr. Brown's or Munchkin for this review, and this only reflects my personal view on the items mentioned here.
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| My supplies: Basin from the hospital, Dawn dish soap, Dr. Brown's bottle brush, Munchkin nipple brush |
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| My bottles and bottle pieces ready to be washed. |
I use one of the wash basins you get at the hospital, but if you already have a similar basin at home it will work just the same. The basin sits on the counter in the kitchen and throughout the day after Princess is done with the bottle we just toss them in the basin. At the end of the day or the next morning I will disassemble the bottles (we use Dr. Brown's so there's several parts involved), rinse out the bottle of any leftover milk, then place everything back in the basin. Then I fill it up with hot water and dish soap. From there I just scrub out the bottles and nipples and rinse everything else off. I can wash her 12 bottles and parts in about 20 minutes. Because the bottles are soaking while you are washing them it helps cut down on the need to scrub them out as much. When I'm done I hang everything out to dry on my Munchkin High Capacity Drying Rack (which I love!).
Now as far as what I use to scrub out the bottles I use the Dr. Brown's bottle brush, however I'm not a fan of the nipple cleaner on the opposite end of the brush. I actually bought a Munchkin brand brush to try but found it was too big for the regular Dr. Brown's bottles and created a big mess when I pushed the brush in and pulled it out of the bottles. Soap and water sprayed everywhere! That's a mess I only cleaned once before ditching that brush. However, the nipple cleaner on the Munchkin brush is great! So I use the Dr. Brown's bottle brush with the Munchkin nipple cleaner. Before I used the Munchkin nipple cleaner my nipples were getting cloudy, however I no longer have that issue. I also just use Dawn soap to clean Princess's bottles. Happy washing mommies!!
*Please note I am not compensated by Dr. Brown's or Munchkin for this review, and this only reflects my personal view on the items mentioned here.
Baby Carrier Review
I have been on a plight to find the perfect carrier for my
preemie princess for the past two months. The search has finally ended when I took the time to learn Moby! Here you will find my review of the Moby and all the other carriers I have tried.
My NICU occupational therapist actually recommended it to me. The Moby wrap is great because it is so comfortable (I've fallen asleep with baby strapped to me it's so comfortable), it keeps baby snug for safety and bonding, but my favorite feature is that once I wrap it on me I can keep it on me while I drive around town running all my errands. Now of course baby comes out when I'm driving but it's so much easier just to pop her in and out when I get to each destination, as opposed to having to hook up the carrier each time. Also you can just wear a coat over it so coats can be easily removed so you aren’t juggling baby and trying not to sweat to death ;). Now I will say I spent a good 30-45 minutes acclimating myself to the tying procedure when I first got it. The instruction booklet is helpful but I also recommend the Youtube videos. I actually had tried one before and didn't like it because I hadn't taken the time to really get the tying down. However, that time is so worth it; and thank God I gave it a second chance!! The straps that take up your whole back divide out the baby weight better than any of my other carriers. I have chronic pain issues so this was a HUGE plus for me to not be sore an hour after strapping baby on. I feel it is well worth the money as it can be used until baby is 35 lbs, and reused for future babies. The one recurrent complaint I hear about it (besides needing to learn how to properly tie it) is that baby can get too hot in it. I haven't found this to be an issue, however I usually only wear a t-shirt when I wear her so I can remove sweaters, coats, etc. if I get to hot. I am shocked this is my favorite because having to tie it originally deterred me, but, again, it is well worth your time and money!! It retails for $49.99, though I've seen them secondhand for $15-20. I do feel it is worth the $50.
UPDATE: I don't really use my Moby anymore because now that Princess is bigger we both get way too hot in it. I would absolutely recommend it for newborns and babies until they turn into furnaces.
Click this link to buy Moby Wrap at Babies 'R Us
Click here for Moby Wrap Instructional Video
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| The Moby Wrap print I have and love! |
My NICU occupational therapist actually recommended it to me. The Moby wrap is great because it is so comfortable (I've fallen asleep with baby strapped to me it's so comfortable), it keeps baby snug for safety and bonding, but my favorite feature is that once I wrap it on me I can keep it on me while I drive around town running all my errands. Now of course baby comes out when I'm driving but it's so much easier just to pop her in and out when I get to each destination, as opposed to having to hook up the carrier each time. Also you can just wear a coat over it so coats can be easily removed so you aren’t juggling baby and trying not to sweat to death ;). Now I will say I spent a good 30-45 minutes acclimating myself to the tying procedure when I first got it. The instruction booklet is helpful but I also recommend the Youtube videos. I actually had tried one before and didn't like it because I hadn't taken the time to really get the tying down. However, that time is so worth it; and thank God I gave it a second chance!! The straps that take up your whole back divide out the baby weight better than any of my other carriers. I have chronic pain issues so this was a HUGE plus for me to not be sore an hour after strapping baby on. I feel it is well worth the money as it can be used until baby is 35 lbs, and reused for future babies. The one recurrent complaint I hear about it (besides needing to learn how to properly tie it) is that baby can get too hot in it. I haven't found this to be an issue, however I usually only wear a t-shirt when I wear her so I can remove sweaters, coats, etc. if I get to hot. I am shocked this is my favorite because having to tie it originally deterred me, but, again, it is well worth your time and money!! It retails for $49.99, though I've seen them secondhand for $15-20. I do feel it is worth the $50.
UPDATE: I don't really use my Moby anymore because now that Princess is bigger we both get way too hot in it. I would absolutely recommend it for newborns and babies until they turn into furnaces.
I will do a quick review of the other carriers I have owned
before Moby for a comparison. I have had the Bjorn, Ergo, Infantino Mei Tai, and K’Tan.
The Bjorn was my first and is SUPER easy to
use. I used it when Princess was only 5
lbs, however now that she's 8 lbs it hurts my back. Though it can support up to 35 lbs I can't imagine carrying a baby that size in it! Additionally, it's a
"crotch dangling" carrier which isn't recommended. This is my husband's favorite carrier due to the ease of use, and he still uses it for Princess when she needs held for an extensive amount of time. It retails for $69.99, which I feel is a little steep. I got mine for $20 secondhand, which I would recommend doing if you are going to get this carrier.
Click here to buy the Bjorn at Babies 'R Us
The Ergo is great for Mommy's back, however it is just so cumbersome to put on by myself I had to throw in the towel. It was a deterrent for me to use it when I'm be doing my errands around town to have to spend the 5 mins to get baby strapped in, then the 2 minutes to get her (and myself) out of it, and then repeat at each destination. I also haven't a clue how anyone does the back carry by themselves. It's also a bulky carrier, which I'm sure is great for the support of a larger child but definitely not what I needed for my preemie. I have the infant insert but wouldn't recommend it. It's even more massively bulky, and all I ever used was the little pillow to prop a princess booty on (which did the trick). If you don't want to buy the insert I've read other mommies just roll up a blanket to prop baby on. Ergo does, however, properly position baby's hips. Also, it’s hard to wear anything over the carrier since the straps are so large, and I’ve been trapped in a coat underneath it because I didn’t want to deal with having to take the carrier off and on. Lastly, it is the most expensive of these options selling for $135 plus $25 for the infant insert. I bought mine used for $80 (included the infant insert) and would recommend doing the same if you felt comfortable buying secondhand. Ultimately, I would still recommend this carrier to a friend for an older/bigger baby as I also plan to give it a second chance when Princess is much bigger.
UPDATE: I also tried a Tula which is VERY similar to Ergo with just a few minor differences. Ultimately it felt the same on and me and wasn't any easier for me to get off and on. It does have a wider panel which doesn't work on it's own for my preemie princess. A rolled up or blanket or infant insert would need to be used for little, little babies (like my 10 lb, 6 MO).
Click here to buy the Ergo at Babies 'R Us
The Infantino Mei Tai is easier/quicker to put on by myself than the Ergo but does lack the back support of the Ergo. My back hurt quickly after strapping baby in so that wasn't going to work for me at all. However, I have had a mom tell me she's worn her 40 lb child in this without issue. So perhaps this carrier just isn't made for the mommy with pre-existing back issues. It retails for $34.99, which makes it the cheapest option listed here.
Click here to buy the Infantino Mei Tai at Babies 'R Us
Finally, the K'Tan is an easier version of the Moby to put on, however, the way it sits on the back is not comfortable for me since the straps are not wide on the back like the Moby. I could also feel the middle piece on my back, and I did not like that. Additionally, this is not a one-size fits all carrier. Because it fits like a shirt you have to buy the size that corresponds with your shirt size. Contrary to this picture, it is unlikely both mom and partner will both be able to use this carrier. As far as how baby sits in it, it's exactly like the Moby. However, moms who don't want to deal with tying the Moby tend to really like this carrier. It retails for $49.99, so it's decently priced (and equal to what the Moby costs).
Click here to buy the K'tan at Babies 'R Us
*Please note I am not compensated by any of the brands/store linked here, and this only reflects my personal view on all the items mentioned here.
Click here to buy the Bjorn at Babies 'R Us
The Ergo is great for Mommy's back, however it is just so cumbersome to put on by myself I had to throw in the towel. It was a deterrent for me to use it when I'm be doing my errands around town to have to spend the 5 mins to get baby strapped in, then the 2 minutes to get her (and myself) out of it, and then repeat at each destination. I also haven't a clue how anyone does the back carry by themselves. It's also a bulky carrier, which I'm sure is great for the support of a larger child but definitely not what I needed for my preemie. I have the infant insert but wouldn't recommend it. It's even more massively bulky, and all I ever used was the little pillow to prop a princess booty on (which did the trick). If you don't want to buy the insert I've read other mommies just roll up a blanket to prop baby on. Ergo does, however, properly position baby's hips. Also, it’s hard to wear anything over the carrier since the straps are so large, and I’ve been trapped in a coat underneath it because I didn’t want to deal with having to take the carrier off and on. Lastly, it is the most expensive of these options selling for $135 plus $25 for the infant insert. I bought mine used for $80 (included the infant insert) and would recommend doing the same if you felt comfortable buying secondhand. Ultimately, I would still recommend this carrier to a friend for an older/bigger baby as I also plan to give it a second chance when Princess is much bigger.
UPDATE: I also tried a Tula which is VERY similar to Ergo with just a few minor differences. Ultimately it felt the same on and me and wasn't any easier for me to get off and on. It does have a wider panel which doesn't work on it's own for my preemie princess. A rolled up or blanket or infant insert would need to be used for little, little babies (like my 10 lb, 6 MO).
Click here to buy the Ergo at Babies 'R Us
The Infantino Mei Tai is easier/quicker to put on by myself than the Ergo but does lack the back support of the Ergo. My back hurt quickly after strapping baby in so that wasn't going to work for me at all. However, I have had a mom tell me she's worn her 40 lb child in this without issue. So perhaps this carrier just isn't made for the mommy with pre-existing back issues. It retails for $34.99, which makes it the cheapest option listed here.
Click here to buy the Infantino Mei Tai at Babies 'R Us
Finally, the K'Tan is an easier version of the Moby to put on, however, the way it sits on the back is not comfortable for me since the straps are not wide on the back like the Moby. I could also feel the middle piece on my back, and I did not like that. Additionally, this is not a one-size fits all carrier. Because it fits like a shirt you have to buy the size that corresponds with your shirt size. Contrary to this picture, it is unlikely both mom and partner will both be able to use this carrier. As far as how baby sits in it, it's exactly like the Moby. However, moms who don't want to deal with tying the Moby tend to really like this carrier. It retails for $49.99, so it's decently priced (and equal to what the Moby costs).
Click here to buy the K'tan at Babies 'R Us
*Please note I am not compensated by any of the brands/store linked here, and this only reflects my personal view on all the items mentioned here.
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