What's New in Baby Land?

by Lori Hadacek Chaplin in Reviews on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 8:49 AM

This past November I delivered our fourth baby, a chubby 8 lb, 2 ounce boy we named Maximilian Edward.

Several companies gave me the opportunity to road-test their products — most of which are newly on the market. I chose nine products to give our readers the inside scoop. All of these products would make impressive baby shower gifts.

Leave a comment here to be entered for a free chance to win either a free diaper from Fuzzibunz or a 45oz- bag of Rockin’ Green Detergent in the scent of your choice.

FUZZIBUNZ CLOTH POCKET DIAPER

Finally, I got up enough nerve to switch to cloth diapers. I was always embarrassed on garbage pick-up day; because of disposal diapers we would have three times the amount of garbage sitting on our curb compared to our neighbors.  With Maximilian I decided that I would try FuzziBunz pocket diapers.  I found that I actually like them as well as disposables. They’re just as easy to put on baby, fit nicely, wash up well, and they’re cute to look at.

When Maximilian was born, we bought 12 of the Perfect-Size Diaper, size XS for $15.95 a diaper. When he was two-months-old, I started adding in the One-Size Diaper ($19.95). He’s now three months old and weighs nearly 13 lbs. I’m still using the XS diapers, but I prefer the One-Size because they have snaps for the legs and because I rarely have any leakage when I have both of the micro-fiber inserts in the diaper. He is comfortable the whole night without a diaper change. Since I don’t have a lot of diapers, I launder almost every day, but I don’t mind. The diapers are expensive, but in my opinion worth it—especially if you can use them for more than one baby. From FuzziBunzWorld.com or (877) 77-FUZZI.

ROCKIN’ GREEN LAUNDRY DETERGENT

Rockin’ Green detergent contains no dyes, enzymes, perfumes, whiteners and brighteners, so it is safe for washing diapers—and other laundry items. It comes in a number of yummy-sounding smells like Mighty Mighty Marshmallow and Rage against the Raspberry. Unfortunately, those names call to mind artificial fragrances; but actually all of Rockin’ Green’s smells are made from essential oils. I tried the Mighty Marshmallow and most of the smell washed away and didn’t stay in the diaper. However, I prefer their scent-free, Bare Naked Babies, because I don’t want a hint of smell in our clothes. $13.95 for soft water-$15.95 for hard water (45/90 loads) from RockinGreenSoap.com or 855-RNG-SOAP.

AROMABABY BABY PRODUCTS

The smell of AROMABABY Australian-made organic skin care is heavenly. The scents in AROMABABY are made from pure essential oils; their products are fragrant, but subtle-smelling. I’m very careful about what I put on my skin and my baby’s because I’m repulsed by man-made scents. I also liked that this company does not use any harmful ingredients. My favorite of their products was the Barrier Balm with vitamin E and calendula. It works well for baby’s bum and as an all-over moisturizer. When I was pregnant this cream helped ease the itchiness of my stretching belly. AROMABABY has a number of gift baskets. $13.95 (25- grams) from AromaBaby.com

STAY-DRY BATH APRON AND TOWEL

The Stay-Dry Bath Apron and Towel is a nifty way to keep mom dry while bathing baby. It goes on like an apron; you use the bottom portion to cover baby when he comes out of the tub. I like the idea a lot; I’ve used it several times and I find it convenient. My only complaint is that I wish the fabric (100% cotton terry) were softer. $19.99 from WeeFive.com

SARA MIDDA BABY BOOK

The Baby Book by Sara Midda is more artsy then the traditional baby book. It’s a hardcover book with whimsical watercolor illustrations and plenty of room for writing about all the cute things my Maximilian does. I especially like how this book is organized. It starts with the categories of Names, Nicknames, and Birth.

Someday, when Maximilian reads his baby book, he will discover things such as he was almost named Liam, my eldest daughter, Ella, coined his nickname: “Chubbles”; and that I was in hard labor with him for an hour and fifteen minutes. Other categories include Parent’s Hope, Bedtime Rituals, Siblings, Sleeping, and much more. $22.95 from Amazon.com

PADALILY

Padalily is a chic-looking cushion that wraps around the carrying arm of baby’s car seat to make it easier to hold. It’s mom-invented and it’s made in the U.S.A. I liked how pretty and trendy this baby product is, but I found it cumbersome for my particular brand of car seat—particularly during the cold months when I use a blanket to cover the seat. My impression is that this product is meant for a seat with a longer handle. $26 from Padalily.com or (980) 225-6767.

PURA STAINLESS BABY BOTTLE

The Pura Bottle is a nice alternative to plastic because you don’t have to worry about chemicals like BPA and phthalates leaching into baby’s milk. The bottle is lightweight and can be converted into a sippy cup. However, I didn’t like that I couldn’t see how much milk was in the bottle and whether it was truly clean after I washed it. $15.99 from PuraStainless.com or (805) 884-0313.

EnJoye BREAST PUMP

I recommend Hygeia’s EnJoye Breastpump because it can be safely passed onto another mother; all she needs is her own personal accessory set ($39.99) that cost a fraction of buying a complete new system. Other beneficial features include an option to record your baby’s cry to aid milk let-down, a choice of single or double pumping, and customizable speed and pressure controls. Let’s face it pumps will never be as comfortable as your baby nursing. However, I found that this pump efficient especially when I played with the strength and the speed of the pumping to mimic my own baby’s sucking pattern. $319.99 (EnJoye™ LBI Deluxe Tote Set) from Amazon.com or 888-PUMP-4-MOM.

MY CARRY POTTY

My Carry Potty is a portable potty that looks like a small child’s suitcase. We found this nifty new product to be especially convenient for traveling and for going to places that don’t have restrooms. My 5-year-old Gemma gets a kick out of telling me that she left some “apple juice” in the potty for me after a trip to the lake. I get nervous when I see her swinging it over my new oriental rug—though it has yet to spill a drop, thank goodness. $29.95 from MyCarryPotty.com

Don’t forget to leave a comment on this article to be eligible to win a free diaper from Fuzzibunz or a 45oz- bag of Rockin’ Green Detergent in the scent of your choice. Entries will be taken until Comments will be open until Monday, May 16, 2011 at 12:00 noon EDT. After that two winners will be chosen at random and announced on the Faith & Family blog. Good luck!

—Faith & Family senior writer Lori Hadacek Chaplin enjoys her sweet baby at home with her family in Idaho.

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