lovechildbabymama's Profile

ok, just one more comment. we regularly see a family-practice chiropractor as well as a naturopathic pediatrician (a side note- our 17 month old has never been sick, sleeps beautifully, and is a calm child. maybe we're just lucky?) both recommended against the following: jumpy chairs, bouncy swings, walkers, and baby bjorns. why? it puts a lot of pressure on baby's low back before she/he has fully developed the muscles needed to support the spine properly. likewise, leaving them in an infant seat or swing for too long is also bad for baby's back. a lot of fussy babies could really just use some relief for the chronic back pain they will often have from spending too much time in a contraption of one kind or another. carriers that support baby's bottom (ergo, eco-sash, mei-tais, slings, and wraps) are actually great for proper spinal development, as well as baby's overall awareness. the bjorn hangs a baby by the crotch, as do most of those 'activity' toys, which puts the sacrum at a crucial kind of strain. oh, if only we could all know it all before the baby comes out!

certainly every baby and family have different needs. we went the bare-minimum route, not even buying a crib or anything like it. our friends and family gave/loaned us so much, and even most of that we didn't use. we bought a full-sized sultan mattress from ikea for baby's room (a.k.a. the lovehouse lounge- easily the most spacious and lovely room in the house), and proceeded to co-sleep for the first 6 months. after finding he loved his cousins crib after we attended a large party at my sisters house, we decided to buy one only if we found a solid wood, safe simple construction (no convertibles or drop-sides), for 50 bucks or less. within one week, we stumbled upon that very thing. i don't normally like to buy things that have only one purpose, but since my husband is an artist and works on large canvases, we figured the we'd use it to store canvases after the boy outgrows it. also, we waited on the changing table, but after i got pregnant again, found it helpful to change the baby since i didn't have to haul my big butt up and down so much, and my husbands bad knee prevented him from changing the baby on the floor (he got out of changing diapers until we got the table!) again, we found a simple wood construction for 20 bucks, and thought with the addition of casters it would make a fine art taboret to hold all of hubs' paints and trays and such. i think the wait-and-see approach is a good one, because you'll find a lot of stuff is just junk (holler at the baby genie!). and as for the bumbo, i found it indispensible for getting a shower with my baby safely on the ground in there with me. of course, as soon as he could wriggle out, we stopped using it. good luck to you, and rest assured, no matter what approach you take, you are bound to waste some money here or there. just be patient, and love the heck out of that little baby... don't waste a moment worrying about things that don't matter, and cherish every precious moment. and congratulations!