baby stuff - reviews: part 2

Diapers

Of the disposable diapers, our favorite brand is Seventh Generation. We pay $40.00 for 120 diapers. Which is a lot, but definitely comparable to major brands like Huggies and Pampers.  Here's some info from the manufacturer:

Our Chlorine-Free Diapers offer soft, cloth-like comfort and perform as well as conventional brands. In addition to keeping your baby dry, our absorbent polymer is non-toxic and non-irritating to baby’s sensitive skin. Featuring stretchy leg gathers with upgraded wider tab design to add stretch & reduce possible sagging.


Features and Benefits of Seventh Generation Diapers
*Chlorine-free absorbent materials – do not contribute to dioxin pollution
*Soft, cloth-like comfort
*Premium absorbency
*Hypo-allergenic
*Super-stretchy resealable closure tabs
*Close-fitting thin diaper
*Super-stretchy leg gathers
*No latex, fragrance, or TBT (tributyl tin)

This may sound silly, but another thing I like about these diapers is that there isn't anything printed on them. It just seems like such a waste of money and materials to print patterns and pooh bears on disposable diapers. And I like the look of the plain ones better too. There isn't a weird pattern showing through her white onesies. Of course, most importantly, they absorb well and don't leak. My least favorite diaper was the target brand. It just didn't absorb well.


As for cloth diapers, which we primarily use, we have bumGenius and Flip diapers. We like both of these a lot, but we haven't tried many other kinds to compare. They are built well, and if I care for them well, I can see using these for a future babies.

bumGenius:

• The absorbent insert gets put in the pocket diaper after you get it out of the dryer, so it's ready to use when you are changing the diaper.

• The doubler that come with it makes it ideal for nighttime. 

• I like the ones with the snaps better than the velcro. The velcro doesn't last as long and it is hard to use because it is so strong. I scratch myself on it all the time when I'm trying to open the tabs.

flip:

• I can reuse the outer shell and just put in a new liner when the diaper isn't too messy. This cuts down on laundry and makes packing some in the diaper bag less bulky. It is also more economical.
• Unfortunately this means that when it is really messy you have to clean off the liner and the shell, rather than just the pocket diaper (as with the bumGenius).
• This one requires more work at the changing table, with putting in the liners while my baby squirms around. It is a little more challenging, but so far - doable.

diaper pail:

I read SO many reviews that said the diaper pails didn't really help with the odor any more than a trash can with a lid. I bought this 28 qt wastebasket from Target to use for the cloth diapers. The size is perfect for using with a Planetwise diaper pail liner (I got one in army green) and holds 2 days and 2 nights of cloth diapers. Which is when I need to do the laundry anyway!
The first one I bought didn't latch well, so I exchanged it, and this one has been doing great for a few months.

Bottles

Think baby:

• So far, this is our favorite bottle. Or rather, Vera's favorite. She doesn't like the nipples of the other bottles, so we try to keep these clean and keep our others for backup. 
• These are lightweight and have an easy shape to hold on to.
• They clean well in the dishwasher (except the nipple which we wash by hand).
• We like that it converts easily to a "sippy cup" with the conversion kit. We just pop the handle on under the collar and use the different nipple and Vera can use it herself!
• Also important to us is that this bottle is free of  Bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, nitrosamines, lead, PVC, PET, Tritan and biologically harmful chemicals. And it is recyclable.

WeeGo:

This is the other bottle we use. I really like it - it is made of glass and is covered with an easy to grip sleeve. This bottle and sleeve are also BPA and phthalate free. It's a great bottle, but Vera doesn't like the nipple as much. It's a little more stiff.




Breast pump

I got this on clearance at Target for $75. I shouldn't have. I should have bought the $200 Medela one at the hospital and applied it to our insurance. This one works fine, but it makes two annoying noises, a deep whir, and a shrill beep as it pumps. Every other second, as long as it is turned on, it makes these annoying sounds. No idea why. So annoying.