Baby Sling Parents – Definitive Guide To Baby Carriers

Fisher Price Precious Planet Polar Bear Teether

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars He loves it!
My 4 month old son really likes to chew on this and likes the little rattle. This is a cute teether item if you don’t want to use something that has water and needs to be cooled.

1 Star Horrible! Threw it in the garbage!
The smell of plastic was so strong on this item that I threw it in the garbage. There was NO way I would let my teething baby boy put it in his mouth!

5 Stars Great Gift, Great Value
I bought this for a friend’s baby, and it was a big hit. Super cute, and unlike some other people’s reviews, it didn’t seem heavy (seemed about the same weight as other teethers). The teether was a slightly darker color than pictured, but this didn’t affect the overall look. For the price, this is an excellent product!!

3 Stars Nice but heavy
I got this for my 3 month old baby girl and I was a little suprised at how heavy it was compared to other similar teethers. Its very cute and has small rattles inside that are not to bad to listen to. She seems to like looking at it but its too heavy. I would def recommend this to someone with a 6 or 7 month old baby who would be able to hold it much better.

Buy/More Info

Fisher Price Bouncer Mocha Butterfly

Fisher-Price Mocha Butterfly Bouncer The Mocha Butterfly Bouncer is a sweet and comfortable place for baby to play. The fashion is brown with pink accents with a comfy head huggie that cradles and provides support. It includes a toy bar with three butterfly toys with rings to tug. The center butterfly plays music with baby’s pull. The toy-bar easily removes for access to baby. This bouncer includes vibrations to soothe. Plus a washable seat pad with three point restraint and non-skid feet. Like all Fisher Price bouncers, this version will be a great place to soothe and entertain baby. Features: A fashionable yet comfortable place for baby to play Bouncer is brown with pink accents Includes a toy bar with three butterfly toys with rings to tug Center butterfly plays music with baby’s pull Bouncer includes vibrations to soothe

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Look for round leg construction when buying a bouncer
A bouncer is very useful, especially one like this that has a round leg construction, which will help the baby to bounce, not just sit there. Another benefit of this particular bouncer is that the seat is deep, hence it’s difficult for the baby to lean forward. At first, I just used the bouncer to put the baby down in an upright position when tired of carrying him around and when he needed to burp. In no time he but figured out himself what fun he can have in it. I have not used the vibrating function much, when I do, the baby just looks surprised and a bit uncomfortable. Instead he loves to wiggle and throw his legs up and down. You’ll be surprised how much this bouncer actually bounces as a result! When tired of bouncing, he just sits and grabs the toys, when pulling the frog it plays some music. My baby boy is 5.5 months old and now he can really bounce strong — he loves it!!, he sits independently otherwise and it has not been a problem, in this bouncer he just leans back and lets the fun begin. UPDATE: there’s an added surprising interest for the baby — the button to turn on vibration. My son had been staring at it for the longest time until I put him to sit in front of the bouncer. It took him some time, but he figured out how to slide the button to the right to turn on vibration. So now he sits in front of the bouncer and giggles while the bouncer vibrates! He still doesn’t know how to slide the button to the left, but is working on it. Go figure what babies enjoy!

3 Stars Comfy and Cute
I purchased this bouncer when my daughter was 3months old. She loved sitting in it but for only short periods of time. My daughter is a mover so shortly after purchasing it she tried to arch her back and hold onto the side to try to roll out of it. Her attempt never worked but it made her frustated and i would have to take her out of it. i wish i would have purchaced this bouncer when she was first born because she would have gotten more use out of it. Shes 7months now and hasnt sat into since maybe 4 months.

4 Stars Nice colors, keeps baby secure
We bought this bouncer primarily for the price, but also the good reviews. In most respects, it hasn’t disappointed. The colors are vibrant and fun, and the batteries for the vibrating mechanism lasted a surprisingly long time. Note that it doesn’t bounce on its own – just gently vibrates. You or baby will have to add the energy to make it bounce.

What’s a bit odd is the distance between the toys and the chair – it’s just too far for a baby to reach unless they can lean forward and sit up. But if a baby can lean forward and sit up, they’re no longer supposed to use the bouncer! So our daughter has reached wistfully for the frog for months now; at almost 4 months old she’s close to succeeding, but she’s also doing stomach crunches in her chair, so it won’t be long before we have to retire this product for something else.

All in all, it’s kept her secure and occupied and that’s all we could ask for.

4 Stars Solid and inexpensive – what more can you ask for?
It works for us just as expected – nothing special. Our son is able to play with the dangly-doos and the vibration seems to sooth. The construction is solid and assembly with simple. We’re very happy with the product. I think our boy will outgrow it soon, but it’s a nice accessory for the early months.

5 Stars love it and the color
im a first time mom, and enjoying this product (well, the baby is)… love the color and everything… the middle butterfly can be pulled to make music, but it can be annoying if pulled all the time.. (not the best melody sound)…. but hey, if it calms the baby, then continue on (if u’d rather hear that than a baby’s cry).. anyhow, my baby falls asleep on it with the calming vibrations…(battery not included)…

Buy/More Info

Is he a good baby? You ask, as you ring up my groceries.

It’s 5PM on a Friday. I’ve been waiting in line for quite some time, and my two girls are getting ready to have meltdowns. I’m holding my baby boy in my tired, aching arms because for some reason he decided he didn’t like to ride in the sling today, and he is too young to sit up in the carriage.

I know you are trying to make conversation. I know you are reaching out to me, a stranger, because you think the baby I’m holding is adorable. I know you are trying to be nice.

I know all these things, and yet I still have to grit my teeth and pause before answering. You have no way of knowing that you just asked me the question that I despise the most.

When my girls were infants, I never minded that question. They both fit society’s idea of what a “good” baby should be; neither cried very much and were very content, and both slept through the night starting at four weeks old.

But my son? At three months old, he is what the revised version of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding calls a “Sparkler”: a baby who is “doing, fussing, and demanding all the time.” My son never seems to be content. He’s always fussing, always demanding to be held, always needing some kind of input.

My son does not fit society’s view of a “good baby”.

But then…does that make him a bad baby? No. I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as a bad baby. All babies are good babies.

To be asked that question all the time can be draining. I have a friend who, when asked this question about her lovely infant daughter, will sometimes reply “Well she’s a bit of an arsonist but we are trying to break her of that habit”. Why can’t our society just accept babies as they are, as nature designed them, instead of trying to turn them into scheduled, convenient packages that fit into our lives exactly as we want them to?

Having a baby whose problems were not solved by bringing him to the breast; having a baby who at times I can not calm, not matter what I do; having a baby who cried so much at me that at times I took it as a personal rejection…it hasn’t been easy.

But he is not a “bad” baby. He’s my baby. He’s my baby with his own strong personality. He’s my baby that I love to hold, even when he is fussy. He’s my baby that I will wake up in the middle of the night for and stay awake, just to watch him sleep peacefully. He’s my baby that I kiss and hug, bury my nose in his hair and breathe in the wonderful baby smell.

Is he a good baby?

It’s 5PM on a Friday night, and my arms are so tired that they feel like they are going to fall off. You are smiling at me, waiting for my answer.

Yes, he is.

Then I bury my nose in his hair….and breathe deep.

Shelly is a homeschooling mom of three and birth and postpartum doula. She blogs daily at Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother.

Related posts:

1. Chip, Chip, Chip
2. Permission to Parent?
3. Baby Top Ten List: What your baby is really trying to tell you

Summer Infant 3 Stage Super Seat Green

Summer Infant Super Seat The 3-Stage SuperSeat@ from Summer Infant offers 360 degrees of floor time activity fun & booster in one. It’s a secure and comfortable area for your growing infant to learn to sit up and interact with the environment around them. With the Summer Infant 3-Stage SuperSeat@, your baby can experience play while also sitting up. It’s the ideal place to keep baby entertained, safe and happy! Features: STAGE 1: Infant Support Seat Support Seat aids baby when learning to sit up STAGE 2: Floortime Activity Seat 360 degree rotating tray Removable snack tray Includes 5 playful toys STAGE 3: Booster Seat Includes removable soft foam insert for growing child -All stages have a 3-point crotch restraint for baby’s safety. -During Stage 3: Booster Seat Mode there are 2 sets of chair straps for added security. Recommended Use: Up to 4 Months or 33 lbs.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!
Major turn off! I’ve recieved and assembled it like a minute ago. Smells like something REALLY toxic!

I’m considering not letting my baby boy play with it. I also expected it to be better builded.

4 Stars My 5 month son loves it….
Went shopping for a bumbo, got this instead because it has toys for my son to play with, plus can be used in multiple ways.

It is as advertised, the quality is good enough. It is pretty stable and the 360 table is a great feature.

We hope to use it a lot longer.

My piece was missing a few parts, contacted the customer service and they shipped the parts the next day.

As my son loves it, I would recommend this for your kids.

5 Stars Super Indeed!
I started researching the Super Seat because my son could not sit in the Bumbo. In it he would slouch which put too much pressure on his tummy and he would spit up. Then by 5 months his legs were too chubby. He sits up much straighter in the Super Seat and there is more room in the seat, even with the insert. The toys are simple but he still enjoys them. He has short arms so the toys are out of his reach on a lot of other toys. He can reach them in the Super Seat. I also like that it is more versatile and can be used longer. From the product specifications, I was afraid that this seat would be large, but it is not. The width given is with the tray in place. We also love it for travel. It’s two things in one: a booster and for sit-and-play.

5 Stars Loved in our house!
We bought this when our now 2 year old was about 4 mos old. We had gone to the store for the bumbo but thought this looked like a better option. It absolutely was. Even now she still sits in it, although the toys don’t keep her attention anymore, she still likes to have her afternoon snack in there. She would sit in there long enough for me to shower or cook dinner, which is really all I could ask for =) There was about a month or so, when she wouldn’t eat in her high chair and only in there. Baby #2 just turned 3 months old and hopefully will enjoy this as much as her sister did!

I’m surprised to read someone’s paint peeled, we have not had that problem. Also, one of the toys has a loop on it where I could attach other toys when she did get bored.

4 Stars Great product
I purchased this seat for my daughter around 4 months old because she was showing signs that she wanted to be seated upright, but lacked the strength to do so on her own. I was considering the Bumbo when I stumbled across this seat. I liked the idea of the tray and later use as a booster seat. Once I received it, I found it very easy to put together. The tray slides nicely and my (rather large) baby fit in it perfectly. The reason for the 4 stars however, is that I noticed the underside of the tray has some ridges on it that I felt could scratch my baby’s toes if she were to get excited and kick hard. I solved this by simply putting socks on her feet and never had a problem. Also, it was a bit difficult to carry this seat one-handed with the tray attached while holding my baby in my other arm. If I tried to pick it up by the tray, it would fall off and grabbing the orange part does not work either because that part is removable. So I had to try to slide my fingers under the green part, which was heavy and awkward to carry in that manner. I do feel that this seat may have helped her with sitting as she was sitting almost unassisted by 5 months. All in all a good product, easy to keep clean. I would recommend.

Buy/More Info

It isn’t often I would recommend a book to every parent but this one is just the inspirational story we all need to hear. It started in 2006 when Kristen Morrison gave birth to a beautiful baby boy Gryffin, who was later diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Instead of accepting that her son would have difficulties throughout his life, [...]