I’m definitely ready to have this baby. Unfortunately, the baby isn’t quite ready yet. It’ll be 6 weeks or so before I get to make any baby announcement. This waiting period is tough. Not just on me (and likely my husband and toddler), but also the wallet. You’d think the 9-month gestation period was designed by Babies ‘R Us to make sure us mommas-to-be spent every cent possible getting ready for the new baby.
It’s definitely easier the second time around, but I’m still tempted by various gadgets. Which is where you experienced parents come in hand –
What do you think? Are these baby items worth it? Here are a few things I’ve been thinking about that we didn’t have the first time around…
Snuza Portable Baby Movement Monitor, $82 on Amazon.com
– Similar in concept to the movement monitors that go under the crib mattress, the Snuza alarm goes off if movement is not detected within a set period of time. Unlike the other monitors, however, this wireless gadget clips baby’s diaper, so can be used wherever they fall asleep.
Vulli 
Sophie the Giraffe Teether, $18 on Amazon.com
– You can’t go to a playdate without seeing one of these guys. Seems kinda pricey for a teether, but there’s got to be something it offers that others don’t. Right? Or are all of us new moms so exhausted that we drop twenty bucks on a plastic zoo animal just because everyone else is?
Miracle Blanket – $31 on Amazon.com
– With my first child, we stuck with the velcro swaddle blankets. They seemed to do the job, and at under $10 a pop. But…. parents rave that this blanket truly is a “miracle” and extends infants’ sleep. Something I’d pay a lot more than $31 for!
Belly
Bandit – $65 on Amazon.com
– This product claims to help get new moms back to their original size at a faster pace, in addition to providing much-needed abdominal and back support. Seems a little too good to be true, and with all of the other things necessary, is it worth the risk of throwing away over sixty bucks? Anyone have experience with this product?
Thanks for the advice!
I LOVED my miracle blanket! I didn’t get one until I had my last kid, but it sure worked for him. I had always struggled with swaddling before because my kids broke out of it VERY early. It took Adam MUCH longer to wiggle out of the Miracle Blanket.
The miracle blanket was a must for us. I loved it. I’ll dig it out of storage and you can borrow it, if you don’t mind pink.
We loved sophie and thought it was worth it. We had a hard time finding a decent “green” teether that wasn’t a boat load of money. Sophie fit the bill and was cute (and a gift). You might look into just the swaddler brand blanket. They make fleece and cotton, it worked like a charm for us and our friends still use it without the wrap around for their toddler.
I am sending hubby out today to buy me a belly bandit..I will let u know how it works out!
Hi, I was happy to discover your blog recently. I also live in Charlotte and have a toddler boy (20 months) and another baby boy on the way (due in 2 weeks). I purchased another abdominal support band for less than half the cost of the Belly Bandit. According to the reviews on amazon, it seemed to be more comfortable and breathable than the Belly Bandit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WFT3II
I’ll see how it works out soon I hope!
Oh the Miracle Blanket was, uh…a miracle! Both my boys easily wriggled out of other swaddlers but not the MB!
Just visiting for the first time–found you in the Observer and glad I did!
Thanks everyone for the great advice! Michelle, glad to have you as a reader!