Motherhood and the Modern Consumer

Sophie the Giraffe

I am not someone who particularly likes to shop.  I am not savvy to fashion trends and have never been very good about keeping up with the latest bling.  I like to say that I’m a poor capitalist.  So it is with some chagrin that I admit to spending $43.99 on three small baby items for Milo.

They are the following:

1.  Sophie the Giraffe, $19.99.   A natural rubber teething toy that squeaks when squeezed.  A classic since 1961.  Made in France.  Milo needed a teething toy and Sophie comes highly recommended, both as a teething toy and a development tool.  She’s easy for him to hold and gnaw on a leg or her neck, and the spots are supposed to help sight development.  Whether she’s worth $19.99 is another question.

Flapsi

2..  Flapsi, $12.00.  A wooden rattle shaped like a caterpillar, made by Haba toys in Germany.  It’s a pretty clever design.  It not only rattles, but is also convenient for sucking.  Hubby and I are not big fans of plastic and prefer natural materials like wood.  Haba makes some very nice wooden toys.  Unfortunately, they’re also pretty pricey.

Baby Legs

3.  Baby Legs, $12.00.  These are baby leg warmers.  At first I thought these were ridiculous; why in the world would Milo need leg warmers?  But then there would be times when I wish I had those stupid leg warmers—when we’re out and about and the weather suddenly turns chilly, for example.  And when I take Milo to his yoga class.  (Yes, we signed him up for a baby yoga class.  I’m from California.)  Hubby doesn’t like Milo to wear socks or footies because he loses the feeling from his feet, which are very important when you’re trying to figure out the world.  Hubby approves of the Baby Legs.  I found a pair with trains on them.

We were very fortunate to have inherited most of our baby gear from generous family and friends.  Milo outgrows clothes and gear so quickly that it seems a waste to buy anything brand new.  But when it comes to Milo, Mommy has suddenly become a consumer.  We can’t afford to do this too often, but hopefully we can splurge a little on Milo once in a while.  It’s kind of fun.

In the end, though, there is so much baby stuff out there and marketing to hip parents is very big business. You can buy a $900 stroller in the spirit of believing that nothing is too good for my baby.  But the baby won’t likely remember that his stroller was made of titanium alloy.  I don’t think I’m in danger of splurging on the $900 stroller, but lots of little Baby Legs or Haba toys could tempt me.  How much is too much?

I do confess that I was tempted by the $400 stroller (check this out: http://www.bobgear.com) and still occasionally drool over it, but we don’t live in a walking neighborhood and have managed just fine with our two very nice hand-me-down strollers, thank you very much.

Milo and his loot

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Wonder Food

You would think, since I haven’t updated my blog in over a month, that I would have something momentous to write about.  But no.  Only to report that Milo is pooping once every 7 days.  It might seem a little alarming, but our pediatrician tells us this is normal, especially for babies who are exclusively breastfed.  His gut is being lined with the stuff that will help aid his digestion for the rest of his life.  Plus, breast milk is so easily digestible that, as his digestive system becomes more mature, very little of what he eats will actually go to waste.

Breast milk is not only a miracle food, it is also a miracle salve and nasal decongestant.  One of my mommy friends has a baby with eczema.  She uses breast milk to help soothe the itching.  When your baby is congested, squirting a little breast milk up his nose will help dissolve the proteins in the mucous and relieve his congestion.  Who needs the pharmacy?

We have been fortunate that Milo has not gotten sick yet during his almost 5 months of life, even though a good chunk of his life has been during a cold New England winter.  Breast milk helps with a baby’s immunity system, so that’s yet another plus for breastfeeding.  And it’s free.

Given Milo’s current digestive disposition, the lack of poopy diapers has made clean up easier.  However, his farts have been extra stinky.  Phew!

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