Reviews by TrishaClark

TrishaClark says "Essential for the first time breastfeeder!" about The Boppy Company Bare Naked Pillow

TrishaClark — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:43:01 GMT

This has to be one of the best inventions for first time breast-feeders! It helps support the baby and get her at the right level so that mom can use both hands to get the rest of the activity squared away (which can be a real challenge at first!). It is especially helpful for the 'football hold' which is how I fed my daughter for the first few weeks.

After a while I found that the boppy was more of a nuisance to use while breastfeeding than as a helpful support, so now I use it to prop up my baby. She can face forward on it (in a modified version of tummy time) or more often I lay her on it so her head is up off the ground and she has more to look at than just the ceiling. It has come in very handy when she wants to play in her activity station because the hanging toys are a lot closer to her grasp than they are when she is just lying flat on the floor.

You do have to purchase a slip cover for the boppy, which just ads to the cost, but is also a lot easier once it...

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TrishaClark says "Started out strong . . ." about Crane Humidifier - Penguin Humidifier - 1 Gallon

TrishaClark — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:30:46 GMT

First off, I have the frog version but I can't imagine that the products would be too different from each other.

The humidifier started off strong but after a week or so the adjustable setting seemed to stop working; It would function as if it were set on low no matter how high I turned the dial.

The base and top are detachable for easy water refill. The first time I refilled the system it stopped working. It appears that the bottom unit has to be emptied of water as well before the new full top unit can be placed back on, otherwise it stops pushing out steam. Since the first water refill the unit hasn't quite been the same (see above 'setting' complaint). I still use the humidified occasionally but I was a little disappointed at my experience after reading so many good reviews.

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TrishaClark says "so far, so good" about Evenflo Whisper Connect

TrishaClark — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:22:42 GMT

So far we have not encountered any problems with this product. Our daughter sleeps next to us at night so we really only use it for nap times.

PROS:The sound quality is good and there are multiple lights to let you know if the sounds being made are just sleeping sounds or the baby waking up. We haven't had to use the two-way feature yet since our daughter is only 3 months old but I think it will come in handy once she gets a little older. Our batteries have lasted alright so far, but as I said, we only use it for short periods at a time. But both units can be plugged into the wall so battery costs don't get out of control. Another great feature is that the monitoring unit starts to beep when the base unit has been unplugged from the wall.(this will come in handy with older children).

CONS: There is quite a loud feedback when the two units are by each other so I usually have to turn off my monitor when I walk past my daughter's room so that they don't interfere with each other. When...

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TrishaClark says "If you have a baby you need this book!" about The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby

TrishaClark — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:02:29 GMT

This book has been incredibly helpful. As a neurotic new mother I have referenced this book several times to make sure that what my baby is doing or going through is within the realm of 'normal' and this book has never failed to provide me with an answer. I read the first few chapters before our baby even came and it was a sanity saver . . . for example, new babies have different and non-consistent breathing patterns. If I would have not read the ahead of time I would have been freaking out the first few days!

I am also an avid on-line researcher but this book often provided more detailed answers much quicker than my searches on-line for the same information. It is true that the book is very 'pro attachment parenting' but they still provide information on other options so I didn't mind the slight bias.

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TrishaClark says "This is a life saver!!" about Fisher Price Itsy Bitsy Baby Bouncer

TrishaClark — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:53:40 GMT

This product has been a life saver for me! When our daughter was first born I would place her in the bouncer and set it to vibrate, which she absolutely loved. I could also remove the toy bar so I could get her in and out easily (since she wasn't too interested in toys at that age.)

At around 1 month she started to really enjoy the toy bar and the fun songs that it plays. When the music goes the spiders move up and down as well as several other things on the toy bar and she loves to just watch them move back and forth. The music is actually the perfect length for my shower and it keeps her entertained for the whole time. The music is not annoying (as a lot of the children's toy tunes can be) and it is actually quite catchy.

Now at 3 months old she wants to reach out and play with the toy bar but the spiders are too far away for her to reach so we are back to removing the toy bar and just using the bouncer as a seat for her to play with other toys or so she can watch us as...

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