Showing posts with label stroller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stroller. Show all posts
Nowadays we get bombarded with baby products- and they keep getting more and more expensive, more technological, and full of promises. Reason why today I want to share 5 expensive baby products...and are they worth it?
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Hoy en dÃa nos bombardean con productos para nuestros bebés, y cada uno más caro que el anterior. Cada año sacan productos más tecnológicos y con muchas promesas. Por esto, hoy les quiero contar de 5 productos costosos que nosotros personalmente probamos y les cuento si me parece que valen la pena y por qué.
1) DOCK-A-TOT ($195)
What is it?
The Dock-A-Tot is a multi-use lounger where your baby can sleep, play, rest, do tummy time and get his/her diaper changes. It's designed to feel like the womb.
PROS
- Very useful. When our baby was really little, we would use day and night. I would take it to the living room...or even to the bathroom with me!
- It's great for safe co-sleeping.
- Easy to transport. We took it with us for our first big trip to Mexico, and Nico really felt like home.
- Easy to wash.
- Comes in the most gorgeous prints.
CONS:
- Durability. The Deluxe+ lasts until the baby is around 8 months. But we only used it until Nico was 5 months.
- There is a lot of controversy about its safety. Some mamas say it shouldn't be used inside a regular crib, and some that it shouldn't spend the night inside it either.
- It requires at least another cover (just in case of any emergency) and it's definitely an added cost.
- If you want to continue using it, you have to purchase the grand - that lasts until the baby is 3 years old.
¿Qué es? El Dock-a-tot es un colchón de múltiples usos diseñado para que el bebé se sienta como si estuviese en la barriga ya que es bastante acogedor.
PROS:
- Nosotros lo usábamos dÃa y noche cuando Nico estaba pequeño. Lo usamos sin parar: yo me lo llevaba de la sala al cuarto, y al baño... ¡a todos lados!
- Es perfecto si quieres hacer colecho (co-sleeping) de manera segura. De noche Nico dormÃa con nosotros en la cama adentro de su dock-a-tot.
- Fácil de transportarlo para viajes. Lo llevamos adentro de una maleta para México y a Anna Maria Island. Es una manera de que el bebé se sienta en su ambiente a donde sea que vayas.
- Fácil de lavar.
- Viene en unos estampados PRECIOSOS.
CONTRA:
-En teorÃa el dock-a-tot que utilizamos dura hasta los 9 meses pero Nico solo lo utilize hasta los 5 meses. También el curso de sueño que hicimos recomienda no usarlo al empezar el "entrenamiento". Asà que realmente no dura mucho tiempo.
- No recomiendan que lo uses adentro de la cuna.
- Requiere compra de accesorios (al menos dos covers en casos de emergencia), que añaden al costo final.
-Si deseas seguir usándolo, debes comprar el grand (que dura hasta los 3 años).
En estos momentos me cuesta mucho decidir si vale la pena porque tenemos mucho tiempo sin usarlo, pero le dimos MUCHO uso los primeros meses. Voy a decir que sà porque es una pieza que guardé para el dÃa que tengamos otro bebé.

2) MAMA ROO ($249)
What is it?
The Mama Roo is considered an electric swing that comes with different types of movements and speeds. It also has the option to add white noise or baby music to help them sleep better during naps.
PROS
- It helps calm a little baby if you are busy and cannot hold it. I used it when pumping. I would put Nico in front of me and pump.
- You can adjust the inclination so the baby can be in a sit position or sleep position.
CONS:
- Big and heavy.
- It might create movement dependency. All sleeping courses recommend you avoiding electric swings since in the long run, it makes the baby dependent to swinging.
- It last around 6 months (until the baby reaches 25 pounds).
It didn't really work for us. Nico didn't like being there for more than 15 minutes. He actually prefer it when it didn't swing.
I know some moms absolutely love it; it depends on the baby but it was a big-no for us.
¿Qué es? Es considerado un "swing" o mecedor de bebé eléctrico que viene con diferentes movimientos y velocidades. También tiene "white noise" y música para ayudarlos en sus siestas.
PROS:
- Ayuda mucho a calmar al bebé, especialmente si está ocupada y no puedes tenerlo encima. Yo especialmente lo utilicé cuando estaba sola y me tocaba sacarme leche con él. Lo sentaba en frente de mà y ahà se medio entretenÃa. También lo llevaba al baño y el se quedaba acostado ahà mientras yo me bañaba, secaba el cabello, etc.
CONTRA:
-Grande y pesado.
- Puede crear dependencia al movimiento. Lo primero que leà en cualquier artÃculo de sueño es que evites swings que hagan al bebé dependiente del movimiento para dormir.
- Dura alrededor de 6 meses ( o hasta las 25 libras)- realmente es poco.
A nosotros no nos funcionó, Nico no podÃa estar ahà más de 15 minutos, y le gustaba más cuando no se movÃa. Pero hay mamás que les FASCINA. Si me preguntan, yo más bien recomendarÃa los swings que no son eléctricos si no que el bebé se mueve para auto-calmarse.

3) DOONA STROLLER ($499)
What is it?
It's a stroller that turns into a car-seat.
PROS
- Convenient.
- Great for traveling. Especially because airlines accept two pieces (one at check in and one at the gate); so you can take the stroller until the gate and avoid any damage to the second piece.
- It comes with a carseat base but it is not necessary if you are running around in an uber.
- For our baby, it was more comfortable than the Britax carseat.
- Everyone is amazing at how easy it is to transform it to/from a carseat.
- If the baby falls asleep in the car, you don't have to wake him to take him out of the carseat.
CONS:
- It only lasts around a year since the baby must be under 35 pounds and 32 inches. I regret not getting it since day one.
- More expensive that other strollers.
- No space to hang the diaper bag.
- You can get extra accessories, but that of course also adds to the final cost of the stroller.
We personally love it and think it's 100% worth it.
It's a stroller that turns into a car-seat.
PROS
- Convenient.
- Great for traveling. Especially because airlines accept two pieces (one at check in and one at the gate); so you can take the stroller until the gate and avoid any damage to the second piece.
- It comes with a carseat base but it is not necessary if you are running around in an uber.
- For our baby, it was more comfortable than the Britax carseat.
- Everyone is amazing at how easy it is to transform it to/from a carseat.
- If the baby falls asleep in the car, you don't have to wake him to take him out of the carseat.
CONS:
- It only lasts around a year since the baby must be under 35 pounds and 32 inches. I regret not getting it since day one.
- More expensive that other strollers.
- No space to hang the diaper bag.
- You can get extra accessories, but that of course also adds to the final cost of the stroller.
We personally love it and think it's 100% worth it.
¿Qué es? Es un asiento de bebé para el carro que se transforma en coche.
PROS:
- Perfecto para viajar. Ya que las aerolÃneas aceptan 2 piezas (generalmente chequeas el asiento con las maletas y el coche en la puerta); pero aquà te puedes llevar la pieza completa hasta la puerta del avión y hay menos riesgo que se dañe como equipaje.
- No solo es perfecto en el avión si no al viajar; donde puedes montarlo en cualquier Uber de manera sencilla.
- Nosotros personalmente sentimos a Nico más cómodo que en el asiento de carro que tenÃa antes (de Britax).
- Toda persona que lo ve, le impresiona mucho lo sencillo que es de transformar en coche. No necesitas ayuda de nadie para abrirlo o cerrarlo.
- Si el bebé se queda dormido en el carro, no hay necesidad de despertarlo moviéndolo al coche- o viceversa.
- Sencillo de maniobrar, no se siente tosco o pesado.
CONTRA:
-No es duradero. Puede que dure alrededor de un año (ya que el bebé debe pesar menos de 35 libras o medir menos de 32 pulgadas). Yo me arrepiento de no haberlo tenido desde el dÃa que salimos del hospital.
- Costoso comparado al coche promedio.
- No tiene espacio para guindar la patalear.
- Venden accesorios aparte que son costos extras que se deben tomar en cuenta.
Nosotros lo recomendamos al 100%- especialmente a familias todo terreno que les guste viajar.

4) SNOO ($1,295)
What is it?
It is a gorgeous bassinet that moves to encourage longer baby sleep.
PROS
- It's absolutely beautiful. Anyone who sees this bassinet falls in love with the modern and gender neutral design.
- Since it moves, it comes with an integrated swaddle that are also recommended for longer sleep.
- Easy to assemble.
- Thanks to the movement, baby sleeps better and longer.
- It connects to an app where you can track sleep times, quality of sleep, etc.
- The website where it's sold offers great discounts frequently. We got it 60% off during President's day.
- Great customer service.
CONS:
- The basinet moves ALL night. I thought it would swing when the baby cried, but it actually moves faster and faster as the baby cries...it never stops moving.
- I personally believe it creates movement dependency. This made me stop using it. I was worried about the transition to the big crib when he would be older. We only used it for 1 months and I definitely think it made my baby need rocking for sleep.
- It only comes with a swaddle of each size . I recommended getting at least two, in case of any diaper spills or spit ups.
I personally do not think it's worth it. Either way you need a bigger crib AND you will end up with a spoiled baby. It feels like a band-aid for a bigger issue.
¿Qué es? Es una cuna de recién nacido (basinet) que con movimiento, ayuda al bebé a dormir más profundo. Viene con un swaddle y "sonido blanco"
PROS:
- Es preciosa. Si hay algo que uno rápidamente piensa al ver el SNOO, es que es visualmente muy atractiva y moderna.
- Ya que la cuna se mueve, viene con un swaddle incluido- que ya es algo que se le recomienda a los padres hacer desde pequeñitos para que duerman mejor.
- Fácil de armar.
- Gracias al movimiento, el bebé duerme mejor (la página promete una hora o dos horas más de sueño cada dÃa).
- Viene conectada a una aplicación de teléfono donde puedes ver cuanto durmió el bebé, la calidad de sueño, etc.
- La página ofrece muchos descuentos. Puedes encontrarla a 50% de descuento frecuentemente.
CONTRA:
- La cuna se mueve TODA la noche. Yo pensaba que era solo cuando el bebé lloraba. Pero al detectar que el bebé llora, se mueve MAS rápido.
- Puede crear dependencia al movimiento. Esto fue lo que hizo que dejara de usarla, me preocupaba mucho el momento que decidiéramos dejar de usarla y como no iba a poder dormir. También siento que por culpa de esta cuna, a Nico le costaba mucho dormirse sin que fuese mecido.
- Solo trae un swaddle de cada talla, por lo que hay que comprar extra. *es decir costo añadido a lo ya costosa de la cuna).
Yo no la recomiendo, me parece que la transición a una cuna es muy complicada. Puede que ayude los primeros meses pero a largo plazo solo será más difÃcil.

5) ERGOBABY CARRIER 360 ($160)
What is it?
The Ergobaby is an ergonomic carrier that you can use to hold your baby from day 1 to 48 months.
PROS
- Easy to put on.
- Different styles and colors. Ours is made of breathable mesh, perfect for the Miami weather.
- Lumbar support.
- It grows with your baby.
- You can use it in four different positions (back, front, on your back, and hip).
CONS:
It really don't have any cons. Only that it is on the expensive side.
¿Qué es? Es un porta bebé ergonómico que puedes utilizar desde el dÃa uno con tu bebé hasta los 48 meses.
PROS:
- Lo puedes usar en diferentes posiciones (de frente, de espalda, en tu espalda, y en la cadera).
- Muy sencillo de poner- no necesitas ayuda.
- El que nosotros tenemos (Cool Air Mesh), tiene una tela que respira - perfecta para climas como el de Miami.
- Perfecto para bebés que aman estar cargados y quieren ver el mundo.
- Tiene soporte lumbar.
- Viene en muchos colores.
- Va creciendo con tu bebé, muy duradero.
CONTRA:
-Realmente no tengo muchos contras sobre ese porta bebé, aparte de su precio- es excelente.

First of all, I want to apologize for the lack of posts in the blog. I thought I got the hang of it when Nico was a newborn but as he got older, it definitely became harder to sit down and write. I absolutely love being a mom and the time I am free I've been trying to focus on my husband and friends.
But we just started sleep training and I'm excited to get back here, especially because I have so much to share.
Last month we traveled to NYC with a group of friends and I thought it would be fun to do a "10 things" type of list of all the things I learned in NYC with little baby. Like they say, if you can make it in NYC, you can make it anywhere. This is a specific post for NYC, we have done a few trips by now so I'll be sharing one with all my tips and tricks for general traveling!
So let's get this started:
1) Our stroller is HUGE
I have not even thought of this before this trip, but our stroller is HUGE in comparison to NYC strollers. We would go to parks and our stroller was twice the size of any other out there.
When we came back to Miami, we got the Doona Stroller/Carseat almost instantly since we want to travel a lot with the baby. Official review of the Doona coming soon- so stay tuned.
2) Our friend's help was crucial
I know we would have made it work without our friends but we were so grateful they were there. Not all subway stops have elevators so going up and down the stairs with the HUGE stroller would have been HARD without the help of our friends. If you are traveling alone (or with your husband), make sure to plan ahead and check which subway stops have elevators.
3) NYC's ubers offer car-seats
Just in case you don't feel like taking your car-seat. You can request an Uber with a carseat. That option isn't available in Miami but it is in NYC. I think it costs an extra $5 per ride- but it's very convenient in case of any emergency. I personally prefer the subway but now you know!
4) Changing tables are hard to find
Most NYC restaurants are tiny and they are in the basement with a tiny staircase that leads to it (aka hard to walk down with a baby)...and changing tables were scarce. The good news, Starbucks have changing tables and there are Starbucks in every corner. Instead of running around, I knew that Starbucks would be a good option when we needed to change him.
5) Dressing him in layers was tricky.
What if he is too hot? What if he is too cold?
We live in Miami so the less layers...the better. I tried dressing him in layers that would be easy to take them off when we were indoors or in the subway and then puck back on.
I personally don't know what I would have done with snow, so thankfully we experience semi-cold FALL days (aka delicious days!).
6) Stay Calm
I believe our babies feed of our energy. In NYC or any big city, there will be ambulances, police cars, alarms...these sounds can strike your baby. If you stay calm and act like nothing is happening, I think they won't be scared either. Nico fit right in like a little New Yorker.
7) NYC is very kid-friendly
A lot of people are afraid of traveling to NYC with kids because it is a fast-paced city. But I have to disagree, just like anywhere you can find activities that are kid friendly.
Some examples:
- Central Park (duh!): you can find a zoo, a carrousel, an ice skating rink, playgrounds, and more,
- Head to any museum. Considerations: Children's Museum of Manhattan and the Children's Museum of Arts.
8) The city kept Nico entertained
On the contrary to our trip to California, where we were mostly in a car driving around, Nico was so entertained by everything. The lights, the sounds, the streets, the people...everything was so fun for him. Walk around, have fun...I'm sure your baby will have fun too!
9) You can find anything in NYC
If you forget anything, there's a pharmacy in every single street. We bought all the diapers and wipes there instead of adding so much bulk to our bags. We also ran out of formula and got that there too. So don't worry so much packing, because if you forget anything...you can get it by walking 3 min...or less!
10) The hotels feel smaller with a baby
We stayed at the Freehand and they don't offer cribs so we ended co-sleeping. I know some hotels offer cribs or pack-and-plays, call before making any reservations. But take into consideration that hotels in NYC are tiny and they feel even smaller with a baby and all the things you have to bring
Here I'm wearing:
ZARA camel coat
FOREVER 21 Ramones rocker tee
ZENNIS clear glasses
CLARKS USA black boots
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