Some More Product Recommendations

When we started out this journey back in July of last year, I'd never changed a diaper, much less held a newborn.  Breastfeeding was something that happened under wraps and that public buffet made me a tad bit uncomfortable.  Crying?  Wasn't that what Mr. Binky was for?  Just stuff it in and voila' instant relief, right?

Wow... was I ever in for a whole litany of surprise endings.  To say I had no expectations is hard to fathom, but it's just that I had no point of reference.  Babies were persona non grata until they were able to converse.  Where to begin?

Suzi did some scoping on Amazon and in short order my education came in the mail... Heading Home With Your Newborn gave me an insight I was desperately lacking in a slightly snarky, but professional read.  Drs Laura & Jennifer are successful pediatricians and moms, to boot.  They don't mind discussing their husband's response to cup size increases or blowing old wives' tales out of the water. Who knew that back in the 50's almost everyone in the US used formula?  Color, consistency and duration of diaper contents is explained in detail (in a chapter titled The Scoop on Poop) and parent tested remedies to fix all matter of ills are included.  Wondering when & how to take that first plane ride?  Debating cloth versus disposable?  Laura & Jen, as we affectionately call them, cover it.

Now, the book doesn't claim to be an end-all resource, and there are plenty of instances where they'll refer you directly to your baby's doctor, but it'll give the new dad an overall comfort level with the fact you left home as two and came back as three.  It's all scary stuff to begin with, but the good docs are gentle and firm and tell plenty of anecdotes to set your fears at ease.  You can do this because it's been done for millennia and most folks turn out just fine.  I liked it so much, I sent a couple out to expecting friends.

Counting 'em Down

So, all the signs are pointing to that inevitable trip to the delivery room.  Your lovely spouse is working those contractions like a champ and you're standing by, watching the clock and keeping pace.  But then the phone rings, you step away and bam, you've lost track of when one started or the other stopped and the frequency is all screwed up.  Solve it all with Contraction Master in either an online version or as an awesome little iPhone app.  As with most ingenious designs, this was created out of one dad's frustration in counting contractions.  Hit the Start button when the pain begins and Stop when it recedes.  The app gives duration & frequency and a print or email function so you can take the results with you.  At 4AM, you'll be groggily singing its praises just like we did.