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Filed under: NewbornA recent article at Salon.com blasts the baby gear industry on a multitude of levels, accusing marketers of preying on the fears of new parents and hocking completely unsubstantiated "learning tools" like brain-flexing videos. I've been thinking about it ever since.From $ 800.00 Bugaboo strollers to a plethora of brand new toys every year (the average child gets seventy new trinkets a year), new parents are constantly parting with their hard-earned cash. The author of the Salon article notes that "luxury" baby products like miracle carriers and cashmere blankies are easier to justify: they're for the child, after all, not for you.I have a lot of friends with brand new babies, and have spent time tripping over bouncy seats and exersaucers and the mountain of plastic and fabric that comes with brand new humans. I remember I had a lot of this gear myself: stockpiling worriedly and determinedly -- anything to make my baby eat, sleep, be content with the world!In retrospect, an awful lot of my gear was superfluous. I didn't really need the expensive stroller, the one that was so humungous it was a bitch to get out the house. The exersaucer was unwieldy and only provided a few moments of distraction, I didn't really need a change table when the floor was so convenient. But there are a few items -- even luxury items, that I think saved my post-partum life:1) Baby backpack - An inexpensive backpack is an easy way to tote a neck-stable baby and most of them have zippers and pockets for keys and change. So as a new parent, you can leave the house to get a coffee or a corner-store newspaper without having to bring seven billion pounds of gear. And some days, that is an exceedingly wonderful thing.2) Running stroller - These things can be kind of atrociously expensive, but in my view, they're totally worth it. My running stroller helped me get my body back, and the freedom of running everyday during those long, hazy new Mama days helped alleviate the tedium and provided me with much needed me-time (even though the baby was right there with me.) This isn't suitable for brand new babies, but after the first few months, it's awesome. 3) Pack and Play - The pack and play allows mobility. Want to throw on a load of wash? You can safely put the baby in a pack and play. Want to go to your sister's house in the neighboring state? You can easily pack this totable bed/play area in your car. Bonus: many of them come with mobiles and pockets for clothes and peripherals.What was your cannot-live-without luxury baby item?Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments



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