30 December 2009

Babies, breastfeeding and parenting gadgets


The recession getting you down? Well, we can all be thankful for one thing: economic hardship is a prime time for encouraging mothers to breastfeed. "You can save $1,000 to $3,000 a year just by breast-feeding," says Gina Cicatelli Ciagne, director of breast-feeding and consumer relations for Lansinoh, which sells breast-feeding accessories.

Speaking of breastfeeding, has anyone out there used one of those monitors that reminds you when you had your last feed? Well, I came across this new fangled device from Itzbeen called the 'Baby Care Timer' which is "a multi-purpose nursery tool that helps new parents remember the basic details of baby care. The ITZBEEN™ has four timers that count up with the touch of a button, and a host of other helpful features, all designed with the needs of a new parent in mind."

Sounds pretty impressive, eh?

But considering these hard economic times, is $24.95 money well spent on what appears to be a machine from the future?


Do you need all these bells and whistles and beeps to keep track of a baby? I mean it's a baby, not a bomb. The company claims it's made with the 'sleep-deprived' 'frazzled' parent in mind. Sure, it's rough to be awake for the first five years of your kid's life but again, parents get tired, because that's part of the deal. Besides, babies are pretty good at telling you what they need. Crying, after all, is one of the most strategic adaptive mechanisms that has told mothers and fathers since the beginning of time that a baby needs something.

What ever happened to good old fashioned parental instincts!?

3 comments:

Katie said...

The gadgets they come up with are interesting and sometimes comical! Honestly it's probably better to just listen to the baby...they are all different after all. During the day my kiddo liked to breastfeed for more than an hour at time, she'd take a half hour break and be at it again! At night though, she'd go 4 hours between feedings.

Craving Cinnabon said...

For those low income individuals in the US, its cheaper to do formula since WIC gives is to you for free.

Anonymous said...

C C, WIC does NOT give formula away for free, they pay for most of it, but not all. They also offer free breast pumps and food subsidies for breastfeeding mothers. Maybe poor moms find it is cheaper to do formula through WIC because they can actually go to work.

Back on topic, I already have one of those gadgets. She cost a lot more than 25 bucks, but she makes a loud wailing noise when she needs something or is hungry.

 
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