The MomSpeak

So I was watching some home improvement show the other day — or maybe it was more of an informercial, or perhaps I dreamed the entire thing up — that had a little segment about these fancy baby-safe electrical outlets. Not the little plastic outlet covers we all know and use and despise and regularly snap our thumbnails off with, though. No, those are for parents who clearly DO NOT LOVE THEIR CHILDREN VERY MUCH, because now you can get your house wired with actual baby-safe outlets that somehow sense when fork prongs or knife blades are being stuck into them and slide shut, saving your curious child from electrocution. So hooray! You are now free to leave sharp metal objects lying around the house with confidence!

(This same show also had a bit about a table saw that can sense when your finger gets too close to the blade and shut itself off. The inventor was there demonstrating the mechanism by sticking a hotdog against the blade, and frankly, I was disappointed that he wouldn’t use his finger. Way to stand behind your product! Come on! I want some violence mixed in with my do-it-yourselfing.)

Anyway! The show reminded me of how seriously we took baby-proofing, and of how much money we’ve spent on fancy retractable gates and outlet covers and window-blind cord covers and drawer locks that snapped in two every time we forgot about them and opened the drawer with the tiniest bit of force. And obviously we DO NOT LOVE OUR CHILDREN VERY MUCH, because we never even bothered with the corner guards and door blockers and toilet locks and coating every vaguely hard surface with bubble wrap. Not that I didn’t stand in the baby-proofing aisle of the store fretting over each and every expensive plastic doohickey of safety. What if our baby DID fall into the toilet? What if he DID knock himself senseless on the corner of the dining room table? What if he DID somehow push a chair across the kitchen to the sink, climb onto the countertop, flip the garbage disposal switch and shove his hand down in there?

And yet, we’ve managed to bring one child through infancy and toddlerhood relatively unscathed, save for one tumble down the (carpeted) basement steps, but that was not for a lack of a working gate. That was more for the lack of me remembering to close the gate.

Breastfeeding can already be pretty tricky for even the most seasoned moms, but then try feeding your baby in middle of the mall or your favorite restaurant and it can become downright complicated.

Some moms shrug if off like it’s no big deal and just have a go at it regardless of where they are or who’s around. Others take the “recommended” blanket approach, although most often they spend more time trying to figure out how to keep the blanket over their baby than actually feeding her.

Regardless of which “camp” you fall in, breastfeeding in public can take a bit of juggling so that you’re not only comfortable doing it but you’re not inadvertantly giving a peep show to half the dining section.

Thankfully, we’ve come across a slew of amazing products that can make breastfeeding outside of the comforts of your own living room much easier.

Nursing Wear

Many moms find nursing attire to be a luxury and not a necessity, but it can definitely make nursing in public more comfortable. From simple tees, try the organic cotton nursing v-necks from Momzelle or the BOOB’s classic nursing shirts. For something a bit fancier, you’ll love the kimono top from Isabella Oliver that allows you to feed the baby in style without stripping down.

And athletic moms will love active nursing mom line from Mountain Blue Eyes. Hey, you just never know when you’re going to have to nurse your baby out on the trail, right?

I used to think babies were expensive, with all of their baby toys, exersaucers, developmental playthings, and of course the Baby Einstein DVDs. And then my oldest grew into a preschooler, and I realized the entertainment only gets more expensive as they grow older. The newest electronic toys, that Dora DVD, and let’s not forget her begging to go to the local children’s science museum or the zoo constantly. It all adds up. 

Here are a few ways to save on entertainment so your little one can be happily occupied without draining your bank account: