Sunday 9 September 2012

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Baby Equipment

I am making a list of baby equipment that we use for my sister in Singapore who is expecting. Please note that this post is not completed yet, but I am publishing it nevertheless. More items and description will be added.

1. Bugaboo Prams

We actually bought two prams - the traditional Danish large pram and Bugaboo - both are equally expensive. But having experienced using both, we really think that the Bugaboo is the best pram in the world, if not one of the best - not because it is used by the Hollywood celebrities, but because it is so well-designed and versatile. It is compact and fits easily into our small car. We don't have to feel that we are "moving home", when we take the pram along on car-ride. The front wheels are movable 360- degree, making it a joy to manuvuer it in cities such as Copenhagen or even Singapore. It is very sturdy, compared to Combifix, which is popular in Singapore. And as a bonus, it is very trendy-looking. Joshua used it until he was three years old. The only draw-back is that the front wheels are relatively small (although still bigger and stronger than Combifix), and they get stuck once in a while in gaps on the road, but we could live with it for all the other benefits it provides.

As for the big chunky Danish prams such as Odder, I did not use it much. It is too cumblesome for a small Asian-built mom. I had a hard time pushing it and seeing Joshua's face, because it was so high. We sold it away after having it sitting in our basement for a year.

For the Bugaboo, our favourite colour is beige top cover and brown or grey bottom. If you are buying one, our advice is to get a light colour such as a beige top. The heat from the sun would not be trapped and it would thus be more comfortable for your baby. In fact, I could not understand why black top is the most popular in Denmark. But being Asian, I guess I am more practical and go for the light colour. A darker bottom however makes it easier to keep it clean and shiny looking.

Bugaboo is available in Amazon:



2. Baby Blanket

Baby blanket to wrap the baby and give baby a secure snug is one of the basic items to have:





3. High Chair

I love the Danish brand Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair for its versatility. It grows with the child, as it is adjustable. However, it is very expensive. But it is very durable and has a very pleasing design. It is however, heavy, since it is made of wood. But that is not a problem for us, since we have a rule at home that Joshua has to take his meal at the dining table and nowhere else. I see how some nannies and grandparents run after their toddlers, trying to feed them their meals in Singapore, which is a very tiring thing to do. Besides that, it is bad table manners. I avoid it from happening by making sure that Joshua has his meal from day one at 6 months old at the dining table. This chair is good but very expensive - good for the design-conscious parents like us. If it is too expensive, don't be disappointed, the next good alternative is the IKEA highchair . It is cheap, light - thus easy to handle and does the job well. In fact, we have two. We use the IKEA high chair for travel and as a spare, when we have young guests visiting us. The Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair is available in Amazon:


5. Glass Milk Feeding Bottle

I prefer glass milk bottles as they can be sterilized in the dishwasher without worries about degrading plastic. I also don't really trust that BPA free-bottles are chemical leaking proof - try putting very hot water or milk into a plastic bottle, BPA free or not. Glass is a more "organic" material, and would not have such risk with very hot milk. Furthermore, plastic BPA free bottles become scratched up and it is hard to make sure the the inside is clean because of the plastic. With glass, you can feel that squeaky clean feeling and can see that the bottle is clean. You can pour very hot water in these and let them cool to put formula in later. You can't do that to plastic without worrying about chemicals will leak into the milk. I like the wide-neck version and I use the Japanese Pigeon brand. But wide-neck glass bottle is available from Amazon too. I used alternating between 2-3 bottles, when  Joshua was a baby:

6. Baby Activity Books

When Joshua was born, I scratched my head over the baby activities that I could do with him. I love the comprehensiveness of this book. Besides that, it is very colourful and simple to follow. Each activitiy is self-contained in one shor paragraph, making it an easy and pleasant read for time-pressed and sleep-deprived moms of infants. What is good value about this book is that it contains fun and educational activities for children all the way until 5 years old. So one can grow with the book:




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