No Purchase Necessary
In spite of moving into a newly renovated house with Steph ready to pop, we still managed to do some nesting. That which we did not receive as a gift or hand-me-down, we purchased. Steph organized everything. The nursery was set up. We even did a final Baby’s-N-Crap run to get the last minute things.
And now with the baby, we have stumbled upon 2 very effective solutions to common baby issues. I’d like to pass these along for the hopes that it saves some body a little bit of money/grief along the way.
Changing Pad Covers
What a crock. We spent something like $10-15 each for a “soft” and “comfortable” changing pad cover that goes on a changing pad that won’t see use for a few more months. Thankfully, we did receive a wonderful Graco Pack-n-Play which has been the baby’s primary crib. Note that it has changing area? Turns out this works really well. However, Graco will gladly sell you a functionless changing mat that simply doesn’t work (it’s too small and slides around).
Our solution: dog towels. If you’ve ever had a dog, you know what dog towels are and you probably have a bunch of them, too.
No, I am not talking about an expensive “specialty” dog towel that you buy for your labradoodle name “Princess” (and costs more than your egyptian cotton bath towel that you use every day). I’m talking about the ratty old beach towels with holes and stains on them that live a second life as hand-me-downs to dry the dog.
Since we no longer have a dog, we find ourselves with plenty of dog towels. In fact, we currently have 4 dog towels in the changing area rotation. We routinely fill a sanitary load with 2 or 3 of them, since our particular child likes to cluster several open air #2’s in a given day. The large terry cloth towels cover all of the blast area and are soft and comfy enough for the baby. Even though they are not nearly as styling as an art deco changing pad cover, their functionality greatly outweighs their anti-aesthetic. I anticipate continued dog towel use when we do start using the changing table and changing pad.
Dog Towels Part 2: Nursing Pads
Speaking of dog towels, turns out they are great “nursing pads” as well! Projectile spit up over your shoulder headed towards the couch? Foiled again by the dog towel you are thoughtfully sitting upon.
NOTE, however, that dog towels are far too large to make for good burp cloths, unless your dog was a toy chihuahua and you used facecloths to dry it.
Blast Shields
Here is a product that we did not see anywhere on the market. (Since you heard it hear first, and I’m giving the idea away for free, please do me the favor of visiting the ads that appeal to you on this page, or kicking some paypal coin my way.)
The product is what we call a “Blast Shield“. You could also call it the Projectile Poop Protector, the Shit Shield, the Changing Coat, or the Bio Blockade.
The concept is simple: your infant is guaranteed to have gas. They will poop, toot, fart or even spray fire out both ends during a change. This “event” is unnerving and can be somewhat unpleasant when the little output device ejects cheesy mustard colored poop with enough force to travel 9 feet horizontally (true story: happened all over yours truly at 6am and I measured the result to verify distance). This poop-ejection will occur when you are freshly showered, have just put on your clothes to go to work, are too tired to deal with the situation, or simply are not paying attention.
The solution to the problem is also simple: use a “dog” apron. Find your least favorite (easy to clean) apron in your kitchen and keep it hanging right by the changing table. When you are the least bit concerned or scared for your (or your clothing’s) well-being, don the Blast Shield and change your little biohazard with peace of mind. Bonus points if your apron has pockets below the height of the changing table (to catch the fallout as it occurs and keep it off the floor).
Hope these help somebody somewhere. Feel free to comment and share your own solutions…
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