Catch Me Up--what's just not done for babies anymore?

[Carol in Cal.]

I already know about baby blankets.  They are a no no in the crib now.  

Although I think that small blankets for the car seat or stroller are still OK...

And, it seems like diaper bags are unwelcome, because everyone has gone to diaper backpacks.  Is that correct?

Jogging strollers are not technical anymore, which is really too bad.

Baby spy kits are the norm.  They were just coming into style when I had mine--most people had monitors, but the ones with cameras were still very unusual.

Is high contrast gear in black, white, and red still recommended?  (I always found it too stimulating, so I didn't use it as much as some.)

Are buttons completely banned as choking hazards, and if so, until what age?  What alternative is used?  I assume not ties?  Snaps?

What else has changed since 1996?  Are Baby Bjorn's still a thing?  How long do kids ride facing backwards in cars?  What about car seats?  How long for those?  What else?

[SoCal_Bear]

If you are CA, 2 years rear facing car seats. 

Car seats now have expiration dates.

I would say browse around on Baby Center's community and you will find a lot of stuff on there.

There's some resistance to sippy style cups, so some wean directly to cups or straws instead.

Baby led weaning directly to table food is popular. You basically skip the entire baby food stage.

there's a lot of gray palettes now, very gender neutral stuff. Poke around on the baby department on Amazon or buy buy baby online. 

Baby Bjorn isn't in...but baby wearing is and the possibilities are endless. Google how to choose a carrier and you will see the endless styles.

No bumpers or anything in the crib but the baby.

Diaper bags that look like nice handbags are popular as well or bags that are unisex looking like messenger bag or backpack style. 

Some people like using monitors that have wifi, but I don't because I don't like having wifi radiation near babies. 

Not sure if Infant potty training or elimination communication was big then. There is a segment that does that. I did it with both my kids.

There's a lot of natural, chemical free products for babies these days. Just about anything you can think of.

Those are some of things I can think of right now. 

Edited June 19, 2020 by calbear

[rebcoola]

Swaddle only for the first 12 weeks or until they roll.  No other blankets unless you are watching.

Diaper bags depend on the mom mine is messenger style and attaches to my car seat stroller.  They don't look like they are for babies.

I'm not sure what you mean about jogging stroller we have a dedicated jogging stroller.

We use a home security cam that works with alexa as our baby monitor you can still get sound only.

I didn't hear as much about red, white and black with this new baby.   But it's still around.

 

Almost everything has snaps or is just stretchy.

 

Baby Bjorn's are still a thing but their are more choices.  I have a Moby but most people seem to have the ergo.

No sippy cups only straws or 360's for teeth devolpment.  Those 360 cups are amazing and easier to clean.

Rear facing in car seats until at least 2 and 4 is normal.  This makes the infant bucket less popular.  

No baby food until 4-6 months closer to 6 months because of research on gut health. This has led to a rise of baby led weaning which basically just means skipping or not feeding food until baby is ready for solid foods.  No mush.

Edited June 19, 2020 by rebcoola
Cellphone typing

[Moonhawk]

Nothing in the crib except baby

I didn't know jogging strollers are out, in the suburbs I see them out and about still

Bright colors for toys are still in, grey for decor is popular

Diaper bags need to be fashion statements. or backpacks. 

Baby wearing is super big, tons of different wraps and carriers

Teething jewelry worn by moms seems fashionable still I think

Carseats are too complicated for me to understand in terms of age/position, all I know is my kids don't fit in whatever they are supposed to

the drape-style blankets over carseats are popular, during the winter at least. keeps baby warm, helps them stay asleep, strangers don't touch baby as much.

eta: if you are doing bottles, glass bottles are in (at least in my area) 

cloth diapering keeps going in and out of vogue too quickly for me to know what's current. but there are tons of different "easier" styles.

Edited June 19, 2020 by Moonhawk

[Tanaqui]

I think that the recommendation for when to introduce your child to peanuts has changed, but you should definitely google that one.

Quote

This has led to a rise of baby led weaning which basically just means skipping or not feeding food until baby is ready for solid foods.

 

Some people who are unfamiliar with this use of the word "weaning" to mean "starting solids" rather than "stopping the bottle/breastfeeding" call that "baby led solids" instead, if anybody wants to google for more information. It's also called "what you do with the second kid because you're so over rice cereal", lol.

[Acorn]

Dropside cribs are no longer safe. 

[Guest]

I’m not good for advice because I will be asking these questions myself eventually but I just wanted to say to @Carol in Cal. that, if you’re asking this because of grandchildren, I really want to commend your openness. Such a better approach than hrumph-y grandparents who mutter that you never had/always had XYZ and you turned out fine. 

[almondbutterandjelly]

There are sleep sacks now that you can zip baby into so no blanket issues.  Like this:

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-197225/halo-microfleece-wearable-blanket.jsp?skuid=88558008&ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=INF%26TOD BASICS%26ACCES&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=88558008&CID=shopping15&utm_campaignid=9733267351&pid=googleadwords_int&af_channel=CSE&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLH3BRApEiwAqX9arV665eP6XRsmW2Xbe4oOo_ZRC2eX4gq0FXTSUyxe55GBjnicv-iq-xoCoXoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[PrincessMommy]

56 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

Ha I still do plenty of the things; including longer swaddling and blankets in the crib - they’re just crocheted ones with lots of holes so there’s no fear of oxygen issues 😉

Honestly a lot of preference by mom.  Ask HER what she wants to do and buy and is comfortable with and take your cues from that, because not every parent follows every recommendation, especially when they’re trends and not really safety related.

This would be my recommendation too.  

[RootAnn]

My "bsby" is 10 & I'm a bit shocked at how much of these are still familiar. I'm amused to see that "no baby food" is a thing since I was just talking to my teenagers about how crazy I was considered for just going straight to supplementing with table foods for my kiddos.

The no sippy cup thing is another shocker.

[Momto6inIN]

One thing that surprised me with my most recent baby was that they tell you not to let your baby sleep in the carseat unless they are actually in the car going somewhere. So you're supposed to wake them up and move them to the crib when you get home. My older kids almost didn't sleep in anything else til they were 3 months old, but with this baby they scared me enough to make me not let her do it. I always have tons of anxiety in the postpartum months, though, so maybe it's not actually that scary.

[Arcadia]

2 hours ago, perkybunch said:

There are sleep sacks now that you can zip baby into so no blanket issues.  Like this:

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-197225/halo-microfleece-wearable-blanket.jsp?skuid=88558008&ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=INF%26TOD BASICS%26ACCES&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=88558008&CID=shopping15&utm_campaignid=9733267351&pid=googleadwords_int&af_channel=CSE&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLH3BRApEiwAqX9arV665eP6XRsmW2Xbe4oOo_ZRC2eX4gq0FXTSUyxe55GBjnicv-iq-xoCoXoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

My DS14 used sleep sacks (both kinds linked below) way back in 2005. We bought mainly from the Carter’s Outlet store, and some from Macy’s sales.

https://www.carters.com/carters-baby-boy-pajamas/V_118H406.html

with footie https://www.carters.com/carters-baby-boy-one-pieces/V_17921710.html

Britax 3 wheel lightweight jogger is rather popular at malls and sidewalks. Bob revolution jogger is still popular for strolling on gravel paths near creeks. City Mini is less seen now. Umbrella strollers like the McLaren are rarely seen now. Even Graco is less common now.

[SereneHome]

Well....my youngest is only 8 and I can't believe at all the "changes". We used bumper pads and blanket in a crib. I did baby food bc I thought I could introduce a much wider variety of foods. Also.....if the baby has no teeth, how is it good for them to swallow certain foods half-chewed? No diaper bag??

I know I am a long way from grand babies, so I can't even imagine what will happen.

 

[Arcadia]

Stroller footmuffs were still popular last winter 

https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/category/strollers/stroller-accessories/stroller-buntings-footmuffs/32581/

[Paige]

My oldest is 18 and youngest is 2. 

They didn't bathe my baby in the hospital until I asked for it. Honestly, he kind of smelled like poo and had dried blood on him, but they didn't want him bathed for at least 24 hours. That was very different. 

Once home- swings are no longer cool- it's all gliders and sway type things.

Doctors are less likely to prescribe meds for reflux.

They talk about things like "sleep regression" as if it's really real that babies do this on set time tables. 

Extended rear facing is the norm. 

Parents tend to like neutral colors.

No more oragel or infant OTC meds.

Everyone literally covers the entire baby with a carseat or stroller blanket. I don't understand this- how do you know if baby can breathe and if there shouldn't be blankets in a crib, why is it ok to shove one over his face in a stroller?

 

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2020 by Paige

[Arcadia]

51 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

I've heard babies don't need lotion because their skin is naturally soft. So I think a lot of the baby lotion products are just a gimmick. Sure, if your kid has eczema you can buy certain types of lotion/cream, but in general I don't think it's necessary?? Or if it is, use unscented products. 

DS15 didn’t need moisturizer as a baby until we relocated to California when he was 8 months old. It was a drop in humidity from over 80% to around 50%. Even my husband had to start using lip balm here, and he said it’s worse the northern states and Canada.

4 minutes ago, SereneHome said:

I know I am a long way from grand babies, so I can't even imagine what will happen.

My mom took me shopping and just help pay for everything. My cousins gave cash. There wasn’t a baby registry in my country of origin, no baby showers until after baby is born. 

[Soror]

Most of these new things are things I did with all my kids... But I never did any kind of 'spying'. I wonder how things will look when my own have kids.

[rebcoola]

Oh yeah feeding rice cereal is out in general but the big change is for reflux.  No rice in the bottle your supposed to use a spoon. 

Car seats, swings etc you hear about head slump causing death so no sleeping in those things.

The nose Frida instead of a bulb syringe so you can suck the snot out.  I never could use this but people love them.

Free breast pump from insurance.  

Haka's and breast cups you just wear to catch extra milk instead of actively pumping.

Leaps everyone talks about leaps now their are apps to track them. Basically kids will be grumpy not sleep all at the same time because they are going through a mental leap.  Im pretty sure it's bad psuedo science.  I didn't pay much attention.

No longer wait to give possible allergens. All the babies are eating Bambas (peanut butter puffs).  When they get food at 6 months.  

[KungFuPanda]

I remember that drop side cribs were made illegal, but I missed the back story. How do short moms get their babies IN there now?  Are the sides lower! Is the mattress closer to the ground? I still have my kids’ crib in the house because I’m convinced I’ll get energetic enough to turn it into a bench or pot rack or something. It’s nice, sturdy hardwood and some heavy duty metal hardware that could definitely have a second life. 

[Carol in Cal.]

15 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I remember that drop side cribs were made illegal, but I missed the back story. How do short moms get their babies IN there now?  Are the sides lower! Is the mattress closer to the ground? I still have my kids’ crib in the house because I’m convinced I’ll get energetic enough to turn it into a bench or pot rack or something. It’s nice, sturdy hardwood and some heavy duty metal hardware that could definitely have a second life. 

This I had not heard.  Wow.  I don't know how I would have functioned.

[Tanaqui]

Quote

My "bsby" is 10 & I'm a bit shocked at how much of these are still familiar. I'm amused to see that "no baby food" is a thing since I was just talking to my teenagers about how crazy I was considered for just going straight to supplementing with table foods for my kiddos.

 

I remember when the kids were little we were so big into independence for them. Still are, in fact, but even when they were two and three I wanted them to put on their own smock for art time at the children's museum (and do their OWN art rather than having me direct them step by step or do it for them like I saw some people doing!), fill their own water cups, and so on. So of course we started them on proper solids rather than expensive jars of food - carrots cut small, into quarter-circles, and steamed; bananas pressed so they divided into spears; chunks of avocado; thin apple slices; very soft spears of steamed broccoli; and so on.

One day I was at the playground, and here's my 15 month old chowing down on a plum while this other woman next to me is carefully spoonfeeding a kid who had to be at least two and maybe older. And we talk about this and that, and then he says that she wants her child to stay a baby longer and I remember thinking so clearly "This woman and I have nothing in common and this conversation is not going to go anywhere". There was literally no response I could make to that, so I said nothing at all.

Quote

Also.....if the baby has no teeth, how is it good for them to swallow certain foods half-chewed?

 

My mother has no teeth and doesn't like dentures, but that doesn't mean we feed her exclusively soup and mush. We simply cook the food very soft, and we did the same when the kids were little. If it couldn't be cooked to be safe they didn't eat it until they were older.

[rebcoola]

23 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I remember that drop side cribs were made illegal, but I missed the back story. How do short moms get their babies IN there now?  Are the sides lower! Is the mattress closer to the ground? I still have my kids’ crib in the house because I’m convinced I’ll get energetic enough to turn it into a bench or pot rack or something. It’s nice, sturdy hardwood and some heavy duty metal hardware that could definitely have a second life. 

Most cribs now have 3 mattress positions.  So it's shallow like a bassinet when baby is little. 

[Arcadia]

18 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I remember that drop side cribs were made illegal, but I missed the back story. How do short moms get their babies IN there now?  

 

2 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

This I had not heard.  Wow.  I don't know how I would have functioned.

I am short. DS15’s crib isn’t a drop side crib because we wanted one with no drop side. It has three levels to rest the mattress slab (two solid pieces of wood) on and at the highest level setting, I could get him in and out of the crib quite easily. I am 5’2’ (1.57m) tall. Most times my husband would carry him in and out of the crib, he is 5’11” tall. 

DS14 had a drop side crib that ended up being recalled. The drop side dropped once luckily in the daytime while he was on the daybed. It dropped on one side but not the other. Either way it was scary and we clamped the drop side after that as a precaution.

photo 4 was what it looked like for DS14’s crib

https://www.cpsc.gov/content/cpsc-issues-warning-on-drop-side-cribs-32-fatalities-in-drop-side-cribs-in-last-9-years

[wathe]

Wheeled baby walkers are out.  They've actually been illegal here in Canada for a lone time because considered unsafe

[Carol in Cal.]

23 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

 

 

 

My mother has no teeth and doesn't like dentures, but that doesn't mean we feed her exclusively soup and mush. We simply cook the food very soft, and we did the same when the kids were little. If it couldn't be cooked to be safe they didn't eat it until they were older.

Plus unerupted teeth are still present in the gums, so the baby's gums have more chewing capacity than that of elderly people who are toothless.

[73349]

Car seats vary both by state and manufacturer. I kept DS rear-facing until age 5. He kept outgrowing seats by height, which is not labeled as prominently as weight, so if the parents are tall, they will want to look in the instructions or ask around what's good for tall babies. Expiration dates are usually 5-10 years from manufacture.

Only regular clothes between baby and car seat--there are covers you can snap on the outside, or put a blanket over baby's midsection and legs. Some lightweight sleep sacks have a car seat buckle hole, too. Sleep sacks were great alternatives to blankets in the crib.

Cloth diapers are much more popular than they were in the 90s.

Cribs are lower, so no need to worry about not being able to get to baby without a drop-side. You lower the mattress as needed to keep baby from climbing out. But if I had it to do over, I'd've bought a king mattress and put it on the floor for all three of us.

No shoes until walking regularly outside of home.

In general, I'd check with the parents before picking anything that takes up a lot of space. I refused a baby bathtub.

[teachermom2834]

This is fun. My baby is 12 but my oldest is 22 and that was the last time I really shopped or kept up with trends. We used all hand me downs for the three boys. Then there was a five year gap before my dd. I remember walking around Babies R Us and being shocked by the changes but I still did what I always did.

No sippy cups is shocking. I had no idea!

The rest seems familiar to me. But the diaper bags as fashion statements is funny. I am no fashionista but I do remember standing in the diaper bag aisle and asking why they were all decorated as though the baby would be carrying them? "I'm an adult woman! I don't want a Winne the Pooh purse!" haha. I remember having a navy and white gingham check bag that was the most acceptable to me. Ten years later, when I had my dd, I'm pretty sure I just shoved a diaper and some wipes in my purse and called it good. With four kids in tow I think I just gave up on having whatever I would need on me and took my chances. 

[KungFuPanda]

34 minutes ago, rebcoola said:

Most cribs now have 3 mattress positions.  So it's shallow like a bassinet when baby is little. 

I totally forgot about the adjustable mattress heights!  I also had babies that required the skills of a contortionist AND escape artist to get away from successfully

 

I think they stopped making those before my daughter was born and she’s 23. My niece had the only one around because her mom found an old one. I think around that time they stopped calling them walkers and started calling them exersaucers. (I could be wrong. It’s been a minute.)

23 minutes ago, wathe said:

Wheeled baby walkers are out.  They've actually been illegal here in Canada for a lone time because considered unsafe

[Tanaqui]

10 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

My middle kid was a toddler and preschooler with invisible disabilities who still needed to be spoonfed due to arthritis in his jaw and hands, and issues with fatigue.  For that matter, he's still sometimes spoonfed as a 10 year old for the same reason, although now his disabilities are very visible.  I wasn't his mom when he was two, but if I had been, my guess is that I wouldn't have wanted to go into details, or say something that could be interpreted as negative in front of him, so I might have given a similar expectation.  

I'll also say that, in my experience as a teacher in an area with diverse cultures, that while families almost universally want to move their kids to independence, there are major cultural differences in the sequence in which they do so. 

 

I hadn't said anything about the feeding differences, and I certainly didn't say anything afterwards! I couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't sound judgmental, so I just faded out of that conversation in favor of watching my kids more closely. I can be super judgmental, but I usually try to have the good sense to keep my thoughts to myself. Less need to apologize afterwards that way.

It's possible this woman was simply saying whatever and it wasn't, strictly speaking, the truth. I don't think that was the case in this situation, but then, it was a one-off conversation over a decade ago, so who knows? The two of us were definitely the same race, general ethnic group, and socioeconomic class - I don't think there were major cultural differences.

[Momto6inIN]

Also, they tell you not to do anything for a newborn cord. My older ones I was always told to use alcohol on it with a q-tip to dry it up.

[Tanaqui]

8 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

Also, they tell you not to do anything for a newborn cord. My older ones I was always told to use alcohol on it with a q-tip to dry it up.

 

Yes, and I believe that delayed cord clamping is still the thing among the crunchier set.

[Tanaqui]

14 minutes ago, CuriousMomof3 said:

Yeah, I wasn't thinking that you said anything.  Just pointing out that there are lots of differences that go into how a family feeds their kid that don't warrant judgment.

 

That's why I try to keep those thoughts to myself in the moment! I'm bound to put my foot in my mouth.

[Paige]

4 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

 

Yes, and I believe that delayed cord clamping is still the thing among the crunchier set.

That was now routine in my non-crunchy hospital. Not like hours, but a while.

We have a drop gate crib. Those are safe.

People still do sippy cups but the lids are different. I like it much better. They were just coming out when DD(12) was small. There's just no spout but it's still a nonspill lid. 

I think the leaps are pseudoscience too. I can't talk much with first time moms these days- I've turned into my mom!

[Momto6inIN]

I haven't heard of "leaps" but it sounds kinda like something DH has noticed as a pattern with all 6 of ours. When they are learning a new physical skill like rolling or sitting or crawling or walking, they sleep like crap. It's like when they reach the lighter part of their sleep cycle, they are driven to practice the skill and it wakes them up. I never would have put it together like that because I'm usually too busy in survival mode with the crappy nights, but once he pointed it out to me I could see the pattern too.

[Momto6inIN]

11 minutes ago, Paige said:

 I can't talk much with first time moms these days- I've turned into my mom!

This is hard for me too! In the "baby room" at church these young girls are all into their oh so earnest conversations about feeding and weaning and potty training and doing it all the "right" way. And when they ask me my opinion, I try to tell them from experience that all these things they're worried about really won't matter in a year or so. They just look at me blankly and blink and mentally disregard everything I just said.

[Momto6inIN]

Sorry for the multiple posts but I keep thinking of more things LOL

Amber teething necklaces are a thing now.

[Paige]

13 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

This is hard for me too! In the "baby room" at church these young girls are all into their oh so earnest conversations about feeding and weaning and potty training and doing it all the "right" way. And when they ask me my opinion, I try to tell them from experience that all these things they're worried about really won't matter in a year or so. They just look at me blankly and blink and mentally disregard everything I just said.

Exactly. I just don’t care anymore. My motto is “nothing matters” (unless it requires a specialist or the ER). 

[rebcoola]

Me three for not relating to the newer moms.  I'm not even older than a lot of them but I've just been there done that I guess. 

 Leaps in development definitely happen.and babies may be grumpier but the idea that they happen at the same time and for the same length of time that you can track and be ready for is kind of silly.  Especially since the mantra is also babies develop at their own pace and not to compare.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I might be Grandma age, but I'm still young enough to remember my own earnestness with my babies.  I so appreciated older moms who came alongside me with empathy instead of condescension.  I do not have fond memories at all of some of the eye rolls and ridicule. 

ETA:  I had a lot of appreciation for my own mom who asked me what my own research had shown up (which she realized would be different from her own reading of Dr. Spock) and asked me how I wanted to handle other things that are individual choice like pacifiers etc. 

Edited June 19, 2020 by Jean in Newcastle

[Paige]

8 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I might be Grandma age, but I'm still young enough to remember my own earnestness with my babies.  I so appreciated older moms who came alongside me with empathy instead of condescension.  I do not have fond memories at all of some of the eye rolls and ridicule. 

 

But there's a difference between just not caring and rolling eyes and being rude. I too remember caring so much about everything. When I see the young moms, I feel a little nostalgic, but I found that I can't go back to that feeling. So, I stay quiet unless asked.

[Momto6inIN]

6 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I might be Grandma age, but I'm still young enough to remember my own earnestness with my babies.  I so appreciated older moms who came alongside me with empathy instead of condescension.  I do not have fond memories at all of some of the eye rolls and ridicule. 

ETA:  I had a lot of appreciation for my own mom who asked me what my own research had shown up (which she realized would be different from her own reading of Dr. Spock) and asked me how I wanted to handle other things that are individual choice like pacifiers etc. 

I honestly am not being condescending towards them! (I was in the post, yes, but that's because of their reactions, time and time again.) I remember being earnest too, and there was one particular older mom at church who helped me learn a ton, and I try to emulate her. I don't give advice unless asked, and I try to be encouraging that as long as love is their primary motivation, there's really no "wrong" way to parent. But that's not what they seem to want to hear and it gets frustrating, so I get condescending about it online. But not in real-life 🙂

[marbel]

15 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

<snip>

ETA:  I had a lot of appreciation for my own mom who asked me what my own research had shown up (which she realized would be different from her own reading of Dr. Spock) and asked me how I wanted to handle other things that are individual choice like pacifiers etc. 

My mom was so great when I had my first baby. She would never offer unsolicited advice and certainly  never criticism, and if I asked her how she did something she'd tell me, but she'd always say that she knew things had changed and she didn't know if people were doing things that way anymore.  She was very happy for me to tell her how things had changed. I remember she was fascinated with the Boppy nursing cushion (don't know if those are around anymore) and the way she reacted so differently from other older women, who tsk-tsked that such a thing was unnecessary. My mom just marveled and how it made things easier for me than they had been for her.

My MIL was the opposite (she is always the opposite of my mom); she fussed me out for nursing my kid for "so long" at 8 weeks and encouraged rice cereal in a bottle by then. Fortunately my husband told her we were having none of that. 

I like talking to new moms and when I hear an older mom lecturing them on the one true way, I like to find a way to interject that she and the other parental  unit should follow their own instincts and research and do things their way. 

Edited June 19, 2020 by marbel

[bensonduck]

My 5 month old baby is asleep on my lap on the Boppy nursing cushion right now!

I have a 5 year gap between this baby and DS5, and I noticed a few things:

everything is neutral and gray - bright colors look dated

you aren’t supposed to swaddle them past the first 4-6 weeks 

they shouldn’t sleep in car seats anymore

They are really strongly encouraging the vitamin D drops 

In the hospital they did not offer to bathe the baby. (I prefer to wait till I get home anyway to bathe them so it is nbd, but I was surprised they didn’t offer)

Huge plus: much much more focus on mom’s postpartum emotions. Received a screening at the hospital, at all pediatrician checkups and at my own PP checkup with my OB.  This can only help PP women!

[Laura Corin]

8 hours ago, perkybunch said:

There are sleep sacks now that you can zip baby into so no blanket issues.  Like this:

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-197225/halo-microfleece-wearable-blanket.jsp?skuid=88558008&ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=INF%26TOD BASICS%26ACCES&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=88558008&CID=shopping15&utm_campaignid=9733267351&pid=googleadwords_int&af_channel=CSE&gclid=CjwKCAjwxLH3BRApEiwAqX9arV665eP6XRsmW2Xbe4oOo_ZRC2eX4gq0FXTSUyxe55GBjnicv-iq-xoCoXoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

My sister had one of those when she was a baby. She just turned forty.

[hjffkj]

Wait, what is leaps?  I have pretty young kids, youngest is 4 months, and I've never heard of this.

Not much has changed since ds11 was born.  The most obvious one is the sippy cups. 

[hjffkj]

15 minutes ago, bensonduck said:

My 5 month old baby is asleep on my lap on the Boppy nursing cushion right now!

I have a 5 year gap between this baby and DS5, and I noticed a few things:

everything is neutral and gray - bright colors look dated

you aren’t supposed to swaddle them past the first 4-6 weeks 

they shouldn’t sleep in car seats anymore

They are really strongly encouraging the vitamin D drops 

In the hospital they did not offer to bathe the baby. (I prefer to wait till I get home anyway to bathe them so it is nbd, but I was surprised they didn’t offer)

Huge plus: much much more focus on mom’s postpartum emotions. Received a screening at the hospital, at all pediatrician checkups and at my own PP checkup with my OB.  This can only help PP women!

I've noticed this too!! It is wonderful.  I have 6 kids ranging from 11 year down to 4 months and the focus on the mother's emotions and comfort has really shifted a lot in the last few years.  It is wonderful.

You aren't supposed to swaddle past 6 weeks?  I haven't heard this.. What is the reasoning.  My 4 month old loved being swaddle until she could roll over.  Now she just wants to roll over the second she is on the ground and fall asleep on her belly.

[Jean in Newcastle]

24 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

Wait, what is leaps?  I have pretty young kids, youngest is 4 months, and I've never heard of this.

Not much has changed since ds11 was born.  The most obvious one is the sippy cups. 

Sounds like just another name for growth spurts (or other spurts of growth that aren't necessarily in height)

[bolt.]

3 hours ago, Momto6inIN said:

This is hard for me too! In the "baby room" at church these young girls are all into their oh so earnest conversations about feeding and weaning and potty training and doing it all the "right" way. And when they ask me my opinion, I try to tell them from experience that all these things they're worried about really won't matter in a year or so. They just look at me blankly and blink and mentally disregard everything I just said.

I think maybe the reason for the blank looks is just that between sleep deprivation and "earnestness" -- they might have found your advice perhaps not condescending, but actually incomprehensible. Because a lot of the time you can't actually implement "it doesn't matter" as a form of action. That's like someone who says they "don't really mind" where they want to go out for lunch. It's not helpful in actually picking a place and going there. Even if 'it' isn't an important decision in parenting, a parent can't just make-no-decision. The next time it comes up, she does have to do *something* -- she can't just stand there thinking 'this is too minor to make my mind up about'.

If 'it' doesn't matter, I suggest listening to where the parent is already leaning, then affirm that, "That sounds good" to you. Very promising. With specific good features. What a good mom she is for thinking of it. Follow up with whatever seem to be the other options saying, "But, yeah I don't think there's anything wrong with this-or-that other approach, if you need a plan B." This approach builds her confidence and helps settle something that is nagging her, instead of focusing on the ways you think she might be overthinking.

[bolt.]

Other things that have changed:

- Corporal punishment is extremely rare outside of certain regions of the United States, and will almost always be viewed negatively by healthcare and child professionals. Even 'funny stories' from when corporal punishment was more normal might be deeply unwelcome.

- It's fairly old, but fruit juice is not usually part of kids' diets.

- There's something about sunscreen. Maybe none under a certain age? Maybe specific chemicals only for kids' versions? My cousin-in-law was really focused on shade for her newborn and there didn't seem to be another option for avoiding sunburn in her thoughts. (I didn't ask her, because even curiosity can seem like criticism, so I don't know the specifics.)

- There seem to be some topics that are 'not for chit chat' because they are quite fraught: parents working vs at-home parenting; breastfeeding vs bottle; vaccines; baby sleeping with parents; whether they plan to have another baby or not, when, etc ... probably more. Just be super sensitive.

[bensonduck]

1 hour ago, hjffkj said:

.You aren't supposed to swaddle past 6 weeks?  I haven't heard this.. What is the reasoning.  My 4 month old loved being swaddle until she could roll over.  Now she just wants to roll over the second she is on the ground and fall asleep on her belly.

You know, I have not really looked into it. This current baby never needed it a whole lot so I didn’t push it. My first though, we must have swaddled her until at least 6 months. (She’s 11 now).