Thursday 26 May 2011

Philips AVENT iQ24 Electric Steam Steriliser and bottle warmer

We got this as part of our Breastfeeding set. It came with a set of two 125 ml and 250 ml bottles with new born (extra soft) teats, a bottle warmer and Thermal bag for transport. The steriliser accommodates 6 bottles as well as breast pump. It sterilises in 8 mins and has 2 cycles with one of them that keeps the bottles sterilized for 24 hrs.  It also comes with tongs and cleaning brush.  It is very easy to use and does a good job in keeping the bottles sterilized and is very convenient. It is also easy to maintain and easy to clean up. However, it stopped working all of a sudden after one year (exactly after the warranty was finished). By then we had stopped sterilising for Anjalie, so we could not be bothered to pay Philips to come and repair. So we just chucked it. I would have expected better quality from Philips and for the price.

While it lasted, it was very helpful to keep all things sterilized for Anjalie including her dummies. It fit my Avent Isis Uno breast pump and still had more space to fit other weaning bowls in it which is great. In my opinion the tong is useless. It is so tiny that you will need a tong to pick this tong!  It is a shame that it did not last longer. 


The exact same thing happened with the Avent bottle warmer as well. Exactly 1 week after the warranty expired, it expired! While it was working it was convenient to warm up Anjalie's bottles. It fits both 125 ml and 250 ml Avent bottles. I never tried it to warm up solids since it can only be used with Avent product and I was using another weaning product. The buttons can be a bit cumbersome at times. It requires you to hold them down to choose the volume and sometimes the buttons can act up and not work at all. It is easy to clean and use though.

We have used both the bottle warmer and sterilizer regularly (every day) for a year. It is such a shame that they do not last longer than the warranty period! 

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Pocket sprung mattress from baby mattress online



After much shopping around for mattresses, for baby's cot-bed, we had decided to go along with pocket sprung mattress with cool-max cover. However, these were very expensive in baby stores like Mothercare and after shopping around online for prices we went with babymattressesonline.co.uk. It was at least £50-80 cheaper online (including delivery charges). Since our cot-bed was standard size the mattress was easily available and came with PVC waterproof sleeve (removable) for accident protection. The mattress is a perfect fit for our cot-bed. It also had different choices for covers and we chose the cool-max quilted cover. The cover goes on and comes off the mattress with a zipper and easy to wash. We got a spare cover entirely free. The prices seemed so reasonable that I even bought 3 fitted sheets from them. The sheets were very good quality as well and easily washable. The PVC sheet can be wiped down with an antibacterial solution and cleans of easily. We machine wash all other sheets and covers. The cool-max covers cannot be tumble dried or ironed due to the plastic zippers. We just hang them up to dry normally. We have used the mattress & sheets for 17 months and still is very good and comfy. The delivery service was prompt. I chose standard delivery (£10) and it took a week to reach me which was not a problem. You can choose next day delivery for more money.
In conclusion, this was a good buy and we plan to buy our next mattress for Anjalie, once she out grows her cot-bed, from the same place.

Monday 9 May 2011

Mothercare Ayelsbury/Addington Cot Bed

The Aylesbury cot bed is very sturdy and easy to put together. We have been using it since Anjalie was born, but, it was mostly for naps. Anjalie has been co-sleeping at night since birth. Since she turned 1 year, we moved this cot next to our bed and removed one of the side panels to extend the sleeping area for all of us. For the price we paid we are happy with the purchase. I think now it is called Addington instead of Aylesbury. If you are looking for a sturdy cot bed to use from birth, for a reasonable price, this will not disappoint.

Tommee Tippee Sangenic Hygiene Plus Nappy disposal system

Sangenic Hygiene plus Nappy disposal system is convenient, easy to use and best way to keep the house from smelling like nappies. We still use them and unless you want to take the nappies out every time you change the baby, this system is a worthwhile investment. It wraps the nappies up individually and there by keeping them from smelling up the entire household. The only down side is that the cartridges are an ongoing expense. But I would say that it is worth it for keeping the house from stinking. The easy push lid means that you do not have to use your hand to push the nappy down which is a plus. The only suggestion I have is to buy the cartridges in large numbers when they are on sale. This will make a great baby shower present.

Sunday 8 May 2011

Cosatto Easipeasi Changer Kaleidoscope Bath Dresser


Cosatto Easipeasi Changer Kaleidoscope Bath Dresser

This is one of the practical and helpful items we bought before Anjalie was born. This is a sturdy unit that can be used as a changing station as well as for bathing the baby. It also provides ample storage to keep baby's things in place. It is suitable from birth until 15 kgs. The bath unit/small tub comes with a practical drain tube and does not take any extra space. The wheels can be locked to keep it from moving. The changing area is padded to be soft for the baby. It is easy to clean as well which is a huge plus.

We found the unit to be very practical and useful both for changing and bathing Anjalie. We used it for both bath and changing until Anjalie could stand up on her own around 9/10 months. The nappy change times were very short due to having everything in one place and so was very easy to deal with a squirmy baby. However, we stopped using the unit once Anjalie was around 9-10 months since she was now able to stand and we were worried that she might fall easily.


It is a little pricey and was used only for 9-10 months. Among the available changing/bath units this is quite a nice space saver and very convenient. However, I am not sure if I will buy it again if I were to choose again since it was useful only for 9-10 months compared to it's cost of almost £90. Perhaps if it had straps, for the baby, we might continue to use it for nappy change. However, the bath tub will be too small for Anjalie. The only plus (at the moment) being that it is a space saver, we feel it is a pricey one and, we would be better off getting a dresser.



Monday 2 May 2011

Mothercare 4-way Baby Carrier

While we are on the topic of transport for the baby, I would like to discuss about Mothercare 4-way baby carrier. It can support baby's weight range from 3.5 kgs to 10 kgs and works in 4 positions, with baby in front, facing forward or towards the parent, with baby in the back (like a back-pack) and with baby in nursing position. It distributes the weight evenly through the back and shoulders for carrying the baby around comfortably while leaving both hands free to get some much needed house work done. It is machine washable and comes with a hood for the cold weather.
Anjalie with daddy in her carrier
We have used the carrier in 2 of the 4 positions regularly, i.e., with the baby in the front, facing us or outside. Anjalie was never comfortable with the nursing position, so never could get a good latch to remain while breastfeeding with Anjalie inside the carrier. So I gave up after a few tries with a protesting Anjalie. We did not use the baby in the back-pack mode mainly because all 3 of us enjoyed the cuddle-like position with her in the front.
Anjalie at 4 months with mum and Grandpa
Anjalie is on the smaller side (in the 9th percentile) so this baby carrier was a little big for her as a new born (Anjalie weighed 3.3 kgs). Until Anjalie was 3-4 months we had just used a long soft cloth to make into a sling (my cotton saree served the purpose well) and it was comfortable for her. Initially, she was not very happy to be transferred to the baby carrier and had to get used to it. It is not as soft and cozy as a sling for her. Compared to a sling (which was not pre-made), the carrier was easy for me to put on and take off. Initially I would worry about using the carrier, by myself, afraid that I might not be able to get the buckles in properly. But after a few practice sessions, when my husband was around, we both got the hang of it. It is easy to clip on and take off with one hand. The back has adjustable straps for waist size and height, so both my husband and I could use it with small adjustments. Also it is a lot easier and safer to make all the adjustments and clip the carrier on to yourself before putting the baby in the carrier. It gives great support to the back and is very comfortable for us. Even now I am able to comfortably carry Anjalie for a quick trip to the grocery in it and she is now 9.3 kgs!
Anjalie at 8 months with Mum and Grand-mum
From 4 months until she was 9 months Anjalie showed a particular preference to the sling more than her pram and would be very excited when she sees me put it on. It cannot be simply because she was going out since her excitement was not the same with the pram. I think she was happy to be held close to her parents while she was outside and seeing things. We only stopped using the carrier regularly, for long trips, when Anjalie turned 10 months and was walking around on her own. She was getting a bit heavy to carry around for long by then anyway. The carrier was a lot easier to travel with since we do not have to deal with the bulky pram. Most of all, Anjalie  was happy to go out in the carrier and when she got tired, I used to just turn her around to face me and, she would fall asleep quickly. She seemed quite comfortable to sleep like that until she was 10 months. However, once Anjalie got a bit bigger (after 10 months) it was not always as comfortable as a pram for her to sleep in for long. By no way can this be a replacement for a buggy, however, it has some advantages like ease of travelling in public transport.


This is not suitable for outdoor trips if the weather is foul. The baby will be much better protected from the elements in the  pram. Also the hood does not always fit properly. It either covered her eyes and annoyed her when she was little or it was not fitting over her properly when she got bigger. So we never used it much.