Briggs's Picks

My life has been a lot easier since I have found simple fixes and tips for the AMC lifestyle.  I would love to share these things with the world and help make it easier for other mamas and daddies out there.



If your baby has any kind of skin sensitivities (Brigham gets rashes from just about everything) here is the very first thing you should invest in:

                                                                          gDiapers

 
 
gDiapers are the best of both worlds.  They can be cloth diapers or disposable, depending on the insert you put in them.  I use cloth during the day, and a disposable during the night for Briggs.  The best part is that the disposables are just cotton, so they are 100% biodegradable, and even flushable!  That makes them super easy and convenient around the town without any 'footprint' guilt.  They have saved me money and also TIME!  Hard to believe, I know.  But it's true!  Since gDiapers use the cloth inserts, there is much less to wash than the typical cloth diaper.  My laundry load size has only increased by the size of one extra bath towel a day.  I love going grocery shopping and looking down the diaper aisle and thinking "nope, I won't be spending that  extra $20 today... or ever again!"  and I have not missed the special trips to the store to buy diapers every time I get low!! 
 
They also sell bamboo wipes (sooo soft), so I don't need to find a trashcan just for my wipes anymore.
 
I use the Carters Storage Pack for my diaper bag.  There is a zipper bag that says "clean" and one that says "dirty" so my stuff is always organized.
 
OK.  Bottle Feeding.  I really had to stop nursing because my Brigham decided to become a piranha, and was getting a needle-like tooth.  But how do you get your arthrogryposis baby to take a bottle without you having to be the feeder every time?  I mean, eventually a typical baby will be able to hold his own bottle and you can just hand it to him, right?  Not so with your new AMC baby, as sweet as he/she is, it's going to a long while until they can work that out for themselves!  Problem solved:
 
A bottle straw!  I have not been able to find this in stores.  These work very well assuming you have the right kind of bottle.  Playtex makes the VentAire bottle which allows the air to come up from the bottom, so the nipple doesn't collapse while he drinks from the straw.  You need to use them both together for it to work perfectly; just make sure you get the standard size, not the wide mouth bottles.

Playtex VentAire Bottle

AiNon Bottle Straws

 
Now...  what is going to keep that bottle in place while Little One drinks?  Now you have to find a bottle holder.  This one is called the baba buddy: 
 

almost $30!

 Go to this site to get Bottle Snugglers.

Bottle Snuggler  $20+

Here is a GREAT site I just found that has lots of cheaper options (and cuter too).

click here for more choices (ALL less than $20!)