It's a Long Way to the Top if you Wanna Rock and Roll

No, this post does not have anything to do with music. I am just recovering from surgery to have my perineum repaired (finally) after giving birth. That is what tears when you give birth, and mine didn't heal all the way. I thought the recovery was going to be worse, but it is actually not to bad. I am assuming this is more what a lot of woman feel like after a week or two from giving birth when they have a stage 1 or 2 tear, not like me a month later after a 3rd degree.

Anyway, one of the things I want to talk about is something that always seems to be on the list of things that moms say was a waste of money and they never used, but I love and uses 10+ times a day.... my changing table. Are their really people who never use this? Some people say they use their bed, couch or floor. I have and I find that VERY annoying. Maybe my bed and couch are just low enough for it to be annoying, but after labor and now after surgery, getting up and down is REALLY hard. Harder than going up and down stairs, and more painful. Also, now that my daughter is rolling over, I can't leave her unattended for 2 seconds on any surface other than the floor. The changing table allows me to stand, has everything I need within arms reach and has a strap on it so I can walk away for a minute (to pee or grab a change of clothes from the closet) and not worry about her rolling off onto the floor. We also put a mobile on it to help keep her distracted during changes (and because they are not safe to put on a crib in case they fall or the child grabs it and pulls it in), so it has become one of her favorite places to be. She watched it spin, listens to the music and grabs and kicks it as it spins.

Another item that we heard was a waste or dangerous were crib liners. Well, what you don't hear about it how some kids like to stick their legs through the bars. Yes, you read that right. Why, you ask? I honestly have no idea. But day after day, we would wake up to find she had BOTH legs through the bars of her cradle. Many people use bassinets that have mesh or something else before the crib, but we have a wooden cradle (that I LOVE), so we are experiencing this earlier than many parents would. I asked other mothers about this on FB and found that there are plenty of kids that do this (YAY! My kid is now weird!) and that mesh liners helped a lot. Several of them also said that their kids got stuck (which was a major concern of mine as she got bigger) and that is when they decided to get the liners. And that the mesh ones are the only ones safe to use. We found a bunch online that were plain and simple, but settled on ones from Buy Buy Baby that had stars on them. They are cute and we still have a bunch of gift cards to use there, lol. I am happy that I did not buy them before (in case I didn't need them), but I would never put them on a list of useless items. Just maybe not for everyone.

Every child and every family is different. I do not think I will ever say any baby item is useless. Maybe just not for you or your baby. Or, maybe you think it is useless now, but use it later on or with a different child (you never know....). I write this blog for me (so I remember) and for other moms who are looking for help, tips and advice. But, what works for me may not work for everyone. Do you have any experience with these or something else that you heard was a waste? Share below for other moms that may be in the same boat. :)