In the market

Matt and I are currently in the market for a convertible car seat. Claire still fits in her infant carrier car seat but we both feel she's outgrowing it at a steady rate. We also feel like she will be much happier in a convertible seat. We currently have the Britax B-Safe and we love it. I mean, we can't compare it to anything else but we certainly have no complaints about it. It serves it's purpose and that's all we could ask for. Right?

So, initially, there wasn't any other frontrunner {for us} over the Britax Marathon. I have been happy with our Britax, and from the research I've done, it seemed like Marathon owners had been happy with their purchase. However, after I did some further digging, we've made the decision to purchase a Recaro ProRide instead. It seems to me that they share similar safety ratings but the tie-breaker lied within the reviews from people who owned both.

Another item that I'm researching is a breast pump. I've been using a Lansinoh that was given to me by my sister-in-law. It's a closed system which makes it okay to share. While it works, I feel like it's lost a lot of suction over it's life {it's 3 years old}. I want to start a pumping schedule but I hate the fact that I can't use it both flanges at once {it's a double but doesn't have enough suction to use as a double}. So I have to pump twice as long and you know that time is super valuable with a busy baby!

It's come to my attention that with the new Affordable Care Act, breast pumps are {should} be covered under your health insurance. So naturally, I called mine and they are! YAY!!! So I contacted the hospital where Claire was born and spoke to a woman in the medical care store. She said that they carried Medela and that I would need a prescription from my midwife prior to ordering it. I should mention that she called my insurance company to double check their coverage policy- everything checked out and I'm covered {thank you Jesus!}. However, after doing some research on breast pumps, I think I'm going to try to go a different way. WHAT!? I don't want a Medela?! Yeah, that's right, I don't want a Medela-- unless it's my only option.

In my search for the "perfect" pump, I came across Hygeia. They offer hospital grade pumps for a fraction of the cost. They are closed systems, which is my #1 priority. They also offer a whopping 3 year warranty and even have a 21 day money back guarantee! Amazon didn't have a ton of reviews, but the ones posted led me to believe like most people were/are pleased with their pump.  I think that we all have to have an understanding that machines are imperfect, and that they are going to malfunction. That's why I love the idea of a 3 year warranty.

Hygeia is the only company to be endorsed by the La Leche League International and even include a LLLI membership with a pump purchase. Their pumps are BPA and DEHP-free {the parts that come in contact with breast & milk}. It has a button on it that allows you to record your baby so that when it comes time to pump, you can do so listening to your little angel coo, or cry, or laugh- whichever you prefer! Basically, I'm sold and am working my arse off trying to find a way to purchase it so I can be reimbursed by my insurance company.

Wish me luck!