Shopping for Baby Supplies

Little He Shiqian has been in the world for over two months now. If you want to see photos, check my online album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/hezongjian/qvMPC#

We started preparing baby supplies even before the baby was born. At first, we had no idea what we needed. Two months later, having spent quite a lot of money, we finally learned that baby products have brands — famous brands. And the differences between brands are huge. Just like cosmetics and handbags. Below are the products our baby has used, with brief introductions. All lessons learned with $$$…

1. Infant Formula Milk Powder: Since the domestic Sanlu incident, this is the most important thing — no room for carelessness. Of course, breastfeeding is best, no formula at all. But that’s not realistic for most babies. Our baby had a small stomach for the first month, so we managed with exclusive breastfeeding. But as he grew, breast milk wasn’t enough, so we needed formula too.

• Domestic Abbott Similac Advance (Chinese version): We started with the Chinese version of Abbott Stage 1. Abbott is supposed to be good. But it didn’t agree with our baby. He got heat, couldn’t poop, and cried loudly. So sad. We had no choice but to switch! I smelled the Abbott powder — such a strong fishy smell!!
• Japanese Meiji: Abbott is Western formula, maybe not suitable for Asian babies. I thought about Japanese formula. I’m not a Japanophile, but I wouldn’t risk my baby’s health. So we chose Japanese Meiji Stage 1. This formula is only sold in Japan; domestically you can only buy it from vendors. Of course, from Taobao. The first time, I found a seller with super-high reputation and huge volume, and bought two cans. Switching formula needs to be gradual. After switching, the baby drank it well and his poop was normal. Planning to buy a case. Compared to Abbott, Japanese Meiji doesn’t have a strong fishy smell — a light fragrance. From vendors, 190 per can. It lasts about ten days. Over 500 RMB a month.

Other formulas He Shiqian hasn’t tried. I considered US Abbott or New Zealand formula, but I was worried about compatibility. At the hospital, a small shop gave away free samples of Dumex. Later I looked it up online — they say it’s “fattening formula,” making babies chubby. Better not. When He Shiqian switches to Stage 2, I plan to give him Morinaga. For Stage 3, KariCare.

PS: He Shiqian is very impatient. If he’s hungry or his milk runs out before he’s full, he’ll cry loudly within five seconds. The crying is earth-shattering. He once made himself hoarse before he was a month old. He also kicks his legs wildly and shakes his head — driving us crazy. After two months, he got a bit tired of formula. He loves mom’s milk but isn’t into formula. Parenting books say…

1. Diapers: It’s best to avoid using diapers when possible — they can cause diaper rash. The best are traditional cotton diapers. But they’re a hassle — at peak times, the baby soils one every five minutes. Washing is very time-consuming. And on rainy days, the supply can run out quickly.

• Domestic Huggies: Recommended by He Shiqian’s grandma. Average price about 2 RMB each. They work well, but can leak when the baby pees a lot. Ranked second among all diapers we’ve used.
• Domestic Pampers: I don’t know why this brand is so popular. Available in all supermarkets, and people love to give it as gifts. There are green and purple varieties. The most common is Green Pampers. I never bought a pack of this brand, but we have more Pampers than we can use as gifts. So He Shiqian used some. Its advantage is having one more size option than other brands for finer sizing. Cheaper than Huggies. Ranked third among diapers we’ve used.
• Japanese KAO Merries: I bought this from a Taobao seller too — not available domestically. I bought NB and S sizes, but couldn’t finish them. My mom says Merries’ absorbency and breathability are significantly better than the other two brands. But the price is also significantly higher. The Japanese baby on the KAO NB diaper packaging looks strikingly like a Japanese soldier. LOL…

PS: After He Shiqian was born, it happened to be Shanghai’s rainiest month in decades — cold and wet. We kept using NB size diapers. After he was a month old, we only use diapers at night, and traditional cloth during the day. We try to get him to pee every ten minutes or so. He’s very obedient and pees on cue. Our cues: for pee — shhhhhh~~~ for poop — hmmmm——

1. Feeding Bottles & Pacifiers: At first I thought, what’s so high-tech about baby bottles? Just buy any. So we bought unbranded bottles and nipples. Well, famous brands replaced generic ones, and better brands replaced worse ones. Baby bottles — you get what you pay for.

• IVORY (Taiwan brand, made in China): Bought a famous brand without knowing much. No special features. Eventually retired and闲置.
• AVENT: These two bottles came with the AVENT breast pump. AVENT was an independent British company, later acquired by Philips. This was the first bottle our baby used with automatic air intake — the baby sucked with less effort and liked it. It eliminated many non-vented bottles. The downside was the nipple was too hard and too long — maybe suitable for big Western babies. The hardness could hurt a delicate baby’s palate. Luckily He Shiqian is tough. The length could cause gagging if shoved in too far. It happened once.
• NUK: German brand. Known for glass bottles. The nipple is shaped like a pacifier, more comfortable for babies. The nipple isn’t too big and is very soft. Also supports automatic air intake. We bought this one later. Now He Shiqian uses both AVENT and NUK. Performance seems comparable. Prices are similarly high.
• Pigeon: Bought a Pigeon pacifier. The first time, He Shiqian fell for it and sucked on it like crazy. Then he wised up. Now it’s mostly idle.

PS: He Shiqian doesn’t know bottle prices, but every time we gave him a pricier bottle, he wouldn’t drink from the cheap ones anymore. I guess the advertised features do make sense. You get what you pay for. Nipples even come in different sizes, from one hole to three holes. Now He Shiqian uses two-hole nipples. One-hole is for babies under one month.

1. Nutrition: He Shiqian was born during a month of cloudy weather and didn’t see the sun. Later we found he had明显的 calcium deficiency (shaking his head causing bald spots, restless sleep, eczema, etc.). His formula and breast milk have plenty of calcium, but he can’t absorb it. As the ad says, “absorption is key.” Absorption relies on Vitamin D. Normally, sun exposure helps synthesize Vitamin D through the skin. But the baby saw too little sun. So we needed supplements. Many people recommend cod liver oil, but traditional cod liver oil has a 10:1 AD ratio. Supplementing Vitamin D via cod liver oil could cause Vitamin A overdose and complications. So we need products with a 4:1 ratio.

• Yikexin Vitamin AD: Very cheap compared to advertised supplements. Available in all pharmacies. One pill per day, about 0.8 RMB each. I tasted one — tastes like sesame oil.
• Xiaoshierkang: Recommended by a friend of the mother who works at a hospital. Besides AD, it supplements other things too. More expensive. Haven’t bought it yet — planning to switch after Yikexin runs out.

1. Other Supplies

• Pigeon Bottle Sterilizer: A gift from the mother’s client… Don’t know the price, but works very well. Convenient for daily bottle and nipple sterilization.
• AVENT Breast Pump: At first the hospital tricked us into buying a no-name brand. It didn’t work. Panhong bought a名牌 AVENT. Works great. Without it, milk ducts can clog, potentially causing mastitis.
• Pigeon Wet Wipes: Same as Johnson’s.
• Pigeon Baby Powder: After the Johnson’s incident, switched to Pigeon. Just psychological comfort. Later, He Shiqian’s grandma got more natural pine pollen from someone, so the powder was replaced.
• Pigeon Baby Laundry Detergent: I bought it but never used it. Shame…
• Johnson’s Wet Wipes: The first brand we used. Mainly for wiping after poop. Actually, the baby doesn’t like them — too cold. Better to use warm water and gauze. He likes that. We still have two big packs at home, idle after the Johnson’s toxic baby products incident.
• Johnson’s Baby Powder: Same as above. Idle after the Johnson’s incident. Now using Pigeon.

I’ll probably have more to write later. Might update this post or start a new one.

Finally, a recommended website: www.babycenter.com. Read the English version directly, filtering out parts not suitable for Chinese. It’s quite good. The Chinese version has lost some of its flavor.