The first time you’re expecting a baby is a nerve-wracking experience. You’re excited, you’re making grand plans about all the ways you would welcome and raise your little bubba, without any iota of knowledge that as soon as the baby arrives, many of those plans are likely to go out the window. You have little to no idea how you’re about to get on the job training of how to function without sleep and all the ways in which your family dynamic is going to change.
The one thing, that you do however very quickly come to speed with is exactly how expensive a baby can be. Everything you need in your registry, looks to total within thousands and it can be very confusing trying to figure out what’s actually worth the buck and what’s just a marketing gimmick.
Due to this reason our baby registry never had any specific brands of products we needed mentioned on it. We made a little announcement in tandem with the baby shower announcement, that experienced moms are welcome to gift us whatever product they personally recommended because reading product reviews for 200 products was a rabbit hole we were already down in, and it was proving difficult to claw out of.
Imagine my surprise when I had listed a changing mat and ended up receiving the ‘Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad’ listed at $150 from my cousin. I immediately called her up, not simply to thank her but also express my shock over why a changing pad would cost so much. Her reply introduced me to a whole new concept of how childbirth has so many facets completely out of our control.
My cousins first baby was a preemie. She had gone into premature labor for no apparent reason and the baby had arrived before 34 weeks. Naturally that meant the baby had to spend quite some time in the NICU, and my cousin’s number one priority was ensuring the baby gets a steady weight gain.
Of course, so long as she stayed in the hospital the baby was weighed regularly and carefully monitored by the specialists. Once the baby was healthy enough and discharged, she was naturally still quite concerned and that’s when she had decided to get the Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing pad as it came equipped with a weighing scale where it was possible to measure to baby literally after every feed. She felt the product was worth the money and was still using it for her child 15 months on, hence her endorsement.
Fast forward a few weeks and our little one arrived too. Thankfully, on time and with a good birth weight. So, while weight watching wasn’t my top concern, I realized there were all these other benefits I was getting from the changing pad as well, as soon as I started putting it to use.
Weighing Scale:
Breastfeeding was quite challenging. And while the baby wasn’t underweight, it was important for me to know I was producing enough to keep the baby well fed. The smart changing pad which doubled as a scale as well, was detailed enough with the option of recording weight pre-nursing and post-nursing weight, helping me navigate my anxious breast-feeding journey. This way I could record the weight not only each time I fed the baby, but also at every diaper change so I knew exactly how many ounces the child was taking in, and how much weight he was losing when I changed the diaper. The best part was that all of this was also being logged in the app with my phone, which meant I had extremely detailed data available to show to the pediatrician at each visit.
Plastic Top:
The Plastic top was extremely convenient. This meant that in the situation of an accident or any leakage on the changing pad, which as I learnt over the course of a few weeks is a very likely probability, cleaning it was no issue. All I had to do was take a damp cloth and wipe it clean. Being made from plastic also meant I could safely sanitize the product after each use.
Safety Buckles:
Since the changing table is located at a height and it only takes a few months before babies learn to roll over, ensuring safety at this height was essential. The Hatch Smart Changing Pad also took care of this by having buckles that could keep the baby secure and unable to roll over while the diaper was being changed. This meant that the changing pad wasn’t exclusively usable for infants but could also be used by babies before they morph into toddlers.
Multiple Use Companion App:
The app that the wireless changing table and pad was paired with, didn’t simply record the diaper changes and weight but also offered a variety of tracking options. The one I used the most was the breastfeeding option. It helped record the last time the baby nursed, how long the baby nursed for and even had the option to record which side the baby nursed from. It also kept a log of the number of diaper changes in a day, a fact that came in super handy when the baby developed a stomach bug or sniffles and we had to nurse more, and consequently go through more diapers a day. The companion app also kept record the sleep duration.
Pretty certain my baby’s pediatrician wasn’t expecting this detailed a record on the appointments.
All in all, the gadget utility depends on your preferences. While you can use it as a traditional changing mat, the price point doesn’t really justify that. However, if you want a scale and changing table along with a baby tracker, then this one multifunctional product can save you a lot of extra space and gadgets.
Introducing the next evolution in parenting convenience: the Second Generation Smart Changing Pad. Crafted with a plush foam upper, it provides the utmost comfort for your little one. Say goodbye to uncertainty with the ability to monitor your baby’s weight gain progress between those important doctor visits. Plus, track every feeding down to the last ounce or gram, ensuring your baby’s nourishment is right on track