Spectra Manual Breast Pump

I wanted to buy a cheap manual breast pump before Baby is born, and invest on electric one later. I wasn't comfortable spending so much on something I couldn't test just yet, well, because I won't have breastmilk till I give birth.  A lot of moms swear by the very affordable brands, like Mimiflo and Bebeta. I came upon Spectra on http://babymama.ph and at P900, I thought it was worth considering, so I went to its office in Katipunan. Compared to Bebeta which retails for P700, the suction of Spectra is a lot stronger. 

The reviews for Spectra electric pumps are also good, so I figured it was a decent brand. If there will be no problems with my breastfeeding and end up needing an electric pump, I will purchase one from Baby Mama as well. The prices are way cheaper than the other known brands like Avent and Medela. I was also very impressed when the saleslady discouraged me from buying one of their products on display and suggested a method  that would save me money. Great service!

Mothercare Combination Carseat

Another big purchase we had to make for Baby was for a carseat. There is no law requiring car owners to install carseats when transporting babies in the Philippines, but Husband and I agreed that it is a must-have, for Baby's safety and our peace of mind. I also foresee that there will be instances when I will need to run some errands or take Baby to the doctor by myself, in which case a carseat will be necessary. 

Carseats are very expensive. Those that are compatible with strollers cost around P3,500 to P6,000 and can be used only until the baby turns 9 months. We wanted one that the is suitable from newborn to 4-5 yrs, to get value for our money. Apparently, we were looking for a combination car seat. I saw one in Landmark but when I was told that it costs more than P20,000, I walked away from it immediately. Haha. SM Department Store also offers one for P5,000, but Husband didn't like the fabric.

We went to Mothercare Trinoma and the brands they carry also cost around P20,000. The salesman was nice and helpful enough to inform us that they used to offer Mothercare Madrid Combination Carseat, which met our requirement, but was currently sold out. Good thing that they had 1 unit available at their SM Masinag branch. 

(Image from www.mothercare.com)

The reviews are good in general, but the common complaint is that the recline position is still too upright for a newborn. Hopefully this won't be a problem for us, but in case we will need to wait for Baby to turn 2 months before we can use it, I still think P6,750 is a reasonable price for a carseat that will be used for 4-5 years. The materials are very soft and washable, and the quality is really good. I have high hopes that Baby will be super comfortable in it.