A - Z Challenge 2023 - I is for Inventions

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge
a-to-zchallenge.com

This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

Oh my goodness.  So many inventions since I had my children to make life easier for parents. (Well at least that's the theory.)

Here are just a few:

Sterilizers - no microwavable steaming sterilizers for me, just a container we filled with water that required 1 milton tablet.  I didn't have to remember how much water to add - there was a line on the container or how long to microwave it for.  But yes if you want a bottle sterilized quickly now you can even just do 1 bottle on its own in the microwave.

Beds - come in all shapes and sizes now.  We had a carrycot and then an ordinary cot for ours.  None of these "Next to me" arrangements.  And our cot had a drop side.  Many don't seem to have them now and it's very hard getting a baby into a deep cot without nearly dropping them!  And then of course there are the arguments about how to keep the baby warm.  We had blankets and/or a quilt and we had bumpers around the cot all of which seem to be frowned upon now in favour of "Grow bags".

Car seats come in all shapes and sizes now too and you need a degree in engineering to work out how to get them in the car and that's before you try putting the baby in them.  I can remember just putting our carrycot on the back seat although the baby was strapped in to the carrycot and the cot did have straps around it too.  Our first car seat was also much lighter than the current ones - no weightlifting training required for it.  And of course if the baby fell asleep in the car seat we would just take it in the house and wait for the baby to wake up.  No limits for us on how long the baby sat in the seat like there are now.

And as for prams and buggies.  Well they can be all singing and dancing too.

I had a Silvercross pram and then later on a McClaren umbrella fold buggy - the sort you really could fold with one hand to get on a bus with.  We couldn't just wheel our buggy onto the bus as they do now - oh no it had to be folded and go in the luggage area and you had to sit with the baby on your lap.  That is one improvement I guess although sometimes you have to wait for several buses before one comes along that has space for you and your buggy.

Mine was similar to this - Vintage now apparently.

The pram was great for going anywhere within walking distance though.  It had a big tray underneath for shopping and all the paraphernalia you need to take out with you for the baby and, when our second child came along we had a pram seat that fitted on the top for the first to sit on.  No such thing as buggy boards in my day.  But that is progress in my view.  Although hard work pushing a heavy buggy with a little one in it and then an older child on the board.

Not sure I'd be requiring a buggy that you can run with though!

Of course formula milk was around in my day but not the convenience of ready made formula milk that can just be opened and given to baby which is a great help to our modern busy Mums.  And I don't think electric breast pumps were around in my time either.  Another game changer.

And as for all the toys and gadgets you can get these days, don't even get me started.