Ironic that this is the topic I start with, considering it’s summer...however women are constantly registering for babies due in the future...and this is one of those items they probably spend some time mulling over.

I didn’t think I needed one until my sister of 3 girls, who helped start my registry, advised they come in handy in the winter when changing the baby in the middle of the night. I probably wouldn’t want a cold cloth on my bum either at 3 a.m. in the morning. On the other hand, she forewarned that as great as they are, to put something underneath to protect your furniture from getting a “burn” mark?!

Our daughter was born in chilly March and screamed when her diaper was changed starting at day 1, whether it be a cold hand, washcloth, or rubbing alcohol for her healing belly. Anything below room temp touching her bare skin would present a meltdown. It took about 2 weeks for her to become comfortable with the diaper-change routine as we started to become more uncomfortable with the warmer.

Negatives:

1. The mini mattress-like sponge on the bottom seemed to get a singe mark on it even though moist. At first we thought it was just minerals from the tap water but were wrong.

2. I wasn’t crazy about the idea of having a mini electric heater plugged in while we slept at night, even if it sat on a trivet.

3. Even with 2 trivets underneath, the dresser it sat on was still warm to the touch.

Bottom line: While I don’t regret having it in the beginning as the baby gets used to new surroundings and trust, I feel regular wipes isn’t so terrible if you hold it in the palm of your hand for a moment to take the chill off. As I am now in the summer months, I think she finds it somewhat refreshing when she has a warm plastic diaper on all day. ( The wipe-warmer pictured above is the one I own: Prince Lionheart.)