Baby Products That Made Us Do a Double Take

Everyone has their own range of what's normal and what's ridiculous, and perhaps nowhere is this better illustrated than the baby and kids' market. Every year, we witness a slew of new product launches that have us scratching our heads. Sometimes, the most creative ideas and inventions end up making a splash, and others fizzle into oblivion. Check out the 10 new introductions to the world of kiddie gadgets and gear that generated the most buzz in our office last year — which gets your vote as the best of the best?

TwoSees Onesies For Quick Diaper Checks

TwoSees Onesies For Quick Diaper Checks

There isn't a mom, dad, or caretaker of a baby or toddler out there who isn't familiar with the diaper "sniff test." For every time that our sense of smell has done the trick, there's an instance or two in which it's let us down. To eliminate the inconvenience of wriggling a squirmy, squeamish baby out of his or her clothing and diaper only to find out it was completely unnecessary, an enterprising grandma came up with TwoSees.

These handy onesies feature a discreet rear opening where you can sneak a quick peek to check on the status of your baby's diaper. The onesies come in three simple unisex designs featuring the brand's royal-blue parakeet logo or can be purchased in plain white. Two Sees retail for $17 for a single printed onesie, $20 for a set of three solid white onesies, and $30 for a set of three printed onesies. Constructed of 100 percent cotton, the product's lap shoulder makes it easy to get on and off a baby's head once it's been established that a diaper change is indeed essential.

4Moms Self-Installing Infant Car Seat

4Moms Self-Installing Infant Car Seat

When an entire convention hall is still talking about a product two days after its grand unveiling, you know you've created some buzz. That's just what 4moms did with the introduction of an infant seat that actually installs itself. Yes, you read that right — the 4moms infant seat is the first electronic car seat and one that features technology to self-install, with auto-leveling and auto-tension control.

Knowing that 73 percent of all car seats are not installed correctly, 4moms designed one that takes the guesswork (and fire station installation check) out of the equation. An LCD screen on the seat's base confirms that everything has been done correctly and that the seat is safely installed. And lest anyone think that 4moms is only concerned about the tech side of things, the seat features side impact protection bolsters for added safety and a no-rethread harness for ease of use.

Milk Sense Breast Milk Measuring System

Milk Sense Breast Milk Measuring System

By far, one of the most frustrating things about nursing your baby is not knowing how much milk the little one takes in with each feeding. Sure, you can weigh your tot right before feeding and then again after, but that requires a precise scale and quite some dedication.

Knowing that some parents desperately want to know the precise amount of milk their baby gets, Israeli start-up Bradley and Luka has invented Milk Sense. The Milk Sense device is placed on each breast for 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after each feeding. Using electromagnetic signals, the system measures the volume of the breast alveoli (a part of the mammary glands) to determine in milliliters how much baby drank and how much remains.

Though the system is currently only sold in Israel for approximately $200 (it comes in a kit with a scale and a computer program for tracking the baby's diet), it was recently shown at Germany's Kind + Jugend baby show, so it could get international distribution soon.

TotTude Tattoo-Sleeve T-Shirts

TotTude Tattoo-Sleeve T-Shirts

We have to admit, we did a total double take when we first spotted photos of TotTude's Tattoo Sleeve Tees on Etsy. We've seen plenty of temporary tats for kids, but an entire arm's worth!? Luckily, we quickly learned that they're not the real deal, and instead just an incredibly realistic take on the grown-up trend of having an entire arm's worth of tattoos (or a "sleeve").

TotTudes is the brainchild of a professional children's photographer and mother of four who was tired of seeing the same outfits on the little subjects of her shoots. Inspired to do something a bit more edgy, she came up with her own line of rock-'n'-roll-inspired childrenswear, the centerpiece of which is the sleeve tee. The shirts range from $24 to $35 and come in sizes for infants through big kids.

Source: TotTude

The Baby Shusher

The Baby Shusher

If you're a devotee of Dr. Harvey Karp's tried-and-true approach to getting infants to chill out, your lungs have likely gotten a workout from hours (upon hours, upon hours) spent shushing your babes to sleep. This very action was the inspiration for Chad and Katie Zunker, Texas-based parents who were challenged with a firstborn whose wail "shook the rafters." While the sound of dad Chad's shush soothed his fussy daughter to sleep, the process became tiresome, and he came up with the idea of recording himself and playing the noise back. And thus the Baby Shusher was born.

A sound machine that's meant especially for newborns, the Baby Shusher mimics the rhythmic sounds that babies become accustomed to while in utero — the very noises that so many new parents are all too familiar with making themselves. The device retails for $35 and can be purchased online.

Smart Diapers That Monitor Baby's Health
Thinkstock

Smart Diapers That Monitor Baby's Health

Ever looked at your baby's diaper and thought, "Why aren't you doing more for me?" Us either. But the team at Pixie Scientific has, and that's how it came up with the concept for Smart Diapers. The premise? They use your baby's urine to detect urinary tract infections, prolonged dehydration, and kidney conditions (which can be a trigger for undiagnosed diabetes).

You scan the QR code on the front of a wet Smart Diaper with your phone once a day, and data from the sample is analyzed and sent back to you. The detailed report contains information about baby's health and can easily be sent to your pediatrician's office if there's cause for concern.

The product is currently in its fundraising stages and in the process of getting FDA approval — a necessity since they're designed to help screen for disease. If you're a fan of the idea, you can help to fund it through IndieGogo.

NuzzleHug Breastfeeding Relief

NuzzleHug Breastfeeding Relief

From swelling and tenderness to clogging and mastitis, breastfeeding takes quite a toll on the ta tas. Since there is no all-in-one solution, moms switch between hot washcloths and frozen peas, hoping to relieve the pain. To keep pain relief to one package, Nuzzle created the NuzzleHug.

This compress stays in place to provide moms with constant comfort. The detachable pods, made from 100 percent cotton, can be placed in the freezer or the microwave for mom's desired form of therapy. Once they reach the right temperature, the pods attach to either the adjustable 20-inch band or the strap of a bra, tank top, or camisole. NuzzleHug retails at $50 for cup sizes A-C and $59 for sizes D-H. Even when baby moves on to the bottle, you can use NuzzleHug pods as heating pads or ice packs for the inevitable injuries and aches that come with child rearing.

PregPrep's Make That Baby Kit

PregPrep's Make That Baby Kit

Patience may be a virtue, but when it comes to baby making, couples who are trying to conceive try to give themselves every possible advantage. If temperature taking, mucus testing, and calendaring aren't your cup of tea, perhaps the Make That Baby Kit is.

When sisters-in-law Dr. Lara Oboler and Marjorie Goldner found themselves impatiently waiting to conceive, they developed PregPrep, the company behind the Make That Baby fertility kit. Each kit contains a two-month supply of FertilPrep, a capsule packed with chasteberry extract and evening primrose oil, which are said to help thin cervical mucus to increase the chance of fertilization; VitaMelts, a prenatal vitamin to help prep the body with essential vitamins; and Essential Balance Oil, a mix of lemon, grapefruit, juniper, and lavendine to help relax couples. The kits have yet to be approved by the FDA, but they contain many of the same ingredients of commonly used fertility enhancers.

The Blowout Blocker Diaper Extension

The Blowout Blocker Diaper Extension

If you've ever experienced the dreaded "diaper blowout," then you know that it can be . . . in a word . . . disastrous. Whether it's having a favorite outfit (yours or your baby's) destroyed, changing the crib sheets, or giving the car seat a seriously thorough cleanse and sterilization, explosive poop is one of those tiny details that most of the parenting books prefer not to talk about.

Enter the Blowout Blocker by Melzy. The diaper extender, designed by a mother of three, was created to "save parents from the stress and mess that a diaper blowout creates." The product, which sells for $13, tucks into a standard diaper and wraps around the baby's hips, securing an elongated back panel into place. Should a diaper explosion occur, the Blowout Blocker catches any leakage that might creep out on the sides or back.

If wetness (more common in toddlers) is your issue, then there's a product for that, as well. The Soaker Stopper ($13) features a front panel instead of a back one, absorbing leakage from the front or sides of the diaper.

Soap That's Made From Your Own Breast Milk

Soap That's Made From Your Own Breast Milk

Just when we thought we'd seen it all . . . now there's a way to have your own breast milk turned into soap. Seriously! Etsy seller Tin Roof Soap Co. calls the stuff Sweet Susu Soap. Susu refers to breasts, milk, and nursing in Malaysian, and the milk is used in place of water in the special concoction. Other ingredients include olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, shea butter, and essential oils.

To have a loaf of custom soap made, you just ship a stash of your frozen breast milk (between 12 and 16 oz.) to the seller, and she'll whip up a one-of-a-kind batch — about 60 oz. for $60 — and send it back to you. "I originally made this soap to preserve the bond between baby and breast — to save one bar indefinitely for my daughter so she will have some of me with her always and as a testament to the love and life I gave to her in those early months (read: sore nipples, plugged ducts, biting, pinching, etc.)," says Tin Roof Soap's Sara James.