Parenting Blog

During the first couple of weeks following birth, most babies are going to prefer to be swaddled. However, swaddling with an ordinary blanket is more like a work of art. The Swaddleuze baby swaddling blanket takes all of the guesswork out of having to swaddle your baby and it makes it as simple as zipping your baby in and securing the flap made of Velcro in order to keep the little one’s arm from flailing. Swaddleuze which is an all-in-one deal is a much safer option than all of those loose blankets and it won’t come undone to pose a threat of suffocation. 

The Pros and Cons 

Pros:

• The fabric that is incredibly soft is very comfortable for the little one.
• The swaddling flaps are extremely easy to use.
• Swaddleuze is able to be used without any swaddling flap aggravating your baby’s arm.
• Available at a very reasonable price.
• Provides a much better alternative to all of those loose blankets within the baby’s crib.

Cons:

• In order to perform a diaper change, you will be required to undo all of the flaps as well as the entire zipper.
  

Swaddleuze Description 

It is a two-in-one combination of a sleep sack and a swaddling blanket. It is created from chamois fleece that is super-soft and fabrics of cotton terry that are dryer safe and machine washable. They are reasonable priced at twenty five dollars and they come in sizes for newborns, preemies, infants and to fit babies that range in weight from three to twenty five pounds. It can also be used with a swaddling flap under the baby’s arm for a sleep sack. 

Everything You Need To Know About Swaddleuze 

At first, the Swaddleuze swaddling blanket created for babies looks slightly funny when you see a baby wearing it; however it looks just as well as anything else would that you would use to swaddle your baby. This swaddling blanket also provides all parents with the option of keeping the little one warm while in the crib without having to add all of those loose blankets which could pose a threat of suffocation and also increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The fabric that it is created with is irresistible to the touch and is comfortable for the infant. This would make a wonderful gift for a baby shower.

In all actuality, it appears that the verdict is still out concerning whether or not cloth diapers or disposable diapers are better for the environment and your little one. The decision that you make to use disposable or cloth diapers depends on your personal preference, your lifestyle, and the concern you have for the environment. In making a decision, one thing that you must remember is that the choice that is right for you and your little one may be a slightly different from the decision that is right for your best friend and her baby. Overall, the on-going debate on diapers can be divided up into dour different categories: health issues, environmental concerns, convenience and cost.

 Health Issues 

One of the primary health concerns present when diapering your baby is the ability to keep them dry. When your little one has a wet bum, it could lead to diaper rash, which can be very painful, irritating and often it can be difficult to get rid of. Generally, disposables keep your baby drier for a lot longer because they whisk the wetness away from your baby’s skin. Whereas, the use of cloth diapers means very frequent changes, which can be a little disruptive, especially at night. Even though it may appear that disposables come out on top in this particular category, there are some studies that have shown that disposable diapers can cause irritation with their fragrances and dyes. If you are going to be using disposables, you should try to find the ones that are chlorine free and fragrance free. You should also remember, that there’s really not any good reason that diapers have to be stark white. 

Environmental Concerns 

Around nineteen sixty one, disposable diapers came onto the market, and today they account for eighty percent of the diapers that are used within North America. On the average, a baby is going to use a grand total of five thousand diapers from the time the baby is born until about the baby has reached thirty months of age. In the United States alone, according to information that has been released by the Environmental Protection Agency, this accounts for well over sixteen billion diapers or two point seven million tons of solid waste that is going directly into the landfills each year. In landfills, disposables are the third most common item, following food containers and paper products, and each single diaper takes five hundred years to completely break down. 

Convenience 

Without one single doubt, disposable diapers are absolutely the most convenient way of diapering your infant. During the time that you are out and about on the town, the last thing that you want to have to worry about is changing a diaper and then taking it home with you so that it can be cleaned. 

Cost 

Even though, cloth diaper proponents will argue that they are a lot cheaper than disposables, the final numbers really don’t add up. It has been estimated that parents will spend roughly fifty dollars each month on disposable diapers. Whereas, a cloth diapering service is also going to run around fifty dollars each month or forty dollar each month if you plan to clean your own and that doesn’t even take into consideration how much your time is worth. However, in the end, the cost shouldn’t be labeled as a real factor in the decision that you make to either use disposable or cloth diapers.

When your little one is enjoying the outdoors during the summer months, sunscreen is an extremely important consideration. The use of sunscreen is recommended only for those children that are six months of age and older. Younger children should be kept completely out of the direct sunlight during ten a.m. and four p.m., which are the peak hours. There has been several reasons that the use of sunscreen on children that are younger than six months of age has been considered a hazard, one of them being that infants particularly have a high surface to volume area which in turn means that their dose or exposure of sunscreen is going to be a lot higher than that of an older child or adult. Even though the effect of this exposure is actually unknown, there is the possibility of having an adverse reaction which may also be heightened. Sunscreen can also block the cooling mechanism that infants have within the form of sweating, which can possibly cause overheating.

So, now the debate isn’t about what age to put sunscreen on a child, but what brand you should use. Most parents out there have made the assumption that are sunscreens can be deemed equal. However, a recent report and investigation that was performed by the EWG or Environmental Working Group has found that this isn’t the case. The Environmental Working Group rated and categorized the efficacy and safety of eight hundred and twenty eight well known sunscreens strictly on the basis of safety concerns and sun protection. What they found was that eighty four percent of the eight hundred and twenty eight brands didn’t protect against the sun and posed other possible health risks. One hundred and ten of these sunscreen brands are marketed for the use in children and infants. They found ten sunscreens that were marketed to children and infant that offered good protection from the sun with minimal health risk.

So, as you can see, choosing a sunscreen to use on your child is going to take some careful consideration and a little research in order to make sure that you find the right sunscreen to protect your little one from the sun. Make sure when purchasing a sunscreen that you read the labels on the bottle to make sure that it offers the type of protection that you need, you will also need to check the ingredients in the sunscreen as well to make sure there aren’t any ingredients that could potentially harm your child.

Based on the fact that infants change so rapidly, it is very hard to locate gifts and toys that are going to keep them happy for a while. During the first couple of months, babies aren’t going to even play with their toys, and during the time that they do start to develop an interest for the toys, their tiny hands are not going to be able to grasp onto anything that is of any size. Below, you will find some toys that will make really wonderful gifts for babies that are around three months in age because these toys can grow along with the little one for a couple of months or they can become what is known as a classic addition to the playroom. 

The Activity Jumper by Baby Einstein

Just as soon as the little one determines how to move his or her little legs, they are going to mostly likely be constantly moving. You can provide your baby with a jumping outlet by purchasing this bouncy, colorful toy that was created by Baby Einstein. The activity jumper’s seat swivels all the way around so that the baby is able to see each and every one of the activity stations, each has its own very exciting toys. Lights and sounds also add to all of the fun that your little one can have. If you are interested in this toy, you can use it as soon as your baby is able to sit up in the seat without actually slumping over or to the side, which is normally around three to four months for most babies, and it may be a little longer for others. 

The Lamaze Grab and Grip Rattle 

You can occupy your little one for quiet a while with this angular rattle that has a very interesting shape. The bright colors that are located around the edges add a lot of visual interest and the tiny beads that are located inside of the sections of the clear rattle are a lot of fun to hear and watch. The center sections that are nubby all feel really good once a baby has reached teething time. 

The Sassy Butterfly Teether and Rattle 

For all of the younger infants out there, this particular rattle set is very easy for those little fingers to grab hold of. The set includes a total of five wonderful rattles, each having its own different shape. There are some of the rattles that have a clear section that has really colorful balls inside and the others have teething sections that are softer, whereas some have little plastic rings located around them for a little extra sound and sight stimulation.

In all actuality, toys are considered to be an integral part of your child’s development and growth. They inspire freedom of thought, engage young minds, and stimulate and create imagination. Wooden toys have proven to be a wonderful choice for those parents that are looking for an alternative to plastic.

Wooden toys are battery and pesticide free and they are phthalate which not only benefits the environment but are also a much healthier option for your little one. Wooden toys create a demand within the market for products that are sustainable and they also keep batteries and plastic out of the landfills. Because of their durable nature, they can also be reused and passed down from one generation to the next. The simple wooden toys engage a child’s creativity and imagination unlike the toys that are battery operated which takes the imagination out of play.

Many manufacturers that produce wooden toys uphold the absolute highest safety standard and they provide an excellent educational toy for your children to enjoy. However, unfortunately, not all of the wood toys are going to have the benefits that were discussed above. Particle board, pressed wood and plywood can put off gas carcinogenic formaldehyde from the glue that is holding it together. Some common culprits are puzzle pieces. The best option would be unfinished solid wood that has been oiled with walnut, linseed or beeswax. Certified sustainable hardwood or recycled wood, harvested with out a clear cut is a very good choice.

Make sure that you steer clear of mineral oil when you have children that are under three and citrus oil because it can irritate the delicate respiratory tract that the child has. Lead and azo dyes within the painted toys also need to be avoided. All of these dyes can contain heavy metals and chlorine bleach. In relationship to purchasing plastic toys, sourcing natural wooden toys can be a little more challenging and a little more expensive. However, after you have given them a try, you could find them to be well worth all of the extra effort for the environment and most of all, your child.

Now that you know how much safer and healthier wooden toys are for your child in relationship to plastic toys, you will be able to make better choices selecting your child’s toys when you are out shopping with your child. However, remember that there are still guidelines you should follow.