Parenting Blog

Nowadays, organic baby foods actually are becoming increasingly popular, even among the parents that wouldn’t normally even gravitate towards purchasing any organic food to eat themselves. In the event that you would like to begin your little one off on solids by providing them with organic baby food, below you will find the absolute best brands available within the stores in the United States. You may notice that several of these brands of organic baby food are frozen or refrigerated, that is because there are several manufacturers that are steering completely away from all of the traditional canned preservation in a big effort to actually retain a lot more nutrients and flavor within the baby’s food. 

1) Tastybaby provides baby foods that are frozen and organic. Among the creators of frozen organic baby foods presented by Tastybaby, one of there creators was trained very well at the Le Cordon Bleu, and because of that you know for certain that this company really knows a lot about creating foods that are yummy. Tastybaby, even though a newcomer in the market of organic baby foods is available now along the west coast however, it should be making its way soon to the entire country. The frozen organic food that is offered by Tastybaby is now available in three completely different stages. The first step is single ingredients that have been pureed so that they are super smooth, the second step is smooth as well but it has a lot of flavors that are more complex, and last but not least the third step is chunkier and it also consists of a lot of protein. 

2)  Plum Organics offers frozen baby food. The frozen baby food that is offered by Plum Organics has been designed to actually mimic what you may create for your baby at home that is if you were really going out selecting all of your very own organic ingredients and then creating your very own baby foods that were organic. After all of these baby foods have been cooked, they are normally flash-frozen in order to lock in as many of the textures, nutrients and flavors as naturally possible. This particular brand separates all of its varieties of baby foods with an age suggested range, by providing smoother tastes for all of the smaller babies and meals that are more complex for toddlers. Frozen baby food by Plum Organics is available at Wild Oats Stores along with Central Market stores and Whole Foods and some of the other independent stores that sell natural foods.

In the world that we live in, plastics is a very hard thing to avoid. Most of the products that we use on a daily basis are created from plastic. They are in our bathrooms, our kitchens, our workplace, and they are in the toys that our children play with; the list is actually endless. As a parent, it is very important that you are aware of the types of plastics that you currently have or that you are bringing into your home.

Mostly, the traditional plastics are created from using petroleum. They aren’t biodegradable and they can release toxins into the atmosphere if they are burned. On the other hand, the newer bio-plastics are more sustainable and are created from renewable resources like soy bean oil, hemp oil, and corn starch. However, until bio-plastic becomes more available widely, it is very important to choose the less toxic among the plastics that are petroleum-based.

When you are out shopping, make sure that you check for the recycling sign on the plastic in order to determine what particular type of plastic it is actually made from.

The Plastics That Are Less Toxic

Even though these plastics may leak chemicals, there haven’t been any studies that have suggested that they are detriment to your health. 

• #1 PETE- Also known as polyethylene terephthalate, this is the most important raw material within synthetic fibers.
• #2 HDPE- Also known as high dense polyethylene, it is opaque in color and can be found in Tupperware, laundry detergent and milk jugs.
• #4 LDPE- Also known as low density polyethylene, can be found in tubing, plastic bags, dispensing bottles and wash bottles.
• #5 PP- Also known as Polypropylene, can be found in ropes, food packaging, speakers, textiles, stationary and automotive parts.

 Toxic Plastic

 All of these plastic leak toxic chemicals and they have been linked to disrupting hormones, cancer and several other health issues. The actual amount of leaking that it takes to cause all of these health problems is controversial.

• #3 PVC or V: Also known as polyvinyl chloride, this is the worst toxic and the most toxic, it can be found in soft baby toys, bath toys, teethers and building material.
• #6 PS: Also known as polystyrene, is found solid foam or clear take out containers.
• #7 Polycarbonate: Is found in most baby bottles, nalgene bottles, lining of metal cans and is contains Bisphenol A which is actually a hormone disruptor.

 
Within your home, the baby’s nursery is a very sacred place, in which your baby eats, sleeps and plays. As parent’s, it is our job to out a lot of thought and careful consideration into what goes into the baby’s nursery. We carefully choose items, and make sure that everything in the nursery is safe, comfortable and healthy. Your baby’s sanctuary is the crib and an integral part of it is the crib mattress. During the first year of your baby’s life, your baby’s systems, which are rapidly developing are a lot more vulnerable and sensitive to toxins and chemicals within the environment.

Normally, traditional mattresses are created using polyester, polyurethane foam and vinyl that has been treated with fire retardants and then coated with other types of substances. All-in-all, it can be a little worrisome having your baby sleeping on a mattress that has been bathed in slurry of chemicals. You know, the “new smell” of the mattress, is really the off-gassing of the substances. This is the main reason that it is recommended that you “air” out the crib mattress when your first purchase it. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has also been linked to the use of conventional mattresses however the studies that have been conducted are controversial.

For those parents out there that are looking for an alternative to the conventional crib mattress, natural crib mattresses are a healthy and safe option. Most likely, the natural mattress is going to be made from natural foam rubber that has been manufactured from the sap that comes from the rubber tree that is located in South East Asia, organic cotton, untreated wool, and occasionally silk.

 The Benefits of Natural Latex Rubber

There are several benefits of purchasing a crib mattress that is made with natural latex rubber. For one, natural latex rubber is a very good heat regulator which will ensure that your baby is cool during the summer months and warm during the winter months. Secondly, natural latex rubber is flexible and stable which will ensure that you have purchase a long lasting mattress. Crib mattresses that are made from natural latex rubber are also resistant to the build-up of moisture, resistant to fungus, mold, bacteria and mildew, dust mite resistant naturally, hypoallergenic (there are a lot of people that suffer from an allergy of synthetic latex), renewable and biodegradable.

 The Benefits of Untreated Wool and Organic Cotton

 There are several benefits of purchasing a crib mattress that is made with untreated wool and organic cotton. Untreated wool is fire retardant, temperature-regulating and dust-mite resistant naturally as well as anti-bacterial. Organic cotton, on-the-other-hand,  is hypoallergenic, completely free of formaldehyde, softer because the chemicals are used in order to break it down and insecticide and pesticide free which will promote better air and soil quality.

From the yesteryear wooden variety, high chairs have come a really long way. The baby high chairs of today have a wide variety of different features like one-hand tray release, wheels, seat recline and height adjustment. Before you go out and purchase a baby high chair for your little one, you should take the following information into careful consideration. 

The Main Reason for Purchasing a Baby High Chair

Keep in mind that babies aren’t going to need a high chair for basic feeding purposes until they have started eating solid foods, which is normally after they have reached six months of age. There are some parents that prefer to purchase a high chair right from the very start because they can be very useful as a baby landing space even before the baby has started throwing carrots. Those parents out there that are delaying the solid food introduction because of extended breastfeeding may also find a high chair very useful, because it allows the baby to sit with the family while eating at the dinner table so that the baby can see all of the action taking place. 

Is A Baby High Chair Safe? 

Even though the number of whistles and bells on your baby’s high chair is basically a matter of your personal choice, you still need to make sure that you are carefully shopping for a high chair that is safe. When it comes to selecting the best baby high chair, you need to select a model that has been JPMA certified.

 Stability

Of a baby high chair, a low gravity center and a wide base are safety features that are very important. Any high chair that you may be considering, you need to give a really good shake and then imagine how it may stand once it has a wiggling baby in it. Is it going to tip over easily? You may also want to consider that a base that is nice and wide is a lot easier to reach under in situations where you have to pick up cereal and other different foods off of the floor. 

Be Sure To Check Locking Mechanisms and Wheels

In the event that you are going to be moving the baby back and forth for feedings, a baby high chair that has wheels on it will be a really great choice, however keep in mind that high chairs that have wheels on them should have really strong locks located on the wheels in order to prevent accidents and to prevent you from having to chase the baby high chair across the kitchen during lunch. In the event that you are interested in folding high chairs, you need to make absolutely sure that the mechanism it has for folding locks extremely well and that it is easy to operate. You will also need to check and make sure that the high chair isn’t going to accidentally fold while it is in use.