mason jar sippy cup

i have dailycandy to thank for this one.  the email newsletter they sent today had a great sippy cup called eio glass kids cup ($15) that is a glass mason jar with silicon sleeve (non-bpa, etc) and top.  it's cool too, because new-drinkers can learn how to properly drink from a cup instead of sucking a built-in straw or other device like some other sippy cups.  purchase it here.

reuse it on your own 8 oz mason jar.  all parts are dishwasher safe.

beau-tee-ful organic fashion for mom.

just when i thought i might have to gag myself with a spoon at the sight of all the current barfarama 80's inspired fashion, a lovely friend (thanks, melissa!) shared the most refreshing and amazing organic line of clothing with me recently.   it's called mika organic, and you can gaze upon it here.

natural birth control

ever since getting off the pill just prior to getting pregnant, i have been contemplating never going back on.  not because i aspire to be michelle duggar, but because what was i thinking taking synthetic hormones for so long?!  there are many health risks associated with the pill and the patch.

the question at hand is, what are the best natural birth control options? well, dr. mercola sent me a lovely little email with an article just this week and answered all my questions....i love when he does that.  ok, the email wasn't just to me, but he did read my mind.

an excerpt from the "natural family planning techniques" portion of the article:

"Ovu-Tech Method: The Ovu-Tech is an inexpensive hand-held mini-magnification lens about the size and shape of a lipstick holder that allows you to monitor your saliva for hormonal changes that indicate fertility."

read this previous post of mine for more info on the ovulation product mentioned above.

study : kids who spend time with dad are happier...

a recent new york times article excerpt:

"Dads may not have as many meaningful conversations with their kids, but they tend to roughhouse with them more than moms do, and research indicates that's important for kids’ development, too.

Mothers help children feel connected, anticipated and wanted.  Fathers teach them how to interact with others and how to control themselves when they feel their needs aren’t being met.”

breastfeeding site on milk donation, induction for adoption, and more...

someone who means a whole heckuvalot to me, has had more challenges as a new mom than anyone i know personally.   i will not go into detail, but you'll have to trust me here.  one of her challenges, which we moms all have to some degree, has to do with breastfeeding.  she recently shared an amazing site with me called milk share.

it is a place that mothers who need, or want to give, donated breast milk can go to connect.  this site does not sell breast milk, but they help connect people in need.  in addition, they have extremely current and unique info (some of which i have not come across before) on the following breastfeeding topics and more:

supplemental nursing devices (photo above)
induction for adoption
nursing after surgery
building supply
freezing guidelines
choosing the right storage container
formula vs. breastmillk

if you have a toddler, you're gonna need these...

speaking from experience here...

this past week in our house included a 3-hour visit to the er where my 20-month-old got stitches a 1/2 inch from his eye---and a few days later included a goose-egg bruise on the side of his head.

each incident happened in a flash with 1-6 adults around watching him. after 3 weeks away from home traveling, apparently it's time for childproofing round 2 (ding! ding!)....

anyway, my point here is that --- well there is more than one, but i'll focus on 2...

1. have a good first aid kit for your kid.  you may want one for the car too.

2. consider purchasing these reusable ice cubes today (i got mine at world market)...they are a god send for treating a small injury!!  they are hard and stay cold like an ice cube.  give your kid a couple to hold on to to busy his hands and distract him from the one that you're holding on his head.  trust me, when your child is scared, hurt and wailing, he will not let you hold a huge regular ice pack on a bump or cut... especially right next to his eye.

tylenol recall expanded--includes children's tylenol

read here for more info.

feed baby breast milk bottle at the same time of day it was pumped.

that's right, recent studies show that nucleotides (structural units of dna), and other ingredients in breast milk, perform an important role in regulating a baby's sleep.  they suggest that you if you pump at night, label the stored milk with the time, and feed it to the baby at the same time of night on a later date.  read more here.

an excerpt:

"You wouldn't give anyone a coffee at night, and the same is true of milk – it has day-specific ingredients that stimulate activity in the infant, and other night-time components that help the baby to rest", explains Sánchez.

photo via here.

summer travels

sorry i've been m.i.a....i had hoped to write more while we were traveling these last couple weeks, but it didn't always happen.  i should be back on track this week!  i've missed you...

the best gift for someone that's having a baby soon...

if you know someone that's having a baby and planning on breast feeding, then i have a recommendation for the most important gift you can give them.  so far, nearly every new mother i know would have needed and appreciated this gift.  the gift is a local lactation specialist.

when you're sleep deprived and in new-motherhood haze and need guidance with breast feeding, then having a local lactation specialist's number is priceless.  even if breast feeding goes smoothly in the beginning, a new mom needs to know that baby's latch is correct and she needs info on how to avoid infections, deal with pumping, advice on weaning, and much more.  breast feeding does not always come naturally.  mothers need help.

i know i have posted on this before, but i feel really strongly about the subject.

if you need a local lactation specialist, please contact the la leche league (click on "find local support") and as a local leader for a reference.  they can guide you to specialists that do home visits.  your pediatrician may also be able to refer a lactation specialist.  ideally, a mother would need help in the first week.  usually, a specialist will meet with mom for 2-3 hours.  some charge hourly ($60+/hr) and some do a flat fee that puts them on call until weaning ($200+).  if you're in the los angeles area, i highly recommend jennifer goodson (818 400 9525).  she is a nurse and amazing lactation specialist at dr. jay gordon's office and does home visits.

photo via here.

tummy tub is second best to being in the womb.

have you seen these?  they are a simply designed phthalate, bpa-free plastic bucket-looking bath, called a tummy tub, that originated in the netherlands.  you may be familiar with french obstetrician frederick leboyer's practices of immersing newborns into a small tub of warm water to soothe them after birth.  makes sense right?--since they just spent the last nine months in amniotic fluid.

check out tummy tub's site for cute newborns loving their baths. babies only need baths 2-3 times a week when they are first born---and soap is almost never necessary in the beginning.

we used a tummy tub four days after our son was born, and he loved it.  he was so chill in it (that's him at one month old in the pic above). the tub can accommodate a 2-year-old/35 lbs.  we only ended up using ours for a few months, since our son was very comfortable in a full bath tub with dad pretty early on.  i'd recommend buying it without the stool/stand (as shown below) at first, and see if you feel comfortable.

alternative vaccine schedule : and it starts at age 2

this is a very informative article written by cardiac surgeon donald w. miller, jr, md about vaccinations.  it isn't brand-spanking new, as it was written at end of 2004, but still absolutely rings true.   there is strong evidence for waiting until after your child turns 2 to start immunizing. also, dr. miller lists the order and time frame of the few vaccinations to get if you do choose to wait until age 2.  an excerpt :

"In humans, the most rapid period of brain development begins in the third trimester and continues over the first two years of extra uterine life. (By then brain development is 80 percent complete.) Until randomized controlled trials demonstrate the safety of giving vaccines during this time of life, it would be prudent not to give any vaccinations to children until they are two years old."

photo via here.

co-sleeping questions answered : teleseminar with dr. james mckenna and api

on monday june 28th at 9pm est, attachment parenting international will be hosting a teleseminar called "settling the cosleeping controversy" with co-sleeping guru dr. james mckenna.

check out the list of some of the great planned questions and register here.  price is $19 for non-members.

if you're pregnant or a new parent, i highly recommend that you check this teleseminar out or read more on mckenna's studies here.  you may also want to review my co-sleeping and bed-sharing category.

photo via here.

holy genius! : traveling toddler car seat stroller

don't you love when a $15 item solves all of your travel problems? well, traveling toddler makes this simple little strap that safely attaches your toddler car seat to a rolling piece of carry-on luggage.

i am here to say that i have used it, and it works!!!  and it's easy--wahoo!

i attached it curbside at the airport while glancing at the instructions in about 20 seconds.  your LATCH clips clip right onto it.

if you're going on vacation and want to bring your car seat, you have to buy this!  if you need a stroller for your destination, maybe just buy a really lightweight one like this or this.   believe me, carrying a small umbrella stroller over your shoulder through a terminal is much easier than a bulky car seat....

then, just check the car seat and stroller at the gate!  if you're worried about them getting messed up under the plane, get a couple of these for $13 each.

best baby gates

geez, there are so many baby gates on the market.  where do you start?  well, fortunately, you have my ocd ass over here pouring over them all....

for basic doorways : these (photo above) are awesome...you can be hands-free by just stepping on a pedal ($54)!  and no screws involved.

for large doorways or archways, try a combo of these ($89+) :

for odd-shaped spaces...we use one around the fireplace, try these ($129+):

when cancer leads to abrupt weaning....

ready to feel really extremely grateful and compassionate?  read this incredibly moving post about mothers that are forced to cut breast feeding short because of cancer treatments.  the post is on an awesome blog called blacktating (my new favorite blog name)--breast feeding news and views from a mom of color.

photo via here.

soapbox : please don't buy bp gas

please...i'm begging you.  yes, they have more money than god, and it's hard to punish them immediately, but we have to start somewhere. what they have done, and been doing, is not ok.  imagine if this was happening in your backyard.

osha statistics show bp ran up 760 "egregious, willful" safety violations in the last few years.

sunoco had 8.

conoco-phillips had 8.

citgo had 2.

exxon had 1.

photos via here.

you too can be a walking billboard.

best $24 bucks i've spent lately.  they even have organic tees.

click here for all boycott bp tees in adult, baby, toddler, and dog sizes.

is someone you know addicted to their computer/email/iphone/internet?

a friend (thanks, heather!) sent a link to today's nyt article about the price we pay for being hooked on gadgets.  they follow a family that is struggling with unplugging and staying present.  there is also some great info on studies that have been done on how our brains may be evolving to accommodate all of the daily info that we take in from multiple sources at once (talking on the phone while instant messaging on your laptop with the t.v. on).  really interesting--

and i don't know about you, but i feel like i have to be really conscious about the choices i make as a parent, even with a toddler, regarding my child's interaction with technology.  i would love for my son to enjoy cracking open a book vs. powering up a kindle and building a fort in the yard vs. socially networking on facebook.  dare to dream...

photo via here.

it's that time of year...what the heck kind of sunscreen is safe for my child?

by now, you know that i am not cool with loading up on chemicals whether it is what goes into my mouth or onto my body---or my child's for that matter.  last year, i went into ocd-research mode about sunscreen when we first took our then 3-month-old on a beach vacation.  well, after hours of reading, purchasing, etc, i was on the beach about to apply a little bit of the lotion to the only part of my son's skin that could see the light of day (i put the poor kid in a full swim "spacesuit") and read on the bottle that you should not put sunscreen on babies under 1-year-old.  ok, well so there's that.

basically, i vote to cover the kid up in a full body suit, swim socks, and a hat and stay in the shade when possible.  yes, i know i'm a nutter.  you see, i am not uber anti-sun, since it's good for producing vitamin d in our bodies,  but i AM somewhat anti-sunscreen.  i just don't trust what's in most sunscreens.

but, of course, you HAVE to put some sunscreen on exposed delicate body parts, so for that the best i have found is mercola's because it has 2 main natural mineral ingredients : titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.  the additional ingredients are also from nature.  mercola makes a spf 15, 30, and 50, plus he has some good combo offers with natural bug repellants.

photo via here.