Potty training can be a stressful experience for you and your child. It’s best to start potty training when your child has an established daily routine and is not dealing with any additional stress. Potty training should be the only major change in your child’s life.

If your child is showing signs of potty training readiness, ask yourself if any of the following situations exist:

New baby – Although the thought of double diaper duty may be overwhelming, your child needs time to adapt to the new baby before you begin potty training.

Divorce or Separation – Divorce or separation is always stressful for children. Your child may be living in two different homes or under two separate sets of rules. When things calm down, share your potty training plan so that you are both aware of the other person’s plan and can work together for the benefit of your child.

New daycare/babysitter – If your child has recently switched day cares or baby-sitters, wait a couple of weeks/months (depending on how your child adapts) before you start potty training.

New bedroom or bed – Small changes, like a new bedroom or bed, can have a big impact on your child. Wait until your child has adapted to his new bed before you begin potty training.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit the ZIP Baby Potty Training Store.

Dear Mr. Dad: My wife just had our first child. I’m insanely happy and I want to get more involved but I’ve never been around babies before and have absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to do with him. What do you suggest?

Armin answers: Although it may be tempting to just sit around and stare at your baby, marveling at every little thing he does, you’ll need to do a lot more than that if you’re really going to get to know him. Here are some of the best ways to start:

• Hold him. Newborns love to be carried around, held in your arms, held in a pack, etc.

• Talk to him. No, he can’t understand a word you’re saying. In fact, he barely even knows you exist. But talk anyway–explain everything you’re doing as you’re doing it, tell him what’s happening in the news, etc.–it’ll help him get to know the rhythm of the language.

• Change his diapers. It doesn’t sound like much fun, but it’s a great time to interact with the baby one-on-one, to rub his soft belly, tickle his knees, kiss his tiny fingers. For at least the first month or so, he needs to be changed every two hours–baby’s super-sensitive skin shouldn’t stew in human waste–so there are plenty of opportunities. And don’t worry: changing diapers is an acquired skill–in just a few days you’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed (although you probably shouldn’t—especially if you’re using pins). In the meantime, even if you don’t do it right, baby poop washes right off your hands and won’t stain your clothes. One hint, though: immediately after undoing the diaper, put something (like a towel or cloth diaper) over baby for a few seconds. The sudden rush of fresh air on the baby’s crotch can result in your getting sprayed.

• Play with him. During the first few weeks, forget about football and chess. But try to spend at least 20 minutes (probably broken into 5-minute installments) a day doing something with the baby one-on-one. Chatting, reading aloud, rocking, making faces, experimenting with the baby’s reflexes or even simply catching her gaze and looking into his eyes are great activities. Here are a couple of things to remember:

• Take your cues from the baby. If he cries or seems bored, stop what you’re doing. Too much playing can make your child fussy or irritable, so limit play sessions to five minutes or so.

• Be encouraging. Use lots of facial and verbal encouragement, smiles, and laughter. Although the baby can’t understand the words, he definitely understands the feelings. Even at only a few days old, he’ll want to please you, and lots of encouragement will help build his self-confidence.

• Be gentle-—especially with the baby’s head. Because babies’ heads are relatively large (one-quarter of their body size at birth vs. one-seventh by the time they’re adults) and their neck muscles are not yet well developed, their heads tend to be pretty floppy for the first few months. Be sure to support the head—from behind—at all times, and avoid sudden or jerky motions.

About the Author:
Armin Brott, hailed by Time as “the superdad’s superdad,” has written or co-written six critically acclaimed books on fatherhood, including the newly released second edition of Fathering Your Toddler: A Dad’s Guide to the Second and Third Years. His articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, American Baby, Parenting, Child, Men’s Health, The Washington Post among others. Armin is an experienced radio and TV guest, and has appeared on Today, CBS Overnight, Fox News, and Politically Incorrect. He’s the host of “Positive Parenting,” a weekly radio program in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit Armin at www.mrdad.com.

Wanting to raise a healthy baby is a primary desire for parents. An expectant mother will get her check ups, follow the advise of her doctor or mid wife in the myriad of things she can do to contribute to the health of her unborn child.

The usual list of things to do and not to do can include, but certainly not limited to, are eating habits, exercise, rest and stress release while avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs.

Every person is different, without getting into “lists” of what vitamins and minerals to take or the amounts, we will just touch on some of the basics. Sensible eating and lifestyle habits are at the forefront.

Starting with healthy eating, look to a well-balanced, nutritious diet of lots of fresh greens, fruits and whole grains, organic if possible, to avoid consumption of pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals are detrimental to you and your baby. At the very least, if organic is not an option, avoid foods that contain additives and artificial ingredients.

It has been estimated that Americans consume about 5 lbs of additives/year. If you include sugar, the most used additive, the number jumps to an astounding 135 lbs /year. To learn more about the staggering number of food additives now being used, you can consult Michael Jacobson’s Safe Food: Eating Wisely in a Risky World or Unsafe at Any Meal: How to Avoid Hidden Toxins in Your Food.

Additionally, avoiding junk foods, highly seasoned or fried foods will help with energy levels as well as keeping low the intake of liver clogging hydrogenated fats. When choosing healthy proteins, cooking practices should be considered to be very important. Steer clear of undercooked or rare meats, poultry and fish which can cause food poisoning.

Considering we are approximately 70-75% water, being well hydrated, especially during pregnancy is imperative. The body’s water supply is involved in and responsible for nearly every bodily process, including digestion, absorption, circulation, excretion and the transport of nutrients. It is essential to drink about half your body weight in ounces/day (eg. 130 lbs = 65 oz).

Consuming a high quality water is of the utmost importance, investing in a reputable water purifier or purchasing purified or spring water is the way to go. Distilled water is fine in moderation, too much or drinking solely distilled actually robs your body of vital minerals.

Avoiding high sugar or chemically laden drinks, such as sodas, soft drinks, fruity drinks, etc will keep the additives down as well as the empty calories. (If you drink 100% juices, diluting with pure water will make it easier on the system to handle and keep your insulin from spiking) Other than the obvious reasons to pass on alcohol, it is a depressant, dehydrates and robs you of vital nutrients, including Vitamin C.

After touching on food and water, smoking not only affects the lungs, hence oxygenation of every single cell, but smoking causes serious depletion of vitamin C which is an antioxidant required for collagen formation, tissue growth and repair, adrenal gland function, immune function, healthy gums and an endless list of additional tissues and functions requiring this vitamin.

Moderate exercise (always check with your doctor or midwife) can not be over emphasized, it helps to alleviate many of the common problems of pregnancy. Improving circulation, helping to prevent hemorrhoids, constipation and varicose veins, to name a few, can be reason enough for many women to hit the walking path.

Strengthening the circulatory system gives more endurance, improves your physical condition and some studies suggest it can actually result in shorter labor and help the mother to bounce back quicker.

The previous items are some very basic considerations in your child’s health before it arrives. OK, the sweet little bundle has arrived, now the parents will do what they can in feeding and caring for the new addition. From the right crib to covering edges, outlet guards, breast feeding or formula, bathing, there is an endless list of things to consider……. the point is of the long list of things to get or have or change or do for the health of your baby, some very important considerations may be overlooked if the parents aren’t aware.

At the top of list is the bedding and clothing that babies live in. Racking up almost 60% of their time in bed, the sheets your baby is in are just as important as the construction of that oh so fabulous crib. Have you thought of organic? Did you know they produced organic bedding and clothing? Were you aware they manufactured baby organic bedding and clothing? Most people really have no idea, it is just something they hadn’t thought of as well as the fact it is not quite yet the main stream.

Organic means growing fibers in fields without synthetic chemicals, for at least three years. Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. Pure, natural, chemical free.

Conventional clothing and bedding embedded with chemical toxins from growing to processing to finishing are now unacceptable to many. In the child and baby arena, it is getting even more so. As concerned parents start to research or happen by an article with vital information on poison exposure, they are finding that children and infants are uniquely at risk from pesticides because of physiological susceptibility and greater relative exposure. Three major factors are particularly important:

As a grandparent, it will be your responsibility to provide your grandchild with love and support. There is no better way to do so then to make sure that they are brought into a kind, loving, and safe environment. That is why you may want to take steps to work with your son or daughter to ensure that they are fully prepared for their impending arrival. With that in mind, you will want to proceed with caution. You do not need to be overbearing, but you can still provide your support, especially to new parents.

One of the many ways that you can go about ensuring your grandchild is brought up in a safe and healthy environment is by making sure that your son or daughter has all needed supplies. This is most apparent with the nursery. Although many parents plan for the birth of the child, many other births are unexpected. If your grandchild is an unexpected blessing, you may find that your son or daughter is not financially prepared for the undertaking. In that instance, you may want to assist with purchasing needed nursery supplies.

Another one of the many steps that you will want to take, as a new grandparent, even before your grandchild arrives is to baby proof your home. Although newborns will not be able to get around and explore, they will soon be able to. Baby proofing involves more than installing baby outlet covers; it is a life change. You will need to change the way that you leave breakable items around your home, clean your home, and so forth. You may want to take practice steps. These practice steps can help you get into the habit of making sure that your home is always a safe place for your grandchild to visit.

The above mentioned steps are just a few of the many that you may need to take as a new grandparent, even before your new grandchild makes their grand entrance. Perhaps, the most important thing that you can do is provide your love and support to your son or daughter and their partner. Having a new baby, especially for the first time, can be joyous and overwhelming all at the same time.

Potty training is easier and happens faster if your child is truly ready in all three areas: physical, cognitive and social. But the big question is: how do you know when your child is ready? If you have never traveled this road before, you likely don’t even know what signs to look for. Take this quiz to find out where your child is on the readiness spectrum.

1. I can tell by watching that my child is wetting or filling his diaper:

a. Never.
b. Sometimes.
c. Usually.

2. My toddler’s diaper needs to be changed:

a. Frequently, every hour or two.
b. It varies.
c. Every two to three hours–sometimes less frequently.

3. My child understands the meaning of wet, dry, clean, wash, sit, and go:

a. No.
b. Some of them.
c. Yes.

4. When my child communicates her needs, she:

a. Says or signs a few basic words and I guess the rest.
b. Gets her essential points across to me.
c. Has a good vocabulary and talks to me in sentences.

5. If I give my child a simple direction, such as, “put this in the toy box,” she:

a. Doesn’t understand or doesn’t follow directions.
b. Will do it if I coach or help her.
c. Understands me and does it.

6. My child can take his pants off and put them on:

a. No.
b. With help he can.
c. Yes.

7. When I read a book to my child, he:

a. He ignores me.
b. Sometimes listens, sometimes wanders off.
c. Sits, listens and enjoys the story.

8. My toddler wants to do things “all by myself”:

a. Never.
b. Sometimes.
c. All the time!

9. I think that it’s the right time to begin potty training:

a. No.
b. I’m undecided.
c. Yes.

Total the number of responses for each letter:

a. __________

b. __________

c. __________

Most answers are a: Wait.

Your little one doesn’t seem to be ready just yet. Test again in a month or two.

Most answers are b: Time for pre-potty training–get ready!

Your child is not quite ready for active training, but you can take many steps to prepare your toddler for the future. Gradual introduction of terms and ideas will make potty training easier when the time comes.

Most answers are c: Your toddler is ready to use the potty!

It’s time to start your potty training adventure. Good luck, and have fun!

Are you between two scores?

Just like any parenting situation, there are choices to make. If your child is hovering between two categories, it’s time to put your intuition to good use. Your knowledge of your own child can direct you toward the right plan of action.

This article is an excerpt from The No-Cry Potty Training Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-Bye to Diapers by Elizabeth Pantley.

About the author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

Getting kids to do the things that demonstrate good manners isn’t always easy or fun. But having good manners will help your child have better friendships, happier family relationships, and an easier time adjusting to the nuances of our society. No child is born with good manners. Manners are definitely something that need to be taught. Over time, and with practice, your child will naturally begin to repeat the things she has been taught from a young age.

One of the social graces that is often overlooked is writing of the Thank You Note. It is so important that children learn from a young age that it is appropriate to write a thank you note anytime they receive a gift, or anytime they have been a guest at someone’s home.

Children will learn what they are taught, and here are some ways to begin the habit of writing thank you notes.

Get the motion going:
Soon after your child receives a gift, sit down with her and help her compose and write a thank you note. Put the paper in front of her, hand her a pen or crayon and suggest an opening line, “Let’s write Grandma’s thank you note. Maybe you want to say . . . “

Take advantage of their computer skills:
Have your child compose thank-you notes on the computer. Most kids enjoy working on the computer and are comfortable with it. Created with care, a computer-generated note, with an added personal comment, is an acceptable way for kids to show their appreciation.

Make it fun:
Thank you notes don’t have to be boring! A child can be encouraged to get creative: a collage, a photo, a drawing – there are many fun ways of getting the point across. What’s most important is that the giver feels acknowledged.

Thank You Note first/Play second! Create a new family rule:
You may only play with a gift after the thank you note has been written. This will get the job done quicker than anything else!

Copyright Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

About the Author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

Your baby is so excited. Now they can go get that toy across the room on their own, instead of waiting for you to bring it them. They can also get the little piece of food on the floor, the shoe by the door, or the cords to the computer too if you do not have the house properly baby proofed. Once your baby starts to crawl you need to double check daily that there is nothing around that can harm your baby.

Crawling is a natural step for your baby that comes after your baby can sit up and after they discover that tummy time isn’t such a bad thing. It will either start by your baby moving from a sitting position to being on his hands and knees, or pulling his legs up underneath him while on his tummy pushing himself up with his hands. Your baby may get in the crawling position several times before he ever starts to crawl.

Before your baby starts to crawl he will probably sit there and rock back and forth. Some babies may not realize that they can move at first, while others may be scared of the instability of having one hand off the floor. Eventually though they will learn that by moving one hand and one knee, they can get some where!

Some babies start off with a modified version of crawling call the “army crawl”. This is where they learn to crawl on their elbows before they ever bring their knees up beneath them. While we think this could hurt, for some reason babies don’t get rub burns on their elbows and they are able to get around this way very easily. Some babies are content to crawl like this for months, before ever bring their knees up. This is a case of, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”.

For some reason some babies find crawling backwards easier than crawling forwards. If this is your baby, don’t be surprised if he never crawls forward before he learns to pull himself up and walk. He is crawling and getting himself where he needs to be, so what is the point in learning it differently!

There is no definite time that your baby will start crawling. It may happen before he is six months old; it may not happen till he is closer to a year. All babies are different and learn things at different rates. If you are afraid your baby is behind, talk to your pediatrician about it at your baby’s next well check.

Breast milk is full of iron unlike formula so it gives a baby the full amount of iron that they need while they grow for a longer amount of time. Because formula lacks as much iron, a baby who is formula fed should start on baby food at about four months old, in order to supplement and get more iron. Breast milk is so amazing because it changes as your baby grows giving your baby exactly what he needs, when he needs it, including the right amount of iron. This is why breast milk is best for the first year. Because your baby gets the iron from breast milk that he needs he doesn’t need baby food for at least six months.

Is your baby ready for solids? There are many ways you can tell from your baby’s development whether or not they are ready to start solids. A baby’s weight and development are very important. Can they sit, can they pick up objects? These are all very important to consider. For more on introducing solids, please click here.

There is really no reason to rush your baby into starting solids. There are some parents that choose to wait till nine months or closer to a year before they start their baby on food other than breast milk. Baby food is meant to help get babies acquainted to other flavors and learn how to eat food, however until they are a year old breast milk or formula should still make up at least 3/4 of their diet. Don’t feel pressured to start your baby on solids. If you are concerned about whether or not you should or your baby’s health, ask your pediatrician at your baby’s next well-check.

Your Baby’s Health
Many parents do not want to introduce their baby to the pesticides and artificial preservatives that are put in fruits and vegetables. They want their baby to be as healthy and pesticide free as possible, and are determined to only give their baby the best. Tests have shown that the pesticides do show up in children and decrease immediately when a child is switched from non-organic fruits and vegetables to organic fruits and vegetables. Long term health benefits are still unknown, but immediate health benefits are high and enough to sway many moms and dads to give their baby organic foods from the start.

Where To Start
Most parents start their children out on rice cereal from the baby food isle. For those that make that choice but want baby food for their baby that is pesticide free, they can choose to start with organic rice cereal. If you are really adventurous you can attempt to make your own organic rice baby food by purchasing organic rice, cooking it per the directions, blending it with breast milk till desired consistency, and serving it to your baby. You can even freeze it in ice cube trays and store it in plastic baggies till you are ready to feed it to your baby.

Organic Fruits and Veggies
After your baby has learned to eat and swallow the baby cereals and it is time to move onto the jarred baby foods, you still have lots of choices in the organic department. There are organic jarred baby foods in all the different stages. Your baby can start out with organic peas, carrots and sweet potatoes for the organic vegetables and organic bananas and apples for the fruits. Organic fruits and vegetables taste the same as the non-organic fruits and vegetables and give your baby a healthier alternative to the already healthy baby food he has begun to eat. As your baby moves up in stages the food changes and more organics are added. As your baby begins to eat table food you can choose organic fruits and vegetables for your table.

Organic foods are the new in “thing” for many families. While they are often a little bit more expensive than your non-organic food, having it available on the supermarket shelves is not only welcome, but convenient.

Baby in a highchair, mom in front with a small spoon and a jar of baby food. It looks like something right out of a parenting magazine, and it’s a scene that is played out several times a day in the majority of homes with small babies. Unfortunately, it’s also a powerful marketing image that can cost a family a great deal of money in the long run.

The Convenience Factor
Most parents would say the main reason for using commercial jarred baby food is the convenience aspect. After all, with the busy lifestyle many of us have today, no one has time to specially prepare a meal for each member of the family. It doesn’t have to be a special event to create your own baby food, however. Baby can usually eat what the rest of the family is eating with very little special preparation.

Good Nutrition
Everyone worries about proper nutrition for growing babies. Iron, calcium, and vitamin D – all of these things are legitimate concerns in children’s nutrition. However, fortified and processed foods aren’t necessarily better than whole foods. Homemade baby food, created from fresh ingredients, offers your child superior nutrition as well as encourages a taste for simple, unprocessed foods – a taste that will possibly prevent obesity-related problems later in life. It’s not necessary to offer commercial baby foods in order to have a healthy child.

Economics
Why pay more for an inferior product? Beginning baby food often runs between forty and seventy cents for two ounces. It’s entirely possible to purchase half a pound of produce for the same amount, and baby will reap the benefits of eating fresh, nutritious food. Buying produce in bulk can result in even more savings, and even frozen produce is preferable to what you find in the jars.

Getting Started
It’s important to know when baby is actually ready for solids. Introducing solids too early can lead to an increased likelihood of food intolerances and food allergies. Most medical associations agree that starting solids around six months of age is ideal, and many people find delaying solids for allergy-prone babies is even better. Signs of readiness for solids include:

• Increased nursing for more than a few days, which is unrelated to illness or teething, or, if baby is fed artificial baby milk, consuming more than 32 ounces daily.
• Ability to sit up unsupported.
• Absence of the tongue-thrust reflex. This life-saving reflex causes babies to push foreign objects (in this case, solid foods) out of their mouths to avoid choking.
• Ability to pick foods up and place in mouth independently (or development of the pincer grasp).

What About Allergies?
Experts recommend introducing new foods between three days and a week apart. This helps parents and caregivers identify signs of a food allergy or intolerance. Common signs of food allergy/intolerance are:

• Increased bloating and gassiness, painful discomfort.
• Sandpaper-like raised rash on face, often where the offending food made contact with skin.
• Runny nose and watery eyes.
• Diarrhea or mucous in the stools. Blood in the stool can also be an indicator of a food allergy, usually dairy or soy.
• Red rash around anus, or an unusual diaper rash.
• Vomiting or increased spit up with discomfort.

Ideally, it is best to introduce foods that are less likely to produce an allergic reaction in baby. Avoiding foods such as egg whites, certain nuts such as peanuts, cow’s milk, corn, wheat, and some berries such as strawberries is recommended, as they are more likely to cause reactions. Instead, start with foods that are easier on baby’s system. Some good ideas include:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Carrots
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Asparagus
• Oats
• Barley
• Brown rice

Tools of the Trade
Fancy equipment isn’t necessary to make healthy food for your baby. Things that might be helpful include a blender, a food mill, a steamer basket and ice cube trays if you want to freeze small portions. Most people have blenders already in their kitchens, and a food mill (or baby grinder) isn’t necessary if you have a good blender or food processor. Steamer baskets can be found in most grocery stores for only a few dollars, and fit easily into saucepans. Many beginner foods require nothing more than a small pan and a fork.

Sequencing
Many doctors recommend starting your baby on rice cereal first. Many parents find, however, that fruits go over better for beginning eaters. It is a myth that babies will prefer sweet things if they are given fruits first – nature’s first food, breast milk, is naturally sweet, and that is what baby is accustomed to. Banana is a wonderful first food, as its creamy consistency is similar to mother’s milk. After introducing banana, try another fruit or vegetable. Continue adding fruits and vegetables until baby has a wide variety of tastes. Then consider adding whole grains in the form of cereal. Many whole grains have naturally occurring iron, so there is no need to supplement baby’s iron unless there is a medical indication for doing so. Brown rice, oats, and barley are all good choices. Next, introduce a meat or poultry such as beef or chicken. If you are a vegetarian, introduce another protein source such as tofu or lentils. As time goes on, introduce a combination of tastes, such as cereal mixed with applesauce or peas and carrots. This is also a great time to introduce finger foods, especially if baby has teeth. As baby learns to self-feed, you can move away from making purees and offer small baby-sized portions of the family meal.

Getting Started
Bananas make an ideal food for a baby starting solids. To serve, let bananas ripen well (the more ripe, the better – brown spots are desirable), cut into small chunks and mash with a fork. Pears are an excellent source of fiber and can be cooked like apples: peel and cut into chunks. Place in small saucepan and just cover with water. Cook until tender. These can then be mashed with a fork, run through a food mill, processed in a blender or food processor. They can also be offered as finger food if they are cut into small enough chunks. Carrots, another popular first food, should be scraped with a vegetable peeler, sliced and steamed or boiled until soft. Process in blender or food mill. Carrots can be a choking hazard for children, so do use caution if offering as a finger food.

Sweet potatoes are extremely easy to make, and one potato can last a long time if frozen after cooking. Place sweet potato in a microwave for about eight minutes, remove and let cool. Open up and serve right out of the peel – the potato is very soft and needs no further processing. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of B6.

Winter squash such as acorn or butternut makes an excellent first food. Cut squash in half and clean. Place in one half inch of water in a baking pan and bake at three hundred and fifty degrees for half an hour. Use a spoon to scoop out squash and feed directly to baby.

Avocadoes are an extremely nutrient dense food and offers important vitamins and minerals such as iron and potassium. Cut avocado in half around the pit, grab each half and give it a twist. Scoop out meat and mash or dice.

Making cereal for baby is very easy. Take a cup of the whole grain if your choice such as brown rice, oats, or barley and process in the blender until the desired consistency is reached, usually about two minutes for very young babies. Store in an airtight container. To cook, mix with liquid of your choice and heat over medium heat on stove until thick.

Enjoyment
Enjoy this fun stage in baby’s development, and rest assured that baby is getting superior nutrition and developing good eating habits which will last a lifetime!

About The Author
Meredith Edwards-Cornwall owns and operates Attached Mamas at www.attachedmamas.com, which caters to families looking to achieve health naturally. Remedies for colic, morning sickness, infertility and more. She is also a designer for the web and print and owns Beach Designs Studio at www.beachdesigns.net.
meredith@attachedmamas.com

Wanting to raise a healthy baby is a primary desire for parents. An expectant mother will get her check ups, follow the advise of her doctor or mid wife in the myriad of things she can do to contribute to the health of her unborn child.

The usual list of things to do and not to do can include, but certainly not limited to, are eating habits, exercise, rest and stress release while avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs.

Every person is different, without getting into “lists” of what vitamins and minerals to take or the amounts, we will just touch on some of the basics. Sensible eating and lifestyle habits are at the forefront.

Starting with healthy eating, look to a well-balanced, nutritious diet of lots of fresh greens, fruits and whole grains, organic if possible, to avoid consumption of pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals are detrimental to you and your baby. At the very least, if organic is not an option, avoid foods that contain additives and artificial ingredients.

It has been estimated that Americans consume about 5 lbs of additives/year. If you include sugar, the most used additive, the number jumps to an astounding 135 lbs /year. To learn more about the staggering number of food additives now being used, you can consult Michael Jacobson’s Safe Food: Eating Wisely in a Risky World or Unsafe at Any Meal: How to Avoid Hidden Toxins in Your Food.

Additionally, avoiding junk foods, highly seasoned or fried foods will help with energy levels as well as keeping low the intake of liver clogging hydrogenated fats. When choosing healthy proteins, cooking practices should be considered to be very important. Steer clear of undercooked or rare meats, poultry and fish which can cause food poisoning.

Considering we are approximately 70-75% water, being well hydrated, especially during pregnancy is imperative. The body’s water supply is involved in and responsible for nearly every bodily process, including digestion, absorption, circulation, excretion and the transport of nutrients. It is essential to drink about half your body weight in ounces/day (eg. 130 lbs = 65 oz).

Consuming a high quality water is of the utmost importance, investing in a reputable water purifier or purchasing purified or spring water is the way to go. Distilled water is fine in moderation, too much or drinking solely distilled actually robs your body of vital minerals.

Avoiding high sugar or chemically laden drinks, such as sodas, soft drinks, fruity drinks, etc will keep the additives down as well as the empty calories. (If you drink 100% juices, diluting with pure water will make it easier on the system to handle and keep your insulin from spiking) Other than the obvious reasons to pass on alcohol, it is a depressant, dehydrates and robs you of vital nutrients, including Vitamin C.

After touching on food and water, smoking not only affects the lungs, hence oxygenation of every single cell, but smoking causes serious depletion of vitamin C which is an antioxidant required for collagen formation, tissue growth and repair, adrenal gland function, immune function, healthy gums and an endless list of additional tissues and functions requiring this vitamin.

Moderate exercise (always check with your doctor or midwife) can not be over emphasized, it helps to alleviate many of the common problems of pregnancy. Improving circulation, helping to prevent hemorrhoids, constipation and varicose veins, to name a few, can be reason enough for many women to hit the walking path.

Strengthening the circulatory system gives more endurance, improves your physical condition and some studies suggest it can actually result in shorter labor and help the mother to bounce back quicker.

The previous items are some very basic considerations in your child’s health before it arrives. OK, the sweet little bundle has arrived, now the parents will do what they can in feeding and caring for the new addition. From the right crib to covering edges, outlet guards, breast feeding or formula, bathing, there is an endless list of things to consider……. the point is of the long list of things to get or have or change or do for the health of your baby, some very important considerations may be overlooked if the parents aren’t aware.

At the top of list is the bedding and clothing that babies live in. Racking up almost 60% of their time in bed, the sheets your baby is in are just as important as the construction of that oh so fabulous crib. Have you thought of organic? Did you know they produced organic bedding and clothing? Were you aware they manufactured baby organic bedding and clothing? Most people really have no idea, it is just something they hadn’t thought of as well as the fact it is not quite yet the main stream.

Organic means growing fibers in fields without synthetic chemicals, for at least three years. Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. Pure, natural, chemical free.

Conventional clothing and bedding embedded with chemical toxins from growing to processing to finishing are now unacceptable to many. In the child and baby arena, it is getting even more so. As concerned parents start to research or happen by an article with vital information on poison exposure, they are finding that children and infants are uniquely at risk from pesticides because of physiological susceptibility and greater relative exposure. Three major factors are particularly important: