The 4th edition of The Complete Book of Breastfeeding (Workman, 2010) is just out, written by Sally Wendkos Olds and my local awesome pediatrician, Laura Marks, M.D., as well as Marvin S. Eiger, M.D. I cover how to buy the best breast pump and nursing bra in my book, Consumer Reports Best Baby Products (http://www.amazon.com/Best-Baby-Products-Consumer-Reports/dp/1933524243/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283862056&sr=1-1). But this comprehensive guide takes breastfeeding to the ultimate level, covering everything from how to breastfeed a pre-term infant (in the old days, when I was born, women were told that premature infants couldn’t latch on, which is why my mom obediently gave me infant formula–Wah! I’m still mad about that!) to the breastfeeding benefits for Dads (yes, even you benefit when your baby is breastfed). As with most things in life, information is key, and breastfeeding is no exception. With this updated classic, you can read your way through breastfeeding issues, solving as you go, and arm yourself with the knowledge you need to breastfeed your baby with conviction and confidence.
Archive for the ‘Proactive Parent’ Category
Everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
Have your tried Plum Organics Spouted pouches?
Thursday, June 17th, 2010If I had a baby at the “solids” stage and I was into organic food (a good choice for kids in general), I’d definitely check out Plum Organics new line of premium “spouted pouch” baby foods, even just to try out the system. The 3.17-ounce pouch is designed to be used with a twist-on spoon, designed by Boon, aka “the Boon spoon.” The complete line of stage 1 foods includes 6 pure organic fruits (prunes, mangos, peaches, bananas, pears and apples). Stage 2 includes 7 interesting blends: spinach, peas & pear; pumpkin & banana; sweet potato, corn & apple; pear & mango; peach, apricot & banana; apple & carrot; blueberry and pear & purple carrot.
It’ll run you $7.14 for a six pack of Plum Organics pouches. The Boon spoon is sold separately. You’ll get two reusable, BPA-free spoons and a carrying case for $3.99. (You can skip this purchase by squeezing pouch contents into a bowl and using your regular baby spoon.) Each 100 percent BPA-free pouch has a recylable child-safe cap; there are gaps for airflow in case your child swallows it. Still, it’s still a choking hazard because it’s small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube, so keep it away from your baby.
The Bottom Line
You’ll pay a premium for this premium product. Still, it’s certified organic, with no added sugar, salt or artificial ingredients. Hopefully, your baby will like it, too! And that’s always the clincher. By 6 months, babies definitely have an opinion about what they want to eat and what they won’t. Keep trying if the going gets tricky. Food snags are common when babies are teething. And keep in mind that your pediatrician is your best source for what to feed your baby when.
Plum Organics Pouch Pointers:
–Don’t microwave the pouch. To warm it up (only if you want to), let it sit for a few minutes in a bowl of hot water.
–Squeeze what you need and refrigerate the rest for later. But use it within 24 hours.
–If the pouch looks damaged or inflated, don’t serve it to your baby.
For stores near you that carry Plum Organics, or to buy online, visit www.plumorganics.com.
The Boon Spoon retails for $3.99; it's sold separately.
Plum Organic's spouted pouch is designed to be used with the Boon Spoon.
Have you tried the iPhone scanner app at Myregistry.com?
Monday, May 24th, 2010
myregistry app is available at iTunes for $1.99.
A reader, Carla, asked me that question recently. I have an iPhone but I haven’t tried that App yet. Have you?
I think it’s an ingenious idea. The Myregistry App turns your iPhone into a bar code scanner so you can add items to your baby registry gift list as you shop. iPod Touch and iPad users can use it too by entering UPC codes while offline. They can retrieve them later to add to their registry.
What are your thoughts on the Myregistry App? What others Apps do you use to make your life as a Mom, Dad or parent-to-be easier?
Stopping High Chair High Jinks
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010Here’s a question from Amber of New York City, mom to 1-year old, Chloe:
“My baby loves to drop things from her high chair, whether it’s food, her bottle, or her spoon, and squeals with laughter when I fetch things again and again. It’s fun yet exasperating. How can I teach her to stop?” 
If your baby is under a year old, you really can’t teach her to stop. In fact, throwing food helps your baby learn cause and effect–if she throws food from her high chair, it falls down and you’ll pick it up. Instead of getting exasperated, play along for another round or two. When you’ve had enough, say something like: “That was fun, but Mommy isn’t going to play anymore,” then stop picking up the food.
By the time your baby is a toddler, though, she’s old enough–and developmentally capable of understanding–that flinging food isn’t okay. Toddlers may still do it when they’re bored or want attention, or if they don’t like what’s being serving. To end the antics, state a rule positively, such as: “Food is for eating and it belongs on your plate.” Stay calm. “A huge reaction from you will only reinforce the bad behavior,” says Marcy Guddemi, Ph.D., executive director of the Gesell Institute of Human Development in New Haven, CT. If your toddler keeps it up, end the meal.
Game over.
High chair shopping tip: Look for a fixed center crotch post, which prevents your baby from slipping under the tray and getting his head caught between the tray and the chair (it happens!). Check the leg openings, too. They shouldn’t be large enough for a child to fit both legs in one. And inspect the safety belt. Some high chairs have three-point harnesses, but a five-point harness (shoulder straps that attach to the waist belt) is better.
Should babies younger than 6 months wear sunscreen?
Thursday, April 29th, 2010Quick quiz
True or false: Babies younger than 6 months shouldn’t wear sunscreen.
Answer False. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says it’s safe for infants younger than 6 months to wear minimal amounts of sunscreen on small areas such as the face, neck and the back of your baby’s hands. In general, however, the AAP advises that you keep a baby younger than 6 months in the shade of a tree, umbrella, or stroller canopy and to dress your baby in lightweight long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Why? “Babies are more prone than adults to sunburn because their skin is thinner and their body’s protective tanning response isn’t developed,” explains Jim Chow, M.D., associate director of the division of dermatology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, in Columbia.
If you can’t avoid exposing your baby to the sun, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher that contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.
Blue Lizard Australian sunscreen (available at Amazon) contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
These key ingredients physically block the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays without irritating your baby’s sensitive skin. Otherwise, try to keep your baby covered.
Do I need to avoid certain foods when I’m breastfeeding?
Thursday, April 1st, 2010That’s a good question from Haylie, a new-mom-to-be from Chicago. She wonders if she’ll need to continue to avoid soft cheeses, raw fish, caffeine, and alcohol when she begins breastfeeding just like she’s doing now, when she’s pregnant.
For the answer, I consulted with Mary Rose Tully, MPH, IBCLC, director of Lactation Services at NC Women’s and Children’s Hospitals at UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Rose Tully says: If you’re a nursing mom, you should continue to limit your exposure to mercury by avoiding certain types of fish. Those include shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. For more information, visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm110591.htm.
But you don’ t need to stay away from soft cheeses or raw fish when you’re lactating, because the “bad” bacteria that may be in these foods, listeria monocytogenes, which can cause a bacterial infection known as listeriosis, doesn’t pass through breast milk to your baby. So go ahead and get your brie and sushi/sashimi fix.
As for caffeine, “most physicians will say 2-4 cups of coffee a day when you’re lactating is usually not problem for full-term babies,” Rose Tully says. But check with your doctor. And your baby. For some babies, it might be. With alcohol, “one to two servings of alcohol in 24-hours time when you’re lactating is considered safe,” Rose Tully says. But again, check with your doctor. Check, check, check.
In general, if you like to have a glass of wine with dinner, you can minimize your baby’s exposure to alcohol by nursing your baby first, then having dinner. Alcohol transfers into human milk quickly. It’s metabolized out of the milk rapidly, too, in about two hours. So by the time, your baby is ready to eat again, your breast milk will be close to alcohol free, Rose Tully says.
Eating Habits to Delete from Your Baby’s Diet
Monday, March 29th, 2010To save time or your sanity, these little habits can easily sneak into your baby’s eating routine. Don’t let them. They can put your baby at risk.
Don’t:
–Let your baby be a backseat diner. Don’t give him food while he’s in his car seat, which can be a blind spot, especially if he’s still facing rearward. (Radar: Choking hazard.) In other words, always supervise your baby when he’s eating.
Solution: Feed your baby before leaving home or stop for a snack if he gets hungry.
Don’t:
–Feed your baby from the jar (or yogurt container) and then put the uneaten portion in the refrigerator. Harmful bacteria from your baby’s mouth can multiply in the jar. When my first daughter was a baby and I questioned whether it was safe to put a half-eaten-from-the-jar back in the fridge, I remember my mother saying, “But they’re her germs,” as if that made them safe. They’re not.
Solution: If your baby is likely to eat less than a full jar, spoon a portion into a bowl and put the jar in the refrigerator for later. You generally can keep opened jars in the fridge for up to three days in the case of fruits and vegetables, one day for meats, and two days for meat and vegetable combos. Date open jars with a permanent marker. If you feed your baby from the jar and she doesn’t eat it all, toss it.
Give your baby a shot against disease
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010Is your child up to date with her immunizations? According to a new study led by researchers at Columbia Univeristy Medical Cener and NewYork Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, 20 percent of young children in the U.S. are under-immunized. Not having insurance is a factor, but the study didn’t investigate that. Rather, it focused on 705 children of parents with health insurance. Here’s what causes such parents to get off track:
–Scheduling issues: You’re four times as likely to be off schedule with your child’s immunizations if you have to reschedule a pediatrician appointment or have problems scheduling an appointment in the first place.
–Vacillating about vaccines: You’re three times as likely to miss your child’s immunization appointment if you doubt the importance of vaccines, according to the study.
–You can’t talk to your child’s pediatrician. You’re also three times as likely to miss your child’s scheduled shot(s) if you find it difficult to communicate with your child’s pediatrician.
Once you miss a scheduled visit or a visit that should have been scheduled at a specific time, your child is 2.5 times more likely to be under-immunized. To find out if you’re on track, visit the CDC’s 2010 immunization recommendations for children: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm#printable.
If you miss a vaccination, your child can catch up, so don’t let that stop you from getting your child fully immunized.
Fall-out from the economy: Changing diapers less often
Friday, October 9th, 2009
The economy has affected us in all sorts of ways and a notice for a diaper drive in the restroom of my nearby public libary caught my attention recently. The notice about the drive, sponsored by the United Way, mentioned that babies in families struggling to make ends meet often spend the entire day or longer in a single diaper. Infants need up to 12 diapers a day and toddlers up to 8 a day. If you don’t change a diaper that often, it can lead to diaper rash. The notice mentioned that it can also increase the risk of hepatitis, even child abuse from the constant crying that can result when a child is left in a dirty diaper too long.
You can’t use food stamps or the WIC Federal Program to purchase diapers. That’s where the diaper drive comes in. Turns out anybody can organize a diaper drive in his/her neighborhood or workplace. If you’d like to help, contact the United Way. Here’s the link:
http://volunteer.united-e-way.org/uwoci/org/opp/10243089539.html?return_url=%252fuwoci%252forg%252fopp%252fmedallions%252f%253fmedallion%255fid%253d10277321974
Meanwhile, to save on diapers in general, my best advice is to go with store-brand disposable diapers. Although Consumer Reports’ tests show that the name brands are the top-rated disposable diapers, because overall they tend to be more absorbent and fit better, you may find store brands more than adequate—and a cost cutter. You’ll save about 3 cents per diaper if, for example, you compare the cost of size 1 Parent’s Choice, Wal-Mart’s store-brand diapers, with Pampers, also size 1. Saving pennies per diaper may not seem like much, but with 10 changes per day (which is reasonable with an infant), you’d bank about $9 per month and $108 per year using the size 1 store brand diapers.
“Mommy, I have to go!”
Thursday, September 24th, 2009You can change a diaper anywhere, but when your little one no longer wears diapers and you’re out and about, finding the nearest restroom can suddenly become a potty emergency. Thank goodness for the plethora of Starbucks and Barnes and Noble retailers. (Before these folks arrived, there seemed to be no public restrooms in New York City, where I worked in a previous life.) Anyway, if you’re not near a Starbucks or B&N, it’s peace of mind to know that you can use your smart phone to log onto http://www.tena.us/en/General/Bathroom-Finder2/. There, you’ll find a U.S. bathroom locator sponsored by the incontinence drug manufacturer, Tena.
This I learned from a press event I attended yesterday on yes, incontinence. And though the bathroom finder may be geared for grown-ups who’ve gotta go, it’s great for parents of small children, too. Just plug in your city and state and the bathroom finder will give you the address of nearest the restroom.
If you’re so inclined, you can even map out the restrooms so you know where your child can go ahead of time. Yes, it’s just one more thing to think about and add to your travel to-do list. But it may save your sanity later.
