Check out how to become a budget traveler. Here’s my post on Consumer Reports’ Shop Smart magazine. I blog there every Monday:
http://www.shopsmartmag.org/2011/05/budget-saving-tips-from-a-world-traveler.html.
Posts Tagged ‘baby’
Traveling with your baby?
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
Travel lighter with your baby and Diaper Buds
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010If you don’t know about Diaper Buds, check out my ShopSmart Magazine blog post on this nifty new product: http://www.shopsmartmag.org/kids/index.html. Diaper Buds are vacuum-sealed regular diapers that are reduced in size by 70 percent, but spring back to life (and full size) when you open the packaging. I think they’re a great idea, especially when you’re traveling and trying to pack in as much gear as you can into one carry on and a diaper bag. Incidentally, many airlines allow to you carry on a diaper bag at no charge; that may be true for the carry on as well, depending on the airline. Check the airline’s Website for details before flying.
Happy travels!
How safe are the toys you’re buying your baby?
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010Safer than ever! Toy recalls still happen, but they’re much less frequent than they were just a few years ago. Check out what I have to say about toy safety testing on Consumer Reports’ Shop Smart blog: http://www.shopsmartmag.org/2010/11/toy-safety-the-testing-behind-the-testing.html. 
Everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
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.
Baby Registry Rules
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010Check out my new baby shopping tips in the Atlanta Journal Constitution: http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-shopping-deals/2010/05/10/shopping-for-new-baby/?cxntlid=sldr_hm. The piece covers how to get the most mileage out of your baby registry. In general, be sure to have more than one registry since gift givers tend to like options, and keep in mind that you can register for cash too, which comes in handy down the line, at sites such as www.depositagift.com and www.myregistry.com.
Happy new baby!
Consumer Reports Best Baby Products on YouTube
Sunday, April 25th, 2010
“Check out” this link to a YouTube video a nice librarian I’ve never met did about my Consumer Reports Best Baby Products book, 9th edition. Librarians do YouTube videos? Apparently, they do now!
http://www.miladir.com/product-consumer-reports/best-reference-baby-products
Glider Guidelines
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010Amy F. from Freeport, Maine asks: “What should I look for in a glider?”
Great question! Babies and gliders go together like macaroni and cheese because little ones love the soothing motion. A glider is a definite upgrade from old-fashioned rocking chairs, which are still around, though increasingly hard to find. When you’re shopping for a glider, look for one with a generously wide seat and arms that won’t hem you in. Both these features are especially important if you plan to use a nursing pillow. And with a baby on board, you’ll need the room. Practice gliding in the store with a display-model nursing pillow or your baby to make sure you’re both a good fit in the chair. Well-padded arm rests on a glider may be all you need to support and comfortably feed your baby, negating the need for a nursing pillow. Choose a glider that locks in place or that has a base that’s constructed to hide the gliding mechanism if you have a toddler or if you have only a newborn now but plan to have more than one child. You don’t want to be gliding when you’re feeding your newborn if there’s a curious toddler underfoot; little fingers can get caught in the gliding mechanism. You’ll also want to lock it to keep your toddler safe when you’re not around.
Also, look for a glider with dark cushions, which won’t show the dirt. When I was glider shopping, the one I bought only came with cream-colored cushions–and they got dingy fast. And that was just from normal use, without any accidents, spit-ups, or anything.
Gliders in disguise: Some are fully upholstered to hide their gliding mechanisms.
What color should you paint the nursery?
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010When my 8-year-old daughter told me that her gymnastics teacher, who is pregnant with her first child and due in the summer, was thinking of painting the baby’s nursery cherry red, my first thought was hm…cherry red isn’t a very restful color. In fact, it’s stimulating. And since babies need a lot of sleep, something pastel might be better.
Still, babies can snooze through anything. That’s because infants spend 50 percent of their sleep time in slow-wave sleep, which is the deepest stage of sleep, says Judith Owens, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. (That gradually diminishes, dropping to just 15 percent of the night by young adulthood.)
So a cherry red room isn’t apt to keep most babies awake. And painting your baby’s room red, or some other non-traditional baby color such as lime or Kelly green, navy, yellow, or lavender might even stretch your decorating dollar. Your baby is less apt to outgrow those colors as quickly as say, babyish pastel pink or blue. All you’ll need to do is change the accessories, such as the artwork, as your little one becomes a toddler, then a big boy or girl, rather than re-do the entire room.
So 
I’ve changed my mind about nursery colors, especially in this econony. I still like more muted colors in general, but I say go ahead and paint the nursery cherry red, if you want to, and save yourself the time and expense of a room do-over later.
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.
