Stunning New Aden + Anais Bamboo Swaddling Blankets

What could possibly make Aden + Anais swaddling blankets any better? These gorgeous prints! When my girls were infants, I always had an Aden + Anais blanket in my bag and if they were still infants, I would be all over these new prints! Aden + Anais’ new bamboo blankets are softer than ever and the breathable fabric allows baby’s body temperature to regulate naturally, so you don’t have to worry about over heating. (And, I know, you don’t need another thing to worry about!) The size is perfect for swaddling (47 x 47) and can also be used as a nursing cover, for diaper changes, covering your stroller for nap time, you name it. Three blankets come per package. Find the new style here and see all Aden + Anais products here.

A Whale of a Lovie and Other Favorites

The long awaited arrival of new Moncalin Lovies (and pillows) are here and we couldn’t be more excited! In addition to the ever-popular, we have 2 new lovie styles and a great pillow.

Flat-Cat LovieThe Flat-Cat Lovie is perfect size for little hands, and like all Moncalin creations are made from hard-to-keep-your-hands-off-of buttery soft fabric. They are marvelously squishy as well as visual and tactile. Easy to hold and grab ears, arms and tied knots make these an all day hug companion and sleepy time friend. All colors are great, but I’m partial to the Lavender with Melon Stripes for my little girl.

The Whale Lovie is another perfect size for tiny fingers. The body is lightly stuffed, but the tail is without stuffing to make it even easier to grab!

After trying these out, we now know why it’s called the Tickle Lovie, and you will too once you feel it and can’t resist ticking your little one with one of the little knot corners.

No matter what style nursery decor you have, these adorable Elephant Pillows will fit in nicely. The perfect size for little people to hug, roll around on and over and play with, these will never be left to just sit alone on the chair!

The Fascinating Sippy Cup

We just received in The Safe Sippy BPA-free, phthalates-free and DEHA-free cup, and I got one for my 16 month old daughter in preparation of switching over all of her sippy cups in light of the increasing evidence of dangers to children exposed to BPA.

I know you would expect me to of course talk about how great these cups are, and I do think they are great based on the specs and feedback from other moms, but I was really surprised at the reaction my daughter had over this cup - she was, and still is, really fascinated! I don’t know if it is the straw-shaped spout, or bright colors, but she now points to it whenever she sees it over her other cups.

Any mom knows that finding the right sippy can often be a challenge, and once you find one it is often even harder to transition them to something else. For me, the bpa-controversy has given me motivation to take on the task. Luckily, for this change I have it easy. I’m sure the novelty will wear off for her, but I am so glad I will be able to transition her from her others without challenge! Now on to trying to figure out how to get her to let me cut her nails…

BPA and the FDA: Fact or Fiction?

The FDA has announced BPA is safe for human consumption. The Washington Post article that ran this past Sunday called Studies on Chemical In Plastics Questioned: Congress Examines Role Of Industry in Regulation states that “Despite more than 100 published studies by government scientists and university laboratories that have raised health concerns about a chemical compound that is central to the multibillion-dollar plastics industry, the Food and Drug Administration has deemed it safe largely because of two studies, both funded by an industry trade group.” It goes on to point out that the FDA relied soley on research backed by the American Plastics Council.

Needless to say, everyone at WhatEveryBabyNeeds.com finds this truly disturbing.

The National Toxicology Program, an arm of National Institutes of Health, has produced studies that differ in their results from those that the FDA has chosen to accept. On the surface, it seems that the FDA has chosen to ignore reports from within its own system. A public meeting has been scheduled for September 16 to discuss issues arising from the preliminary report issued by the NIH, which expresses concern over the dangers of BPA, especially in relation to infants and children. One thing to keep in mind: no one is saying that BPA is safe. Everyone acknowledges that it is a dangerous toxicant. The only argument is over the level required to inflict significant damage on us (particularly infants and children).

We continue to strongly support the use of BPA-free bottles and sippy cups for children, and strongly encourage everyone to read the Washington Post article. We will be following this, and the California legislature’s consideration of a ban on the toxic chemical BPA in some children’s products.

Donate Used Bottles and Help a Family in Need

You already know how big of a fan we are of Green to Grow bottles, but I just learned about their Bottles to Babies charity from Petite Planet and am so excited to share it with everyone. Their charity collects gently used bottles as donations for babies in need–a great way to help out those in need once your little ones have weaned off their bottles.
Bottles to Babies has two primary goals: to connect families who no longer need their baby bottles with local, non-profit organizations that accept donations for mothers who need bottles to feed their babies, but can’t afford them; and to provide an infrastructure for Green to Grow to realize their mission of giving back.

It’s a wonderful way of helping families who need a little extra support, doing your part to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, and experiencing the true joy of compassionate service. We will be donating all the bottles we switched out when we started using the Green to Grow bottles, and will donate the Green to Grow when Hannah is finished with them as well.

Check out more information on this charity and see where you can donate here.

As they recommend, once you’ve connected with an organization that helps families and children, consider donating other new or gently used items too: clothing, bedding, furniture, toys, food, etc. (Let your children join you when making your donation, so they can learn the value you place on generosity and conservation.).

Too Much Milk for Toddler?

At my daughter’s 1 year checkup with the doctor I found I hadn’t tapered down her formula (now to be whole milk) consumption much since she was smaller to the recommended 18 or so ounces. Reinforcing, and going a step beyond that, I read an interesting article today about a new German study that showed how too much milk for 1-2 year olds can lead to overweight children.

Scientists found that toddlers eating lots of mostly-dairy animal proteins at 12 months are more likely to have higher BMIs and more body fat at 7 years. They think it can cause an over release of hormones and create extra fat cells. The recommendation? Two daily 1-cup servings of whole milk or yogurt between ages 1 and 2. My daughter loooves her dairy in almost any form and between the yogurt, milk and cheese, is going about 1.5 cups beyond this. Hmmm, looks like we should taper the milk some more!

List of BPA Safe Sippy Cups

In a follow-up to my post on the BPA bottle issue, we found this great list that was compiled by SafeMama that lists the BPA-safe sippy cups. That said, this may not be a comprehensive list, but it covers the most popular brands.

BPA Free Sippy Cups

BPA / Baby Bottle Controversy Escalates

We’ve been aware of the BPA issue in baby bottles for several months now, but with the recent spate of news stories regarding the potential for ‘bisphenol A’ (BPA) in baby bottles to cause harm to infants, I became increasingly concerned about our baby daughter and did some research on the web. The news stories relate to studies that have indicated an increased risk of adverse reproductive and liver health effects from exposure to BPA.

Just yesterday, the government of Canada announced they are initiating a 60 day public comment period on banning all baby bottles containing BPA. Click here to read. Their proposed action is based on a risk assessment performed by the government. They also have a useful fact sheet, that indicates the main risk of BPA leaching from baby bottles is with having very hot liquids contact the baby bottles.

Just over a year ago the European Union’s Food Safety Authority disputed some of the findings of the research that has shown high risks related to BPA – but they certainly admit that infants who are using polycarbonate bottles can have a much higher exposure rate to BPA than do adults, and that such infants can be exposed at 26% of the new (in 2006) ‘Tolerable Daily Intake’ level. Interestingly, this exposure rate exceeds the old (from 2002) ‘Tolerable Daily Intake’ by 30%! Check it out here.

Although we previously used bottles that do have BPA, we have been using the using the ‘Green to Grow’ (BPA-free) bottles since she’s been 8 months old, so hopefully our daughter will have a low enough exposure to BPA to avoid any issues. Scary stuff.