When your little one has mastered baby food, you can start with small pieces of finger foods. Basically, any foods that are cut up small enough to be picked up and eaten by baby are classified as finger foods. This is an important step toward independent eating and also allows baby new tastes and textures. Around 7 to 9 months is when most babies are ready to make this step, and they generally show their desire to eat on their own by grabbing the spoon you’re feeding them from.

So what are some of the best finger foods you can give your little one?

- Bananas are soft and easy to eat, plus packed with plenty of vitamins.

- Avocados are filled with good fat and super soft for little fingers.

- Sweet potatoes can be cut up in small chunks or sliced into fries. They’re sweet and power packed with nutrients.

- Cooked peas are easy to eat and even more fun to play with!

- Shredded, cooked chicken is a lean protein.

- Cheerios contain whole grains and serve as the perfect snack for little fingers. Instead of adding sugar, try the flavored varieties as a treat.

- Cooked lentils are soft and easy to pick up. They contain lots of protein and get baby used to eating beans.

- Garbanzo beans are also easy for baby to grasp and have a sweet taste that kids love! Serve them cold or hot.

- Whole wheat macaroni is filled with whole grains and tastes delicious with a bit of sauce or butter.

- Cubes of tofu are fun and easy to eat, plus absorb flavor. They can also be added to dishes such as macaroni and cheese.

- Pieces of low-mercury fish such as salmon or tilapia are tender and tasty. Cook these filets of fish in a small amount of butter or oil and season lightly for a delicious alternative to meat.

- Small chunks of cheese are tasty for baby and offer good fat and plenty of calcium.

Image c/o: thebabycorner.com

Remember the big, bulky high chairs that would take up too much space in the corner of a kitchen? Not anymore, as today’s high chairs are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Their space-saving properties allow them to take up little space, and some of the newest versions will even blend in well with stainless steel appliances!

Here’s what to look for in your new high chair that will maximize space and function, while giving your little one a cozy place to eat.

Removable Trays – The high chair should have a large removable tray that can be tossed in the dishwasher. This makes it easy to keep clean, and the size offers plenty of room for food and a few toys.

Reclining Positions – High chairs don’t have to be for eating anymore. Look for those that have added features, such as relaxing tunes and different chair settings that allow baby to relax. Some high chairs can even convert to a swing so baby can have his cake and eat it, too – in the terms of a snack and quick snooze that is!

Conversion Chairs – Spending the dough on a chair that your child will only use for a short time can be hard. So why not invest in something that will last a little longer? Conversion high chairs can convert from a standard high chair, to an infant booster, toddler booster and then a young child’s chair.

Swinging Trays – If you’re tired of the gliding trays that seem to get stuck all the time, opt for the contemporary swinging style. These trays lift up and swing open, so it doesn’t matter where you place them. In an effort to streamline the design, these chairs often come with an easy carry handle for portable use.

Easy Cleaning Properties – No one likes a dirty high chair – not even your messy baby. So look for streamlined designs that won’t allow food to get stuck in every groove. Also look for waterproof and tear-resistant materials if the high chair isn’t made from plastic.

Five-Point Harness – Five-point harnesses are commonplace in infant products, but not so much in toddler ones. Yet at the rate that kids grow into toddler products and the squirmy nature of their bodies, a five-point harness is never a bad idea. Look for high chairs that offer these harnesses in the toddler position as well.

Comfort – And finally, you want your little one to enjoy sitting and eating, so choose a seat that’s comfy for him or her. With reclining positions and a cushiony seat, you can find the optimal position for your little one at his or her stage of eating.

Image: highchairsforbabiesguide.com

When it comes to cleaning baby bottles, a simple washing with hot water and dish soap is just not enough. Plastic bottles are a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria so it is important to sterilize the bottles properly. It is especially important to sterilize the bottles right after purchasing them and before use.

How to Sterilize baby bottles

1. Gather the bottles, caps, nipples, and pacifiers together to prepare for sterilizing.

2. Wash the items with hot water and soap.

3. Fill a pot with water and place on the stove. Turn the heat on high until boiling point.

4. Carefully place all bottle parts into the boiling water. Do not submerge more than the pot can handle. The water may bubble over.

5. Keep the bottle and items in boiling water for five minutes.

6. Take the bottle and its parts out of the pot of water with tongs or anything that may help you to avoid burning yourself.

7. Set items on a dish rack to air dry or dry them with a paper towel.

For more information on sterilizing baby bottles, check out baby basics on babyzone.com.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

If you are a new mom deciding to bottle feed your preemie or newborn, you may be wondering what type of bottle would be good for your sweet new addition. Let’s take a look at the few brands of bottles out there that are ideal for preemies and newborns:

Types of bottles

• Playtex Drop-In bottles – You can push out all the air and the bags are collapsible. They are BPA free.
• Gerber NuK Orthodontic with air vents – these bottles are designed for healthy gums. The air vent reduces gassiness.
• Dr. Brown bottles help with acid reflux.
• Avent bottles cut down on painful gas and the nipples range from slow, medium, to fast flow.
• Green to Grow bottles are BPA free.
• Dr. Weil bottles are made out of glass and are perfect for stages 1-4.

If you are unsure what BPA is, it is an industrial chemical used to make plastic resins. The BPA-free bottles mentioned above go the extra mile for the health of your baby.

What type of bottle did you use for your preemie or newborn? Was it a type of bottle not mentioned on the list above? We would love to hear from you.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

A real health risk for new mothers

During your pregnancy, your doctor probably warned you about additional precautions you should take against certain illnesses that pregnant women are more susceptible to getting than other adults are.

For example, pregnant women are encouraged to get a flu shot because of the severe complications that can arise when a pregnant woman and her developing child get the flu.

While breastfeeding, you should also be careful of certain threats to your health, as you are more prone to certain things than you were before. Staph infections are one of these things, as women who are breastfeeding are more likely to get this type of infection than most other healthy adults.

What is staph?

Staph infections are a type of bacterial infection that results from a fairly common type of bacteria, staphylococcus aureas. Staph infections can have very mild side effects but they can also develop into severe medical complications.

Preventing staph infections while breastfeeding

As staph bacteria can be found on the skin of about one in four healthy adults, the best way to prevent staph infections is to keep those bacteria from getting into open wounds and killing it whenever possible. Good hygiene is the best defense against bacteria infections of this nature.

Steps you should take to minimize the likelihood of a staph infection while breastfeeding include:

• Frequent hand washing with an anti-bacterial soap
• Sterilize all breast pumping equipment regularly
• Clean and bandage any wounds properly to prevent contamination
• Change bras regularly, especially if your nipples are sore and chaffed

Diet “don’ts” for breastfeeding moms

In a previous post, we discussed good things to make sure that you incorporate in your diet while breastfeeding, including fruits, whole grains, sources of calcium, and lots of water.

However, there are also certain things that you should make sure to keep OUT of your diet while breastfeeding, as they can be dangerous to you and possibly to your infant.

Some of the things to stay away from while you are breastfeeding include:

-         Alcohol. This toxin is dangerous to development while your baby is in the womb and now that he or she is born as well.

-         Mercury. High levels of mercury are found in some types of fish including swordfish and halibut, so be careful with seafood.

-         Caffeine. This stimulant can be found in soft drinks, coffee, and tea, among other products, so read labels carefully before drinking or eating anything you think might contain caffeine.

-         Artificial sweeteners. These chemicals can be found in diet drinks and low-calorie foods and may be harmful to your baby.

-         Nutritional supplements. While it is important to get vitamins and minerals while breastfeeding, it is best to get them from fruits and vegetables than to take a multivitamin or other supplement. These supplements are not monitored by the FDA, so it is difficult to be certain that what you are putting into your body is safe for you and for your baby.

Have a question?  Ask your doctor.

If you have any questions about what to eat while breastfeeding, be sure to ask your doctor about specific issues. Being healthy will help you be the best mom you can be, so take care of yourself during this bonding time with your infant.

It can be hard for all parents, both new and experienced, to ascertain the cause of their baby’s tears sometimes. This is challenging because without knowing why your infant is crying, it is hard to calm them.

Here is the first half of a list of ten common reasons why a baby might cry to help you soothe your little one.

Top 5 Reasons Babies Cry:

1. Hunger. Babies need to eat often to get the nutrients they need during this important period of development, so your little one might be hungry more often than you think.
2. Tiredness. An infant also needs a lot of sleep, but sometimes they can be too stimulated to sleep. Putting them in a quieter, calmer, or darker environment might help them get the rest they need.
3. Hold me. Your baby loves to be snuggled and held, so he or she might be crying to tell you that they want to be picked back up.
4. Pain. Without words, your baby has trouble telling you that something hurts. It might be a tag in their new outfit or a hair wrapped around their toe – look for something that could be causing them irritation.
5. Colic. Not sure if those tears mean that your baby has colic? Keep track of how often he or she cries. If the tears last for more than three hours a day, more than three days each week, and more than three weeks in a row, your little one might have colic. Speak to your medical professional for more guidance about this condition.

If your baby has colic, you are probably searching everywhere you can think of for suggestions and ideas about how to relieve his or her colic. While all parents of newborns struggle to adapt to sleepless nights and waking each time they hear the cries of their little ones, parents of colicky babies have a particularly difficult challenge before them as they learn to live with a screaming, crying child that they cannot soothe.

No definite right or wrong way

It is difficult to say that one specific technique or practice will be the right or best way of relieving colic in your infant because the causes of this difficult condition are so hazy and unknown. However, there are several ways that are often found helpful by parents when attempting to calm the cries of their colicky child, including the following tips.

Parent tested tips for relieving infant colic:

-        Swaddling. Wrapping the baby snugly in a soothing swaddling blanket such as the one offered by Luna Lullaby can be an enjoyable way to sleep more soundly for your little one.

-        Changing the baby’s feeding schedule. Instead of a few larger meals, consider trying more frequent, smaller meals to see if this aids in digestion.

-        Changing your own diet. If you are breastfeeding, some of the foods you consume may be irritating to your infant when he or she receives your breast milk. Re-evaluate your own diet and see if that makes a difference.

-        Adjust the position of the baby while feeding. If they are positioned correctly, feeding and digestion will be easier for the infant, making irritation less of an issue.