Come see me at the Bellies to Babies Celebration, May 3

What are you doing this Sunday, May 3? Going to the Bellies to Babies Celebration, I hope!

urbanbaby & toddler magazine is sponsoring this fabulous show, which features products and services for expectant and new parents, prizes, community resources and more.

Event: Bellies to Babies Celebration
Date & time: Sunday, May 3, 11 am - 4 pm
Location: 3250 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
Admission: By donation to Basics for Babies

Stop by urbanbaby & toddler's booth (#46), enter a contest for a chance to win a Baby Book Pack, and meet me! Hope to see you there.

Five products new parents should not buy for baby

According to the April 22, 2009 post on Consumer Reports Safety Blog, there are five things a new parent should not buy for baby. Here's the article below. What do you think?

Five products not to buy for your baby
(as published on Consumer Reports Safety Blog)

New parents are quick to jump on any product they think will make life more comfortable for their baby—and easier for themselves. But some items present safety risks we don't believe are worth taking. Here are five that we think you should skip:

Bedside and other co-sleeping devices
Although sleeping with a baby in an adult bed is a common practice among some cultures, it can be dangerous. The new bassinet-like devices designed to go in between parents or alongside an adult bed don’t necessarily make co-sleeping with a baby safer. One popular Simplicity bedside sleeper/bassinet was recalled after two babies died from strangling or suffocating when they slipped through an opening in the frame.

Currently, safety standards don’t exist for either co-sleepers or bedside sleepers. Until they do, we think the safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib.

Baby bath seats
Each year, an average of 10 babies drown while using baby bath seats. Nearly all of those deaths occurred when a parent or caregiver left the baby unattended momentarily. The problem is that these seats, intended to make it easier to hold the baby in the bathtub, can give parents a false sense of security. It’s better to use an infant bathtub for bathing and never, even for a second, leave the baby beyond arm’s reach.

Sleep positioners
These devices are intended to keep infants on their back in a secure sleeping position. But the youngest infants, for whom these are designed, are not able to roll over from their backs on their own, which makes this product unnecessary. The soft foam in the sleep positioners can pose a suffocation hazard and our medical experts don’t recommend them.

Crib bumper pads
Designed to prevent bumps and bruises, crib bumpers can create their own hazards. One study found 27 cases of infant death involving bumper pads or similarly padded bassinets. Most of the deaths occurred when the infant became wedged between the bumper and another object or when the infant’s face was against the bumper.

And since bumper pads cannot be safety secured to cribs with solid end panels and should not be used with toddlers who can stand, we think it’s best to avoid them altogether.

Sling carriers
Over the past five years, at least four babies died and there have been many reports of serious injury associated with the use of sling-type carriers. The incidents include skull fractures, head injuries, contusions and abrasions. Most occurred when the child fell out of the sling. As slings grow in popularity, so do the number of serious injuries. No safety standards exist for slings. We think you should skip the sling and opt for other types of infant carriers, which have safer track records.

How to get peace on an airplane with kids

Just got back from a vacation in Hawaii with my husband and two kids. It was a blast. And it was almost completely relaxing! I credit this to my children's advancing age: Benjamin is 6 and Lauren is 4. No diapers, no bottles, no naps (this could be a bad thing), less whining, less carrying them around. I'll share more details and pics about our vacation later, but for now, I wanted to leave you with this, the most peaceful and enjoyable part of my vacation: the plane ride home.

United Airlines had booked us into seats individually at first. After much back-and-forthing, the flight attendants on flight finally got 3 seats together and 1 seat by itself. Are you getting my drift? One parent and two kids together, and one happy, unruffled parent in the lone seat somewhere else. I am that happy, unruffled parent.

The flight attendant seated my husband with the kids first and then turned to me and asked, "Oh, did you want to trade seats with your husband so you can be with the kids?" My blurted reply, which came out perhaps a little too quick and eager: "No!"

I feel a little guilty. Not guilty because I feel I should have sat with my kids and been the "good mom." But a little guilty because I don't feel guilty about leaving my husband to handle them alone. Hee hee.

C'mon, given the same opportunity, wouldn't you snatch those 5-1/2 uninterrupted hours for yourself? An early Mother's Day present for me!

My favourite children's TV show teaches Mandarin

I have been watching Ni Hao, Kai Lan (on Nickelodeon) with my kids lately, and I have become a big fan! Kai Lan is a little girl who leads viewers in adventures that teach them Mandarin words along the way. She is adorable (a Chinese Dora), and both my kids are learning lots of words. It's great. My only beef is that Kai Lan calls the language she's teaching, "Chinese" instead of "Mandarin," which is only one of the many dialects of Chinese. But other than that, the show is very educational and fun enough to keep my 6- and 4-year olds' attention.

What's your favourite children's TV show?

When Mommy's feeling down

Kids are like dogs sometimes. They can just sense when you're not feeling happy. Today, I was feeling a little blue, and my 4-year-old daughter noticed it almost right away and worked her magic to cheer me up:

"Mommy, you're the best mommy in the whole world."
"You look beautiful, Mommy."
"Thank you for making dinner, Mommy. It is so delicious!"
"Mwoah! Mwoah!" (This is the sound of the two smacks she gave me while squishing my cheeks in between her two little hands.)
"I love you one-hundred-million, and I love Daddy two-hundred." (Oops, Daddy overheard this one...it didn't thrill him, but he appreciated what she was trying to do.)

Win a Belly Bandit - lose your postbaby pouch

Postpartum belly. The postbaby pouch. Now that's one thing no woman would mind losing.

Thanks to the Belly Bandit, according to manufacturers, you can lose your postpartum belly and return to your pre-pregnancy shape just by wearing this invention (which is derived from the centuries-old practice of tummy binding). The Belly Bandit is a pregnancy abdominal compression belt that is designed to help you get back into pre-pregnancy form. Manufacturers say it can flatten the belly after baby and help redefine the waistline, restore healthy posture and reduce uterine swelling that is common post-pregnancy.

Want to try one out? Find it at Nima'ma Maternity at 2938 W 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC. You can also find out more about the product at the store's blog.

WIN ONE, courtesy of Nima'ma Maternity! Enter to win a Bamboo Belly Bandit (in natural or black) on urbanbaby & toddler's blog by commenting on this post. Important: Remember to include your email address so that I can contact you if you win. Open only to BC residents. Winner will be chosen randomly. Deadline to enter: April 20, 2009, midnight.

If I could use it, I would. But I am four years postpartum (manufacturers say the Belly Bandit is ideal to use soon after birth of baby) and I think my belly isn't something any bandit would want to steal away. Sigh.

Winner of toddler educational kit chosen

Congratulations to Tara W., winner of the Teach My Toddler kit. For those of you who weren't lucky enough to win, Teach My Toddler is available at retail outlets across BC and online at www.teach-my.com.