Your Baby s Development At Around 12 Months

Your Baby s Development At Around 12 Months: "As baby is becoming more mobile, her view of the world changes dramatically. Find out all about baby s development."

Campaign for Affordable Organic Living

January 11, 2008, Leeds, UK-In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of using organic cotton clothing for children Tina Rychlik, a stay-at-home mother and the creative force behind BabysBest.co.uk. is declaring war against leading manufacturers of clothing for infants and children through her Campaign For Affordable Organic Living.

As the world's population becomes more aware of the need to "think green", companies everywhere are beginning to offer more eco-friendly products for consumers to choose from. These products include everything from organic food to eco-friendly building materials; yet one industry has fallen fatally behind the times - that of the manufacturing of clothing for infants and children.

According to a 2007 study by the Institute of Science in Society, the cotton industry accounts for at least 16% of the world's chemical pesticide use. This chemically treated cotton is then sent to textile mills where more chemicals are used during the cloth making process, then it is dyed and washed with yet more chemicals. This cotton is then used in the process of making clothing for infants and children. In contrast, organic cotton contains none of these chemicals, as pesticides and chemical treatments are not used in any part of the growing or manufacturing process.

Until recently, the high price of organic clothing has kept it out of reach for all but the wealthiest of parents. As the mother of two, Tina Rychlik decided this needed to change; and so has begun offering an affordable line of organic cotton Baby Basics for infants and children through her BabysBest.co.uk online store, and is launching a full-scale awareness campaign entitled the Campaign for Affordable Organic Living.

"We all talk about creating a more eco-friendly environment," said Rychlik in a recent interview, "but it's difficult for the majority of parents to put this into practice as long as organic products remain such an expensive alternative." Rychlik hopes that her Campaign for Affordable Organic Living will attract other retailers of organic clothing, and inspire them to make their products more affordable so that consumers can have a wider selection of products to choose from for their children.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Campaign for Affordable Organic Living can visit Rychlik's website at www.babysbest.co.uk.

Ways to Wear Your Baby

Nowadays there is an endless list of different style baby slings available for parents to choose from.

This is a selection of widely available slings and carriers.

Front carriers are designed so your baby can either face inwards which is especially useful for a newborn or when your baby is sleeping or face outwards which is said to be helping with baby’s social development. They feature adjustable straps so the weight of the baby is distributed evenly across your shoulders and back. Some have an additional strap around your waist so it distributes the weight even more. They can accommodate an infant of up to 13.5kg which may already be too heavy for many parents to carry. When choosing a front carrier try to find one that is easy to put on and take off as a lot of straps can be disabling if the parent has to put it on all by himself. The carrier should be able to support your baby’s head and shoulders.

Soft carriers are equally versatile as baby can be worn at the front, back or the side on the hip. The shoulder and waist straps are tied around your upper body to allow individual comfort and they can be used for babies of up to 18 months.

Sling carriers come in different styles, both fabric and design.
The pouch sling is the easiest in design which means no extra bulk when not in use and quick and easy to put on and take off. By using the sling properly you distribute the weight over the full width of your shoulder and across your back. This kind of sling allows for discreet breastfeeding anywhere anytime and doubles as a soft changing mat, stroller cover or baby blanket. It is fuss free, allowing the wearer to carry the baby in various positions: babies can be worn to sleep in a cradle position, tummy-to-tummy, kangaroo carry or hip carry while you go on with your activities. The pouch sling comes in different sizes for the correct fit. (http://www.babysbest.co.uk/products/out-and-about)
The ring sling is very versatile and adjustable to any size baby or wearer. The sling is designed to cup the shoulder and spread naturally over the back, keeping baby secure and close to your center of gravity. It may take some time to get used to the handling and adjusting but it is a very good sling for those who feel comfortable wearing it.
Wraps are a wide swath of fabric that slings across your body. It is very versatile as infants can lie down in them and can face in- and outwards. An older baby can straddle around your hip or back while being supported by the sling. They also allow discreet and convenient breastfeeding.

A framed carrier, used for long walks and hikes (hiking carriers) has a backpack frame made of light metal with a fabric seat. Unlike front carriers and slings, which distribute baby’s weight across the shoulders and the back, a backpack carrier places the weight on your back and waist. This type of carrier is not recommended for babies under six months old as it requires them to sit upright and be able to hold themselves reasonably stable. It can be used for children up to 18kg. When choosing such a carrier, look for lightweight models that have a built-in stand. This will help make loading and mounting easier. A framed carrier should be moisture resistant and have a cleanable fabric, adjustability for both wearer and baby, safety straps, firm shoulder strap padding, a lumbar support to help distribute the weight down towards your hips, and some storage pockets for all your needs while hiking. If you like long-distance hikes you should look out for heavy-duty backpacks but a light-weight model is fine for shorter tours.

Please keep in mind: all slings and carriers must be comfortable, padded, straps should be adjustable and comfortable. The fabric must be breathable to prevent overheating and washable. Most importantly, your and your baby must like it!

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The Best Baby Care Products

Babies grow up too quickly! One minute they cuddle up with you and are as tiny as your hand, the next they crawl out of the room to find their favourite toy. Before they run away to experiment with their surroundings, your baby should receive the best care for the best start possible.

We know all the major companies whose baby products are widely available. Yet, there is not enough information about the ingredients they use. In fact, the ingredients are hidden behind complicated names and reveal a mystery. If we want to find out what we put on our precious little one’s skin we have to find a big book which explains it all to us. The bottom line: we don’t know what we treat our babies with and we have to trust the manufacturers and our government to being sold high quality and safe baby products.

We can only establish the safety and quality of a baby care product by using it, which is obviously too late! We should claim more transparency in the use of chemicals and other ingredients which could endanger our children in both the short-term and long-term! After all, research has shown that many of the non-organic baby care products on the market can create a sensitivity in your child that will develop into an allergy later on in life.

Unfortunately, this is not that easy – and we all know it just too well. So what can we do about it?
First of all, raise awareness of this problem by not buying chemical-based baby products anymore. Secondly, concentrate on what you know: Organic baby products always show their ingredients and are proud to do so! They are made from ingredients only found in nature, so you can rest assured that whatever kind of organic product you choose for your child it will not cause allergic reactions, or cause them to develop allergies later on.

It is not just organic products for your child's skin care that you need to be concerned about. You should also be purchasing organic formula, nappies, and organic clothing for your child in order to ensure their health and safety at all times as they get older.

Finding organic baby care products is a relatively simple task, as more and more parents are realising the importance of staying away from the chemically altered products that are now so widely available. You can find most of the organic products you'll need, simply by visiting our online store at www.babysbest.co.uk

What to look out for when buying baby a present

It is this special time of year when we are all looking for the “perfect” present for the baby.

Nowadays, there are thousands of gifts available to buy for our precious little ones. It is like searching for a needle in a haystack, so how can we possibly make it easier for ourselves?

Safety First

The first thing to consider is of course health and safety. The manufacturers and the retailers have to comply with strict regulations, which should ensure the safety of a toy. Yet, there may be parents who are conscious about their offspring’s health especially when baby takes everything into his mouth. What was the toy treated with? Are there any residues? Again, toy manufacturers have to comply with the EU regulations, the manufacturers say that all toys are safe to play with.

Go Organic

If you are worried about the safety of the toys your children play with, you should consider only buying wooden toys. The manufacturing process is more natural and the substances used are less toxic. In addition, wooden toys tend to last longer than their plastic counterparts!

Did you know that toys are not the only way a parent can go organic? We know that the clothes we buy in shops in the UK are safe to buy but what do we know about their production and the chemicals used?

Babies suck their clothes, bedding, toys etc, about 60% of what is put on their skin will be absorbed. Therefore, if textiles contain chemicals, through their skin, sucking, higher breathing rate and high metabolism babies may well they take in many chemicals to their small bodies.

Organic is not an eco-modern term anymore, it is exactly what we are and what we want our kids to be. So what shall we look out for when buying a baby present? First of all, what is best for the baby; and secondly, what we like. It does not matter if it is cute or educational; the best present is the one that makes everybody happy.

Parental Incompetence

Bringing up children does not come with a guidebook and there seems to be obvious parenting confusion within our modern society. More parents than ever admit to have parenting problems at some point. This is reflected in the boom of the baby & child market, with increasing numbers of products launched claiming to help with day-to-day parenting tasks.

Is it that parents are being made incompetent? The baby product market expects us to be incompetent for the sake of inventing and selling us unnecessary gadgets. For every situation imaginable we are able to find something that will help us overcome it.

A good example of this is the new “time-out” pad. Equipped with a timer, the parent simply sits their misbehaving child on the pad, sets the timer and leaves the child to ‘contemplate’. It takes the concept of the “naughty step” to a new level; parents should be the ones setting clear boundaries and disciplining children in order to teach respect and understanding. If parents rely on technology to do this, how will children learn these key skills without clear explanation and patience?

The time-out pad, harnesses, computer games and many more products help keep our children safe and keep our parenting skills in line with what is the accepted social norm. We should come to understand that all these gadgets in fact help distract the parent from the actual situation where true parenting skills are most needed. The manufacturers claim to have invented another helper to make a parent’s life easier but in reality these things remove the natural parenting skills we are so desperately looking for.

Please visit www.babysbest.co.uk to read the complete article!