feeding

Product Discovery: bambu kids

When new parents think about feeding their babies and toddlers, most of the time they think about what they are going to feed their little ones. However, parents often forget that what they put baby’s food in, and how they feed them is just as important! bambu kids features bowls, utensils, and even straws, which are all made from organic bamboo. As a wonderful and safe alternative to plastic, these products are all BPA free and finished with organic flax seed oil. Bambu Kids’ bowls, spoons, and bibs would make a perfect addition to any baby shower gift, especially for a mom who loves to cook!

The baby feeding spoons are designed as baby’s first foray into utensils; with a handle long enough for mom or dad, but a spoon-part small enough for baby’s mouth, these spoons are designed for ages 6 months and up. The spoons are made from a single piece of USDA certified organic bamboo and finished with a food safe oil derived from the flax seed. They are a safe and healthy alternative to plastic, free of phthalates and BPA.

As baby eats more and more solids, they’ll need a bowl to hold their food! This Bambu Kids’ bowl is made from USDA certified organic bamboo and finished with a food safe oil derived from the flax seed. Its rounded edges are easy for little hands to grasp and it is shaped to help avoid spills. As a healthy alternative to plastic bowls, your baby can knock this bowl on the ground and you won’t have to worry about shattering or breaking!

When it comes to keeping your baby clean during feedings, the Hemp Denim Baby Bib is a wonderful and safe alternative to vinyl or plastic bibs. This reversible bib is machine washable and accented with cotton piping to make it comfortable for baby. Made from a blend of hemp and certified organic cotton, this bib will surely last from babyhood to toddlerhood and even beyond.

Nikki Dinki: A Foodie Mom’s Registry

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Nikki Dinki is the TV host of Junk Food Flip on the Cooking Channel, a cookbook author, radio host, and voiceover artist. This New York based chef rose to fame by hosting a cooking show on YouTube, the nation got to know her on Food Network Star, and now she’s expecting a baby girl in April! Just in time for National Nutrition Month, the author of the new cookbook “Meat on The Side” shares some of her feeding Gugu Guru registry picks with us, and what she’s selected to feed her soon-to-arrive little foodie!

Inglesina Fast Chair: A Gugu Guru favorite, this lightweight baby-chair is a perfect companion for any parent! With its fold-flat closing system for no-hassle use and easy transportation, you can easily tote this chair around from restaurant to restaurant, or even on a vacation. At only 4.2 pounds, this chair can be thrown in the bottom of a stroller, or even in the diaper bag. The Fast Chair is easily washable, yet very sturdy, and able to be attached to a variety of table-top widths. Its compactness is perfect for Nikki who lives in a city apartment and is also a frequent traveler.

Beaba Babycook: Looking to make your own baby food but feel overwhelmed? Let the Beaba Babycook help! This small (key word being: small) countertop appliance is unique in that it steams, blends, warms, and defrosts meals for your little one. Want to make your baby a fast meal? The Beaba steams fruits and veggies in 15 minutes, blends them into a puree, all the while preserving all of the nutrients and vitamins! When it comes time to clean up, just throw the bowl and basket in the dishwasher so it’s ready to go again soon!

Kiinde Foodii Starter Kit: As your baby learns to eat more solid foods, they will enjoy slurping down pouches of delicious pureed fruits and veggies. The Kiinde Foodii Starter Kit makes it incredibly easy to fill pouches with your homemade baby food and purees. These BPA, PVC, latex, and pthalate-free pouches are a perfect way to feed baby on the go, send to daycare with baby, or simply keep in the fridge for meal time. If baby isn’t old enough to feed him or herself from a pouch yet, you can twist a soft silicone squeeze spoon onto the pouch and squeeze the puree from the pouch directly into the spoon – mess free!

Babyganics Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer, Toy & High Chair Wipes and Hand & Face Wipes: When it comes to clean up time, you want something strong enough to clean up food from the high chair, but sensitive enough to be around your baby! Babyganics Toy & High Chair Wipes are the perfect answer – made from non-allergenic plant based ingredients, these wipes are free from ammonia, bleach, phosphates, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, fragrances or dyes. Safe to use on toys, high chairs, and table tops, and even safer to be around your little one! And, of course, Babyganics shines again with their Hand Sanitizer (great for moms and safe for baby), which is alcohol-free and kills 99.9% of germs. As well as with their Hand & Face Wipes, which quickly get baby clean after a messy feeding. Pediatrician and Dermatologist tested, these soft wipes are hypoallergenic and get the job done!

bambu Kids Bowl, Spoons and Hemp Bib: When it comes to feeding your baby, you also want to make sure whatever you’re using to feed baby is healthy, since it is going into his or her mouth! We love the bambu Kid and Baby Utensils – made from certified organic bamboo, they are phthalate-free and BPA-free. The line certainly fits with Nikki’s request to have natural products that aren’t “too colorful”. We all loved the organic hemp denim bib with adorable honey bee detail (bambu’s bee-themed products support the Honey Bee Research Lab at Oregon State University!) With a variety of choices, from spoons, bowls, and teethers and more, the bambu line is going surely going to be a hit with your baby and safely grow with them to toddlerhood.

Jenna Helwig’s Real Baby Food Cookbook: When it comes to figuring out what to feed a baby, sometimes you need to turn to a book, which is why we are big fans of Jenna Helwig’s Real Baby Food Cookbook. Helwig, the food editor at Parents magazine, makes the art of creating baby food so simple, even for busy moms and dads. She guides you through the early days of simple foods, to adding spices, meats, flavors, and even multi-flavor blends like Salmon, Kale, and Sweet Potato Smash. With over 100 meals in the book, your little one is sure to have a head-start on their culinary palate!

Organic foodie graphic one-piece from Baby Gap: Nikki’s sister got her this organic footed onesie from Baby Gap and we are now obsessed. 100% certified organic cotton with a beautiful screen printed illustration.

Toddler Product Discovery: MyDrinky

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When my oldest, Rory, was about a year old I signed up for Citrus Lane boxes – which is a subscription product discovery service. In one of my monthly boxes, I got a juice box holder and I thought it was genius. Plus all the moms at the playdates were ooh’ing and ahh’ing in envy when I busted it out at drink time and it’s always fun to be the mom that introduces something new to other moms in your ‘hood – especially something that is a lifesaver. You see, every single time you hand a toddler a juice box, the toddler will take it and squeeze it. That’s a given. The juice will then shoot out the straw all over his/her clothes and will require at least a shirt change if not a whole outfit. So the juice box holder was a welcomed fix.

There was one issue though and it was kind of a big one. The juice box holder I had, as great as it was, only held a certain size juice box. This is pretty limiting because – if you don’t know this – juice box designs have evolved; there are now big ones, small ones and even pouches. So now what? Enter the better mousetrap: MyDrinky™, developed by InchBug.

MyDrinky™, was developed to keep children from inadvertently squeezing juice boxes and equally importantly, not being able to dump out their drink.

MyDrinky™ is the only product on the market that can accommodate the smallest 4 oz. juice box to the larger juice pouches. The design of having a top and base finally solves the issue of keeping the drink in the holder.

The design is super cute and you can choose from four different colors of the MyDrinky™: Blue, Tangerine, Purple and Lime. My daughter picked purple and now refuses to drink her drinks in anything but her MyDrinky™.

Mompreneur Spotlight: Wendy Colson of Boobie Bar

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This week’s Mompreneur Feature: Wendy Colson of Boobie Bar – a convenient herbal lactation bar with the “right” herbs in the “right” dose. It contains an entire daily dose of milk-making ingredients in a single bar – saving nursing mamas from having to pop pills or brew tea all day.

GG: How did you decide to launch your business? Tell us a little more about Boobie Bar.

From my direct experience as an IBCLC working with moms who struggled with low milk supply, I hand selected each milk-making ingredient known as a galactagogue. This patent-pending proprietary blend of herbs, the Boobie Blend™, is what sets our bars apart from any other lactation product currently on the market. I wanted to create something which could replace moms having to brew teas or pop 6-15 pills a day. Now you can get your entire daily dose of galactagogues (milk-making ingredients) in a convenient health food bar which you can take with you on the go.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

I found balance when I learned to let go. Before I became a mother, I was a planner extremist. I not only planned all three of my pregnancies, but even chose each one of my kid’s birthdays. Conflict arose after the birth of my first daughter because I was trying to be the same person, but with a newborn! It just wasn’t working. I began feeling a sense hopelessness if I couldn’t keep the house clean enough, prepare daily meals made from scratch, run simple errands in a timely manner, and check off my never ending “to do” list. My husband put no added pressure on me (He’s a saint). I was my worst enemy. I wish I could tell you I found balance with work and family soon after the my first daughter was born, but it wasn’t until the birth of my second daughter, 22 months later, when I realized I had to change my old ways of doing things or I was headed for a self-induced breakdown.

I took a much needed inventory of my life and decided that I needed to accept this was the new norm. I set new goals for myself each day which were now attainable. Taking a shower before 2pm became my new goal and on most days I actually reached it!

The changes I made to find more balance didn’t just stop at home. I decided after just two months of being back to work after maternity leave, I would be a happier mom and wife if I resigned from my hospital nursing position. I commuted an hour and half with two babies under the age of two which was insane. As they say, “When one door closes, another one opens”. My “retirement” lasted only nine months because I love what I do. I was offered a nursing job only three miles from home and job shared with another mom who didn’t want to work twelve hour shifts either. I chose work by its flexibility, not for its money. As my three babies got older, the more work I picked up. I started a private practice for lactation consultations the week my youngest went to kindergarten. For both my private-practice and at Boobie Bar I had to set boundaries with my hours. I make it a point to be home each day at 2 o’clock and cook and eat dinner with them. When they go to bed, I go back to work to make up the time.

GG: What’s the best part of being an mompreneur?

Most kids have a hard time explaining what their parents do at work. Whereas, my three daughters got to see their mom take an idea, use her education and evolve it into a product which benefits moms and babies everywhere. It’s the best feeling to be that kind of role model for my girls.

Product Discovery: b.box

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As a parent, the key word is always “convenience” – any item you carry on you has to be easy to reach, easy to clean, safe for the baby, and double points if the item can be used as two items in one! As your baby grows into the early stages of eating solid foods, you’re going to find yourself having to remember to pack not only the food in the diaper bag, but also a spoon, bib (or 2), plastic baggies, paper towels, wipes, and still, at the end of the day, you’ll probably be shoving a dirty bib into the diaper bag (and, let’s be honest, forget that it’s there and find a sweet potato crusted bib three weeks later). Well, now, thanks to the folks over at b.box, there is a much better way!

b.box, started by two moms, features fun and, most importantly, functional products for babies and young children. Having endured the mess of dirty-bibs-on-the-go themselves, the ladies at b.box invented this innovative travel bib and spoon, which not only is adorable for your little one, but amazingly efficient as well. How does it work so well? Well, this BPA-, Phthalates- and PVC-free bib features a standard bib structure, however, on the bottom of the bib is a pouch to catch all the food which drops – but, that’s not all!

When your darling one is done with their messy lunch-on-the-go, all you do is fold the bib up into the pouch attached on the bottom, throw in the spoon, zip up – and voila! Throw it into your diaper bag, clean as a whistle, and you won’t have any more crusty potato flakes wandering around the bottom of your bag.Once you get home, simply un-zip the pouch, wash the bib and spoon by hand with your regular dish soap, let dry, and you’re ready to zip it back up for your next adventure with your babe.

The pouch features a handy looped handle, so you can easily strap it to the outside of your diaper bag, wear it on your hand, or throw it on your stroller’s handle.

The flexible soft-bite spoon is perfect for early eaters, all the way down to children who can feed themselves. The bib is made from polyester and comfortable for your baby, without being too rigid and making it uncomfortable for them to eat. With an adjustable strap on the neck of the bib, this efficient and functional mealtime accessory will last your little one many months! This one-of-a-kind product is perfect for any mom-on-the-go who loves to leave for adventures at the last minute! You’ll never have to worry about packing towels, plastic baggies, and multiple bibs again – when it comes to convenience, the b.box travel bib has it all – not to mention the modern and cool graphics on it!

Making It Work at Work — Six Tips On How To Successfully Return To Work After Maternity Leave

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We had the pleasure of meeting Gina Ciagne, Global Vice President, Healthcare Relations at Lansinoh & Certified Lactation Counselor at the ABC Kids Expo and we love her dedication to supporting breastfeeding moms. Obviously, aside from being a lactation specialist, by working at one of the leading manufacturers of breastfeeding products, Gina knows a lot about pumping. And, as a business woman, she has great advice about making it all work when going back to work. Here, her six tips on how to successfully return to work when pumping:

Congratulations! You’re a mom who packs up her pump when you head to work, so your baby can continue to have the very best nourishment. You’re also ensuring breastfeeding security when the two of you are together by maintaining your supply while you are apart.

Whether you’re just returning to work or simply need a refresher, here are some tips to make it a win-win-win: for you, your baby and your employer.

Tip 1: Make a connection.

Every breastfeeding mother has a story about what worked for her when she returned to work. If you know other women who have pumped at work, talk to them about their experiences and solutions to any challenges they may have had.

You can also connect with other mothers on breastfeeding message boards.

Tip 2: Find time to pump.

Plan your pumping schedule to replicate your baby’s nursing times, so that your body gets the necessary signals to continue producing milk.

Avoid skipping sessions as this signals your body to produce less milk. Make sure you have regularly scheduled pumping sessions.

Tip 3: Be flexible, but don’t neglect your breasts.

Consider your employer’s needs, as well as your own.

Even if you only have a few minutes, still pump and don’t skip a session, if at all possible.

It will be uncomfortable as your breasts fill with milk, and regular stimulation is more important for your body’s response than pumping time.

However, a drained breast will replenish more milk, so ideally pump until your breasts are noticeably less full.

Set aside time if your schedule is unpredictable, or be creative about when you pump.

For instance, it’s possible to read or eat lunch while pumping especially when using a hands-free pumping bra.

Tip 4: Find a private place to pump.

It’s important to pump without disruption, so that the necessary hormones are released for let-down.

Having a lactation room at work is ideal, but other options are a private office or storage room that can lock.

Avoid using the bathroom, as it’s not a sanitary place to pump.

Tip 5: Discuss the situation with your employer.

It’s important to explain your need to have regularly scheduled pumping sessions to your employer.

And remember, The Affordable Care Act is on your side!

This healthcare law stipulates that an employer must provide the time and space for pumping moms. And, by the way, it specifically points out that the “space” should not be a bathroom.

For more details, you can visit The Department of Labor’s website.

Tip 6: Know your facts.

Hopefully you won’t run into any obstacles with your employer. But if you do, the following facts can help you make a convincing argument to gain support.

A study published by the United States Breastfeeding Committee states:

• Lactation programs are cost-effective, showing a $3:1 return on investment.

• One-day absences to care for sick children occur more than twice as often for mothers of formula-fed infants.

• Breastfeeding lowers insurance claims for businesses. One study showed that for every 1,000 babies not breastfed, there were over 2,000 extra physician visits, 212 extra hospitalization days, and 609 extra prescriptions to treat just three common childhood illnesses.

Overall, by supporting lactation at work, employers can:

o Reduce turnover
o Lower recruitment and training costs
o Cut rates of absenteeism
o Boost morale and productivity
o Decrease health care costs

We know that pumping takes extra effort, especially at work. But it’s worth it for your baby, for you and even for your employer. For more information or breastfeeding support, please go to www.lansinoh.com.

Gina Ciagne

Gina Ciagne, Lansinoh’s Global Vice President, Healthcare Relations is a nationally recognized expert on breastfeeding.

As a Certified Lactation Counselor and La Leche League International-trained breastfeeding peer counselor, she has worked with and provided advice and support to thousands of breastfeeding mothers around the world.

A sought-after speaker and media resource, Ms. Ciagne is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post, and has appeared on The Bump, CNN, Fox News and many other TV and radio news programs.

In her role as Global Vice President, Healthcare Relations for Lansinoh, Ms. Ciagne oversees the company’s outreach to and engagement with healthcare communities.

She also is the mother of two breastfed children, whom she pumped for when she returned to work, so she knows the juggle!

Registry Must-Haves for Adopting Parents

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Because we have many adopting parents coming to Gugu Guru to build their registries, we are in the process of adding special features to the website to assist these parents with finding the best baby registry items for adoptions. In the meantime, here are some of our must-haves to help adopting parents make more informed decisions in preparation for this wonderful journey:

Baby Wearing

For adoptions, we highly recommend baby wearing (like the fashionable Boba wrap, seen here in Stardust). We actually recommend baby wearing to ALL parents because bonding starts right after birth and babies benefit from as much attachment parenting as possible. This makes baby wearing very important to adopting parents because it helps solidify the bond and enables baby to attach more quickly.

Parent Facing Stroller

We also recommend a stroller that has a seat that faces the parent. This way the parent and baby can have as much eye contact as possible. Eye contact strengthens the bond between parent and baby. The UPPAbaby Vista Travel System (seen here in Maya) has everything you need, including a parent facing position, and is a stylish, versatile option. A more affordable choice is the Graco Snugrider Elite Stroller and Car Seat Carrier.

Ergonomic Bottles

If you are adopting a baby that will still be taking the bottle, we are huge fans of the Comotomo bottle because of its amazing ergonomic design that resembles a breast.

Bottle Warmer

If you’re adopting a baby 0-12 months, especially 0-6 months, you may want to save your sanity during late night feedings with a bottle warmer. Bottle warmers (like the Born Free Bottle Genius seen here) make it easy to prep a bottle in just seconds.

Travel or Mini Crib

Again, depending on the age of the child you’re adopting, we suggest considering having the baby in a travel crib or a mini crib (preferably with wheels) so babies 0-5 months can be in your room during the night. This helps with both feedings and attachment parenting. Plus baby is always close for a spontaneous kiss or snuggle. We like the Babyletto Origami Mini Crib (seen here in Lagoon) because it has wheels so you can gradually move the crib out into baby’s own room -OR- also a great choice is the Graco Travel Lite Crib with Stages, which is super lightweight and portable.

We hope this is helpful information to you as your build your registry. If you have any other questions, shoot us an email at hello [at] guguguru [dot] com.

Bottle Style: Plastic or Glass?

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Glass or Plastic – Which one is best for your lifestyle? Here’s the team at Gugu Guru‘s list of pros and cons to help you decide which is best for you.

Also consider: Stainless steel are arguably the safest bottles for feeding and will keep liquids hot or cold for longer, but they definitely need to be hand washed. If your interest is piqued, check out the Pura Kiki infant bottle.

PLASTIC

Pros

Plastic bottles are lighter weight than glass. Lighter bottles make it easier for baby to start self-feeding earlier.
Plastic bottles are less expensive than their glass counterparts.
And, maybe most notably: plastic bottles don’t break.

Hint: If you prefer plastic but don’t want the hassle of constantly washing the bottles try bottles that use disposable liners.

Cons

The most obvious reason moms are shying away from using plastic bottles is the BPA factor. The chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), which can leach out when heated, is linked to an increased risk of hormonal disruption. The FDA issued a ban on the use of BPA in baby bottles in 2012, however, alarmists are claiming that other chemicals in plastic are just as harmful as BPA, but there is no scientific evidence to back this up.
Many moms feel best washing their plastic bottles in the top rack of the dishwasher or even hand washing. If you don’t want to hand wash and you don’t have a dish washer, you’ll need to buy a bottle sterilizer.

GLASS

Pros

Safety rules with glass bottles. No potentially scary chemicals here.
You can give glass bottles a second life as water or juice glasses.
Glass bottles can get washed in the top or bottom rack of the dishwasher without any risk of harmful chemicals, like BPA, leaching out.
Glass is greener for the environment.

Cons

They’re heavy. Try schlepping one or two around in your diaper bag for the day.
They cost more money than plastic.
There’s always a possibility of breakage with glass.
Glass can get chipped without actually breaking, so you’ll need to be on the lookout for any cracks before handing it over to baby.

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