The Itsabelly Blog

Gentle on Baby and Earth - Eco-Friendly Diaper Wipes & Organic Lotion/Spray (going green in diaper care)

By Jennifer Lo Prete (Itsabelly California Consultant)

Using cloth wipes and a natural wipe solution is a great way to make diaper changing more eco-friendly and gentler on baby’s bottom. Many doctors recommend rinsing store-bought wipes to remove some of the ingredients before wiping on your baby. So, why even bother buying them in the first place if you should rinse them before use? The initial investment in cloth wipes and solution may cost more than one pack of wipes at the grocery store. However, in the long run using cloth wipes will be easier on your pocketbook. Plus, washing the cloth wipes is as simple as washing a load of towels.

When my daughter was born, I bought four-dozen cloth wipes and a natural wipe solution. My favorite diaper wipe solution is Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion.  Other great solutions are Mama Roses Natural Sunshine Spray and Earth Mama Angel Baby Diaper Rash Soap.  My cloth wipes were an assortment of Kissaluvs and organic cotton wipes, similar to Imse Vimse Organic Flannelette Wipes  or Under The Nile Organic Wipes . 

I store my used wipes in a waterproof zippered wet bay similar to the Happy Tushies Wet Bag. I even have a small wipe bag to carry my cloth wipes when we are out of the house. I am considering buying a Happy Tushies Wonder Bag that allows you to store clean dipes and wipes on one side and dirty ones on the other.

These wipes stayed in perfect condition throughout my daughter’s 15 months of diaper wearing and as a “green” bonus are being used now with my son! Another green tip: once your child starts using the potty, these wipes are great for cleaning, dusting or washing little hands.

Organic Formula for Baby

I had trouble breastfeeding Isabella and it was such a difficult phase for me.  I wanted to breastfeed her for at least 6 months but was only able to do it for a very short time because she was losing weight and I wasn't able to produce much milk.  Every drop that came out of my body was considered "liquid gold".  

It was hard for me to accept that breastfeeding was just not going to happen for us.  I tried everything my lactation consultant and the books told me to do (even drinking dark beer, the hops were supposed to trigger milk production).  In the end, we had to feed her formula and ended up using Enfamil which is what my hospital gave us when we checked out of the hospital.

Isabella is now on organic whole milk as a toddler.  I wish I would have done more research during her formula days and gone organic.  Now that I know more about organic formula I definitely want to go organic for our next baby after I try breastfeeding again.

I found this great article titled "Breast is Best, But What's Next?"  from The Daily Green on various brands of organic formula which I thought to be very helpful for new moms who want more information.  It was written by Dierdre Dolan who is the co-author of the book "The Complete Organic Pregnancy" .

Deirdra names three different brands as her top choices in organic formula which she trusts:

- Earth’s Best, owned by Horizon (which is owned by Dean Foods)
- Similac Organic (new to the market)
- Baby’s Only from Nature’s One. Baby’s Only is called “toddler formula” on the label, but this is only for political reasons; they want to encourage breastfeeding for as long as possible.

Dolan states:

"The biggest difference I could find is that Earth’s Best uses organic lactose where Baby’s Only uses brown rice syrup. The argument for using brown rice syrup is that it’s a higher quality and more complex carbohydrate, and therefore less likely to cause an insulin/blood sugar spike by keeping the blood sugars more level. As far as the dreaded food allergies it’s also very safe to introduce brown rice syrup because rice is a great first food. Earth’s Best uses organic lactose from cows, which some might argue is bad for lactose intolerance and will burn more quickly than brown rice syrup.  Similac has practically the exact same ingredient list as Earth’s Best, but it has a little more sugar, which is why we use it the least. I also don’t love how it smells sweeter than the other two."

So, I hope whether you are deciding to use organic formula or wanted a bit more research that this entry was helpful for you.  Feel free to leave a comment here if you've used any of these formula brands and how you liked them.  Happy feeding!

The Search for a Non-toxic Sippy Cup & Other Bisphenol-A Free Baby Care Products

So, I have been looking for a non-toxic sippy cup for Isabella.  I don't know about you but the more I hear about how bad plastic is the more worried I get about what my baby is putting in her mouth every day.

I've seen a few brands from poking my head around at the stores and asking other moms.  Klean Kanteen and Born Free were the brands I had heard most about.  I didn't know that Klean Kanteen had a product with a nipple for toddlers which is great. 

Tonight I read a blog from 5minutesformom.com which referenced a website called The Soft Landing.  I was excited to find the site was created by Alicia Voorhies, a registered nurse who has actually done her research and recommends high quality non-toxic products for babies and toddlers.

What a relief it is to be able to look at ONE on-line shopping website where I can find the best non-toxic products for my baby and not have to spend hours on the internet myself!  So check out Alicia's website and if you purchase anything from her please let me know I'd love to hear how your baby and you liked the product.  Happy safe feedings!

A Mighty Fine Mess!

This post is dedicated to the mighty fine mess I've created in my home office.  The sad thing is I try to put blinders on everyday to avoid the mess when I go into my office so I don't get stressed out.  Well, not any more...I'm absolutely sick of how the piles in my office weigh so heavily on my shoulders every time I go in there!  If you ever watch the TLC channel my dream is to have the "Clean Sweep" team help me so I have some company.  I'm dreaming about creating my "keep, recycle and garage sale" piles (not).  Let's not even think about when I'm going to clean and organize my closets yet (argh).  The shoe and purse fanatics out there would love to see what gems I have hiding in my closet :)

So, long story short my mom is here visiting and has totally helped me with Isabella.  While she's here my main project in the next week is to de-clutter and organize my whole office so I can actually see the table & desk underneath the junk.  My goal is to be done by Thanksgiving so wish me luck!  Believe me this not going to be a fun project.  I'm sure if you've cleaned up a messy office or room somewhere in your house you can empathize with how I'm feeling.  Thanks to Tasra for giving me great tips which I'll be sharing with you once I figure out how to apply them.  I'm embarassed to share the photos but here's some "before" pictures.  Remember these beautiful messy photos because shortly you'll see a post on how I conquered this exciting project and new photos of my office face lift!

The Never Ending Recall Saga (Toys, Infant Cold Medicine and the Bumbo Seat...)

Are you sick of hearing about all of the recalls that have been going on over the last year!?  I know I am.  I'm starting to get paranoid about every product my child is exposed to now.  Whether it be the bad chemicals from plastic bottles to toys with red paint - when will it end?

I've heard of so many things being recalled lately that I can't keep up.  So, I thought it would be easier to list the US Consumer Products Safety Commission website  here for you.  Check out the "recent recalls" section out but try not to get too paranoid (like me) about things.  I think as parents there's already enough to stress out about and this information should just help you make sure you don't have any of these products in your own home.

Additionally, you may have heard about the infant cold medicine recalls  and if you haven't here's more information to help you understand what medicines will not be on the store shelves during a season where the flu, fever and colds are inevitable.  Honestly, the recalls are based on user error (parents who aren't smart enough to give their infant the correct dosage or asking their doctor first).  My doctor has told me NOT to use these medicines to begin with...it makes you wonder why manufacturer's allow these drugs on the shelves in the first place (to make money of course)!

Included in the recall are:

• Concentrated TYLENOL Infants' Drops Plus Cold
• Concentrated TYLENOL Infants' Drops Plus Cold & Cough
• PediaCare Infant Dropper Decongestant
• PediaCare Infant Dropper Long-Acting Cough
• PediaCare Infant Drops Decongestant (containing pseudoephedrine)
• PediaCare Infant Dropper Decongestant & Cough
• PediaCare Infant Drops Decongestant & Cough (containing pseudoephedrine)

Let's not forget the Bumbo  seat being recalled.  Some parents think this recall is ridiculous.  Again, I question parents who don't use products appropriately or follow instruction especially if it can harm their child.  I think we need to have some parents recalled, what do you think? 

Peas of Mind Creates a Yummy Organic Meal for Your Toddler

As a parent to a 15 month old I want to make sure I'm feeding Isabella all the appropriate foods with the best ingredients.  I'm always trying to come up with different meals and snacks so I don't keep feeding her the standard low-fat string cheese, turkey, brown rice, pasta, chicken dishes or goldfish snacks every single day.  I know I enjoy variety in my food so I'm sure Isabella does too.

When I heard of Peas of Mind I was curious to see if Isabella would like the puffets (mini casseroles made out of delicious organic ingredients).  Sure enough, she enjoyed eating every bite!  I loved it because it was an organic and nutritional meal which only took MINUTES to make.  A truly great option for parents looking for a healthy alternative especially when you're on the go or need a little variety in your meal planning.  Peas of Mind's Puffets age range is for children age 12 months to about 6 years old.

Peas of Mind Puffets contain:

• organic ingredients
• no added sugars
• no genetically engineered ingredients
• no artificial flavors or preservatives

Another thing that I thought was really neat about puffets was that Jill Litwin (founder) was inspired to create a healthy option for children because of her childhood memories visiting farmer's markets and cooking with her mom.  Thanks to Jill and her homemade cooking - we have a favorite in our house, "carrot and risotto"!  As a mom, I also appreciate Jill's puffets for making my life as Isabella's meal planner so much easier!!

Here's an excerpt from Peas Of Mind's site:
"Peas of Mind Puffets provide a needed option for health-conscious parents who want to feed their toddlers delicious meals with organic ingredients, but dont have the time to make them from scratch.

Each homemade recipe is specifically designed for the growing needs of your toddler. The unique combination of ingredients provides a balanced nutritional meal that is easy to prepare and easy to eat with little hands."

Check out Peas of Mind's website for the grocery store near you carrying yummy puffets!  You can also order puffets on-line through their site.  Puffet flavors come in banana, greens, carrot risotto and black bean polenta.

The Pacifier/Binky Debate - to Pacify or Not to Pacify (Should You Use the Pacifier to Help Soothe Your Baby?)

Initially, I had such a hard time giving Isabella a pacifier.  Infact, my husband and I debated on whether or not we should give her the pacifier to help soothe her to sleep.  I was against it because I didn't want her to be dependent on this object stuck in her mouth all of the time.  I also didn't want the challenge of having to wean her off it.  Eventually, after speaking to fellow moms I felt better about using the pacifier as long as it was limited to use at bedtime and not something she would have in her mouth 24/7.  My husband had also read a book that said the pacifier prevented SIDS so I guess at that point I started to give in.  Additionally, I read that as long as you start using the binky after breast-feeding is established, about 1 month then there shouldn't be an issue.  Recently, I found an article in USA Today titled "Binky verses Breast"  and thought it would be a good one to share with you.

I have to admit the infamous binky really did allow us to get more sleep some nights and it made Isabella content if she had trouble falling asleep.  She's 15 mo old now and I face the challenge of weaning her off it. 

My niece gave her binky up when she was 3 years old literally to Minnie Mouse at Disneyland.  She cried the first few nights without it but eventually she got over it.  So, although I don't look forward to a few tough nights of Isabella going through binky withdrawals I know it will be a happy day once we're over that hump.  Then it will be on to the next challenge of potty training and going to pre-school.  All of the wonderful things I have to look forward to :)

For those of you going through the "to pacify or not to pacify" debate below is an excerpt of the article from USA Today that could help you and your baby sleep better at night literally!  And if you haven't already read my post on the all natural pacifier, free of icky chemicals and crevices where water/bacteria can get trapped check it out:  An All Natural Pacifier

"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says yes: In new guidelines on preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the group urges parents to offer pacifiers at nap and bedtimes. The academy cites research showing babies who nod off with pacifiers are 61% less likely to die of SIDS than otherwise similar babies who don't. The doctors speculate that pacifiers may help keep airways clear or may keep babies from sleeping too deeply or rolling onto tummies.

Contrary to popular belief, the academy says, pacifiers don't ruin teeth and don't cause enough infant ear infections to negate their benefits. And, the doctors say there isn't compelling evidence that pacifiers inhibit breast-feeding."