Afraid cabin fever will drive you crazy this winter? Here are 7 things you can do to help your kids–and you–survive cabin fever during the colder months of the year!
When a damp, cold breeze blew across the football field the other night, I shuddered. Winter was coming!
See, we have six sons – and two little girls. I love football season. The boys are so peaceful when they’re playing football. They spend several hours a week exercising like mad and using up all their excess testosterone whacking into other people’s boys. <grin> It’s great, but it’s almost over.
So, how can we keep them from getting cabin fever when winter comes?
1. Get Them Up
Moms come up to us at conferences all the time, “I just don’t know what to do! My son just poops out halfway through his schoolwork. I try to tell him, ‘Come on son, we just have three more subjects to go, then we can take a break!’”
We always ask, “How’s that working for you?” It usually isn’t. Listen, folks: Sometimes, it takes all their energy to sit still and they have nothing left to learn with! Instead, get them up and get them active!
2. Get Them Moving
A surefire sign of cabin fever in our guys is that constant pesting that’s not angry, but just bored – trying to get a rise out of their siblings for entertainment. Our solution? “Give me ten on the stairs!” Somehow the frantic activity of running up and down the steps seems to sap all that annoying stuff right out of them! Push-ups, mini-trampolines, and jumping jacks work great, too.
Getting enough exercise is especially important with those challenging nine to twelve year olds. They’re so full of hormones and energy, they seem to be looking for conflict! That may be why our Boot Camp 9-12 for parents is so popular – we all struggle when they’re that age!
3. Go Outside Anyway
I know, I know. When you have a bunch of young children it seems like it takes way more energy to get them ready to go out than they could possibly spend out there. Been there. It’s important, though. They need time to run and play and pretend – even when the weather’s cold and snowy. Sometimes even in the rain. Even if it means another load of laundry. And if you want to get a little outside time, too? Take everyone for an invigorating walk!
4. Get to Work
One great cure for cabin fever and the “I’m bored…” stuff is to get everyone up working on a big project. Have a race-the-clock clean-up: spend fifteen minutes cleaning as hard and fast as possible in one room before switching to another room. Promise a break and snack after three rooms or maybe a movie or special treat if all the rooms get done!
5. Get Enough Vitamin D
One reason for droopiness in the winter can be a lack of vitamin D.Be sure everyone is getting enough from being outside without sunscreen, getting it in their diets (salmon, tuna, liver, cheese, egg yolks, fortified milk, mainly), or taking supplements (D3 is the one we use). It’ll help everyone’s immune system and mood, in my experience.
6. Get Out of the Rut
Do something different than you usually do. Take a field trip. Have an indoor picnic. Pretend you are on Noah’s Ark for the day. Or, one of our favorites: Build the biggest sheet and chair fort ever – then cuddle up and read inside.
7. Use Your Imagination
Reading a great story is a go-to for us. Gather everyone around and read aloud an adventure like The Swiss Family Robinson to transport you to a sunny land.
We loved reading Pollyanna last winter. We laughed ourselves to tears – and learned to be grateful. Our family loved it so much, we made an audiobook of it!
Did you know Theodore Roosevelt wrote a book for kids? He did and it’s a favorite here: Hero Tales from American History. We added sound effects to this one, because history’s way better with cannon fire. Don’t forget to read your own childhood favorites to your children, too!
Cabin fever doesn’t have to drive us crazy, instead it can motivate us to change things up and make our homes more loving and fun for all of us – mom, too!
What do you do when everyone is going crazy from cabin fever?
Hal & Melanie Young are the authors of Raising Real Men, the 2011 Christian Small Publishers Book of the Year, and the parents of six real sons and two real daughters. They lead a life of adventure traveling the country with their family speaking about raising boys, homeschooling, marriage, and family life. Read their blog, follow them on Facebook, or ask them to speak.
Original article and pictures take thehumbledhomemaker.com site
In preparing for the birth of my first child, I basically skipped over everything to do with C-sections. I was young, healthy and my baby looked absolutely fantastic. I trusted my doctor and was delivering in Hungary, a country with a low C-section rate.
Why would I, of all people, have a C-section? I was ready to bring my baby into the world by my own strength and I had no reason to expect anything else.
But when labor wasn’t going as planned and my daughter’s heart rate started dropping, my doctor called for a C-section. I was completely taken off-guard and not prepared.
I knew I really wanted to deliver my daughter vaginally before she was born but not getting to do so revealed to me just how strong this desire was for the next time. There was nothing I wanted more than to bring my next baby into the world naturally through a successful VBAC.
A year later I found out I was pregnant again. I immediately began researching VBACs and spent countless hours pouring over books about natural birth and VBAC success.
I was determined to do everything in my power to have the birth I hoped for.
I was beyond blessed to deliver my son naturally with a midwife and while there were aspects of his birth that didn’t go how I would have liked, it was an amazingly powerful experience and I came away from it empowered and my daughter’s birth felt redeemed.
While there is the rare case where attempting a VBAC is not advised, almost every expecting mother should consider attempting a VBAC and almost all of them will be successful.
This success should not be left to chance.
A mother needs to make sure she has put the proper pieces in place that will support her during pregnancy and, most importantly, during labor and delivery.
While there is no way to guarantee a successful VBAC (there are no guarantees in birth!) here are 7 ways to increase your chances of a successful VBAC.
1. Choose a supportive provider
This is the crux of VBAC success: your provider has to not only support VBACs but truly believe in them.
Put yourself in the care of a person who not only understands that a vaginal delivery is best for you and your baby but also wants you to deliver vaginally. A provider might say they support VBACs but when push comes to shove and the slightest bit of a red flag flares up, they might get jumpy.
Choose someone with a history of successful VBACs and who is prepared to do everything in their power to make your VBAC a success.
If you’re delivering with a midwife, a doula might not be necessary. However, if you are under the care of an OB in a hospital, a doula is a vital component for success. A doula is trained to help you labor naturally, make informed decisions, and advocate for you if necessary. Women who birth with a doula are 28% less likely to have a C-section and have more satisfying birth experiences. The knowledge and support a doula offers could be the difference between a successful VBAC and a repeat C-section.
3. Research, research, research
Normally I don’t advocate extensive pregnancy research (there’s way too much fear-mongering on most major pregnancy websites) but this is one exception. If you understand the root cause behind your C-section, you can do your best to eliminate it as a factor in your next birth.
You probably did plenty of research about natural birth with your previous pregnancy but it’s definitely worth brushing up on pain management techniques, be encouraged by other birth stories and be reminded of the beauty of birth.
The more you know about VBACs and natural birth, the better equipped you will be to be your own advocate and to go into labor knowing that not only will you most likely be able to do this, you can do this!!
4. Be healthy
This goes for any pregnancy: the more healthy you are the greater your chances are of having a natural, healthy labor and delivery. Eat nutrient-dense real foods, exercise and stay active. You want to do everything you can to prepare yourself and your baby for a healthy, vaginal delivery.
Whether this is a written birth plan, a thorough conversation with your provider or a birth partner who expressly knows your desires or all of the above, be confident that you have communicated your wishes and that they are understood.
How you do this could depend on who your provider is (I would recommend a written birth plan with an OB, while talking with a midwife could be enough) and your personality, but be satisfied that the key support players in the birth are on the same page as you.
6. If you’re delivering in a hospital, wait as long as possible to go
The less time you spend in a hospital, the less time there is for unnecessary interventions. Labor at home as long as you feel comfortable and go to the hospital only when you feel it’s necessary.
7. Give yourself grace
Because you’re attempting a VBAC, you’ve most likely already had a disappointing birth experience. Hopefully this birth will be one of redemption and you can feel the joys of birthing your baby vaginally.
But if it isn’t a perfect experience, and very few births are, that’s okay. If you have another C-section, that’s okay. Whatever happens you have brought a baby into the world and that, dear mama, is amazing.
Have you attempted a VBAC? What advice would you add?
(All photos except top image are from Beth Ricci)
Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site
7 Ways to Naturally Up Your Energy Without Caffeine
Don Arnold/Getty Images News/Getty Images
When you’re feeling low on energy, there’s nothing more promising than a steamy cup of coffee. A caffeine boost can bring you from a bleary-eyed zombie to a productive and motivated extrovert in just the blink of an eye. But despite its superhero-like abilities, sometimes caffeine just isn’t an option.
Whether you woke up late and don’t have time to grab your favorite latte, or it’s the mid-afternoon and it’s too late to have caffeine, there’s nothing worse than spending the rest of your day slumped over your desk trying to keep your eyes open. Although it may not seem fathomable, there are other ways that can help you naturally boost your energy when you can’t have caffeine. We’ve gathered a list of seven easy tips to help you get back on your feet when feeling lethargic.
Original article and pictures take cdn.bustle.com site
My appointments with the NICU lactation consultants usually ended this way:
“This is your third breastfed baby — you’re fine. We’re not worried about you”
Well, I was getting worried about me. My son was two weeks old and my breast milk supply was a fraction of what it was ‘supposed’ to be. I appreciated the lactation consultants’ confidence and encouragement but as the weeks went on it became clear something needed to be done to kick my body into milk-making gear.
My son was born 10 weeks early and at the time was receiving my pumped milk and donor breast milk through a feeding tube. While my biggest issue was that I wasn’t actually breastfeeding him, I was determined to do whatever I could to get my supply to a level that would sustain him and allow us to enjoy breastfeeding for the long-term.
Through working with lactation consultants, implementing some of my own research, and diligently pumping I was eventually able to get my milk supply up to a level that set us up for breastfeeding success.
Here’s what worked for me and what will hopefully work for you, too!
1. Drink, drink, and drink some more
Breast milk is liquid so the more liquid you take in the more liquid your body has to make breast milk. While most of your liquid intake should be water, milkmaid tea is made of herbs, primarily fenugreek, that specifically work to increase milk supply.
2. Rest and don’t stress
It’s a good thing that whenever someone suggested I get more rest and not stress about my milk supply, they prefaced it with saying, “I know this is hard, but…” Because if they hadn’t I would have punched them in the face.
So that’s how I’m going to say it here: I know it’s hard, but the best thing you can do for yourself and your baby is to rest as much as possible and not worry. Exhaustion and anxiety can sabotage your milk supply and cut back your production levels so do whatever you can to take it easy (at least as easy as you can when you have a newborn).
3. Supplement
Supplements such as brewer’s yeast, fenugreek, blessed thistle, garlic, anise, and specific lactation blends can give your body the support it needs to get the milk flowing.
If you’re drinking milkmaid tea, you’re getting enough fenugreek so you don’t need to also supplement.
But before you take matters into your own hands consult a healthcare professional; supplementing should not be taken lightly.
4. Eat lactogenic foods
Nursing mamas are hungry mamas. Fortunately there are foods work to increase milk supply. The foods I found easiest to fit into my diet or just eat more of were: oatmeal, flaxseeds, healthy fats such as coconut oil and coconut milk, flaxseed oil, avocados, garlic and raw nuts.
I made Beth’s coconut milk smoothie and added a handful of greens and flax seed oil. As an added bonus because it only takes one hand to drink it was easy to fill up on some healthy fats while still nursing!
5. Get support and encouragement
Every breastfeeding mom needs a cheerleader and a mom who is persevering though breastfeeding struggles deserves a full cheering squad. Find at least one person who will encourage you to keep trying and work through the hard times. You need to be reminded of why you’re working so hard to give your baby the best food and most nutritious food there is.
Don’t hesitate to get professional help if you feel you need it. A lactation consultant can provide you with fantastic insight and and groups such as La Leche League can give you invaluable support.
6. Skin-on-skin
For me this was the big one. Because my son was so premature he was immediately whisked off after birth and I was only able to briefly hold him several hours later. Fortunately the NICU we were in was extremely supportive of kangaroo care, or skin-on-skin time, and I was able to hold my son as much as he could tolerate. As he grew older I was able to hold him in his diaper on my bare chest as much I was able and the more I held him the quicker my supply increased. When I was finally able to breastfeed my body fully kicked into gear and made enough milk without any additional support from supplements or foods.
Having your baby on your breast or chest sends messages to your body, telling it that your baby needs milk. Breastfeeding often creates a need for more milk and a healthy cycle of milk production. And holding your baby in this precious and tender way can help with point #2.
7. Give yourself grace
You’re not any more or any less of a mother if you breastfeed or formula feed. Yes, breast is best and it is worth doing everything you can to breastfeed your baby but it’s not the end of the world if you’re not able to, whether because of supply issues or anything else. Maybe taking the pressure off yourself is just what you need.
If you haven’t yet read Beth’s post My Top Ten Breastfeeding Essentials do yourself a favor and read it right now. I said ‘amen!’ and ‘preach it, sister!’ throughout the whole thing, especially about the Bamboobies – they truly are amazing.
Which of these tips have you tried before? What other advice do you have for breastfeeding mamas?
Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site
Like many parents, I struggle to get my children to eat real food –whole grains, fresh vegetables, healthy salads. There are, however, a few tricks I have learned over the years that have been successful. Here are 7 ways to get your child to love real food:
1. Bury it under something they love.
My daughter loves red sauce. So the first time I tasted spaghetti squash in tomato sauce a few years ago, I knew it would be a great way to get her to like squash. I roasted it according to a recipe I found and served under fresh, homemade tomato sauce. It was a hit! The key to this success is that squash has a mild flavor. Think long and hard about what your child’s favorite sauces or toppings are, and what milder produce or grains you can get into those dishes.
2. Presentation is everything.
By “presentation,” I mean not only how the food looks on the plate, but also how the food itself looks! My kids don’t like anything with dark colors. That means green or grape smoothies are out, but a strawberry colored smoothie is right up their alley! Then I add a dollop of fresh whipped coconut cream on top to make it beautiful and a straw . To encourage them to eat celery and broccoli, I cut them into small pieces and put them in different spots on a 12-cavity Christmas candy mold. Then I put some dip on the side and they loved it. What you call the meal or dish is critical too. A “holiday veggie feast” is much better than just a “snack”!
3. Make a big show of how much you love it.
This has yet to work on my youngest, but my 11 year old is now a fan of popcorn cauliflower because of this technique – it does help that it’s called “popcorn” since my kids cannot eat the real thing. I rave about it every time I make it – especially if I load it up with cayenne and paprika. My daughter gobbles it up.
4. Get them to prepare and cook it themselves.
One thing I can count on: they will eat anything that they put a significant amount of effort into cooking. This technique is hit or miss if they just do a little so it’s important to let go of control and let your kids take charge as much as they safely can. You may need to buy kid-friendly knives or have them place a pan in the oven before it’s turned on, for example. Don’t let a big mess upset you and do buy aprons for the kids (they love that). This also has the added benefits of teaching them critical life skills and creating great family memories.
5. Put it on their plate every night.
Carrots were a struggle for my younger daughter, but I wanted her to eat them since they can help her with critical oral sensory issues. I simply put some small carrots in a little bowl near her plate every night. After a while, she began to touch them, and then lick them. Finally came that awesome day I found her on the couch munching away at a carrot…success! Keep in mind that this process took a few months – yes, months. It requires patience and repetition but it can work.
6. Make a big show of not liking something.
We have some pretty strict rules for what we eat in my house: no gluten, dairy, soy, MSG, preservatives, dyes or GMOs, but every now and then a few “bad” food items get through. The good news is that once you have cleansed your palette of all these foods, they don’t taste very good anymore. I discovered this little trick by accident when I was eating a toxic treat I used to like that now tastes like chemicals. My kids looked at me so I made a big show of it. I’d keep it up whenever I saw the food. After a while, I noticed that my older daughter would not go near those kinds of food when we were at parties or gatherings that featured a buffet of off-limits foods.
7. Don’t sweat it too much.
The reality is that your child may not like squash or rice or beans or some other food that is one of your healthy favorites. After a year of putting it near her plate, Zoe still won’t look at spinach but she’s made progress with other vegetables. Amelia still won’t eat anything with the texture of rice, pasta or quinoa, but she loves spinach salad. Some things won’t fit your child’s taste buds and never will; other foods they will grow into. To this day, I still cannot stand either fresh fish or lima beans, but I now love chickpeas even though I hated them for a long time too.
Getting kids to love real food requires patience, care and creativity. Don’t cave into your child’s poor eating habits. Keep cooking healthy meals and find new ways to get those foods in front of them with a positive spin and you just might end up raising a real food foodie!
Original article and pictures take thesoftlanding.com site
After welcoming a new nephew and watching my amazing friends adopt a beautiful baby girl in the last few weeks, I’ve been realizing that we’re really not dealing with baby years around here any more. How is it that I have three children who aren’t babies already? We were cleaning out some old boxes the other day and found a graduation cap and gown. It actually crossed my mind that we should save it in case we have homeschool graduation in a few years. I might be jumping ahead a bit.
When Lola was born I thought like any reasonable human being she would go to sleep when she was tired. I had no idea how many naps a day a baby should have or how many hours of sleep she should be getting at night. We just kind of went wherever and did whatever and prayed that she would sleep at night. She didn’t. We tried many different techniques to get her to sleep including bouncing, sitting silently next to her crib, and playing gentle music in her bedroom. Nothing seemed to work and when she was about six months old she was averaging seven hours of sleep a day. Total. Naps and all. I knew that even I needed more sleep than that and something had to be done.
I read tons of books at that time, but the one I really recommend is Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber. Yes, this is the controversial “cry it out” guy, but let me tell you why I love it. This book is full of scientific research on how babies and people of all ages sleep and how much sleep they need. I found that once I was familiar with my baby’s sleep rhythms and needs they didn’t need to cry it out. I was able to give them what they needed when they needed it and we were all a lot happier and well rested.
Now I’m certainly not a doctor, so if you have concerns about your baby’s development I would urge you to turn to a trusted professional. But from one mom to another (or dad, or grandma, or whoever you may be), here are seven ways to get a baby to sleep that worked for me. I highly recommend following these tips from birth for the best results, an older child will definitely require some special attention if other habits have been formed.
1. Keep it dark.
This is a great tip for babies who have their days and nights mixed up. It’s also a hard one for new parents who might not yet be comfortable changing and feeding a baby in the dark. I like to keep a dim night light on hand and turn it on just when I’m up with the baby for a little light to get around with. Lamps, overhead lights, and electronic screens all emit too much light to keep a baby (or possibly you) in the sleep zone. As soon as light hits the back of the retinas all bets are off and you might want to be prepared to stay up for a while. Room darkening shades are great for daytime naps because the darkness will help signal that it’s time for sleep.
2. No talking.
Of course you can’t help the shushing or the little “I love you”s as you deal with a fussy baby. But save the big lectures for daylight hours. Staying silent helps your baby understand this isn’t playtime. The night is a time for quiet and rest, and that doesn’t include talking or playing.
3. Swaddle.
Swaddle, swaddle, swaddle. My husband is a master swaddler and can wrap a baby up so tight and cozy that you’d think he worked in a Cuban cigar chop. Swaddling makes a baby feel secure like they’re back in the womb. There are special swaddle blankets you can buy but I’ve had the most success with a large, soft, stretchy blanket that will continue to work as the baby grows. As the child gets older they’ll begin to break out of the swaddle but will still appreciate the routine and warm comfort of the secure blanket.
4. Have a routine.
Some people call this a schedule. But for me, I found it much more helpful to follow a routine rather than a set time during the day. If the baby woke up at 8, I knew he would be ready for a nap two hours (or however long) later. I would generally let them get the sleep they needed, however long that may be, and follow a more strict awake time in between. This was really the trick for me in not needing to have them cry when they went to bed. Knowing how long they needed to be awake before being ready for a nap made sure I was putting them down at just the right time. I also have a physical and verbal routine with my kids. I tend to touch their face in the same way and say the same loving words each time I put them to bed. This lets them know no matter where we are that this is bed time and they can feel safe and confident that I’ll be just on the other side of the door, ready to come in when they wake up.
5. Blankie love.
Lots of babies love their blankies, but I found an extra trick that I think helped my kids settle from my arms into their bed. I would stretch a super soft baby blanket (similar to this Circo blanket) over the mattress so when I laid the baby down their head was resting on something soft. These blankets also don’t get cold like sheets do, so it wasn’t a shock for them to lay their head down in bed. Some may find this tip controversial because you’re not supposed to have loose bedding in with a small baby, but I found these blankets stick to the sheets and stay tight pretty well. If you’re swaddling well, by the time they’re old enough to pull the soft blanket to their face their also old enough to turn their head away from it or roll over if they need to. As my babies got older they loved these blankets and would find great comfort in them, pulling them to their noses and settling in for sleep. Of course if you’re uncomfortable with loose blankets in your baby’s bed do what makes you feel most comfortable.
6. Know the cry.
All babies are different, but I found that if my kids woke up crying it meant they were, in fact, not ready to wake up. They would often start crying about 45 minutes after falling asleep when I would expect them to sleep for two hours or more. This can be really disheartening, especially if you’re sleep deprived or dealing with other children. Yet, it’s hard to hear your baby cry and do nothing about it. If I knew they weren’t crying for another reason (illness or injury), I would set a timer for five minutes. This seems like an eternity when a baby is crying but it really isn’t that long. If the baby was still crying after five minutes I would go get him. More often than not the baby would stop crying in less than five minutes and settle back in to sleep for the expected amount of time.
7. Be constantly transforming.
Babies are constantly changing. What works one day might not work the next day. Try to roll with the punches and not get too frustrated when something works one day and not the next.
Of course everyone has different priorities in parenting, and I urge you to figure out what those are. As a stay at home mom, I was really ready for them to go to sleep when the time came. If you’re working outside the home or are trying to build attachment you might love that special time of rocking your baby to sleep or co-sleeping so you can be together. Please know that there’s nothing wrong with that! These tips are for those of us who need a little space, especially after a long day. What are some of your favorite tips for getting a baby to sleep?
Original article and pictures take theliveinkitchen.com site
If you have a little bundle of joy coming into your house, you’re probably concerned by now. Here are my Top 7 tips to avoid exposing your baby to chemicals.
Like many people, I’m concerned about our exposure to chemicals in daily life. These days, you really have to check every label and research every ingredient to make sure you’re making a safe choice.
And this becomes even more important when it comes to protecting our little ones!
When I was researching products for my son, I was surprised (and shocked) at what I found.
If you have a little bundle of joy coming into your house, you’re probably rightfully concerned by now. And if so, here are my Top 7 tips to avoid exposing your baby to harmful chemicals.
The reason is that all mattresses sold in the USA have to pass safety standards, and the easiest and cheapest way to meet these requirements is by spraying them with fire-retardant chemicals.
So that’s what they do.
Thankfully, there are manufacturers that don’t use these chemicals and meet the fire safety requirements by using higher quality, organic materials that naturally withstand combustion without needing to douse them full of nasty and toxic chemicals.
2. Make Your Own Baby Food.
I’m a huge fan of making my own baby food, and you should be, too!
The fact that we don’t know exactly what goes into store bought baby foods is enough to make me want to make my own.
If you look around, you’ll read facts like how a 2012 study found that 92% of pears used in baby food contained pesticide residue. And there’s another 2012 study in Europe found that many baby foods contain toxic metals and arsenic!
Making your own baby food is simple, and anyone can do it!
You can easily do it by hand, or get a baby food maker which makes it even easier. What’s even better is that you could grow your own organic fruits and veggies, and then you’ll know exactly what’s going into your little one’s food.
3. Make the Home a Clean Environment.
This probably goes without saying, but the home should be where it all starts.
Don’t use chemical air fresheners or cleaning products that are full of toxic chemicals. Avoid fabric softeners when cleaning baby’s clothes, as well as the use of disinfectants. All of these things have chemicals that are linked to human health issues.
Of course, having a smoke-free environment is crucial too.
There are lots of natural, chemical-free alternatives available, so if you’re used to using regular cleaners, you’ll have an easy time making the switch.
4. Make Your Own Baby Wipes.
Baby wipes are really, really useful! They make it easy to clean up faces and tushies, and I always have them on hand. But most of them have awful chemicals that I wouldn’t want anywhere near me, let alone near my precious little one!
There was a big news story recently about how kids were breaking out with allergic reactions due to the use of wipes. Some of the kids were even misdiagnosed as having a skin condition, and prescribed medications!
I have a guide on choosing good, safe baby wipes, or you could check out Wellness Mama, where she has a great guide to making your own homemade wipes out of paper towel using water and all-natural ingredients like aloe and witch hazel.
She even has instructions on how to make them reusable with old receiving blankets or t-shirts!
5. Use Alternatives to Baby Oil.
Mineral oil is often sold as “baby oil,” which is a combination of mineral oil and fragrance, two things you would do best to avoid.
Mineral oil is a nasty chemical that’s a byproduct of the manufacturing of petroleum. Since the molecules of mineral oil are too large to be absorbed into the skin, it acts as a “wrap” on the skin, clogging the pores and preventing it from releasing toxins.
Even worse: if it’s ingested, it absorbs vitamins and nutrients, robbing them of these crucial elements they need.
Safe, natural alternatives include coconut oil, olive oil and shea butter. They’re awesome, natural and nourishing!
6. Cloth Diaper Instead of Using Disposables.
Every baby wears diapers, so they must be perfectly fine, right?
Nope, think again! According to The Real Diaper Association, disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, which is a carcinogenic chemical that’s banned in most countries.
But it’s still perfectly legal in the USA, and they also contain other harmful chemicals, such as Tributyl-tin and sodium polyacrylate.
It’s very important to avoid mosquitoes and ticks, which can transmit many deadly diseases.
But it’s equally important to avoid typical bug sprays with DEET, which is an effective but unfortunately very toxic chemical that has been linked with neurological damage and seizures.
Although DEET is found in the majority of repellents, you can still get very effective ones that use natural ingredients and essential oils. On my blog, I have a guide that features 5 effective and natural bug sprays for babies!
Do you have any more suggestions on ways to avoid exposing your baby to chemicals?
Jennifer Taylor is a coffee-addict, part-time blogger and full-time mama of two wonderful kids. You can find her blog at MomTricks or follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!
Original article and pictures take thehumbledhomemaker.com site
