For Felix’s tenth birthday, we surprised him with 4-day trip to Disney World with his cousins (who are his favorite people on this planet—he was actually more excited to see them than he was to be at Disney World, if that’s possible!).My husband and I are not theme-park people, but we can appreciate the magic of Disney, and decided that we had one trip in us before the kids were too old to
Newborn & Infant Concerns
Safe Disposable Diaper Guide
My original introduction to this section read something like, “Sure, we all know we should use cloth diapers, but how realistic is that, especially here in New York City where many of us don’t even have washing machines? Thank God for these biodegradable diapers from Seventh Generation!”This was back in 2010, and I was using cloth diapers about 25% of the time (and my husband was using them
Safe Infant Formula Guide
I wrote this guide on how to choose organic baby formula for the first time in 2012. Overall, things have moved in a positive direction on the formula front.Here are two ways the industry seems to be changing for the better:Many companies have ditched corn sugars in favor of lactose. Lactose occurs naturally in cow (and goat) milk and much more closely mimics human milk. Many
Safe Baby Lotion Guide
I don't think you need to slather your baby in lotion after every bath, but sometimes a baby's dry skin will be screaming for a moisturizer. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of coconut oil, and we often put a little blob of the organic, unrefined good stuff in the bath with the boys.My Top Pick for Best Natural Baby Lotion If you're looking for a creamy (not greasy), basic natural
Should You Do Cord Blood Banking?
Did you choose to do private cord blood banking after your baby's birth? This is one of the first decisions you'll make about something that may affect your child's health, and parents naturally agonize over it.My husband, Daylon, is the Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology at Weill Cornell Medical College as well as a embryonic stem cell research scientist. My pregnant friends often ask
Safe Baby Bottle Cheat Sheet
All bottle-feeding moms want the best non-toxic baby bottles for their babies, whether the bottles are is filled with breastmilk or formula or even water. Here's how to make sure you're using truly non-toxic baby bottles. 1. Avoid Plastic Baby Bottles (including “BPA-free” ones!) Plastic bottles are tempting--they are inexpensive, readily available, lightweight, and hard to break. But plastic
HiPP Versus Holle: Which European Infant Formula is Healthier?
Below is an email I recently sent to a private client of mine. Since the number one question I receive is "What is the safest infant formula?," I thought some of you might be interested in my analysis of the two safest brands of baby formula, HiPP vs. Holle (both from Europe). Note that whichever formula you choose, you should always use a water filter to remove chlorine (carcinogenic) and
Safe Baby Wash, Bubble Bath & Soap Guide
UPDATED: January 2018Guess what--you probably don't even need a non-toxic, natural baby wash. There is no reason you can’t use a non-toxic shampoo on your baby’s body as well as his head, and most products are labeled for use as shampoo and as baby body wash.That said, shampoos, even the ones I consider Good Stuff, generally has more ingredients than a simple bar of natural soap, so I
How I Nursed Three Kids Without Going (Too) Crazy
Until recently, I was nursing three kids: a newborn, a two-year-old, and a four-year-old.When other women hear this, the most common thing they say is, “Oh my gosh, I could never do that!” Moms often share stories about how they weaned their older child in anticipation of a new baby arriving.I don’t think nursing two or more kids is as hard as many people assume, but it’s also not for
Is Goat Milk Formula Healthier?
UPDATED: March 2018Organic baby formula is a hot topic here; in fact, it’s what you guys ask about most! I understand—you want to make sure that what you’re feeding your babies and toddlers is the best stuff possible, and there are about a gajillion types of organic baby formula now on the market. I've reviewed many of them in my Safe Infant Formula Guide, but this post is dedicated
