Becoming a parent is a huge learning curve. There are so many products on the market and so many opinions on what you should and shouldn't do. After having 2 children, I've learned a lot about the things you need and the things you can pass on. Lately, I've had a few friends and colleagues ask about my experience with some of the baby things we used so I figured it would be easiest to blog about it all!

I should start by saying, we were/are minimalists when it comes to the 'stuff.' I even had a few people comment about how there was 'nothing' on our baby registry- we pretty much stuck to just the cloth diapers we wanted! So here is the stuff we loved, passed on and things we would have changed! (Also, I have no affiliation with any of the products or companies- just one holistic Momma's experience!)

Diapering

• Diapers: We went with AppleCheeks cloth diapers. Complete disclosure, I probably didn't research cloth diapers as much as I would now, knowing what I know about the differences- I pretty much chose these because they were cute and Canadian made. However, I can't say enough great things about them! I also have a few friends who went with them too, after more research and great recommendations. They all love them as well. I think we got lucky, because even now, I would still pick these hands down! They are great for not leaking, have elastic on every side, and can be used with the inserts on top of the cover or in the cover sleeve. We stick with on top of the cover so you can often get more than one diaper change out of the cover. We also got two-layer Rayon from Bamboo liners, I don't think they had the three-layer (back in photo with green trim) at the time we registered but have gotten them since. I find the three-layers better. My son is also a 'heavy wetter' so I will use a two and three-ply in the cover and no leaks. (This topic is kind of huge, so, watch for a continuation post with more details- how many we bought, washing, savings, etc).

Transporting

Carriers/Babywearing: I love babywearing! It is by far my favourite way to transport my kidlets! We did get a stroller and my husband calls it our most expensive dust collector...although I still think a stroller is a necessary item. I have used a few different carriers and I find each has their pros and cons.

• Wrap Carrier: We didn't drop money on a commercial warp, instead a good friend and my ND doula gifted me a homemade one! They are very easy
  to DIY and there are a tonne of instructions online. I loved this wrap when my babies were first born. It works well for small babies, it keeps them close, snug and supported. There is a bit of a learning curve with tying it tight enough but there is no minimum size so you can use it right away. However, as they got bigger, I found it less ideal.
  

Structured Carrier: We originally registered for and got a Baby Bjorn. I did not like it. I found it was very hard on my back and I don't think I ever really wore it. My husband used it a handful of times and that was it. I also read a bunch of reviews (after we got it of course) about how it can be very hard on baby's hips which turned me off as well. However, when my second was born I got a bit more pushed to get a structured carrier. I knew trying to wrangle a 3 year old and manage a newborn was not going to be an easy feat, especially with our weekly visits to St Jacob's Farmer's Market. I looked into a few different ones and ended up going with the Ergo. My butterball son was born pretty big, so I wasn't sure whether we needed the infant insert. Thankfully we waited until after he was born to purchase it and I was able to take him and the carrier to my favourite baby store (Snuggle Bugz) to 'pre' test out the infant insert. Sure enough, there was no getting our fatty baby into it. I love this carrier! I have used it with both my kids- my 3 year old as a backpack and my infant in the side and front carry. It isn't the best carrier for small infants as it requires their legs to be spread pretty wide (for hip support) and I found it wasn't until about 5/6 mos that my son really started fitting it well. You can rig it to work before then but it's not really ideal. The infant insert would also help, as long as your infant isn't too big for it. 

Our son was born at 8 lbs 10.5 oz and at 6 weeks was 13 lbs 7 oz and 23.5in- size wise too big to fit in the insert but development wise (hip range of motion and neck support) still needed the extra support. Because of this, I would recommend waiting on the insert until baby is born to make sure you can use it/need it. I find it super comfortable to use, even with my daughter who is about 32 lbs. My son loves it and has no problem falling asleep in it and it is amazingly easy to discreetly nurse while wearing it! We do have the original carrier which is only a 3 position carrier- back, side and front (facing you), however, since we got it, Ergo has come out with a 360 carrier which has the 3 positions plus a front carry facing out. I think if they had released the 360, I would have splurged on it but I haven't researched it enough or tried it to say for sure.

Turns out, it's all wifi these days! We couldn't even get the camera we had. So I got a D-Link wifi baby camera to test out- I wasn't prepared to go wifi and I had a toddler and 6 mos old so I grabbed what I could and brought it home. As I waited for my warranty gift card to arrive so I could return and re-buy my camera, I thought about what I wanted to do- baby monitor cameras are over double the price of regular wifi cameras and essentially do the same job. The baby monitor camera has the added feature of 2-way speakers aka you can talk to baby through the camera and you can play music through the camera. Both the Summer Infant and Motorola sets had these features and we NEVER used them. Talking to your baby when they are trying to sleep is game over. Both the regular and baby wifi cameras have similar display quality, night vision, motion detection/notification, sound, recording function and picture function. But the regular camera is about a third of the price of the baby camera. 

• Playpen: I am an anti-playpen person, it feels a bit too cage-like to me, so we did not get this. However, there are times when you need baby to be contained- like when you have to use the washroom or shower. So we do have other items. We got a swing which I loved- baby loved to rock and sleep in it, it gives you a place to put them down, it's portable so you can move it to keep an eye on them, ours played music and had a mobile. I used that from about newborn to 4/5 mos or so. A bouncy chair would also serve this purpose but might not be as 'entertaining' for as long. Then we graduated to our exersaucer (or my fave name- The Circle of Neglect) around 5/6 mos. I love this little contraption. My son is ALL go! He never stops and he puts everything in his mouth! So when I need to shower, leave the room, use the washroom, in the circle he goes. It has toys and buttons and rattles to keep him entertained and I know he isn't getting into anything he shouldn't. It's perfect. For the most part, I let my children roam around which I find has helped them learn about things they can do/touch and things they can't much faster. It's more work for me at the beginning but a lot less in the long run.
• Bumboo: We were given this used from a friend who received two as hand-me-downs. I feel pretty 'meh' about this item. We used it maybe twice for each child. I don't see the point too much, if they can't sit yet, they can't sit. I'm glad I didn't spend money on it.
• Jolly Jumper: We avoided this as well mainly because of the research that suggests it can promote imbalanced muscles development- legs develop before core muscles which can affect developmental milestones. The exersaucer can also cause this, however, because I use it in a limited way as more 'containment', I am not concerned and both my children have hit their milestones as expected.

So, I think I've hit all the big items, at least I can't seem to think of anything else! I will be doing a continuation post on cloth diapering since it is such a huge topic and likely a toddler/preschool post since my daughter is now 3 and a half and there have been some things we have found that we love for this age group...so stay tuned! Hope you find it all helpful!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations.

If I had to pick what causes some of the most confusion when it comes to discussing nutrition, I think I would have to go with carbohydrates. When people hear the word, most immediately think of bread, and I would even say grains for that matter. Many don't even realize that all vegetables are considered carbohydrates, as well as, all fruits. So let's answer some common questions.

What is a carbohydrate? 

• Carbohydrates are essentially sugar molecules. These sugar molecules can be on their own (sugar or simple carbohydrates) or in long chains (starches or complex carbohydrates). All you need is 3 or more sugars to consider something a complex carbohydrate.

Are Complex carbs really better?

• The truth here is that the body handles simple and complex carbs the same way- they get broken down into single sugar molecules and then cross into the blood stream. The one exception being fibre. Fibre can't be broken down by the body and therefore, can't be absorbed. (I touched on the importance of fibre in the diet and blood sugar regulation in my last blog post: Smoothie vs Juicing).

I thought whole grains were better? How can that be if it's absorbed the same?

• True, unprocessed whole grains are a better option. But I want to stress the 'unprocessed'. Unprocessed is the key here, as soon as something is made into a flour it is no longer a whole grain. Let's take 'whole grain' bread as an example. If you were to eat an unprocessed grain, your body would have to break down the hard
  outer part of the grain, the bran, to reach the starchy/sugary inside of the grain, the endosperm. This takes time and slows the release of sugar, tempering how quickly sugar can enter the blood stream. When you break down the grain into flour, you break down that outer layer of bran and allow the body easy access to the sugar which means it can be absorbed much faster and raise blood sugar much faster. Whole grain flour is made by breaking down the grain and separating the bran from the starch. The starch alone would be white flour, but by adding the broken down bran back into the sugar part, it now becomes a whole grain, technically. The added fibre (bran) in whole flour will slow absorption compared to white flour but it will still be much faster than eating the whole, unaltered grain. It's kind of like saying having one piece of cake is better than having two pieces of cake- yes, technically it is, but just because it's better doesn't make it healthy.
  
  

What about these no grain or paleo diets?

• Like any diet or style of eating you can follow it in a healthy way or a not so healthy way. I remember being in high school and knowing a few girls who got into Weight Watchers. And I remember one lunch, one of the girls figuring out what she was going to eat at a fast food restaurant, adding up her points and deciding she just wouldn't eat the rest of the day. Not exactly healthy. The same can be said for a paleo style diet. If done in the right way, paleo-style diets can be very healthy ways of eating! Consider two meals:
  • Meal 1: Mixed greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc.), chopped boiled egg, grilled chicken breast, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, sunflower seeds, nuts, avocado with olive oil, lemon juice and mixed herbs.
  • Meal 2: Steak with bacon and sweet potato fries.
• Technically both of these meals would be considered paleo, though one is clearly healthier than the other. Paleo doesn't necessarily mean meat. Vegetables (aside from potatoes) are all 'paleo' foods. Fruits are all paleo foods. Nuts and seeds are all paleo foods. You will never go wrong by increasing vegetables and (moderate amounts) of fruits in your diet no matter what 'style' of eating you subscribe to.

And what about gluten?

• Oh, gluten. It's like the hot button word of our time and has become almost polarizing. Many people have become staunchly anti-gluten, whether or not they really understand what gluten is...[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJFE1sp4Fw[/embed]
• Gluten is a protein found in certain grains such as wheat, rye and barley. It's what gives baked foods that elasticity so they aren't crumbly. Oats do not contain gluten, however, oats are often processed in a facility that also deals with gluten containing grains and therefore tend to be 'contaminated' with gluten.

Gluten Sensitivity? Celia? What's the Deal?

• Celiac disease occurs when your body produces antibodies (immune cells) against gluten in your small intestine. These antibodies cause inflammation and damage to the small intestine decreasing the ability to properly absorb nutrients. This can lead to an array of symptoms throughout the body. Digestive issues are what most think of but it can also cause other symptoms such as joint pain, headaches, rash, nerve damage and more.
• Gluten sensitivity occurs when you have a negative reaction to eating gluten. The standard testing for Celiac will be negative, but the symptoms are still there.

It seems everyone is gluten sensitive these days, why?

• There are many theories as to why gluten issues seems to be on the rise:
• Modern Wheat- modern day wheat is vastly different from ancient wheat of the past. There used to be hundreds of varieties of wheat, while the vast majority of today's wheat crop is of only a few varieties, most being a high-yield dwarf wheat.
• Processing- modern wheat is highly processed and prepared very differently than in the past, usually leading to fewer nutrients.
• Over Consumption- wheat and gluten are in everything these days. Pretty much every single processed food will contain gluten/wheat. The modern North American Diet is laden with grain consumption.
• This is a great article discussing more on the pitfalls of modern wheat here.

But I've heart Gluten-Free is often worse than the 'regular' stuff?

• I have seen these articles floating around essentially stating gluten free diets aren't as healthy as you think, often they are worse for you. These articles base this on comparing regular processed items to the gluten free version. Often times they find that the gluten free version contains more calories, processed flours, sugar or other additives such as careegnan (a thickener). However, the foods they usually compare are processed/pre-made foods- waffles, pancakes, cookies, granola bars, breads, muffins, etc.- none of which are really healthy foods. When someone wants to eat healthier, whether that diet will contain gluten or not, most of these foods should be avoided and eaten only on occasion as a treat. When I recommend to patients to try going gluten free for a week or two, my hope is not that they simply replace junk food with gluten-free junk food but that they adopt a whole food diet- increasing fruits and vegetables and lean proteins- and decrease all processed foods whether gluten free or not. Are gluten free junk foods worse than the regular non-gluten free junk food? Who really cares, they are both junk foods!

So what to do?

• For the vast majority of people who don't have serious health concerns, eating some grains are perfectly fine. However, making sure grains that are chosen are actual whole grains are your best options. If there is Celiac, digestive issues or even an auto-immune condition, avoiding all gluten can be very beneficial, some respond even better to avoiding all grains.
• Avoid processed foods. If it's pre-packaged or has an ingredient list- it's processed. If you remove all processed foods from your diet, the quality of your diet increases exponentially.
• Be mindful of your grain consumption. No one needs to eat heaps of grains at every meal. If you told someone you had eggs for breakfast, frittata and salad for lunch and an omelette for dinner, their immediate response would likely be asking if you don't think that's too many eggs. However, how many people eat bagels or cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner and no one bats an eye.
• Load up on your vegetables and fruits- these are like your nutrient power houses; Eat lean proteins; Don't be afraid of fat; Avoid added sugar and processed foods. Follow these guidelines and your diet and health will more than likely improve!

 


Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations.