baby and toddler stuff – HEALTH FREAK MOMMY

Baby Development: Everything You Need to Know About Weaning

Weaning is a natural part of a baby’s development which involves gradually introducing foods into your baby’s milk-based diet. However, weaning can be a challenging process for both you and your baby. Some mothers are excited about their newfound independence, while others worry about their baby not taking to solid foods. Remember that whatever you feel about the weaning process is completely natural but having some more information can help you feel more in control.

When Should a Baby Be Weaned?

Of course, like everything else in your baby’s development, weaning is a personal choice, so you should do what is right for your child. However, for most babies, the right time to start weaning is when they reach about six months old. The reason for this is because, at six months, your baby’s nutritional needs will be growing.

Signs that your baby is ready to be weaned include:

Your baby can sit up without support and has neck control.
Your baby opens their mouth when they see food.
Your baby appears to be hungry earlier than usual.

There are many different approaches that you can take when it comes to weaning. You can follow a child-based approach, which involves following your baby’s own cues and going at their pace. You can take a parent-based approach, which is when you make the decision to start weaning. Alternatively, you could follow partial weaning, which involves slowly introducing one solid food meal into your baby’s milk-based diet.

How Do You Start Weaning?

Your weaning experience will be personal and will depend on your preferences and the needs of your baby. That being said, that are certain tips that you can follow that will make the weaning process easier. Some of the top weaning tips include:

Follow Your Babies Cues

Don’t be afraid of forcing anything on your baby; just follow their cues, and they will show you what food they like and what they don’t.

Buy the Right Equipment

Weaning can be a very messy process, so it is important to buy the right kit. In addition, you should purchase specialized items from EasyTots such as weaning spoons, bibs, and cleaning products to make the process much easier.

Start Slowly

If you are worried about breastfeeding or moving too quickly, you can start your weaning journey by moving to one solid food meal a day.

Get Someone Else to Do the Feeding

If you are struggling to get your baby to move onto solid foods, you might want to get someone else to do the feeding. Your baby might associate you with breastfeeding and, therefore, might be more inclined to take their food some someone else.

What Foods Should You Choose?

When you are introducing the first foods into your baby’s diet, you should focus on substances that offer flavor and nutrients that can be easily eaten. It is also useful to offer your baby iron-rich food as your baby will naturally start requiring more iron after six months.

Some popular foods to start introducing to your baby’s diet include:

Banana
Ripe avocado
Roasted sweet potatoes wedges
Roasted apple wedges
Melon slices
Thick mango slices

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Bubs Organic Cow’s Milk and Baby Food

The moment you held your baby in your arms for the first time, I’m sure he or she made an instant place in your heart forever. You made up your mind that you’re going to give the best of everything to this precious bub of yours. You were determined that baby would be breastfed exclusively for as long as you could lactate, that baby would be fed with only organic produce and you would try to go organic with baby toiletries and much more. However, not all new mothers are able to breastfeed their babies due to a myriad of reasons which are out of their control, such as insufficient glandular tissue (hypoplastic breasts), previous breast surgery, such as mastectomy or a breast reduction surgery, postpartum depression and much more. When faced with such difficulties, there are great alternatives to mother’s milk such as sourcing for a human milk bank or go on baby formula. There are many brands and types of baby formula in the market to choose from and if you can afford it, it would be great to choose a certified organic formula brand, like Bubs Organic®.

According to strict organic regulations put in place by the USDA, organic milk must come from a cow that has not been treated with antibiotics, has not been given hormones ― for either reproduction or growth ― and has been fed at least 30 percent of its diet on pasture. Organic milk has more of the good stuff and none of the antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones or controversial pesticides. Organic cows are happier and healthier which leads to more nutritious milk and healthier babies and kids!

Bubs Organic® milk comes from free range cows that graze outdoors, all year round and enjoy a diet of fresh green grass. A grass fed diet improves the quality of cows milk as it is richer in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin e, beta-carotenes and CLA when compared to other milks. Bubs Organic® milk are available for newborns to children up to age 12 years old. The milk is free from nasties, sucrose and maltodextrin.

Exclusively formulated for formula-fed newborns and babies ages 0-12 months, Bubs 365-day organic grass fed cows produce milk with higher nutritional values than regular cows milk. For toddlers, Bubs organic cows milk formula has 16 vitamins & minerals with prebiotics, probiotics and added DHA and ARA to help support your growing toddler’s nutritional needs. With double organic certification, Bubs organic cows milk drink is a delicious nutritional drink for busy, active and fussy eaters.

Whole foods such as fruits or veggies will be the best snacks for kids. However, sometimes kids want fun and yummy snacks. Bubs Organic has tasty snacks, cereals and rusks that are 100% certified organic for babies 4 months onwards. They are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. Each offering from the Bubs Organic® Snacks and Cereal range is carefully crafted with the expertise of nutritionists and chefs, taste-tested by real mums and their bubs.

Did you know that I sometimes buy organic baby biscuits and snacks for our teenage girls for their guilt-free snacking? Even I munch on them 😆

Organic foods, produced without the use of synthetic pesticides, not only help build a healthier ecosystem, they can help boost levels of phytochemicals (plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities) in plant foods, as well as lower pesticide residues in the diet.

Bubs Organic® Grass Fed Formula range retails at an introductory price of RM128 each while the Bubs Organic® Snacks and Cereal retails from RM18.90 to RM20.90. All Bubs products are currently available in selected outlets throughout Malaysia.

Learn more about Bubs® and find the full list of retailers by visiting www.bubsmalaysia.com. Parents can also redeem an exclusive 50% off their first Bubs Organic® Grass Fed Formula via the official website over the campaign period. Simply complete your purchase on the website to enjoy this limited introductory promotion!

For the latest updates and promotions, do check out Bubs Malaysia’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bubsmalaysia and Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/bubsmalaysia/.

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Three Ways Your Toddler Benefits from Independent Playtime for Hours at a Time

When it comes to toddlers, nature usually wins over nurture. How so? Some children are born a little clinger than others, whereas some children are rambunctious and fiercely independent. Whatever the case may be for your own cutie, there are significant benefits to allowing your kiddo to play independently.

Sure, you can start out with half-an-hour, but encourage those 30-minute intervals to become several hours of independent playtime throughout the day. Why? Because independence is something your children need and there’s no better time to allow them teach themselves how to fight through being bored.

Independent Play Encourages an Active, Engaged Imagination
When your child plays independently, they have to rely on themselves to come up with something fun and engaging to play. Giving them a room full of wooden toys, puzzles, and books, or simply sending them outside to the fenced-in backyard, encourages them to engage their active imaginations.

Tip: You could even encourage active imagination with an indoor infant toddler swing. They’re supervised, of course, but they can bounce and play without relying on you for entertainment.

Independent Play Teaches Children How to Combat Boredom on Their Own
This is the era of instant gratification. Everything is literally at your fingertips at all times, but boredom can be a great learning tool. When children are faced with boredom, they come up with new and interesting ways to pass the time.

Note: Independent play encourages children to find hobbies, passions, and things that interest them. For example—you could provide crafty things, like paints and glitter. Let your youngster have the run of craft tables. This is where their imaginations thrive.

Independent Play Eliminates Heavy Reliance on Others, like Parents, for Constant Entertainment
While attachment parenting can be an awesome tool in its own right, children shouldn’t need their parents, or anyone else, for constant entertainment. Independent play shows them that they can have fun and do things for themselves, regardless of who is around.

Tip: If your kiddo is constantly underfoot or scared of playing alone, set a timer for 15 minutes and tell them that their task is to play independently until the timer goes off. It might take a few tries over the course of weeks, but kids usually discover how much they love simply using their imaginations to play by themselves.

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Fond Memories Of Baby C’s Pack And Play Yard

At our family Whatsapp chat group yesterday, mum posted a picture of all the baby paraphernalia that she had just dug out from the storeroom, in preparation for my twin baby niece and nephew to use when they are back in Ipoh from Singapore next week. They are a pack and play yard (playpen), stroller, walker and bouncinet, among other stuff. Just a little intro on the history of the playpen, stroller and walker.

If you search for best strollers, you’ll most likely find All Mom Needs website which has lots of strollers buying guides, tips and tricks that’ll help any mom a lot during stroller buying process.

The hubs and I bought the pack and play yard for Alycia, our first born almost 15 years ago and it is still in almost perfect condition! I still remember that day very vividly when we went to the baby products shop in Ipoh to shop for it. We were so excited to buy our very first pack and play for our precious first born. It’s been used by our 3 girls, my Singapore brother’s oldest daughter and now his twins.

The stroller was a gift from my sil 15 years ago for Alycia. It’s been used by our 3 girls and the same sil’s 3 babies.

The bouncinet belongs to my brother, used by his oldest daughter and now his twins.

As for the baby walker, it’s an epic. Mum bought it 47 years ago for my eldest brother. It was then used by me, my younger brother and now the twins! And it’s not even crumbling or rusty yet.

When my brother’s twins outgrow the pack and play yard, I think I am going to ask mum NOT to give it away. The sight of the pack and play yard brings back a lot of happy memories of my 3 precious babies growing up. They used to sleep and play in it each time we were back in Ipoh for our holidays. Who knows my daughters’ babies will be using it one day, just like the baby walker that my brothers and I used over 4 decades ago.

At our KL home, there used to be two pack and play yards for Baby C (Cass). One was her playpen in my room and the other for the living room. She hardly slept in the playpen in my room as she slept under my armpit for 3 years. She was breastfed for 3 years and co-slept with her dad and me. My 2 older girls loved the playpen. They used to cramp inside it and pretended that it was a tent. Sometimes the both of them would take their nap inside the play pen.

Alycia was about 6+ and Sherilyn 4+ in these photos. Drama Queen (Sherilyn) was still a compulsive thumb-sucker then. Gawd, I am missing my babies terribly now 😥

When Cass outgrew the two pack and play yards, I sold the pink one and gave away the other one. I should have kept the pink one for keepsake and perhaps for my future grand children! But then again, my daughters probably wouldn’t want a 30-year old pack and play yard when they have their own babies in future. Pack and play yards are aplenty and the designs and features keep improving over time. You can browse these directions for the best pack and play yards, rated and reviewed by moms.

Looking back at these photos when Cass was under two years old makes me miss her baby days terribly. How I wish that Cass was still a toddler, cute as a button and still didn’t know how to challenge me mentally and answer me back rudely. Of course her baby days weren’t easy for me due to her health condition.

It would be really nice if there were a baby at home now. I really miss having a baby around. Hubs would be glad to jump straight into having another baby with me IF I agreed to have baby #4. But no, my child-bearing days are over. I am now looking forward to the next phase of my journey where I can claim some independence. It takes a village to raise a child and in this day and age, it takes a million bucks to raise one till he/she completes tertiary education and this is the main reason why I am not ready to have another baby 😐

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Go Natural With Baby Mantra

When I had my first baby, me being the first time new mom didn’t know that shampoos meant for babies and young kids may contain harsh chemicals that may be toxic. I bought a very well known brand of baby shampoo and thought that it was the best since my mother bathed me with this brand of shampoo too. In fact, many mothers still use this brand of baby products as it has grown to be a household name for baby bath products. And like how many mothers used to bathe their babies in the 1970s and 80s by putting a few drops of baby body shampoo into a tub of water and then washing the baby inside the tub of soap water without rinsing afterwards, I naturally did the same with my first born. She developed bad rashes on her skin, especially on her cheeks and scalp.

Two babies later, I was a smarter and more well-informed mother. I found out later that the brand of baby bath products that I had been using on my girls contains sulfates and paraben.

Studies have shown that some parabens can mimic the activity of the hormone estrogen in the body’s cells, and while estrogenic activity is associated with certain forms of breast cancer, parabens have been found present in breast tumors. Sulfates are concerning because they were found to break down proteins, which can lead to a degenerative effect on the cell membranes. Sulfates were also found to leave residue in the heart, lungs, and brain.

With my third baby, I bought only baby bath products that are free from sulfates and paraben.

Many beauty companies have swapped out sulfates for other chemicals, which can sometimes even be worse. To ensure that sulfate-free products won’t further damage your skin and hair, look for products that use fruit or vegetable-based cleansing ingredients.

One such brand of baby toiletries that uses natural and organic ingredients is Baby Mantra.

Baby Mantra is a natural, organic, gluten-free, vegan, PETA, EWG verified and NPA certified skincare line for moms, babies, kids and sensitive adults!

Every Baby Mantra product is:

EWG VERIFIED ^TM
Rated “1” on EWG’s Skin Deep
Certified by the Natural Products Association
PETA Certified – Cruelty Free
NO Sulfates
NO Parabens
NO Phthalates
NO Parabens
NO Dyes
NO Artificial Fragrances
Gluten Free
Allergy Tested

Baby Mantra natural baby body wash has such natural ingredients as lavender and coconut oil. The calming lotion has shea butter and soothing lavender and the baby rash ointment has nourishing sunflower seed oil.

Made in the U.S.A from only top quality all-natural and organic ingredients, www.babymantra.com hosts an entire product line of baby lotions, baby oils, Mommy Body butter, shampoo & body wash all tested and approved by the founder and her beautiful baby girls. Do check them out and I am sure you will fall in love with Baby Mantra’s range of soothing and natural toiletries.

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Olive Baby Products From New Zealand

I received a box of surprise from the courier delivery guy last week. I was not expecting any stock from my suppliers, so what could be inside the box?! I could not wait to find out! I quickly ripped open the box and surprise awaited me… I saw a couple of exclusive Olive Baby products!

I had seen the Olive Baby range of products at Skin Topic at Pavillion last month and they looked very impressive to me. Olive Baby range of skin care products are all natural and gentle for a baby’s skin. All of the products contain extra virgin olive oil from Simunovich Olive Estate in Auckland, New Zealand.

Olive oil has been used for centuries in the Mediterranean as a beauty treatment and an overall remedy for the skin.

Here are the goodies that I received:

Love this olive oil baby massage oil. I apply it on Cass’ hair and skin after each shower. The remaining oil that’s on my hand, I rub it on my hair and legs too lol! The olive oil lessens the frizzle on my hair.

Olive baby massage oil moisturises your infant’s skin and helps to protect it from dryness. The luxurious blend of almond oil, jojoba oil and extra virgin olive oil has been carefully chosen for its hydrating and, nourishing properties. To a baby, touch is talk. So pamper your precious baby with the best skin care products that contain no harsh chemicals.

Ingredients: Prunus dulcis (Almond) Oil, Olea europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Calendula officinalis Flower Extract

Love the Olive Baby body and hair wash too. Just one or two squeezes of shampoo is enough to cleanse Cass’ hair and body. The scent is mild and pleasing.

The Olive Baby Body & Hair Wash has a mild formula which will cleanse, moisturise and condition your infant’s skin and hair. Containing a nutrient-rich, hydrating blend of natural ingredients, this gentle all-over body and hair wash is suitable for daily use. It is mild, pH balanced and does not contain SLS, the carcinogenic ingredient found in most shampoos and body cleansers.

The Olive Baby range retails from RM65 to RM92 and is available exclusively at:

theSkintopic, Level 5, P5.12.00, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Tel: 03-21429988
theSkintopic, Lower Ground Floor, Lot LGC01, Subang Parade Mall, Tel: 03-56382988

Olive & Tebe counters at Metrojaya Mid Valley, Metrojaya Bukit Bintang,
Metrojaya The Curve & Parkson Sunway Pyramid

Poppies Sibu, No. 13 Island Road, Sibu, Sarawak, Tel: 084-318722

Poppies Kuching, Lot 111, First Floor, The Spring Shopping Mall, Jalan Simpang Tiga, Kuching, Sarawak, Tel: 082-236553

Poppies Bintulu, G/F, No. 6, Lot 7227, Medan Sentral Commercial Centre,
Jalan Tanjong Kidurong, Bintulu Sarawak, Tel: 086-319722

For more information, visit http://www.olivetebe.com.my/

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Create A FREE Website For Each Of Your Child Today!

Want to create a website for your child or children? BabyHomePages.net gives YOU and anyone a safe, private, easy and FREE way to create a personalized website for your child. It works pretty the same way as a blog.

BabyHomePages.net has families worldwide that use their website to
* Keep friends and family updated;
* Create a digital or hardcopy scrapbook;
* Document pregnancies and the weeks that follow;
* Share all of baby’s “firsts” and beyond.

All you have to do is visit Baby Home Pages. On the right side of the page, there will be links to featured sites. Click on a few of those sites and you should be able to get a good idea of how it works. Feel free to create FREE ACCOUNT to test it out today! Now, I am tempted to create another website for my girls 😀

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New Outfit, Bibs And Sunnies From Mothercare For My Sweetiepie

We got these from Mothercare for my sweetiepie when we went shopping the other day:

My main purpose of going to Mothercare was to get Baby C some bibs. Yup, bibs again. I seem to have a fetish with cute bibs with crumbcatcher and I find bibs so useful as they save me so much time from having to clean up the mess on the floor, table and clothes.

While I was busy looking at the bibs and clothes, daddy couldn’t resist getting his sweetiepie a pair of sunnies coz Baby C seems to love wearing her princess wannabe Sherilyn cheh cheh’s Paris Hilton sunnies haha!

Don’t play play, this pair of Sunnies has the Mothercare logo on the rim…. and it looks like a baby’s branded designer eyewear!

And I couldn’t resist getting my sweetiepie this pack-of-2 cute set of attire. But my heart broke when the size meant for her (aged 9-12 months) was oversized for her. And I had to admit that my pint-size baby is underweight and got her the set for babies aged 6-9 months (for weight up to 9kg) *heartbroken*
My sweetiepie only weighs 7.7kg at 11 months 🙁

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Baby C’s X’mas Pressies

These are some of Baby C’s X’mas pressies :

A set of ELC stacking cups from koo mah, all the way from Hong Kong. It’s a great gift for her since she likes plastic cups, bowls and containers.

A 2-in-1 fan cum musical clip from daddy.

And this is my pressie from koo mah….

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What Can Keep Babies Amused

Apart from a couple of teething rings, I have not bought any toys for Baby C for I know she will surely lose interest in her toys in just hours. I’ve learnt my lesson after having 2 older gals. Amazingly, what amuses Baby C and also my 2 older gals when they were babies are things not meant for them, just about anything not meant for them from tissue papers to plastic bags, handphones, remote control, comb, hair brush, containers, etc. I am sure most babies are like that too. I guess this is human nature. The forbidden apple always looks tempting.

Baby C just loves combs. This is a comb that was given free to us when Baby C was hospitalized at Pantai Medical Centre 2 weeks ago. She’s been playing with this comb for more than a week and she still finds this comb amusing and tastes better than her teething rings! I always have this comb next to me whenever I change her diaper or change her clothes as it is one of the things that can keep her entertained and still.

I don’t have to buy her expensive gel-filled or water-filled teething rings anymore. The ones that I had bought her recently are now all dumped aside. She likes free gifts more!

So who says free things are not good? Even babies love them more than expensive toys. Just another frugal living tip from me!

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Another Electronic Toothbrush For Alycia And Sherilyn

After lunch 2 Sundays ago, daddy brought Aly and Sher to Guardian Pharmacy after dropping me and Baby C back home as Baby C was fussing and wanted her nap. I had asked him to get the gals Pureen Colostrum tabs and probiotics for Baby C. Daddy also took the opportunity to buy Aly and Sher each an Oral B electronic toothbrush, something which he had longed wanted to buy them but I had been stopping him coz it’s freaking expensive at RM99.90 each! Last year he got Aly and Sher each a Colgate electronic toothbrush which cost around RM30 but they were spoilt after just a couple of months coz they and also the maid didn’t know how to take care of the toothbrush. One time, my former maid immersed the electronic toothbrush into a cup of water! Daddy said the Oral B electronic toothbrush is good as the toothbrush head is replaceable…. and so Oral B electronic toothbrush it was that he bought the gals. When he came back, my mil and I were nagging him coz those 2 gadgets were freaking expensive and I personally feel that kids don’t need to use such expensive toothbrush. At RM99.90 each, the same amount of money can be used to buy more than 20 regular toothbrushes… which could last them for years! Next time I better follow daddy whenever he brings Aly and Sher shopping!

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Getting A Jogging Stroller For Baby C

Baby C hates it when she’s put on her highchair (which once belonged to her 2 sisters). She will arch her back, scream and struggle each time she’s put on the highchair 🙁 I think the highchair with a plastic padding seat must have made her feel really hot. She loves her stroller though and each time she’s placed on the stroller, she’ll doze off by herself without much fuss. I’m thinking of getting a new stroller for Baby C as I intend to put the old stroller inside the house. This way, I can buckle her up in the stroller and put it next to the dining table so that I can have a peaceful meal without having to carry her when I eat. I have always wanted to get a jogging stroller or an all terrain stroller so that I can bring her along with me when I go jogging in the morning.

There are many types and brands of jogging strollers. I’ve seen several jogging strollers at Mothercare and a few other baby shops here but have not found one that meets my budget and needs. Most of the jogging strollers available here are very costly as they are imported. I saw several jogging strollers at shopwiki.com today and they cost way cheaper than the ones sold here. I am really tempted to buy one but I am sure the shipping charges will cost me a bomb. I wonder if there is a place for me to buy a second-hand jogging stroller here as they cost much cheaper than a brand new one.

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Infant Drops

Baby C’s appetite seems to have decreased lately. She used to have a ravenous appetite before her first UTI (urinary tract infection) attack 3 months ago, so ravenous that when she suckles on my boops, she made really loud and embarrasing sounds. She could never get enough of my boops. But lately, I have to force her to drink my milkie and she has not been gaining much weight over the past 1 month. At almost 5 months, her weight is only 6.4kg. Her birth weight was 2.75kg. I think the antibiotics that she’s taking everyday is the culprit for suppressing her appetite. Also, a child with Kidney Reflux has poor appetite and poor weight gain 🙁

I was really concerned and asked Dr Indon of SJMC if Baby C is underweight but she told me yesterday that her weight is average and normal. I then asked her if it’s alright to feed Baby C infant drops to increase her appetite and she said no problem. I had actually bought the Appeton infant drops with Lysine (Lysine helps to enhance an infant’s appetite) on Sunday but hubby and mil were quite alarmed that I am feeding this to Baby C without first seeking the dr’s go-ahead. They wanted me to get the green light from Dr Indon. Now that I’ve gotten the go-ahead, I’ve been feeding Baby C with this infant drop everyday and I think her appetite has increased. I also fed Sherilyn with this infant drop when she was a few months old until she was 1 year old.

Do you feed your infant with any infant drops or multivitamins?

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Baby Sling

Ever since I bought a baby sling from The Baby Loft shop 2 weeks ago, I have not really used it yet. That’s because I don’t really know how to use it! I just seem to have a phobia wearing Baby C like this. I keep having morbid thoughts of her dropping out from the sling and her body and head getting ‘senget’ (crocked) sleeping all curled up in the sling.
BTW, is this the correct way of putting a baby in the sling? Why is the baby at my belly level when I stand up? Isn’t it supposed to be higher, i.e. near the boops? And why is Baby C’s legs pushed up and her head senget, in a way that she is all curled up (like a baby inside the womb)? I hope I did not put her wrongly in the sling. Need advice from experienced mummies who carry their babies in slings.

No. of times viewed = 1759

Lip Balm For Kids

After searching high and low for a lip balm that’s safe for kids for months at many pharmacies and organic shops, I finally found one at The Baby Loft shop. It’s made from beeswax and other natural products and has the taste of peppermint.

No. of times viewed = 224

Unique Personalized Baby Gifts

Many of the baby gifts that I received after I delivered Alycia and Sherilyn were items that I already had or items that I could not find any use for my babies. They are pre-packaged baby clothes, baby bottles, rattles, bowls and cutlery for toddlers, baby bags and pacifiers. I think the best gifts for the baby and mummy are still cash or gold! Of course, I would also love to receive cute personalized baby gifts with the name of my baby on the gift. I’ve seen some very lovely and unique personalized baby gifts at this baby gifts website called The Nest Baby Shop. If you want to buy baby gifts for your close friend’s baby, do check out this store.

No. of times viewed = 372