Tag Archives: healthy

Going Dad’s Top Ten Pinterest Picks (5): Baby-Led Weaning

05/15/2014 R.C. Liley 11 Comments

Well, it’s here, Avery’s half year mark. I can’t believe our daughter has already been with us for 6 months! So much has happened and there is so very much still to come!

Scratch sitting up off the "to-do" list! — Scratch sitting up off the “to-do” list!

Going Mom was adamant about strictly breastfeeding until the 6 month mark, and true to her word, she has held her ground. So many babies miss out on the best source of nutrition (and free!), and I am glad Kelley forged through the rough patches to make sure Avery was fed well!

Now the time has come to introduce solids to Avery since at this point her digestive system is developed well enough properly breakdown and utilize various foods. Breast milk will still be her main source of nutrition up to her one year mark, but now I get to take part in “producing” food for Avery!

In my last Top Ten Pinterest Picks post, I shared links related to homemade baby food purees, but baby-led weaning is something different. Baby-led weaning (BLW) is simply letting your child feed themselves at the very start of introducing solids.

Many parents stand by this style of teaching their little ones how to feed themselves and love that they don’t have to fret over steaming, pureeing, and storing food in ice cube trays. Of course, things will get messy, and we accept that…..I think.

Although I was all for and ready to puree away, I started to get more and more into BLW as I read about it. So now, I might do a mixture of both, but we’ll be starting Avery with the BLW method this weekend and I hope to have a successful report next week.

I have green beans, baby carrots, and avocado to start with; all organic. I’ll steam the green beans and carrots to make sure they are plenty soft for Avery’s toothless mouth, and the avocado is fine as is. I plan on sticking with veggies and savory fruit like the avocado at first just to try and keep Avery from developing a sweet tooth right away.

If these prove successful, I’ll happily start giving her mango slices and bananas as a nice treat. Big things happening here in the Liley household, and we’re excited to watch our daughter experience another first soon!

Check out my top ten Pinterest picks for Baby-led weaning and share any thoughts/advice you may have in the comments section.

1. Starting Baby-Led Weaning – This is an informative post with tips on what to start with as well as covering any concerns you may have. I felt better after reading this one.

2. Getting started with baby-led weaning – Going with the “always get a second opinion” motto, this is another post on the same site as above, but it’s reassuring to read positive comments from another source, and then another, and another, and…well you get the point.

3. These might start feeling redundant, but I promise, you feel more comfortable after reading about BLW from various authors/parents. This one shares good foods to start with as well as how to properly prepare them.

4. I’m not “paleo”, but I know many are, and I assume they’d want the same for their little one. Just so happens, there’s a parent blogger who felt like sharing their experience. Paleo or not, this is actually a good source of info and is worth the read.

5. I plan on just using single ingredients to feed Avery, but if you feel like cooking, here’s a 100 recipes to get you started!

6. Unless you’re on an all liquid diet, I’m sure you know what happens when you eat solid food; poop with substance. We’re a cloth diapering family, and since we need a way to remove the “big deposits” before putting in the diaper bin, a diaper sprayer is our chosen way. Some people dunk their diapers….no thanks.

7. Since I prefer not to paint our bathroom walls with poop, this Spray Pal will keep the poo from splashing everywhere when you are spraying. I just received one free of charge from Spray Pal to review, and I’ll share my experience very soon!

8. Just another option if you don’t feel like making one yourself. Nothing wrong with it, and this is the one we just purchased.

9. Again, just making myself comfortable be reading about BLW from multiple sources. We’re all different and it’s good to get many different opinions!

10. A simple site on why these parents love BLW and a list of benefits over being spoon-fed.

What are your thoughts on baby-led weaning?

Do you prefer the traditional spoon-fed method or like BLW better?

Life, Parenting

Help Action for Healthy Kids, Inc. Create a Healthier Generation

05/10/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Hi guys!

Hope your Saturday is off to a great start and full of fun activities or relaxation, or maybe both!

Going Mom, Avery, and I will be out and about looking for a few clothing items for our daughter and hopefully we all have a great time along the way.

Anyone following my blog or who personally knows me, knows how much I value both good nutrition and exercise. If you didn’t know, well, I value both good nutrition and exercise; there you go.

My wife and I make it a point to show Avery how we keep active and include her whenever possible. I’ve even shared a few ways to workout with your baby on this blog. Here are a few:

When we can’t include her, she’ll watch us (or the camera) in action as we workout.

Going Mom rockin' the lunges with an overhead press!! — Going Mom rockin’ the lunges with an overhead press!!

But, not all children are exposed to a daily regimen of exercise and healthy food choices/options. Obviously this is something I am passionate about and it saddens me to know so many kids and adults both are unaware or don’t care about having a better quality of life.

I understand time is a big issue, 9 times out of 10, there’s a way to make it work. Something is always better than nothing!

Which brings me to Action for Healthy Kids, Inc. This organization works with groups and individuals across the country to implement “health-promoting school programs and resources.”

Action for Healthy Kids acknowledges that if the current trend of unhealthy kids continues, their generation will be the first to live shorter lives than their parents!

Here’s a quote from their website:

At Action for Healthy Kids, we believe that all children should be healthy and ready to learn. Sadly, they’re not. One in three of our kids is overweight or obese, putting them at risk for a variety of health complications and chronic diseases, including heart disease, gallbladder disease, asthma, Type 2 diabetes and cancer.

They are helping to combat this trend by providing resources needed across the country to “Learn, Act, & Transform”. They do this by:

Staff – We have a small, but mighty national staff of professionals with expertise in the fields of nutrition, physical activity, education, social justice and communications.
Partnerships – We work through a highly-collaborative partnership network of more than 70 national organizations representing leaders in health, education, fitness, nutrition, governmental agencies, corporations and others who care about kids. Together, we make health-promoting school programs and resources accessible.
Volunteers – Our legion of dedicated volunteers – school leaders, health professionals, parents, students and others – from within the ranks of our 70,000+ constituency, work through schools in every state and the District of Columbia to improve the health of children.
With Your Support – We need the support of millions to create social change. Consider getting involved – whether you donate, volunteer or fundraise for the cause – your help can make a big difference in the lives of children.

My birthday is just less than a month away, and I set a goal to earn $100 on the fundraiser website, Crowdrise before I turn 30.

This is where I am asking you for help. If you can and are willing, I ask that you please help by donating to this very important cause.

Just click on the link below to go to my Crowdrise page and donate whatever you can.

https://www.crowdrise.com/helpkidsgetactiveandhealthy/fundraiser/rcliley

Please share this with your friends and family and help Action for Healthy Kids, Inc. create a healthier generation of children.

You can also visit their website and sign up to take their Every Kid Healthy Pledge.

I’m signed up and ready to go; starting with our precious Avery.

Do you try to stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle to your children?

If so, please share.

Life, Parenting

Is Sunscreen Safe for Baby?

05/08/2014 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

Well, it happened again, my hard-headedness (word?) got the best of me!

I make it a point to go out for a run, walk, or both with Avery every day, and now that it’s hot out, we’re wearing clothes with less cover. That means exposed skin!

Covering my precious cargo before our walk.

I’m guilty of going on runs sans shirt or sunscreen all of the time, and Going Mom always gets on to me about needing to protect my skin. I would just wave it off and go about my day ignorant to how the sun affects me.

If sunscreen was food, I’d be all over it researching and trying to decide what kind is healthy, but this is an area I overlook. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m very peculiar about what I eat, but I need to be more aware of other things that threaten my health as well.

After a run.....and no sunscreen. — After a run…..and no sunscreen.

Like, for instance, sunscreen! Kelley bought some to put on Avery every time we go outside, and I have been rubbing it on her wherever her skin is exposed. You’d think I could simply just put some on myself at the same time, but that’s part of my stubbornness.

I hate rubbing it in because it gets caught in my arm and leg hair too much. Good reason, right? Since my dear wife is persistent about getting me to use sunscreen (I guess she loves me or something!), I thought I’d be smart and just buy a spray version; problem solved!

Nope, problem not solved! Now she was on to me about how bad the spray kinds are! Well crap, will I ever get it right?! I blindly argued that there’s no difference even though I had no clue about sunscreens. Kelley, on the other hand, had been reading several sources on the subject.

Needless to say, Kelley sent me links to prove why certain sunscreens are harmful and I finally admitted defeat. Note to self, don’t argue about things you have no clue about for so long; it gets you nowhere!

So now I have a certain bottle of spray sunscreen I’ll be returning soon.

Here’s a quote from the link Kelley sent me regarding sunscreens:

Could nanoparticles cause internal damage if they penetrate skin or are inhaled?
Yes. Though sunscreen lotions do not pose penetration concerns, inhalation of nanoparticles particles is dangerous for many reasons. EWG strongly discourages the use of powder or spray sunscreens using titanium dioxide or zinc oxide of any particle size.

Read the full article from the Environmental Working Group here.

Now, on to the question of this post; is sunscreen safe for your baby? Like most answers out there, yes and no. There hasn’t been enough research to definitely say sunscreen is harmful, but the effects are greater on a baby than older children and adults.

From what I read, it’s best not to apply sunscreen to babies under 6 months and to avoid the sun as much as possible. Sorry, Avery, we already messed up there.

The FDA has an informative post on the topic of sunscreen for babies along with useful tips on keeping baby safe in the sun.

Keep your baby in the shade as much as possible.
Consult your pediatrician before using any sunscreen on your baby. If you do use a small amount of sunscreen on your baby, don’t assume the child is well protected.
Make sure your child wears clothing that covers and protects sensitive skin. Use common sense; if you hold the fabric against your hand and it’s so sheer that you can see through it, it probably doesn’t offer enough protection.
Make sure your baby wears a hat that provides sufficient shade at all times.
Watch your baby carefully to make sure he or she doesn’t show warning signs of sunburn or dehydration. These include fussiness, redness and excessive crying.
Hydrate! Give your baby formula or breast milk if you’re out in the sun for more than a few minutes. Don’t forget to use a cooler to store the liquids.
Take note of how much your baby is urinating. If it’s less than usual, it may be a sign of dehydration, and that more fluids are needed until the flow is back to normal.
Avoid combination sunscreens containing insect repellants like DEET. Young children may lick their hands or put them in their mouths. According to the AAP, DEET should not be used on infants less than 2 months old.
If you do notice your baby is becoming sunburned, get out of the sun right away and apply cold compresses to the affected areas.

Thankfully, Going Mom did her research and bought sunscreen with only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Unlike chemical-based sunscreens that are absorbed into the skin, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sit on top of the skin. A benefit of this, besides not soaking into your skin and therefore bloodstream, is that they start working upon application. The chemical kind need 15 – 20 minutes to allow time for absorption before they begin to protect.

An article on BabyCenter.com explains this in detail and is yet another post worth reading. As mentioned in the article, never trust the label on products and make sure to scrutinize the list of ingredients. Hey, that’s like I do with food; now we’re talking my language!

The takeaway from all of this can be summarized in a few bullet points:

If possible, avoid exposing a baby under 6 months to the sun altogether.
If not possible, keep baby under shade and/or use a sunscreen with only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the main ingredient.
Do not, under any circumstances use a spray sunblock on yourself or baby.
Don’t trust the labels! Please read the ingredients and know what you are slathering all over yourself and your precious child!
I’m an idiot for doubting my wife and taking so long to acknowledge that she was right.

Thank you, Kelley, for “exposing” me to the reality of sunscreen!