I was in a baby store the other day and I was amazed at all of the things they have in there. From baby toys to baby gates, they have everything you can imagine to make sure your baby is safe and secure.My neighbor has a 2-year-old daughter and their house is 100 percent childproof. There's a gate at each stairway and the railings are covered with plastic so the toddler can't slip in between. Also, each corner of their tables is covered with some kind of protection so if she falls and hits the corner she won't crack her head open. Wow! I don't remember having all that stuff when I was growing up. And what's with the new toys? I was happy playing with LEGO and baby dolls when I was little, but I guess that's no longer fancy enough.
Anyway, I'm sure all mothers and fathers want the best for their children. So I commend the parents who do everything they can to protect their babies. When it comes time for me to have a baby, I'm sure I'll do the same. I'll cover every single electrical outlet, put up gates at every stairway and strap the baby with a seat belt while he or she uses a high chair.
Check out what people search for when looking for baby supplies below. Can you think of anything else that should have made it in the top 10?
This month's top searched baby supplies on AOL Search:
1) Baby clothes
2) Baby bedding
3) Baby furniture
4) Baby gifts
5) Baby cribs
6) Baby strollers
7) Baby shoes
8) Baby formula
9) Baby slings
10) Baby gates
See sponsored links for: baby items, baby blankets, childrens clothing.
To find baby supplies, go to AOL Shopping and search on AOL Search for terms such as baby furniture and baby strollers.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1. I think one area of safety for babies and children that is often overlooked is what we are using to clean our homes, do laundry, and wash dishes with. Since they are crawling around on the floors, putting things in their mouth and their size the children are more vulnerable. We switch over to all nontoxic products and we have been very pleased with the brand we found. Check it out here http://www.shaklee.net/good_health/getclean/index
Jen
Posted at 9:23AM on Jun 21st 2007 by smdryad
2. You spend all this time keeping your baby safe but do you ever wonder what is in those products you put on their beautiful skin? Arbonne baby care, ABC, is designed with your baby in mind. There is a diaper rash cream, sunscreen, body oil, body lotion and wash. All are botanically based and ph correct, pediatrician and dermatologist tested, non-sensitizing and non irritating. These products are formulated with out nut oils, and do not contain animal products or by products. To learn more go to www.naturesintention.myarbonne.com
Posted at 10:34AM on Jun 21st 2007 by Marybeth
3. Carseats are very important to keep babies and children safe. Using a carseat every time correctly will greatly reduce the chance of serious injury in the event of an accident. The law in many areas is to keep a baby in a rear-facing carseat until at least one year old AND 20 pounds. This is the minimum requirement, because before that a baby's neck and spine are not strong enough to withstand the force of a crash in a forward-facing seat. However, it is even safer to keep the baby rear-facing until the weight limit of the seat has been reached. For most seats this is 30-35 pounds. Please do all that you can to keep your precious little ones as safe as possible!
Posted at 1:04PM on Jun 21st 2007 by Donna
4. I wanted to add a link that has some great information on choosing and using carseats correctly. This is from the American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
Posted at 1:44PM on Jun 21st 2007 by Donna
5. MalibuBarkie.com
Always read the instructions and the warnings, before an after any item is purchased for your baby. And be sure to alert baby sitter of these warnings & instructions. Did you hear about the baby dying from too much cough syrup or the baby dying from being scared while playing with his mom.
Just read labels, follow the laws, listen to your heart and follow your instincts and you have a healthy baby safe from these odd accidents.
XO, Asia (www.malibubarkie.com) DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOUR FUR BABIES!
Posted at 1:11AM on Jun 22nd 2007 by Asia
6. When my children were infants I would turn the clothes inside out and feel them to see if any duprie got logged iside the clothing, before I'd turn them back right side and put the clothing on my children who are now all in their 30's.
Posted at 9:03AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Mary
7. The most important thing you can do for the health and safety of your baby, now and for an entire lifetime is to breastfeed. There is no formula out there that is even close to mother's own milk. So I think the one thing mother's should "shop" for before their baby is born is breastfeeding information...take a class, talk to a Board Certified Lactation Consultant...but learn just how important breastfeeding is...and get help in the hospital and afterwards from knowledgeable peopel like La Leche League Leaders and Board Certified Lactation Consultants!
Posted at 9:24AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Jen
8. Just plain common sense on the parents part.
Posted at 9:29AM on Jun 24th 2007 by bILL
9. Gee, my kids survived growing up without all that kidproofing of the house and we never had any incidents/accidents around the house-Imagine that.
Posted at 9:36AM on Jun 24th 2007 by makali
10. I babyproofed my home, especially my baby's room. When she was about nine months old, I let her crawl around in her room while I went to get her bottle. Mind you, I had scrupulously babyproofed everything -I am a Consumer Reports subscriber since age 19 and have been called, "Miss Safety" by friends. I was out of her room for less than one minute, and when I came back, I saw that she had something in her mouth. I coaxed her into opening her mouth, and in it, I found the light bulb from the night light. It never occurred to me that a baby that young could pull out a night light and unscrew the bulb, but she did. Fortunately it didn't harm her, but it could have been deadly, so remember this when babyproofing your home.
Posted at 9:50AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Margaret
11. I love all the new things for babies!
I repeat "I" love all the new things. So who are the manufacturers selling to?!
What ever happened to a good old wooden spoon and pots and pans to make lots of fun noises...how about sitting in the grass and feeling it and the baby touching it to it's mouth or some good old healthy dirt. How about holding the baby in your arms in the bathtub and having fun together rather than a hard, cold, plastic seat that has no compassion or Mom's comfort. What about sister or brother's "hand me downs" sometimes. It makes the clothes seem so much more special. Rather than removing everything from the house for safety..how about the word "No"! "It could harm you".
Ah well, I know I have aged myself here...I am 60 and my oldest child is 40 and I have a grandchild...and believe me I could go wild with all that is on the market for my grandson, but I find playing with him and stretching his imagination is way more fun for both of us. :)
Posted at 9:54AM on Jun 24th 2007 by CM
12. SAFE SLEEPING SURFACES PREVENTS SIDS.
We have all this fancy baby bedding available, yet few sources are telling parents that THE safest SIDS-proof sleeping for Baby is on a specially made, toxin-free, safe mattress.
New Zealand has known this fact and had a campaign for over a decade -- during which time NOT ONE infant has died of SIDS while using safe mattresses.
The Back-To-Sleep program in the USA is not the best solution, even though the program IS helping some. Safe mattresses allow baby's sleeping comfort and better shaped baby heads as well as peace of mind for parents.
It is unconscionable that every doctor, childbirth educator, baby store, book, and family does not have this urgent information at hand for new parents.
Check out this life-saving information at http://www.healthychild.com/cribdeathcause.htm. Scroll through the article for buying sources.
It will be one of the cheapest most important decisions of your early parenting years.
Jan, certified childbirth educator
(I have NO financial interest in this product and no connection to the studies; I am just a grandmother with a personal interest in the safety and well-being of newborns and infants.)
Posted at 10:05AM on Jun 24th 2007 by jan bennett-collier
13. Shopping for babies is fun, and one of my favorite gifts for my new-mommy girlfriends is the Boppy pillow. I used mine for breastfeeding my three kids, and it lasted for all that time! It comes in lots of colors and patterns now. You can find it here. http://ultimatebabyshop.com/index.php?c=maternity&n=1084662&i=B000K13R68&x=Boppy_Infant_Support_Pillow
Another lifesaver for me was the Medela Pump in Style breastpump. It helped with latch-on problems (I won't go into details here), engorgement relief, and milk-saving for the rare time away from baby. I tried a couple of other less-expensive (and less effective, more uncomfortable) pumps before my husband got me this as a gift. http://ultimatebabyshop.com/index.php?c=feeding&n=166777011&i=B00016BPA2&x=Pump_In_Style_Advanced_Breastpump
Posted at 10:20AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Heather
14. I just wanna touch on what Donna said on carseats. Rear facing for longer than a year is ideal. Both of mine did. But it isn't just pounds you have to worry about. It's height too. Your carseat has a rear facing height max too. Please check that and lbs. I have skinny kids. They outgrow things in height first.
Posted at 10:31AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Michelle
15. My daughter is a new mom trying to brest feed she is haveing a terrible time she only pump 2oz from each brest,that's on a good day she tried everying thing to produce more milk do you know of anything that will help her so she wont give up.
Posted at 11:22AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Janet
16. I enjoyed the number 13 comment by the lady who was 60 years old and a mother and grandmother. I heartily agree with her. I raised both of my children and am helping to raise my granddaughter, who lives with me. Yes, we have moved things around to make it safer. However, nothing can match the safety of simply NEVER leaving a little one unattended for even a couple of seconds. And that has been my rule from the very beginning.
Children are astonishingly resourceful and creative. They can think of things to do that will get them into trouble, that you could never in a million years, anticipate. Read comment 12. If you need to retrieve something from another room, TAKE THAT CRAWLER OR TODDLER WITH YOU. The extra effort could save your little one's life. Never feel that all those "childproofing," efforts can take the place of your own watchful supervision. They help, but they are not there to babysit for you. Ultimately, you are responsible. And children can learn boundaries at a very early age. Mine did and my granddaughter has as well.
Posted at 11:28AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Lucy
17. Earth-Wear is a great source for natural chemical free organic cotton baby clothes all made in the USA. Earth-Wear baby clothes line has a variety of styles including creepers, body suites, jeans, knit dresses, bibs and more. Shop on-line at http://www.earth-wear.com
Posted at 11:28AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Jeff Young
18. We need to strike a happy medium. I am totally in favor of making a safe environment for our babies and small children. Heck, it all comes back to you when your child starts driving -- believe me on this! But too much "safety" removes the concept of natural consequences --life's most effective teacher. The overwhelming majority of baby accidents are little bumps that don't amount to anything. It's ok for a baby to learn a few things "the hard way"... because it prepares them with common sense for the big bumps when they get bigger and the threats are more serious. We want our kids to develop a sense of caution. They need to know that an error in judgement might end in an owie, so they can avoid future owies.
I know this will make most moms wince, and I don't advocate going this far... .but an old Native American saying is, "A child will burn himself on the campfire only once." This means that after he learns that the fire can hurt him, he gives it the respect it deserves.
Remember that most of the boo-boos our babies get can be kissed away. Certainly keep the big ones at bay, and be a diligent mom and dad, but I always considered those little bumps to be learning experiences -- my kids are pretty much grown now (20 20 and 17) and they are alive, well and healthy. They did have the occasional bump growing up, but nothing traumatic... I did have safety precautions in place to protect them from very real harm. Outlets were covered, carseats were good ones, I used safety harnesses in high chairs, safety gates or playpens to keep them out of a dangerous place, and my hands never left the child in the bath tub. Beyond those and similar precautions, they were allowed to learn by experience that not everything you touch and not everything you do is necessarily warm and fuzzy.
Posted at 11:37AM on Jun 24th 2007 by mom2three
19. Janet, is your daughter working and trying to just breasfeed at night? If so, she may need to breastfeed more often. The breast pump does not stimulate the breast in the same way that the baby's sucking does. That stimulation is what triggers the breast to produce milk. Keeping well hydrated and eating a balanced diet with lots of organic veggies and safe organic protein sources may help as well.I would contact La Leche League too. They are an organization of breastfeeding moms and grandmoms who can provide enourmous support for your daughter.
Also, just get her to relax. Her tension and concern over the perception of not having enough milk can have an effect on milk production as well. If she can take time off and just rest and relax, that would be very helpful.
She's already got one of the best support systems in the world -- a great mom! Keep encouraging her!
Posted at 11:39AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Lucy
20. Common sense is all one needs to realize that baby formulas, made from cows or beans, are not what human babies need for proper growth. When calves are born, they weigh about 80 pounds and will grow up to weigh about 1400 pounds, with a small brain. Mother's milk is raw and unprocessed, while formula is the most processed food known to mankind. Babies need immunities to human diseases - like diabetes and cancer - and not to cow diseases. Breastfeeding will keep babies safe!
Posted at 11:40AM on Jun 24th 2007 by Laurie O