Two weekends ago, I attended the Healthy Baby and Child Expo in Houston. Now, for those of you who know me from my blog or website, you know that as a NICU nurse, my mission is simple….to promote the health, safety and well-being of babies. There were many vendors at the expo whose products/services were truly designed to promote infant health and safety. Let’s take a look at some of these companies:
Non-Profit Organizations and Support Groups:
•March of Dimes– One of my favorite non-profit organizations and one that I hold close to my heart. Through research, education and advocacy, the March of Dimes strives to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, prematurity and infant mortality. There are so many ways to help support this organization: donate money, cars, cell phones; March for Babies; recycle your electronics and much more! Click here to learn how you can help.
•LIFE Houston (Local Infant Formula for Emergencies)– This non-profit organization helps families in their time of need. Designed for babies under a year old, LIFE provides formula, baby food and other necessities free of charge. There are no qualification requirements; all that is needed is a photo ID and proof of birth. Educational support is included and focuses on breastfeeding support, parenting and baby care issues, nutrition and referrals for long-term solutions. Learn how you can help support Food for Hungry Babies.
•Mocha Moms Inc– “A support group for mothers of color who have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote more time to their families and communities.” Mocha Moms Inc. emphasizes community service and outreach and has partnered with Boys Booked on Barbershops, National Marrow Donor Program (National Cord Blood Donor Program), Black Women’s Health Imperative, America’s Promise, Zero to Three, Learning for Life, National Cares Mentoring Movement, National Institute for Literacy and Scholastic to help fulfill their community mission.
Organic Baby Food:
•Sprout Organic Baby Food– Using only certified USDA organic ingredients, chef and co-founder Tyler Florence, brings us one of the most AMAZING and DELICIOUS baby foods on the market (in my opinion). Packaged in a BPA-free pouch, Sprouts organic baby food is free of preservatives, sugar, starches, or fillers. I tasted the Oatmeal with Cinnamon Roasted Applesauce and it was so good! Jillian, Sprout’s creative director, was so pleasant and informative. She even gave me a Roasted Banana & Mango to take home! Hmmmmm….maybe dinner tonight ;-)? Don’t forget to recycle your package with TerraCycle. For every package recycled, TerraCycle will donate $0.02 to a non-profit organization or school of your choice! If you don’t recycle, re-use: just wash the pouch and use as snack bags.
•Plum Organics– Another delicious certified USDA organic baby food on the market today, Plum Organics uses only pure ingredients which are gently cooked to preserve the nutrients. The convenient packaging is portable, re-sealable and BPA-free. I tasted the Pear & Mango and it was fantastic! Babies are so lucky these days! Looking forward to receiving some more yummy samples to try. Guess it’s just not babies that are lucky 😉
•HappyBaby– Ok, so, if a grown man goes back for seconds….you know it’s good. Both John & I had to help ourselves to a second helping of the Puffs and Meltaways. What wonderful snacks for babies! Endorsed by Dr. Bob Sears (who attended and spoke at the expo), HappyBaby provides USDA certified organic food for babies and toddlers. Browse their selection of frozen meals, cereals, snacks and food for toddlers. For every package you buy, HappyBaby works with Project Peanut Butter to help feed starving children in Malawi.
•Tasty Baby– Choose from a variety of USDA certified organic frozen meals, cereals and fruit snacks. Endorsed by Dr. Greene, Tasty Baby is not only committed to providing your baby with delicious, nutritious foods, but the packaging is both eco-friendly and safe for your baby. Check out how Tasty Baby packages their products here. The fruit snacks we tasted were so good that I’m going to buy them for myself!
•First Juice– A USDA certified organic fruit and vegetable juice that contains 59% less sugar than the leading brands….is this possible? ABSOLUTELY! First Juice combines carrot juice with apple, banana, blueberry or peach juice to provide a refreshing beverage without the added sugar. The 8oz BPA-free, recyclable sippy bottle are convenient for moms on the go and can be washed and refilled.
Products/Services:
•Precious Baby Protectors– Members of the International Association for Child Safety, this team has been child-proofing homes for the past 14 years! One of the main items that drew me to this booth was a uniquely shape outlet cover which is large enough that it does not pose a choking hazard as do the common circle ones found in stores today. According to their website, the “popular plastic push-in outlet caps are the #4 cause of infant choking!” Remember, if it passes through an empty toilet roll, it is a choking hazard for young children! After browsing their selection of child-proofing supplies and speaking with Robert, I knew these guys knew what they were talking about. Precious Baby Protectors serves the Houston, Austin and Dallas area.
•Milk Screen– Are you breastfeeding? Want a glass of wine or a beer but are worried if the alcohol will remain in your breast milk? You’re not alone. Many nursing moms ask me if it’s ok for them to have a glass of wine and even though I tell them that a glass of wine is fine, they are still worried. Sound like you? Well, this product may ease your mind a bit. According to Milk Screen, metabolizing alcohol depends on 3 factors: body weight, type of alcohol consumed and food intake. This 2 minute test detects the presence of alcohol in your breast milk and helps put your mind at ease.
•Neat Solutions– I love these products especially the eco-friendly, bio-degradable table toppers. These disposable table placemats provide a barrier between the restaurant table and your baby’s food. If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry, you know what is used to clean table tops and I’m sorry, but I would not want my baby eating off the table. I don’t even put my utensils on a restaurant table. These placemats are biodegradable (excluding the Neat Solutions design series), BPA-free, PVC-free and phthalate-free! Other disposable products offered by this company: Potty Toppers, XL Changing Pads, Bibs, Floor Toppers, Multi-use Pads and All-in-One Meal Kits.
•Boon– This company creates unique and modern baby products. Boon donates 10% of their profits to various children charities. My favorite products are the Squirt, Flo and Frog Pod.
–The Squirt is a BPA-free, PVC-free and phthalate-free food dispensing spoon. Just fill with baby food and squeeze the bulb to dispense. Snap on the protective cover and throw into your diaper bag for food on the go.
–The Flo attaches to your bath tub faucet and turns your baby’s bath into a waterfall experience while acting as a spout cover to prevent accidental injury. Use the bubble bath dispenser feature for even more fun.
–The Frog Pod attaches to your bathroom wall and acts as a drainable storage container for your child’s bath toys. Also check out the Bug Pod.
•Dr. Brown’s– I recommend these baby bottles to all of my moms, friends and relatives. I find that babies spit up less and the venting system helps to reduce gas. I’m so happy that now Dr. Brown’s has both BPA-free and glass bottles. The new bottles are BPA-free, phthalate-free, PVC-free and lead-free!
•Dapple– I did a review on Dapple products back in October (Do You Dapple, Baby?) and was so happy to see them at the expo. Be on the look-out for the new laundry detergent coming in March!
•Seventh Generation– Provides eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products, paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, laundry detergent, feminine products, diapers, wipes, training pants and more. Seventh Generation donates 10% of profits to charities and created the Million Baby Crawl to raise awareness and demand chemical reform policies. Seventh Generation lists all of their ingredients on their product labels and their Frequently Asked Questions page answers consumers’ burning questions on topics such as SLS, pigmented diapers, SAP in diapers and much more. Got a question? Just post and someone from the team will answer.
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