For years, diets in the western world have given up health in place of convenience. This convenience carries over into the pre packaged and processed foods that so many people have come to depend on to feed their babies. Unfortunately, these foods often are lacking in nutrients and are packed with sugars and other fillers, making them anything but healthy. A better idea, and one that will greatly benefit your baby’s health, is a return to homemade baby food.

Making homemade baby food does not have to be a difficult, time consuming task. Most of the food you buy in the market is simply pureed vegetables and fruit. To maintain the food’s freshness, chemicals are often added. This is the main thing we want to avoid. A couple of hours a week is all it takes to prepare a full menu for your baby. Not only will the baby be getting fresher, healthier food, you will also be saving a lot of money.

What you need to get started are a few ice cube trays. Select the foods that your baby is used to eating such as green beans, carrots, apples, etc and prepare them by either steaming or cooking in a microwave. Do not boil the food since many nutrients are removed this way. Once the food is cooked, place it in the food processor or blender and puree it. Now simply put the food into the ice trays and place the trays in the freezer. Once frozen, the individual portions can be popped out and placed in freezer bags. Now you have an entire week’s worth of meals for only a few dollars. You see, homemade baby food is a piece of cake.

When it’s time to feed the baby, simply place the freezer bag in warm water to thaw and pop the food in a microwave for a few seconds to reheat if desired. Any uneaten portions should be discarded. This is not a problem since each meal represents less than a dollar.

Homemade baby food is so simple and so beneficial to your baby, that it just doesn’t make sense to use any other kind if you have the time. Putting aside an hour or two a week for baby food preparation will become a routine and certainly an important part of raising a healthy baby.

Tips for Hot Mamas:

1. Take Yoga / Fitness classes
2. Join parent groups & clubs
3. Find a reliable babysitter or care-giver
4. Use baby carrier for hectic times
5. Use organic & eco-friendly products
6. Keep a pre-packed diaper bag
7. Spoil yourself & your baby often
8. Massage your baby for good sleep
9. Schedule your & baby’s activities in advance
10. Let your baby to be noisy & messy
11. Follow new fashion/makeup trends & tricks
12. Get 8 hours of sleep.
13. Keep your cool. Breathe & think before reacting
14. Plan quality time with your partner
15. Arrange family activity nights at your home
16. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

New parents might often wonder… what’s making my baby upset when nothing I do stops them from crying? Or why it’s so hard to understand what children want when they are tiny infants? New parents need all the knowledge and information they can get to make their parenting job a little easier.

Most parents of young children are used to being on the receiving end of advice on how they should bring up their infant. Whether it comes from grandma, cousin Jane or the co-worker in the next cubicle, the advice is always well meaning but patchy in terms of its reliability, quality and scientific integrity.

Because every child is unique, the people best qualified to make appropriate parenting decisions are obviously parents themselves! Just Ask Baby helps parents understand the world from their child’s perspective, using online videos to present science-based child development information in a fun, accessible way – by showing how and why young children think, do, feel, say and see the things they do. Parents get a better understanding of how babies develop and are empowered with the knowledge to help support their child through the critical stages of early development.

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It has arrived. The dreaded return of the PERIOD.

After almost 19 months of not having one, I finally got it and it came with a vengeance.

It made me think about all the physical and emotional changes we women endure in our lives.

First you go through puberty, feeling and looking awkward, adjusting to growing boobies along with the teasing from the boys, hair growing from funny places, and having your “friend” visit every month. Once you’re over the excitement of becoming a woman, the truth sinks in.

Out of the whole month of a woman’s cycle, you only have one good week of feeling and looking great. You ovulate one week and your hormones are already out of whack. Then PMS takes over you and you turn into a monster, not to be messed with! Your skin breaks out, you’re retaining water and your clothes are too tight (I always gain about 5 pounds during this time). Finally your period comes and you’re a bloated balloon and bitchy because you look five months pregnant. The week after is technically the only good week you have out of the month. Only one measly week of normal behaviour and a nice flat stomach!

Mother nature is cruel.

After your biological clock starts ticking and you decide to pop out some kids, then you’ve entered new territory. Once you reach this point you can never go back (unless you’re Heidi Klum). Oh the joys of pregnancy! There are some women who just love being pregnant! No morning sickness, they gain only 10 pounds and never get a stretch mark, work and exercise up until their due date?

Not me! And many others, I’m sure! Your beautiful belly grows but at the same time, your skin stretches out, your boobs grow massive proportions (this is not necessarily a bad thing) along with other parts of your body that you would have never imagined (my nose grew wider!). Your butt gets bigger, your legs get swollen, your hair gets thinner, and your emotions are a roller coaster… one minute you’re all sweet and loveable and the next you’re cussing out the first person you see. I could laugh and cry literally in the same instant (my husband always found this hilarious). But when you first see that tiny little baby on the ultrasound, you are truly amazed and forget everything else.

Next up – labour. You experience the thrill of lying on the hospital bed with your legs spread open for the whole world to see, and every nurse and doctor on the floor has gotten to know you a little bit more than you had hoped for. The least they could have done was wined and dined you first! They would enter the room, greet you and all of a sudden the glove is on and they’re digging for gold. “Hmm, you’re about 3 centimetres now” which means they’ll do this another 10 times before the baby is actually ready to enter the world.

Then it’s time for the baby to come out! Ahh what a beautiful experience – NOT! Well not right away. The epidural was just enough for me to numb some of the pain with my second baby, who was delivered face up (extremely painful), and with my first I couldn’t feel my legs or how much I was pushing so they had to use a vacuum. Poor lil’ conehead. I asked the doctor with both pregnancies how many stitches I got from tearing but they never did give me an exact number…hmm I wonder why?! But once you hold your baby for the very first time, you miraculously forget the pain…just pure joy and intense love.

Ah, you’re home now! The pain from the stitches (or C-section) is excruciating, not to mention the lovely hemorrhoids, and for some, the baby blues take over so you’re also an emotional wreck. Your milk comes in and your boobs have grown two cup sizes. Your nipples become large pepperoni’s and with bad latching (if you breastfeed), they become cracked and crusty. The soggy leaking breasts last several months and soon enough, they are not so full of milk anymore and that large C or D that you were hoping would remain disappears. Suddenly they decide to go south, never to return. Wa wa wa.

Would I ever consider and go through with a surgical procedure to enhance or tighten a part of my body? I say, never say never to a boob lift or a tummy tuck. But right now, I am proud of my scars.

So the baby is now 5 months old and you’re still looking 5 months pregnant… you’re sick of wearing maternity clothes when you are no longer pregnant, but your old clothes don’t fit yet. You can squeeze into your old jeans but your flabby belly hangs out. Now you finally understand why your mother owned a dozen girdles and control-top panties!

On top of taking care of the kids, keeping the house in order, feeding the family, maintaining some level of sanity and trying to find the time and energy to exercise, on top of all of that, I now have to deal with the wonderful return of the period.

Arrrrrrrghhhhh!!!

Oh I forgot, we also have menopause to look forward to.

Maria Lianos is the creator and editor of www.amotherworld.com, an online magazine for moms around the world.  Along with articles on parenting, marriage, health and wellness, home and entertainment, the magazine also shares stories from moms around the globe.

Breast milk is nature’s way of providing the best nutrition to a new born. The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding to babies for the first six months after birth. There are a number of reasons why mothers should breastfeed their babies, some more important than others. Here are 10 important reasons which should encourage non-breastfeeding moms to start breastfeeding their baby right away.
1. Breast milk is easily digestible by the baby
As opposed to formula milk, breast milk is easily digestible by the baby as it is completely natural and does not contain any synthetic or artificial nutrients like those present in formula milk. The protein content in breast milk is also as much as your baby requires, which is easily absorbed by your baby. However, in case of formula milk, more proteins are present, which cannot be absorbed by the baby’s immature digestive system. This is why the stools of formula-fed babies are bulkier than those of breast fed babies.
2. Reduce the chances of breast cancer
This is one of the most import reasons why mothers should breast feed their babies. Moms who breastfeed their new born are at a reduced risk of suffering from breast cancer at a later stage in life. Moreover, it has been researched that baby girls who are breastfed also have a reduced risk of suffering from breast cancer at a later stage in life.
3. Breast milk increases levels of IQ in children
Children who are breast fed develop higher IQ levels than bottle fed milk. This is directly related to the growth hormones which are present in breast milk and are essential for the cognitive growth of the child. Whether the baby received breast milk directly through the breast or pumped, like using Avent Breast Pump or Medela Pump, studies show that it is the consumption of human milk that causes higher levels of IQ in school going children.
4. Breast milk helps pass meconium
Meconium is the sticky, black tar-like substance that passes from the babies intestines after birth. A mothers breast naturally produce colostrum in the initial days after birth which contains natural laxatives, along with antibodies and hormones to help clean the baby’s intestines. Formula fed babies often have problems getting rid of meconium after birth.
5. Breast milk helps build the baby’s immune system
Since breast milk is naturally produced, it contains all the essential nutrients, minerals, growth hormones, antibodies and other vitamins required by the baby. These substances help the baby to build a stronger immune system, helping the baby to fight against infections, diseases and illnesses. No formula milk can provide these disease fighting antibodies. According to a research, about 80% cells found in breast milk are macrophages, which are cells that help kill bacteria, fungi and viruses. This is why beast fed babies visit the hospital less often.
6. Increases the emotional bonding between the mother and the child
Breastfeeding is a natural process and it helps the mother and the child to bond with each other by spending quality time together. This emotional bonding is essential for the baby to grow in to a good human being. Bottle fed babies who are not able to make this bond can develop feelings of “neglect” over time. Touching and holding gives a very comforting and soothing feeling to the baby.
7. Breast feeding releases hormones in the mothers body
Breast feeding is known to release the hormone oxytocin in the mothers breasts, which helps in stimulating the uterine contractions, helping the mother to recover quickly after birth. Oxytocin helps the uterus to return back to its normal size. It also helps mothers to regain their figure more quickly. Non-breastfeeding moms are never able to shrink the uterus back to its pre-pregnancy size.
8. Reduces the risk of diabetes in children
Infants that are breastfed are at a reduced risk of developing diabetes in the later stages in life. Studies show that lack of breastfeeding is directly associated with the development of Type I diabetes over time. Non breast feeding babies are usually introduced to dairy products at an early stage. This increases the level of cow’s milk antibodies in the child’s system, increasing the risk of insulin dependent diabetes. Infants that are breastfed are also known to be at a reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
9. Prevents post-partum hemorrhage in mothers
The release of oxytocin in the mothers body due to breastfeeding helps to shrink the uterus back to its pre-pregnancy size and also helps to expel the placenta. The contractions that allow this to happen also shut off the maternal blood vessels that fed the baby during pregnancy, discouraging excessive bleeding after child birth. Mothers who do not breast feed often have to take artificial oxytocin to help prevent post-partum hemorrhage.
10. Protects the baby against illnesses, infections and diseases
This reason makes breast milk the best gift for babies provided to every mother by nature. The natural antibodies present in breast milk allow the baby to fight against infections such as ear infections, infections of the respiratory system and intestinal tract, as well as reduces the risk of asthma in infants. Not only this, but breast milk also reduces diarrheal infections, vision defects, bacterial meningitis and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, known as SIDS.

These factors are just a tiny part of more than 100 other reasons why breast milk is best for you and your child. So if you are a mother who has just given birth, or will be soon, should make every effort to give the best to yourself and to your child.