How BPA free should you be?

Very often on many bottles and other plastic products for baby, the 'Free BPA' mention is included. Curious to learn more about baby life I tried to figure out what are the main issues with that and this is what I discovered:

- BPA stands for Bisphenol A, an industrial chemical substance used since the 1960s to produce various plastics and resins. Is is a colorless solid soluble in organic solvents but poorly soluble in waters.

- It is used for the production of various consumer goods, containers that store foods and beverages, baby formula cans and sippy cups, bottle tops, food cans, but also dental sealants, contact lenses and CDs. Also some shields of pacifiers can have this ingredients, but not the nipple. 

- Plastics marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.

- According to medical studies, once the BPA seep into food or beverages through heating, it may lead to negative effects on the brain and behavior of children - ADHD -, prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. However, there are not definitive studies and not direct evidence that BPA may create such problems. 

- At low exposure, most experts say that studies shows that the material is acceptably safe.

- The National Institute of Environmental Health Science advices against microwaving polycarbonate plastics and putting them in the dishwasher. Plastic can break dow and it allows BPA to leach into foods.

- In order to avoid BPA-related risks it is recommended to use as alternatives products made of glass, porcelain or stainless. Also, do not use those with BPA for hot foods and liquids. It is better to throw up any plastic products - like bottles or sippy cups - that are chopped or cracked. Besides the BPA risks, such problematic products can also harbor germs.

- Many companies started to produce alternatives to the BPA in canned foods. 

- BPA-free does not mean that the products are free from other harmful chemical ingredients that are included in the category of hormone disruptors (substance that interfere with the normal functioning of the hormone or endocrine system, by duplicating, blocking or exaggerating hormonal responses. In most cases, the effects of these substances was not studied yet.

After going through all the materials regarding BPA, my conclusion is that I will try if possible to use BPA-free bottles and where the mention about this substance does not exist, to be careful with the overused products. Knowledge is power but exaggeration never helps.

Visitor at Babywelt Berlin

Part of my last professional and personal assignments, I visited this weekend the Babywelt fair in Berlin, one of the most important gatherings dedicated to baby and children. With a significant audience of parents and pregnant women and new parents, the exhibitional space from Arena Berlin near Treptower Park offered for three days a dialog between companies - insurance, food, interior design, hotels, fitness centers - and the public.This year, the fair is held also in Munich and Stuttgart and from the next year Frankfurt am Main is added to the list.

For me, it was the first such fair I ever visited and thus, I spent an impressive amount of time talking with companies and trying to understand various opportunities and products. Significant discounts and coupons were offered, as well as complimentary packages and small gifts for children. Significant discounts also applied and given the usually high prices for furnitures and buggies, it was a good investment. Card payments were available and, if not, a small ATM center was set up at the entrance. 

It was easy to recognize various typically German - and Berlin - products, dedicated to carry children on the bikes, which usually are quite expensive on the market. 

For the completely new beginners in life, we tried to have a look at some classical pieces of furniture and took of the package with coupons as well. I just got my card from Toysrus and will have more opportunities for knowing more about their offer.

As usual, small companies are my favourites. For personalized, limited edition, furniture and baby products, Kleine Fabriek offered a good choice. Breastfeeding moms were offered a variety of covers, made of special materials and with different functionalities, by Zellmops.

Getting ready for the next sport achievements of the baby, I purchased a babyswimmer a tool that can be used in the bath tube or swimming pool from the first month of life on. 

Keeping memories of the children is precious and various companies offered diversified services in this respect, such as Kindheitkiste. You can gather memories of the first days, photos, foot prints, marks of the first important events etc. 

 Or you can chose to print his or her name of the food box or other personalized items.

Entertainment moments were offered to the participants, either some children music or some special baby-mother fitness exercises. Personally, I booked a Kanga class and another fitness hour for the next week and can't wait to test them.

Given that the medium age of the children participants was less than one year, a special huge space was created for breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding consultants were also present, as well as (less) known, for me, health insurance companies. An interesting idea was the offer presented by the Waldfriede Hospital in Zehlendorf where you can give birth in a hotel-like place. You can check-in and out as a family while benefiting of high-end medical services. Available classes for parents, some of them also in English, were also offered, but unfortunatelly for me, nothing available in the next months.

High-end design and medical standards were meeting in the case of many products. This nose cleaner must be used only when the baby has a cold and can be attached to the vacuum cleaner.when the baby has a cold and can be attached to the vacuum cleaner. Stomatologically tested pacifiers were presented by Dentistar, with a design offering more place for the tongue and various jaw-friendly settings. Anyway, the opinions on pacifiers are so divided that the choice for or against seems to be a matter of free will. From the category of medically designed products, MAM brought its anti-colic sets.

Snooze baby is just another Dutch smart company, and their car seat blanket with special places for feet is definitely a great idea that helps the kid to feel comfortable. A great choice is also the blue and white blanket with Dutch tiles inspired motifs. Another products made with love were offered by Tinylove, music boxes with different repertoire -from lullabies to classical - that can play for around 40 minutes. Very helpful when you need a long term program for the baby.

For the parents and bigger kids, special boxes with healthy food and vegetables were ready to deliver. Very helpful when you have no time to do live shopping.

The fair experience was very rewarding, not only for the coupons I gathered, but also for the knowledge about new products and the healthy ideas gathered. Right now, I have many new topics to write about and ideas to apply in the daily baby life. 

In the world of Fatboy

Having a baby means a completely change of the perspective and shopping agenda, also when it comes to interior design and furniture choices. During my regular trips to interior design shops I am interested in finding inspiration for the boy's room and, as usual, for smart products. The Dutch design is such a source for me and I cannot have enough to discover new and new creative companies. My favourite of the last week is Fatboy, located on the huge interior design and furniture shop in Kantstrasse 17 in Berlin. I spent there more than half an hour, discovering the products under the professional guidance of the extraordinary sales representative. The shop in Berlin is the first worldwide, but online shopping is possible for the less luckier fans of the brand. 

What I appreciated at this brand is the multi-functionality and the creativity. Although the great outline of the product is set, you can pick up your own choices and do an inspiring setting, like in the case of this lamp, made up of different pieces of different shapes. This lamp can be hanged inside or outside, for a party or an intimate dinner. Many of their products are water proof.

 Another fun discoveries are the bed lamps that are rechargeable and comes in a unique shape.

You can never have enough of them as you can change the cover all the time. A nice choice of a present, I think.

The lounge chairs, water proof and made of different materials can be put together to create a bigger chair or even a sofa. The prices are moderate to high, but when thinking ahout the multiple destinations of many of the products, there is a worthy investment to do. 

Does my baby have too much hair or what is lanugo hair?

'This baby has so much hair', I said to myself minutes after the little D. was brought to me shortly after giving birth and I was able to touch his fine skin as he lied naked on my body. His silky brown head was not a surprise for me, as especially in the last 3 months of pregnancy, heartburns were very frequent (some say that the remedy might be eating a lot of pineapple, but as I did not try myself I cannot say it for sure), a clear sign that the baby will not be born bald. 

Over one month ago, this tiny dark hair that covered his fine ears, shoulders and back is almost away. As I found out later, this fine hair is called lanugo - a derivation from the Latin word wool. Soft and unpigmented, it looks like the peach soft fuzz and usually develops in utero to regulate the baby's temperature in the womb starting from the 5 month of pregnancy. Some kids born without it might loose it while in the womb, because they ate it or because born after the term. 

Nothing to be scared or worried about after all, everything is the work of nature and aimed to protect the child before the parents are acknowledging how to protect their children. 

The 3 important things a new mother should do

After the pregnancy ends and the baby is out in the world, the woman's body goes through just another couple of changes and challenges. Get ready for a lot of sleepless nights and daily trials and worries, especially when the baby is the first. Regardless of your previous baby experience the first days after coming back from hospital are difficult and the woman's body is going through hard times. Although time is scarce, once in a while, you should find a way - especially with the support and understading of your life partner - to pay some important visits. As for now, only 3 of them...

1. Generalist doctor for a medical overview

Women doctor is very important and during the pregnancy it was a regular presence into your life. Now it is time to do one more general check of your post-pregnancy situation. Blood tests, eye test, blood pressure, heart and kidneys are only some of the important things to check. It does not take too much time and you can get in time the right advice about the vitamins and life changes eventually you should make in the next weeks and months.

2. The dentist

Pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding...All of them will require a lot of your calcium and vital minerals. If you already have a history of bad dentition, expect unpleasant decays and even to loose some of your teeth. Added to the unavoidable post-pregnancy weight problems, this will bring you a bad and embarassing mood. The solution: try to get as soon as possible an appointment to your dentist for checking and start planning the next preventive and reparatory steps. 

3. Massage - and spa treatments

Don't misunderstand me...Yes, the life with a baby means a lot of sacrifice and putting the kid on the first place. But if you do not feel well and you go through a lot of stress the baby will be for sure influenced. One of the first consequences is the breastfeeding problem as the more stressed you are the higher the danger for your milk. One more hour can be enough to take most - if not all - the weight away. Handled by a professional, it can be the start of your getting your body back, bringing back wellness and reestablishing the proper blood and muscle functioning. 

As a rule, with the help of an efficient time management and the family help and support you can do it! And you do not need to feel guilty, just to realize that your wellbeing is important for the good life of your baby too. 

Foodie Book Review: Hundred Foot Journey

With a new baby in town, reading and writing went were slowly lately. The cooking was not that brilliant either, without too many new recipes tested. But the couple of seconds of frustrations are soon replaced by some new occasions to happily enjoy the wonders - and challenges too - of motherhood.

However, I was able to finish a book that was already turned into a movie: The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais. 

I cannot say what exactly I was expecting from your book but for sure I was looking for some good writing. Which the book actually has (I read the book in a German translation), especially when it comes to sociological and historical parts - the journalistic profile of Morais may play a role in this. However, this is not a typical foodie book: you will not have recipes or extensive descriptions of meals. Instead, the main topic of the book is the career of Hassan Haji, as a famed Parisian chef starting with his upbringing in Mumbay. It enters the insular - and sometimes racist world -of the French cuisine as well as the complicated and not always fair Michelin star system. Expect a lot of details - and some inspiration - about the business of restaurants in France and abroad.

There are also some unforgettable foodie stories, as when it comes to recognizing the ingredients of a dish after tasting it, or vivid descriptions of French markets.

Overall, the book is more about successful imigrant stories than about food and its mysteries. The art of making a good food in France served as the main ingredient of success. Food can help this too and the positive message of the book is encouraging.

Strongly recommended as a good weekend or holiday read. Can't wait to watch the movie too!

First month with the baby

This year was very scarce in terms of blogging, but there was a motivation: the nine months of pregnancy, two new jobs and since one month, the baby boy that gave us a lot of work and to-do-list and many sleepless nights. But watching him growing up and becoming a new little person every day gives me strength and happiness that sometimes can be even stronger than my love for words.

Anyway, now that a certain routine is set up - meaning a lot of practice in terms of waking up fast in the night and finishing everything - the preparation of milk and diapers changing - in just a matter of minutes, there is also time for reflection and a lot of writing. Although busy, I was able to keep reading and kept a certain list of topics I want to cover in the next days, if the baby will agree.

A couple of advices

As for now, my first lessons learned of the first month as a baby boy mother:

- Once the baby is born, forget about everything you used to do before: sleep especially and going out. Even when you have a supportive partner or husband on your side, doing things together is much better than hoping than the other part will do it while you are away enjoying some special private time. All your hobbies and little secret pleasures do not make time at all and this is the way to be. The baby is the most important part of your lives now.

Ask an expert

- You never know enough about how to deal with the baby problems and checking with the specialists - doctors and midwife - as well as with experienced relatives and friends is very important for your peace of mind and well being of your child. From the reasons the baby is crying till how to make bath, there are thousands of reasons to ask support and help. Do not hesitate to do it! Getting books and reading online about baby development, preferably together with your partner or husband is also very important! The best is to keep reading about the current stage of development and do not get too much deep into the children life. Wait and see and keep the notes and the information for later. Your time is limited and you need to have the mind fresh for the new challenges. 

In our case, one of the problems we had to deal witlh wasl how to correctly bind the diapers, after we realized a couple of times in a row that the boy was wet - and very unhappy about this! We kept practising and practising and now we are finally able to make it even with the eyes closed...

Be together!

- After the woman gives birth there are a lot of changes and transformations taking place -as it was not enough what happens during the nine months of pregnancy! - and coping with the challenges of the new baby may not be easy. As long as you are not alone and your partner supports you and the baby, you can get along better and try to get adjusted to the new life. Expect some fights and misunderstandings and hard hours but as long as you keep talking and there is love and understanding everything will go smoothly. Once in a while, leave the other part some space and time and try to spend at least 30 minutes differently. You will get very refreshed and ready for the new challenges. 

As for the sleep deprivation, a chronical symptom for the new parents, the best is to try to sleep when the baby is sleeping. 

Simple is (always better)

- I left the hospital with a lot of packages of wet napkins and creams and other cosmetics. I used them intensively in the first weeks till I suddenly realized some red skin spots and irritation in the sensitive parts of the body. The cause? The Pampers napkins that had some alcohol and other substances harmful for the new born skin. What about some warm water and usual napkins to clean him? With this recipe plus some plant based cream his skin got better and the guily napkins are now used for cleaning the dust from the furniture. 

For the evening massage, we use a pharmacy formula of almond oil very helpful for the skin regeneration in the first weeks of life. In the case of the laundry, we found some bio-, non-perfumed ingredients. 

Bath is very important

- In the hospital, they told me to do the bath maybe a bit later in the month but common sense and practise of people with experience adviced me to do something else. The hard part is to know how to do it and for that you need someone to show it to you! Otherwise, besides the obvious cleanliness reasons, a bath before the sleep helps the baby to have a longer night and to relax.

Never too early to start with habits

- As we, adults, the babies need an organise life. Try to set up rituals in the evening - bath for instance - always at the same time - between 19.00 and 20.00 is the best before the baby can have a long sleep till midnight at least. Also, in the morning, spend at least 20 minutes with some basic face cleaning and changing to daily outfits. You may think the baby is too small to realize this, but it is part of a daily routine that you will respect if from now on. 

Also, it is important to make the difference between day and night, by creating the dark ambiance in the room. A small lamp kept open during the night and avoiding the switch on the big light is also part of the first weeks ritual. 

Always in contact with the baby

At this stage in life, when the baby does not see and hear good, the touching is the only way to create a special contact with the baby. Either if you touch his face during eating or you have some private moments before sleep or, as in my case, use any opportunity to touch and kiss as much as possible. 

A mistake to avoid though is to end up staying with the baby in the arms every time he is sleeping. The remedy to this was to bring the car chair in the room you are staying and keep the discrete company to the baby, but without turning into a slave. As much as the kid needs your love and attention it also needs to be independent and this is the lesson to keep in mind as early as possible. 

This is all for now. As the kid entered the month 2 of life, we are already prepared for new lessons and a new blog post in a couple of weeks.