Pediatrician Dr. Joelene Huber always gets questions about eating, breastfeeding, sleeping, teething, development, and of course, health! To help you with your holiday gift giving this year, Joelene shares her favourite baby gift ideas which cover each of these important areas.

Baby gifts for eating:

1. High chair

As parents, we are always concerned about the nutrition of eating and we often forget about the social aspects of eating when it comes to babies. One of my favourite high chairs is the Tripp Trapp high chair by Stokke. With this highchair, baby can sit right at the table to eat from the moment they are developmentally able to stably sit-up unaided. The family table becomes the biggest and best highchair tray ever put in front of baby and fosters socialization with eating, which is so important! A high chair is a great group gift idea.

Available at www.snugglebugz.ca

2. Travel feeding seat

Feeding your baby away from home can be tricky and stressful, especially when you’re visiting a place without a high chair and you have to feed your baby on your lap. Being consistent with routines with babies is often helpful, however, when feeding your baby away from home you’re often out of your usual routine and schedule. If you use the same travel high chair whenever you’re away from home, baby can start to learn the consistent cues that signal it’s time to eat, even when away from home. I like travel feeding seats like the My Little Seat because it folds into a tiny sack that fits in your purse or diaper bag and can be set up in seconds, making it easier to carry with you and maintain more consistent feeding patterns, even when away from home!

Available at www.snugglebugz.ca

3. Eco-friendly glass containers

One of the best gifts we can give our babies is a greener world! Among some of the wonderful eco-friendly products available are the tempered glass containers by Wean Green. Glass is infinitely recyclable and these glass containers are free of chemicals such as BPAs, PVCs, and phthalates. This glass is about 4-5 times stronger than regular glass so it doesn’t break easily. They are great for making your own baby food and freezing it, as they are freezer safe and the silicone seal is leak-proof (great for mommy’s salad dressing too)!  Alternatively, you can create litter-less snacks by filling them with nutritious snacks and washing them in the dishwasher.

Available at www.weangreen.com and www.snugglebugz.ca

Baby gifts for breastfeeding:

1. Hooter Hider

Breastfeeding can often be one of the most stressful tasks of being a new mom. I’m always looking for ways to help make breastfeeding easier for moms. Nursing covers such as the Hooter Hider and Bebe au Lait simplify nursing for mom and baby wherever you are. The patented Rigiflex neckline system allows mom to see baby when trying to get a good latch, allows for airflow so mom and baby don’t get so hot, and also enable good eye contact between mommy and baby. They are 100% cotton, have an adjustable neck strap, are machine washable and the Rigiflex neckline is designed to retain its shape.

Available at www.snugglebugz.ca

2. Breastfeeding system and milk/bottle warmer

Pumping and storing breast milk can be a tricky process and I like to find ways to simplify things for busy moms! The Kiinde breastfeeding system and Kozii milk/bottle warmer is the brilliant design of two MIT robotics engineers and an intuitive mom that makes this process easier. The system eliminates any pouring or transferring of milk, steps that often cause spilling and loss of precious breast milk. Milk is pumped, labeled, organized, stored, warmed and baby is fed from the same BPA-free, phthalate-free, recyclable bag, rather than pumping breast milk into a bottle and transferring to a freezer bag and then back to a bottle (steps that can often involve spilling of breast milk). The Kozii milk warmer uses convection heating that is thermo-regulated to avoid hot spots and to maintain the composition of the breast milk. Once warmed, the bag can be placed directly into a bottle designed so that babies can hold it easier and the nipple can be placed without touching it, to keep it clean for baby.

Available at select boutiques across Canada, such as www.shopcravings.ca and www.macklems.com

Baby gifts for health:

1. Health resources books

There is so much information and mis-information on the internet that parents often don’t know where to turn for trusted health advice. A great baby gift is a baby and child health resource. My two favourite baby and kids’ health resources for parents are: 1.) Canada’s Baby Care Book, which covers caring for a newborn up to 12 months; and 2.) The A to Z of Children’s Health, an excellent resource for parents about day-to-day health issues over the first 10 years. It is a comprehensive guide and parents can look up any topic from A-to-Z to find answers about what to do about common health questions and when to be concerned. It is written by expert pediatricians (Drs. Friedman and Saunders) at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and offers practical and reliable health information for parents.

Published by Robert Rose Publishing and available at bookstores across Canada

Baby gifts for development:

1. Books

Parents often ask when they should start reading to their baby. I always say it’s never too early to start reading to your baby! Books are always “in style” as baby gifts and are wonderful for stimulating language and cognitive development. A fun way to introduce your baby to the world of classic literature is through the BabyLit series. Each book covers primers such as counting and opposites through themes from classic literature with titles such as Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Romeo & Juliet, and Sense & Sensibility. They are simple, yet very clever, and fun to read!

Available at Indigo

Baby gifts for teething:

1. Non-toxic jewelery for moms

When I’m holding a baby, the first thing they grab is my necklace (well, actually, let’s be honest, it’s my hair first and then the necklace!). As a mom and pediatrician, I rarely wear a necklace because I’m worried about babies grabbing and chewing on them. Chewbeads make trendy non-toxic necklaces that are mommy chic and baby chew-safe because they are made of 100% silicone beads (just like a soother nipple), and have no BPAs, PVCs, phthalates, lead cadmium or heavy metal and no detachable parts. My favourite feature is that they are dishwasher safe so you can throw them in the dishwasher to keep them clean!

Available at www.snugglebugz.ca

Baby gifts for sleeping:

1. Baby sleeping bags

As we are heading into the winter months, parents are often concerned about keeping their baby warm at night. However, heavy quilts and blankets can become displaced and cover baby’s face. In contrast, blankets often get kicked off and baby could get cold. Products like these sleeping bags by Aden and Anais eliminate the need for blankets and keep baby covered all night. These sleeping bags vary in size and thickness (.6-2.5 tog) and are made with their signature soft, cozy and breathable muslin fabric. Sleeping bags like this are also really great for going on walks with the stroller, because there’s no chance of a blanket dragging or getting caught in the wheels!

Available at www.snugglebugz.ca

Courtesy Dr. Joelene Huber

www.uberhealthykids.com

@uberhealthykids