Perfect Baby Tips

Babies go through clothes so quickly that the small stuff is almost always in good condition. It’s not unheard of to pay 50 cents for a near-perfect pair of pants that would cost you $12 or more new. Pristine used clothing is tougher to come by in toddler sizes; when messy activities such as finger-painting come into play, clothing gets more wear and tear.

Secondhand shops are prime hunting grounds for special-occasion baby and toddler clothes such as christening and holiday outfits and fancy party duds that have been worn only once or twice (if at all). You’ll likely pay a fraction of the retail cost. You can also check local tag or garage sales (see new rules governing tag sales); try browsing Web sites such as eBay and craigslist; or get a free membership at Freecycle, a Web site through which consumers can give and get free stuff.

And don’t forget to put the word out among parents you know. You may get quite serviceable clothes delivered by the boxload to your front door.

Safety tip: Inspect hand-me-downs carefully for unraveling thread, loose buttons or snaps, or scratchy appliqués and elastic bands. Don’t dress your child in anything that’s not as good as new or that appears unsafe to you.

Get more great ideas for buying for baby in the latest edition of the Consumer Reports Best Baby Products guide, also available in bookstores nationwide.

The recall involves more than 20 models, including the Travelin’ Tot series sold under a number of brand names. In addition to Kolcraft, the play yards were manufactured for Carter’s, Sesame Street, Jeep, Contours, Care Bare and Eric Carle (check the recall notice for model numbers). Some of the units have a bassinet and/or changing table. Some models have a mobile, vibrating unit or a parent organizer. The model numbers can be found on a white sticker on one of the feet of the play yard.

Read more about this recall in the full post on our Safety blog. Learn more about play yards, inlcuding other models not to buy, in our full report.

Your baby is ready for a real-food fest when he meets some key developmental markers—he sits up with support, holds his neck steady, and shows good head control—and he reaches twice his birth weight. If you eat with your 4-to-6-month-old baby at meals, you’ll begin to notice entrée envy: He may reach out and grab for the food you’re eating. And you’ll be able to spoon-feed your baby without resistance. At about 4 months, most babies lose the tongue-thrust reflex, the tendency for an infant to push his tongue against the roof of his mouth when a spoon is inserted. Still, your baby has a way to go before he is nibbling from your plate. (Learn how to keep your baby's food safe.)

The first solid food your baby will eat is likely to be a soupy mixture of a tablespoon or two of dry infant rice cereal combined with breast milk or formula. Breast milk or formula will still be on the menu until your baby is a year old or so and makes the switch to cow’s milk. If your baby doesn’t demonstrate an allergic response—rashes, repeated vomiting, diarrhea, or constant fussiness—after three to five days, you can gradually make the cereal thicker. When your baby is 6 months or so, you can begin to introduce, one at a time, yogurt, oatmeal, barley, wheat, and puréed fruits, vegetables, and meats that you buy in jars or make yourself. (See our video on organic baby food, available to subscribers.)

To learn about the next steps for baby's food, check back here tomorrow.

Your baby is ready for a real-food fest when he meets some key developmental markers—he sits up with support, holds his neck steady, and shows good head control—and he reaches twice his birth weight. If you eat with your 4-to-6-month-old baby at meals, you’ll begin to notice entrée envy: He may reach out and grab for the food you’re eating. And you’ll be able to spoon-feed your baby without resistance. At about 4 months, most babies lose the tongue-thrust reflex, the tendency for an infant to push his tongue against the roof of his mouth when a spoon is inserted. Still, your baby has a way to go before he is nibbling from your plate. (Learn how to keep your baby's food safe.)

The first solid food your baby will eat is likely to be a soupy mixture of a tablespoon or two of dry infant rice cereal combined with breast milk or formula. Breast milk or formula will still be on the menu until your baby is a year old or so and makes the switch to cow’s milk. If your baby doesn’t demonstrate an allergic response—rashes, repeated vomiting, diarrhea, or constant fussiness—after three to five days, you can gradually make the cereal thicker. When your baby is 6 months or so, you can begin to introduce, one at a time, yogurt, oatmeal, barley, wheat, and puréed fruits, vegetables, and meats that you buy in jars or make yourself. (See our video on organic baby food, available to subscribers.)

To learn about the next steps for baby's food, check back here tomorrow.

Your baby is ready for a real-food fest when he meets some key developmental markers—he sits up with support, holds his neck steady, and shows good head control—and he reaches twice his birth weight. If you eat with your 4-to-6-month-old baby at meals, you’ll begin to notice entrée envy: He may reach out and grab for the food you’re eating. And you’ll be able to spoon-feed your baby without resistance. At about 4 months, most babies lose the tongue-thrust reflex, the tendency for an infant to push his tongue against the roof of his mouth when a spoon is inserted. Still, your baby has a way to go before he is nibbling from your plate. (Learn how to keep your baby's food safe.)

The first solid food your baby will eat is likely to be a soupy mixture of a tablespoon or two of dry infant rice cereal combined with breast milk or formula. Breast milk or formula will still be on the menu until your baby is a year old or so and makes the switch to cow’s milk. If your baby doesn’t demonstrate an allergic response—rashes, repeated vomiting, diarrhea, or constant fussiness—after three to five days, you can gradually make the cereal thicker. When your baby is 6 months or so, you can begin to introduce, one at a time, yogurt, oatmeal, barley, wheat, and puréed fruits, vegetables, and meats that you buy in jars or make yourself. (See our video on organic baby food, available to subscribers.)

To learn about the next steps for baby's food, check back here tomorrow.

• Hold on with both hands.

• Sit in the center of the swing.
• Never stand or kneel on a swing.
• Don’t swing on your stomach.
• Don’t play with the chains; they can pinch fingers.
• Stop the swing before getting off.
• Tell the person pushing when you want to get off the swing.
• Don’t push other children in the swing.
• Let only adults push you.
• Only one child is allowed on a swing at a time.
• Don’t play with the swing when someone else is on it or when it is empty.

For more baby and child safety advice, see our Guide to Childproofing & Safety, as well as the latest edition of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, in our bookstore.

Q: Because of the economy, swap meets such as www.swapbabygoods.com, where parents swap new and used baby products for free or at a reduced price, are becoming more popular. Any danger to getting baby products from a swap meet?

Yes. For one thing, you have to be careful about buying defective baby products. Dozens of baby and children’s products are recalled each year because of violations of safety standards established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Before shopping for new or used baby products at swap meets (online or in-person), tag sales, or even at a conventional store or Web site, consult monthly issues of Consumer Reports or visit the CPSC’s Web site for updated recall information on infant products. Or sign up for free e-mail notices of future recalls at www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. This advice also applies to toys and other baby stuff friends and relatives just give you. It’s up to retailers to take recalled products off store shelves, but items can fall through the cracks. With the secondary and hand-me-down market, you’re especially on your own as a consumer, so check and double-check for recalls before you shop for your baby or accept used products.

It’s also safer to buy some baby items new, not used, whether you get them from a swap meet or another outlet. We don’t recommend, for example, buying a used crib, car seat, breast pump, soft infant carrier, or play yard. (See Don't buy these baby products used.) Besides the recall issue, when you buy these products used, the manual may be missing so you don’t have the directions on how to install, adjust or otherwise use the product safely. The item may be damaged or the product may not meet the latest safety standards, which are updated frequently.

Bottom line: Always make safety your top priority, whether you’re getting baby gear for free or paying top dollar.

For more valuable information, see the latest edition of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products in our online bookstore and in bookstores nationwide.

Q: Because of the economy, swap meets such as www.swapbabygoods.com, where parents swap new and used baby products for free or at a reduced price, are becoming more popular. Any danger to getting baby products from a swap meet?

Yes. For one thing, you have to be careful about buying defective baby products. Dozens of baby and children’s products are recalled each year because of violations of safety standards established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Before shopping for new or used baby products at swap meets (online or in-person), tag sales, or even at a conventional store or Web site, consult monthly issues of Consumer Reports or visit the CPSC’s Web site for updated recall information on infant products. Or sign up for free e-mail notices of future recalls at www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. This advice also applies to toys and other baby stuff friends and relatives just give you. It’s up to retailers to take recalled products off store shelves, but items can fall through the cracks. With the secondary and hand-me-down market, you’re especially on your own as a consumer, so check and double-check for recalls before you shop for your baby or accept used products.

It’s also safer to buy some baby items new, not used, whether you get them from a swap meet or another outlet. We don’t recommend, for example, buying a used crib, car seat, breast pump, soft infant carrier, or play yard. (See Don't buy these baby products used.) Besides the recall issue, when you buy these products used, the manual may be missing so you don’t have the directions on how to install, adjust or otherwise use the product safely. The item may be damaged or the product may not meet the latest safety standards, which are updated frequently.

Bottom line: Always make safety your top priority, whether you’re getting baby gear for free or paying top dollar.

For more valuable information, see the latest edition of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products in our online bookstore and in bookstores nationwide.

Changing pad. Most bags come with a rectangular changing pad that folds up, fits in the bag, and can be wiped clean. Many pads fold to fit into a designated pocket. That’s a plus; isolating the changing pad can help prevent it from contaminating your diaper bag’s contents. Some diaper bags have a semi-rigid interior that helps maintain the pad’s shape. Some pads are cushier than others (cushy is better.)

Construction. Look for wide, padded, adjustable shoulder straps, well-reinforced seams (tug on them to make sure they’re strong) and quality hardware—heavy-duty plastic or metal zippers and sturdy closures. Zippers, rather than magnetic closures, ensure that your stuff won’t fall out if your diaper bag tips over.

Handles vs. hands-free. The handles of a tote-style bag should be short enough so that the bag doesn’t drag on the ground when you carry it like a suitcase, but long enough so it can be slung over your shoulder or worn on the diagonal. Wide or well-padded straps are more comfortable. A backpack, messenger, or sling-style diaper bag keeps your hands and arms free. A backpack’s shoulder straps should be adjustable for proper fit, and a sternum strap, which connects the shoulder straps at the upper chest, helps redistribute the weight to make lugging baby gear more comfortable.

Fabric. Bags made of quilted fabric or silk are often favored by gift givers, but heavy-duty, moisture-resistant nylon or microfiber are more practical, especially if you’re planning to have more than one child and you want the bag to go the distance. Beware of vinyl bags if you live in a cold climate. They can crack when the temperature dips. And you’ll want a diaper bag that’s washable inside and out.

Color. Some manufacturers continue to offer “baby colors”—pastels and light-colored prints. But dark shades are less likely to show stains and soil. And if you go for a more adult look, you can consider using the bag for other purposes when diapering days are over, assuming it has held up well enough. Still, make sure the interior is a light color. Otherwise, you will find yourself digging for items in a black hole.

Storage. Easy-to-access, zippered interior and exterior compartments, which can function as a wallet and as storage for things you constantly need such as baby wipes, pacifiers, and your cell phone, are a convenient plus. Make sure the zippers are heavy-duty so they’ll hold up. Clear vinyl or mesh pockets inside can hold diapers, wipes, and other baby gear. If you’ll be taking many outings or doing lots of traveling with your baby, look for a bag with an insulated cooler section. Bottle pockets are handy, but make sure they fit your brand of baby bottles or your favorite bottled water or juice for older babies. Always keep bottles and food away from dirty diapers.