Although I have only been out of the baby phase for a few years, things have drastically changed in the world of little ones. We of course know that there is a steady stream of baby products hitting the market, but in addition to the new gadgets and gizmos new guidelines and best practices are put in place as well.
I cruised the Chicago Baby Show the other weekend on the hunt for the most innovative items and services on the market and found a few that truly took me by surprise. Read on to see what my top picks for 2018 were!
Lil’ Jammerz
Plush Bluetooth Music Set- $36
Did you know that your cellphone is on average ten times dirtier than a toilet seat? Armed with this info, many parents would think twice about placing their devices near their baby to stream music or sounds. Heck, I don’t even want to touch my phone at this point! In addition to that ick factor, there is a risk associated with SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) radio frequency emissions from mobile phones.
Many parents love to use music in order to soothe their little ones, but how can you keep them healthy and safe? Melissa Brandt, founder of Lil’ Jammerz, had the same question. Since she was unable to find any product on the market that was safe and stimulating for babies, she decided to create one.
Lil’ Jammers comes with three plush “instruments” that fit on your baby’s carrier, car seat or stroller. The main character comes with a removable, rechargeable Bluetooth speaker and is paired with a squeaker percussion instrument and a rattly guitar. You can stream your own music to the speaker or use the free Lil’ Jammerz App that includes 4 playlists- Classical, Lullaby, Sounds of Nature or Sing-Along.
RockerMama
The Ready Rocker- availability and price pending
Raise your hand if you bought a big, clunky glider for your baby. Now keep your hand raised if you have no sweet clue what to do with this unattractive piece of furniture once you are out of the baby stage? I was in the same boat. I thankfully received a hand-me-down glider from a family member but after my rocking days were past I shoved it up in the attic for years before bestowing it upon another mother in need.
The trend for baby/children’s items is moving toward multi-purpose, transitional and portable pieces, and I am a major fan.
RockerMama is a new company that has designed the first truly portable rocker that can be simply stored in a closet or under your child’s bed. No longer are you relegated to the nursery when needing to rock your little one, exiled to the second floor when the rest of society is hanging out in the family room. With The Ready Rocker, any immovable object with enough support to safely lean into can become a rocking chair.
And how about the fact that most gliders and rocking chairs creak? THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO WHEN ROCKING YOUR KID TO SLEEP IS MAKE A SUDDEN NOISE. Seriously, as a fellow sleep-deprived parent, I almost went berzerk if something woke my baby while I was rocking them to sleep.
The Ready Rocker also looks like it belongs in your home- the finishes range from luxurious leather to stain-resistant sporty fabric. No multi-colored primary red, blue and yellow stripes or polka dots here.
Inspired Start
Early Allergen Introduction Baby Food- $23 for an 8 pack
I recently read an absolutely fascinating article in Chicago Magazine about the food allergy epidemic that has hit our nation in the past decade. From 2007 to 2016, there has been a 17.5% rise in sever food reaction-related doctor and ER visits.
Cathy Nagler of the Microbiome Center at the University of Chicago has a team dedicated to figuring out how the microbiome protects us against food allergies and how we as a society can fix that system once it has broken down.
The article also states this, which blew my mind:
WHAT?!? 80 percent less likely? What happened to all of our pediatricians giving us stern warnings to keep peanut-related anything away from our children until they turned three? And how are parents supposed to know the proper and safe way to introduce our children to the common allergens?
Inspired Start is the only baby food designed to introduce 8 common allergens to babies in a healthy and easy way. See all the varieties on Amazon.com here!
They have developed a range of allergens blended with organic fruits in order to easily introduce the isolated food to your baby starting at four months of age. They offer blends with the following combinations:
- Peanut & Apple
- Egg & Pear
- Tree Nut & Banana
- Soy & Mango
- Wheat & Apple
- Sesame & Pear
- Shrimp & Banana
- Cod & Mango
Now you don’t have to put your shrimp scampi in the blender and try to force feed it to your little one! I am absolutely blown away by this product and the advancement in food allergy research and knowledge.
Cheers to all the new advancements in baby products and procedures that aim to make mom’s job a little easier!
Disclosure: I was compensated for covering The Chicago Baby Show but all my opinions are honest and my own as always. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission if you purchase through my site but it does not affect your purchase price.
