Few things make a mom happier than seeing her baby happy and content. In fact, there was a study published recently about how a baby’s smile actually activates the reward center of a mom’s brain (Baby’s smile gives mom a natural high).

One of the first things moms (and dads!) tend to do when preparing for baby is to bring home toys and things that will amuse their child. What many parents don’t realize though is that a baby doesn’t need a lot of things – he or she just needs a few things that will stimulate the senses and encourage movement and activity.

Toy safety:
Choking is one of the major causes of injury in young babies. They’re so curious and they want to put everything in their mouth – you can see how that would happen. So, it’s vital that you ensure the toys you pick are made by reputable companies. You want to be sure the toy isn’t too small and that it can’t break apart under the abuse given it by your baby.

Here’s a quick video I made to show you how you can tell if a toy is too small for your baby:

Choking can also happen at meal and snack time. Foods need to be appropriate for the age of the child. Even older children can choke because they’re in such a rush to eat sometimes, that they don’t chew their food properly or they may laugh or talk while eating, causing the food to go down before it’s ready too.

Some tips for food safety:
Don’t give large pieces of food that need to be well chewed. Any food you give a young child without teeth needs to be able to dissolve in the mouth. Once they start getting teeth, they can start gumming and chewing foods like banana, that will fall apart anyway.

Give away!

Now – on the topic of toys and food, Playskool has donated two gifts to give to the readers of Womb Within.

The first is the Shake Rattle and Roll Teether and the second is the Heat Sensitive Plastic Spoons:

I had a look at them and they are cute and sturdy, both at the same time. They’d be great for throwing into a gift basket even. According to Playskool, the products are exclusively avaliable at CVS.pharmacy and on CVS.com if you want to go get them yourself.

In order to win one of the prizes, I’d like you to tell me about another post on Womb Within – what made you read it, what you learned, or what you found interesting. Just leave a comment in the comment section below. The contest will run from today until 11:59 PM EST on July 29th. Each eligible entry will get a number as it comes in and I’ll randomize them to get the winners. Please be sure you check your emails or come back here to check after the contest because if I haven’t heard back from you after two weeks, I’ll draw another name.

Thanks and good luck!

Images: Playskool

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Post from: Blisstree

Baby safety – playing and eating – and a give away from PlaySkool