OH! I forgot, I went to a baby class and I want to share what I learned, SHOCKING!

So I got an invite in the mail to go to this baby class, random, I didn't sign up for anything but I assume they either get contacts from doctors offices or online, I did sign up for many baby magazines and sites. Anyways, my mother and I went one Sunday morning and what I learned was actually shocking! Okay, well at least two things shocked me.

1. Baby walkers are BANNED in other countries! In fact if you own a baby walker in Canda you face six figures in fines and up to 6 months in jail time! ISNT THAT CRAZY?! I had NO idea. I did some research after I heard this and it really is true. Baby walkers can make your baby bowlegged, pigeon towed and take longer to learn how to walk. The piece of clothe/plastic that goes between their babies legs is very wide and it forces the babies legs and hips to be spread out and pointed inward. This makes children bowlegged and pigeon towed and it slows their ability to learn how to walk because instead of developing the muscles they need to learn how to walk they use other muscles in their feet and legs and it then takes them longer to learn how to use the muscles they need to be using.
2. Car seats have expiration dates! I had no idea but it definitely makes sense. They are mostly made of plastic and they do warp and bend and bruise in extreme weather conditions.
3.  Crib bumper pads and baby comforters should not be used at all: There in an article in the hand out given stating that Health Canada says that bumper pads should not be used at all. Bumper pads, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, pillows, stuffed toys, positioning maintaining devices, etc affect the flow of fresh oxygen to baby. The article goes on and on and on about why they are unsafe and how they contribute to in fact death. An article containing more information is available at: www.aap.org/policy/re9946.html
4. We were also reminded that the mattress bought for babies crib MUST fit snuggly into the crib because the smallest of spaces between the crib and they mattress is enough room for infacts arm to get lodged in which can cause the infants face to be pressed against the mattress and to sufficate.
5. This one we loved! There is a device out which monitors a babies heart rate and movement. Its sensor pads you place UNDER the babies cribs and a monitor like device you put into your room. If the babies heartbeat goes less than a certain safe amount an alarm will start going off in your room. The device detects the smallest of movements and if your baby stops moving, the alarm goes off. There is no prevention for SIDs but this will let you know the instant your baby stops breathing safely and you can be in his room calling for help the SECOND she stops breathing! IMPORTANT: Some of these devices do not have the extra pad, but just one pad to place under the babies mattress, so the moment your baby moves to the other side of the crib the alarm starts going off. Its much better to have the second sensor. Also, the best brand to get is BabySense V. It MUST be BabySense and it must be V - as in 5. They sell 1 - 4 also, but you have to get the 5. I don't remember the exact reason, but it was a good one. I'm sorry I can't remember the reason. But they also say to make sure you buy it new because on Amazon and the guy who ran the class said he loves Amazon he uses it all the time but this time they failed, they were selling RETURNED Baby Sense V sensors. Ones that did not work and had been returned! Insane! Anyway, we love this idea and we are buying one ASAP!
6. He also talked about baby high chairs. He had three different company's and three different chairs as examples and ALL of these chairs this full grown adult male sat in and fit in! The seats were huge. Babies could slide out of them, they easily topped forward and backward and dogs often jumped onto them and knock them forward and backward. He had to show instead a baby feeding table by Babee Tenda. The spelling of that name is important because they are imitation tables like Babie Tenda and Babee Tender, etc. The table has a seat in it that does not put the baby at risk for bowlegged-ness or pigeon-toed -ness. BUT my mother who is an occupational/orthopedic therapist did point out to me that the way the baby sits in it with all the pressure on the bottom of its bottom can easily and quickly cause pressure ulcers, so please be careful if you do want this Babee Tenda table NOT to as the class teachers said you could, leave an in fact in these seats for hours on end!
7. I was reminded that using old cribs is really dangerous. Its defnitely a concern but when expenses come into play sometimes you allow yourself to slack off a bit on what you know. He also pointed out that buying cribs without teething rails can really be a waste of money cos once a baby starts teething and chewing on those three thousand dollar oak railings... haha, it sends that money right down the tube. Its also illegal to sell or use cribs in California that has:

• corner posts that entend more than 1/16-inch above end panels
• slats more than 2 3/8 inches apart
• a mattress support that releases easily from corner posts
• cutout designs on the end panels
• tears in mesh or fabric
• missing or loose screws, bolts, or hardware
• sharp edges, points, or rough surfaces on wood surfaces that are not smooth and free from splinters, splits or cracks.

 Anyway, I wanted to share all of that with all of you! Hope someone got something from it. Enjoy!