I wish these super-soft baby blankets from Aden + Anais had been around when my daughter was a newborn. I loved swaddling her, but didn't love the size or shape of most of the blankets I had for her. The Aden + Anais muslin baby wrap is big enough for swaddling and many other uses, and the soft, airy fabric snuggles your baby without overheating. If you're looking for a fabulous baby blanket that is useful for loads of baby-related tasks, check out this Aden + Anais muslin swaddling blanket review.

Photo courtesy of Aden + Anais. Copyright 2008. Used with permission.

When you learn that you're having a baby, the list of baby products you might need to buy in order to care for your new little one can seem overwhelming. The good news is, babies don't really need a lot of gear in their first months of life. Of course, there are plenty of fun baby products you can purchase that aren't necessities! If you're looking for a place to start your baby products shopping list, take a look at "What to Buy When You're Having a Baby." If you're on a budget or want to stick to the bare minimum at first, check out "Basic Baby Needs Checklist."

Children under age 8 in Utah are now required to ride in an appropriate car seat or booster seat in the car, thanks to a recently updated child passenger safety law. Children who are not yet 8 years old but are taller than 57 inches can use the vehicle seatbelt alone. All other passengers in the vehicle are required to be buckled up properly, as well.

• More State Car Seat Laws

Following reports that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic baby bottles might cause harm to babies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a statement regarding BPA, saying "there is a large body of evidence that indicates that FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects." Although the FDA believes that available evidence shows BPA is safe, the organization says it will continue to review the most current information on BPA and make recommendations accordingly. At this time, though, FDA is not suggesting that a switch to BPA-free baby feeding supplies is necessary.

• FDA Statement on BPA
• BPA and Baby: Should I Be Concerned
• Walmart Says No to Baby Bottles with BPA
• BPA-Free Baby Bottles
• BPA-Free Sippy Cups

If you're a blogger, we'd like to invite you to submit a blog entry for our All About Parenting Blog Carnival, hosted by the Parenting Guides at About.com. The theme for this month's carnival is "Road Trips." If your submission is chosen, we'll publish a link to it on this blog.

Here's how to participate:

• Write a family- and kids-focused blog post that fits the "Road Trips" theme. The deadline for submissions is May 26, 2008.
• Link to this Carnival Invitation post somewhere in your submission.
• Submit the title of your post, the permalink and your name and email address to babyproducts.guide@about.com.

Please read the blog carnival guidelines before submitting. You can also visit "What is a Blog Carnival?" to learn more.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, has been in the news a lot recently. This chemical, used in making plastic that is sometimes used in baby bottles, sippy cups and pacifiers, has been been linked to behavioral, neurological and developmental changes in high-dose animal tests. Many parents are switching to BPA-free bottles and other baby feeding products to avoid the potential risk. While I think it's important to err on the side of caution with our babies and toddlers, it's also important to put this latest risk into perspective. BPA is probably not high on the list of things that are an immediate danger to our children.

• BPA in Baby Bottles: Should I Be Concerned?
• BPA-Free Baby Bottles
• BPA-Free Sippy Cups

It's normal to want to buy all sorts of baby products when you're expecting. Parents-to-be often buy products their baby won't need for several months, or even a year down the road. I know I bought too much before my daughter was born. Our tiny apartment was packed full of things I could have waited to buy. If you're short on space for baby gear or you'd like to keep more of your money in the bank for a few months, here are some baby products you don't need to buy for newborns.

Playtex announced recently that the company will offer a sample of their BPA-free Drop-Ins Original Nurser bottle system to parents who sign up for the sample on the Playtex Baby website. In a news release, the company noted that a large percentage of their baby feeding and soothing products are already BPA-free. Gary Cohen, vice president and general manager of the Playtex, Energizer Personal Care Division, said in the release that the company would stop using BPA in the remainder of their baby products this year.

Following more reports that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics could cause behavioral and hormonal changes in children, retail giant Wal-Mart will stop selling baby bottles, pacifiers, food containers and sippy cups that contain BPA by early 2009. Canadian Wal-Mart stores will immediately stop selling bottles with BPA due to speculation that the Canadian government will soon officially declare BPA as unsafe.

The new draft report released Monday is from the U.S. National Toxicology Program. The report indicated that exposure to BPA could result in behavioral changes for children, even infants, and that it could play a role in the earlier onset of puberty for girls. As always, the report suggested that more research on the affects of BPA on humans was needed.

• Washington Post: Wal-Mart to Pull Bottles Made with Chemical BPA
• PBS NewsHour: Wal-Mart, Nalgene Pull BPA Items After Report Sparks Concerns
• Consumerist: Wal-Mart, Nalgene to Cut Back on Bisphenol A

Babies tend to love to pull on mom's jewelry, and when teething begins, that gorgeous jewelry might end up in a resourceful baby's mouth. You probably don't want your usual jewelry damaged by baby bite marks, and it's hard to know whether your jewelry would even be safe for baby to mouth anyway. Teething Bling jewelry by SmartMom aims to solve both problems. The silicone teething pendants and bracelets won't be damaged by chewing, and since the silicone is non-toxic, lead-free and phthalate-free, baby can safely chew on it.

I tested a bracelet and pendant from this line recently. Learn more about it in my Teething Bling jewelry review.