Feeding

Doctors always tell you that breast milk is best, but is someone else's breast milk just as good? My pal recently told me that she just gave a friend, who has a younger baby, all her frozen breast milk, since it was going to go bad before her son could consume it all. Known as liquid gold in some circles, breast milk is a valuable commodity to a nursing mama and could be even more valuable to a mother who is lacking in that department. Salma Hayek nursed a newborn that was not her own, and many mommies donate their frozen breast milk to a milk bank. In both cases, the milk benefits babies in need even if it is unusual.

What if your child was the one in need? Would you feed your babe someone else's breast milk?

Formula advocates have new evidence to support their beliefs. A new study in the journal of Child Development finds that infants receiving formula fortified with DHA have higher IQs and vocabulary development later in childhood than those who don't. DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that appears naturally in breast milk, is thought to speed the brain's processing abilities.

The researchers behind the study took more than 200 9-month-old babies who had all been on formula for various amounts of time through a number of exercises involving blankets and rattles. The wee ones who received formula fortified with DHA scored significantly higher than those drinking unfortified versions of the formula. According to the study, those who received the DHA-enhanced formula from birth scored better than those that were weaned off of breast milk at 6-weeks-old.

Doctors and breastfeeding advocates fear that the new study does not address the additional benefits of breast milk and may sway new mamas to forgo nursing in favor of these fortified formulas. Do you believe this latest study and the hype behind it?

Well made wooden highchairs are back in style . . . only this time they grow with child! The chair's neutral tone that blend with the rest of the family's dining set and their ability to fit snugly under the table make them a smart choice for mamas desiring a streamlined kitchen area.

Simple: The natural wood Keekaroo high chair ($149) features an adjustable seat that can be used for children from six months old on up.

Swank: The Stokke Tripp Trapp ($249) started the "grow-with-me" high-chair phenomenon with its adjustable height and footrest and the ease with which it can be pulled right up to the table. Which do you prefer?