Health & Safety

Though your little one has developed a taste for homemade organic baby food, you’ve been surviving on greasy takeout for months. But sleep-deprived parents adjusting to life with an infant need not give up their once-refined paletes.

New York Times writer, father and foodie Keith Dixon tackles new parenthood in his kitchen-centric memoir, Cooking For Gracie: The Making of a Parent from Scratch. On sale today, the book speaks to NYC moms and dads who are dealing with the upheaval a baby brings to their lives and their stomachs. As he navigates from infant reflux to first words, Dixon (an enthusiastic home cook) peppers his personal stories with more than 40 simple but delicious recipes he cooks for both his wife and young daughter, from short ribs with carrot-rosemary puree to farfalle with marinated tomatoes and mint oil. To keep you on track, many of his healthy how-tos are arranged in pre- and post-bedtime steps; others (like sole with poached veggies) instruct how to prepare for adults vs. baby.

Slice, chop and saute your way back to sanity.

Available at randomhouse.com.

Your pregnancy feels like a game of 20 questions: Disposal diapers or cloth? Breastfeed or bottle? If only you had a room full of experts to guide you on the best path for you and your baby.

Get some answers. This Wednesday, stop by the Maclaren store in Soho for the next installation of The Pregnant New Yorker, an event where moms-to-be can gather info on how to feng shui your nursery, green your home and use safer cleaning products. Plus, pick up tips on prenatal yoga, physical therapy, massage and other ways to ease your pregnancy — plus post-natal baby solutions for cloth diapering and breastfeeding. Guest speakers like a lactation consultant, doula and acupuncturist will be on hand to answer your most pressing questions for the next nine months.

No more guessing games.

When: Wed. 12/8, 6:30-9pm; $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Where: Maclaren, 150 Wooster St. (bet. Prince & Houston), thepregnantnewyorker.com.

City kids are hitting the playground 24/7 as a last-ditch effort for outdoor shenanigans before the deep freeze sets in.  Two words: Be Careful!

Hopefully the phrase “break a leg” will only be a wish for good luck, but just in case Junior takes a tumble from the monkey bars, Sling Couture has got you covered. The line of fashionable slings will cradle that less-than-fortunate arm and help brighten the experience. Available in sizes small, medium and large, the exclusive camouflage and denim hearts prints are lightweight, durable and easy to wear. Hopefully you won’t have a need, but just in case they’re available in NYC at Falk Drugs.

Tell him not to test his luck.

Whether you’ve downsized the cleaning staff or want to get your home in tip-top shape for the holidays, good winter cleaning requires a system. And your routine of Swiffer and Clorox wipes could use a revamp.

Enter Gisela Lowenstein. This Martha Stewart of Miami has introduced her time-saving home management solution, called The Glow System, to NYC clean freaks. Comprised of an instructional DVD and flashcards (in English and Spanish), the program walks you through everything you need to know about proper home cleaning, from daily straightening up to the deep clean (hint: it works whether you’ve got the biggest duplex or a 1BR). Lowenstein, a wife and mom with a background in hotel management, shares her expertise in eight short sections of easy-to-use methodology for the kitchen, kids’ rooms, bathroom and more. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, you’ll be able to set up a schedule, and (shocker!) even get the DH and kids invoived.

Go for the glow.

Visit theglowsystem.com.  

Autumn in New York is nesting season, which for expectant parents (and judging by the explosion of pregnant women on the city streets in August, there are plenty out there) means it’s time to decorate the nursery.

September is Baby Safety Month, a program sponsored by the JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) to promote awareness — this year the focus is on safe sleeping. So before you outfit the baby’s new digs (or convert the walk-in closet into a bedroom), check out these helpful tips.

Your crib should be placed away from windows, draperies, blinds or wall-mounted decorative accessories with long cords.

Toys and other pillow-like items should not be placed in the crib with babies under 1 year of age. These items can cause suffocation risks.

Products such as fluffy blankets, comforters, pillows, pillow-like bumpers and stuffed animals should be removed from the crib and should be used for decoration only.

If you choose to use bumper pads, avoid those that are pillow-like and once baby can stand, remove them from the crib.

Remove quilts and other bedding before putting baby to bed. Consider hanging your quilt or decorative blanket on the wall as art.

For more JPMA safety tips, visit babysafetymonth.org.

NYC is a great place to have a baby. We’ve got incredible doctors, classes, pre- and post-natal services, (not to mention scores of fellow new moms on the streets pushing strollers). But with all of these choices, navigating urbanbabyhood can be a hell of a lot of work.

Time to get Mommywise, a high-end concierge service for expectant and new moms. Mommywise offers fully customizable packages of services and can help with just about anything. The company can assist you in finding health care providers, including OB/GYNs, midwives, pediatricians and psychologists, plus other members to round out your bambino team- baby nurses, doulas, massage therapists, fitness experts, acupuncture specialists, lactation and sleep consultants, personal chefs, green house cleaners, etc. Mommywise will create reading lists and tag-team with you when you register. Better yet, their consultants can lend a hand in baby product assembly. And they’ll even demystify the strange new world of mommy-and-me classes.

So you can de-stress, decompress and go about the business of being a mom.

Visit mommywise.com. Package prices range from $490 t0 $1,250, and concierge services are available at an hourly rate of $120. A 20% off summer promotion is available through August 31st.

You’ve developed a calm and cool demeanor when dealing with toddlers, in-laws, pushy co-workers and class parents. But sometimes, you just want to punch something.

Get out your aggression — and get a great workout at the same time — at Punch Fitness, a family-friendly boxing gym on the Upper East Side (also in Bridgehampton for the summer). Instead of an intimidating, bare bones, Million Dollar Baby-inspired studio, Punch is warm and welcoming with a strong female client base. Owner Adelino Da Costa will whip you into shape with his special system of jabs, kicks and crunches (prices range from about $109 to $145 for a sweat-inducing one-on-one session). Da Costa even trains women throughout their pregnancies, as evidenced by black-and-white photos of a rather ripped mom-to-be (though you should begin his workouts prior to getting preggo).

Your triceps may scream for mercy, but your stress level will stabilize.

1015 Madison Ave., lower level (bet. 78th & 79th St.), 212-288-2375, punchfitnesscenter.com.

Is ice cream for dinner every night bad for the baby? Should you eat entirely organic? Must you really gain that much weight with twins? More importantly, who can answer all these pressing pregnancy questions?

Make a date with registered dietitian (and mom) Meg Tubman at her cozy Tribeca studio, Fresh Start Nutrition. Specializing in maternal nutrition, Tubman offers one-on-one education and counseling for all stages from conception through postpartum. Whether it’s eating for fertility, pregnancy health and weight concerns or coping with a picky infant, she will work with your needs and goals to help you formulate a (realistic and attainable) plan of action. Even better, this French culinary grad focuses what you can eat (whole foods, yum) rather than what you can’t (major restrictions equal stress).

Go forth and snack.

Visit freshstartnutritionstudio.com.

Frightening infant drowning statistics are enough to make you want to move to a land-locked state (not that you’d ever splash around in the East River). With beach season approaching, remember that learning basic swim skills helps significantly reduce risk of drowning, whether you’re 6 months or 36.

Next week, the West Side YMCA hosts its annual Splash Week, to help teach New York families about water safety basics. Each day, the center hosts free half-hour swim lessons in the pool, complete with vital tips and techniques (including pool, beach and water park safety) for all ages. The daily schedule breaks down by age for 6 to 24 months (11-11:30am), 3-4 years (11:30am-12pm), 5-6 years (12-12:30pm), 6-9 years (3-3:30pm), 9-12 years (3:30-4pm) and 18+ (7-8pm).

When: Mon.-Fri., 4/13-4/17; All ages; Free (register at 212-875-4214).
Where: West Side YMCA, 5 West 63rd St., ymcanyc.org.

Hips, shoulders, knees and back — you could write a song about all the body parts that need extra attention during pregnancy.

No matter your trimester, try the prenatal Pilates class at Core Pilates NYC that goes beyond the typical mat class. Using the famed tower apparatus and special breathing techniques, this workout helps create synergy between the abs, lower back and pelvic floor — a band of muscles that is much-needed for pregnancy, delivery, and getting your pre-baby bod back (it’s helpful if you have prior Pilates experience). Limited to just four moms-to-be, the weekly Saturday class (by reservation, $32) offers semi-private attention from the center’s expert (certified prenatal Pilates) instructors. Or, book a one-on-one session at this cozy Union Square studio to really focus on stretching, easing swelling, increasing circulation and maintaining muscle.

You and your belly will be singing a happy tune.

99 University Place, 212-260-5464, corepilatesnyc.com.