The battle of the breast

Baby spoon fed

Rachel Browne While doctors recommend that parents give their children solid foods from four months in an attempt to lower allergy rates, breastfeeding advocates are concerned it will reduce the already low number of Australian mums who breastfeed.

Egg parcels

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River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook, by Nikki Duffy. Essentially little quiches without pastry, these are quick, simple and eminently adaptable.

Zucchini polpette

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River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook, by Nikki Duffy. These vegetarian ''meatballs'' are inspired by a wonderful recipe from Italian food writer Ursula Ferrigno

Vegie bean curry

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River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook, by Nikki Duffy. Throw all the left-over vegies in and you have a great dish for the whole family.

Creative baby food mash-ups

Baby mash

Cherie Lyden Creating your own baby food may take time to make, but reaps the rewards in the end. Here's some creative ideas to get you started.

Healthy diet starts with baby food

Generic pic of a baby eating an apple.

Study finds homemade baby food trains kids' palates to enjoy fruit and vegetables.

Home-made food is best for baby

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Fiona Purdon It seems home-made baby food is the best health option and the cheapest in today's economic climate. Fiona Purdon reports

Avocado, fetta and green things dip - baby & toddler food

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As I am not a fan of hiding food in children's meals, this recipe is as honest as can be.

Toddler snack ideas

The little engine of a toddler is constantly burning fuel, and your toddler will benefit from small meals spaced out during the day. Healthy, fun snacks will provide toddlers with energy to burn. Here are some great snack ideas.

Pregnancy power salad

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Quick to make, contains protein in the form of tuna and eggs, carbohydrates (and protein) with the canned beans, and a serve of the all-important five vegetables.

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Allergy and Food Intolerance Support

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EB Picks: Kids in the kitchen

Essential Baby have found some great little foodie products to make cooking and feeding time fun.

Hello Naomi cupcakes

Beautiful cupcakes, sugar cookies and wedding cakes are made to perfection and topped off with hello naomi's original designs.

Kids party cakes

Here's some great looking cakes EB members have made - we hope you can get some ideas and inspiration from them!

Fun with vegies

As any parent knows, getting kids to eat their vegies can be a real battle of wills. But by injecting some fun into the vegetable experience, you might just get your little ones munching on their greens after all.

Morning sickness: the basics

Research indicates that up to 80 per cent of pregnant women get morning sickness in pregnancy. You might feel sick and vomit - and get a few other not-so-fun side effects of pregnancy, too. The good news is there are ways to help ease the nausea.

Win one of five $200 Endota Spa vouchers

We have five $200 Endota Spa vouchers to give away ... go on, you know you deserve a treat!

Jessica Marais gives birth to a baby girl

Jessica Marais and James Stewart have become parents with the birth of their first daughter.

Eat, play, love: Bali with littlies

A seasoned traveller, Sheriden Rhodes shares her knowledge of the best places to stay with kids of all ages in Bali.

Grand prize valued at $5000 to be won!

Tell us what it means to be a mum for your chance to win a grand prize valued at $5000, courtesy of Virgin Money.

BABYOLOGY RECOMMENDS

Babyology looks at the Bugaboo Neon

Perfect for fun-loving parents and their babies, the Cameleon Neon is a boldly accented pram with all the bells and whistles you'd expect of the ever-stylish Bugaboo.

How to prepare for an unexpected birth

Perhaps you’re at home and haven’t had contractions for very long, or you’re in the car on the way to the hospital; whatever the case, you're going to be giving birth then and there. Learn what to do if you find yourself in this unusual situation.

Free Neil Perry cookbook

Indulge the family with Neil Perry’s favourite breakfast recipes! The Sun-Herald and essentialkids.com.au are giving away Neil Perry’s The Food I Love: Breakfast for FREE from the iBookstore.

Dad-to-be: Bonding with baby

So you've been told you're going to be a dad. You might think there's nothing you can do just yet, but it's never too early to start bonding with your baby.

Essential Baby Directory

The Essential Baby Directory has all your needs covered, from birth photographers to baby and maternity clothes, and child care to kids' parties.

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Ripe Maternity OFFER

Ripe Maternity would like to offer our Essential Baby readers a $10 gift voucher + FREE shipping.

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MIDA is a boys’ fashion brand catering for 1-6 year old boys, and is offering EB members a FREE hat when you spend $50 or more!

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