Choosing a baby carrier can be a complicated venture. How to choose a baby carrier for a newborn vs. how to choose one for an older baby is different because different ages have different needs. Newborns want to be snuggled up against you, like how they were in utero, while older babies want to sit…
We’ve written about hip dysplasia before and the importance of a well designed carrier that promotes the correct ergonomic position for baby. Now the International Hip Dysplasia Institute has issued a statement that recommends the use of a baby carrier that supports a natural seated position, with the thigh supported at the knee joint, such…
“Baby carrying strengthens the bond between you and your baby.” This is a statement you often hear from baby carrying advocates, be it experienced mothers, babywearing consultants or midwives. It really only takes one look at a calm secure parent and her or his quiet, relaxed, content and alert baby in a good baby carrier to…
Crying is one of the strongest signals a baby uses to get the attention of a caregiver, or parent, that something is bothering the baby. Through evolution, mothers are primed to respond to the cry signal and to attempt to soothe the baby as best possible. It is thus no surprise that bouts of inconsolable…
One of the salient features of a well-designed baby carrier is that it keeps the carried baby in a correct ergonomic position. The obvious question which follows from such a statement is what constitutes a correct ergonomic carrying position for a newborn baby? A minimum requirement for an ergonomically correct position is that it should…
For the vast majority of mothers and babies around the world, co-sleeping is the cultural norm and the natural thing to do. In the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control, co-sleeping is also quite a common occurrence with roughly 68% of all babies enjoying co-sleeping at least some of the time. However, in…
There certainly is no dearth of websites and organizations which offer information on parenting and baby development. However, the Attachment Parenting International (API) organization is one of the relatively few organizations which offer a coherent, comprehensive and practical approach to raising children, based on a very specific set of values. And what is more important,…
Not being a parent, I can’t personally tell you what it feels like to have the heart of my own child beating in rhythm with mine. I long for the day when I get to experience this. It is music. It is love. Have you ever noticed how people’s heartbeats, breath, and other vital…
For most parents, infant massage is a rewarding activity in its own right. Just consider the sheer enjoyment of touching and gently rubbing and stroking this little marvel of nature, with its lush, soft and delicately fragrant skin and all its subtle, yet clear signs of appreciation of being massaged. Over and above being a…
One of the major sources of frustration and even guilt in early motherhood is breastfeeding. Yes, for some mothers breastfeeding runs utterly smoothly, but for others, breastfeeding becomes a partially painful and uneven ordeal. The range of complaints includes cracks and fissures in the nipples, sore breasts, infections, fungi, concerns with having enough milk, and…
