Blog
February 11, 2016
One of the most frequently asked questions from my clients and members of our instagram support forum is “How can I increase my milk supply?” It’s a valid concern considering one of the top three reasons mothers wean is they are concerned about milk supply (1). Today I’m here to give you three easy ways to ensure your milk production will meet baby’s needs!
Ensure efficient breast emptying
Breastmilk is made on a supply-demand chain. Think about a store inventory. If an item is popular, and being regularly removed from the shelves each day, the item will continually be in stock. If the item sits and sits and no one buys it, pretty soon it will be discontinued. The same is true for milk production! The more is removed, the more is made. Sometimes women put their baby to breast frequently, but they are not attached well enough or alert enough to remove milk efficiently. Some great things to look for during latch include
February 10, 2016
New Years brings new goals, mental, emotional, and physical. As parents with little ones in tow, it can be hard to keep up with new routines. Here is an exercise routine that can be done while babywearing. Involving your child in your fitness regimen can be a great way to score some quality time!
While doing these exercises, you can engage baby as well. Sing some songs, recite a nursery rhyme, count, or even chat with them while you go up and down. This is a great alternative to plain old counting.
While performing exercises make sure you have a surface or chair to hold onto for balance and safety. Remember, you are still babywearing and need to be conscious of their safety.
Below are the exercises. There are 10 total exercises (when you count one for each leg).
Squats
Stand up straight with feet shoulder width apart. Slowly move up and down as if you are about to sit into a chair.
Stationary Lunges
Stand with feet shoulder width apart and step backwards
February 01, 2016
Congratulations! You’re going to be a Mama! Have you been feeling the urge to tackle the garage clutter? Clean out the attic? Organize everything in your house? Guess what - you’re nesting!
The nesting instinct is a primal instinct that goes back thousands of years. It’s nature’s way of helping you feel confident and ready to protect, nurture and welcome a child into your home.
While this can be a productive moment to accomplish great things — like taking a birthing class, decorating your nursery or organizing your house —it is also important not to get too overwhelmed and stressed out. Remember, your baby doesn’t care if you haven’t organized your sock drawer.
Getting Ready For Baby
A great way for you to have some control and knowledge about what is to come is to educate yourself and make your plans known. While the urge to scrub clean all the grout in your entire house may be strong, take some time and make a list of the highest priority items that you feel must be
January 07, 2016
Babies walk at different times, they talk at different times, and just like all other developmental milestones, their digestive systems are ready for solid foods at different times. Instead of waiting until your baby reaches a certain age, it’s also recommended to wait until your little one meets all of the Developmental Signs of Readiness. These observable milestones indicate when your little one’s intricate system is ready and mature enough for the introduction of solid foods.
Babies usually start meeting Signs of Readiness around 6 months, but it can definitely take longer for some and research is showing that it’s beneficial to wait. In the 1990’s, it was common for most babies to start solids around 4 months. In 2002, the World Health Organization recommended exclusive breastfeeding (formula/combo feeding) for the first 6 months. In 2012, Health Canada, Canadian Pediatric Society, Dieticians of Canada & Breastfeeding Committee for Canada (can you tell I’m Canadian!) released
December 22, 2015
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A feel good family of three living life the way nature intended. Mama the holistic prenatal nutritionist and Papa the art director. Baby boy gives them daily doses of inspiration for all they do, see and create. Their approach to life and parenting is laid-back and go with the flow, allowing them to experience adventures together, from the outdoor sort to culinary kind.
click on any photo below to see the gallery and get to know the mendes family.
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November 30, 2015
We're welcoming Winter with some fresh new designs! We've been posting some sneak peeks, but now we're ready to reveal the collection to you. For our Winter 2015 Collection, we go to the Canadian coastal seaport city of Vancouver to highlight real Ergobaby families enjoying their everyday experiences with their babies in our carriers. A place of vibrant beauty, culture and creativity, some of Vancouver’s most compelling locations serve as our backdrop for a cast of authentic families who are some of the city’s influential movers and shakers. We explore the great outdoors and wander the vibrant city streets.
click on any photo to see gallery and learn more about the new carriers.
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November 18, 2015
A pressure cooker isn’t necessary, but it does cook your beans faster. I start with dried beans because they taste better and cost a lot less than canned. But (confession), I totally used pre-cut butternut squash for this recipe. I don’t mind passive cooking time, such as putting beans in water to soak at breakfast time or overnight, but like to save time on cooking prep when I can.
Please feel free to improvise with whatever veggies or grains you have on hand. Roasting the veggies in the oven makes them super sweet. My kids have sweet tooths, and both liked this stew.
Ingredients
2 cups of dried black beans
2 sprigs of fresh epazote,
November 16, 2015
I remember going to my local baby superstore when I was pregnant for the first time. Complete overwhelm.
A sales clerk told me I needed a baby carrier. It sounded like a good idea, so I just scanned the cheapest available. I didn't even realize there were different styles, different positions, safety concerns and reason to babywear.
Five-plus years later, one of the first things I recommend to new moms is that they get themselves a soft structured carrier. And then we usually have a conversation about the merits and reasons to babywear. It's a conversation I love to have with new and expectant mothers.
Looking
November 12, 2015
When our friend Jacqui Saldana from Baby Boy Bakery announced her pregnancy on Instagram, she was flooded with companies requesting to gift product to her for her upcoming baby. Jacqui decided to turn all that generosity toward an amazing organization instead of herself and planned a baby shower for Baby2Baby. Baby2Baby provides low-income children ages 0-12 with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves. Jacqui is committed to honoring her son Ryan's memory by supporting efforts to encourage other kids to live loud and live wild, like Ryan did. We are happy to support Jacqui and her mission.
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Jacqui has reached out to us for support and as huge fans of Jacqui and
November 11, 2015
For many expecting parents, an approaching due date is time to feather the nest. We complete our registry, set up a nursery, and make sure we have all the baby gear we are going to need.
When my first daughter was born, I was caught off guard – floored – by two surprises. One, I knew I would love her, but I didn’t know I would be IN LOVE with her.
Second, the postpartum stage was harder than I expected. Much harder.
I had dreamy moments of nursing in the glider and cuddling her in a carrier. But there were a lot of challenges I never even dreamed of. Breastfeeding was much harder than I expected, yet I felt strongly, almost rigidly, that it had to be 100% of her nourishment. Having things not go as expected is one of the most common risk factors for postpartum mental illness. And as we know, birth and babies rarely stick to the textbook.
The “baby blues” hit 85% to 90% of new mothers, typically on day 4 postpartum, when hormones take a massive drop. This stage usually lasts