Pages tagged with "attachment parenting"

Babies are often described as fetus' living outside the womb for the first 12 months of life and there's a very good reason for that. In terms of neurological development humans are born 12 months earlier than other animals.

Kangaroo care refers to the way Joeys are born prematurely and have to attach to their mother's teat inside her pouch in order to survive. And there they stay for the first nine months of life. There are so many benefits of Kangaroo care - even for full term babies.

It keeps your baby at the perfect temperature

During skin-to-skin contact your chest will warm up if your baby is too cold and cool down if your baby is too warm.

It promotes strong hormone production

Hormones aren't just good for milk production, they are also responsible for making sure you feel good! And skin-to-skin contact ensures that prolactin and oxytocin are in good supply.

Your baby will learn to breastfeed more quickly

Breastfeeding is a learning cuve for babies and their mothers alike. A baby who is settled and secure is in the best learning place possible for successful breastfeeding.

Feeds will be more frequent

Due to the small size of a baby's stomach, frequent feeds are extremely important, especially in the early weeks. Close contact ensures that your baby will wake regularly to feed, if for no other reason than smelling the milk.

It helps brain development

Babies brain development relies on skin-to-skin contact and eye contact to form the correct brain pathyways.

It helps alleviate colic

Babies with colic sleep better and cry less when Kangaroo care is performed.

Kangaroo Care and Premature Babies

Kangaroo care is even more important for premature babies. In addition to all the benefits to full term babies, skin-to-skin contact can:

• help  your baby to gain weight faster
• improves your baby’s metabolism
• eliminate or lessen your baby’s anxiety
• help increase your baby’s immune system

And in general, skin-to-skin contact increases premature babies rate of survival.

Kangaroo Care and Your Hug-a-Bub

The hug-a-bub wrap carrier in the heart-to-heart position is uniquely suited to kangaroo care.

• The wrap allows skin-to-skin contact for as much as the day as you would like, while still giving the freedom for you to do whatever you need to do - even cooking dinner or toddler wrangling!
• The wrap promotes frequent breastfeeding and you can even breastfeed your baby while they are still in the wrap.
• Because the hug-a-bub is a wrap it is designed to fit all babies - from the tiniest of premature babies.
• As weight is distributed across your body, the wrap is very comfortable and you can take advantage of as much skin-to-skin snuggle time as you like
• In addition to skin-to-skin contact, the wrap allows for as much touching, kissing and snuggling as you like -even when your baby is asleep.

What is your favourite part about babywearing? In what way did you find it helped you the most?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent pharetra porta porttitor. Vestibulum tempus augue et libero dignissim et semper erat luctus. Ut at eleifend metus. Donec sit amet ligula non elit ornare tempor. Proin at lectus elementum purus luctus mattis tristique eget tortor. Nulla ornare, ante ut placerat gravida, velit purus sodales ligula, sed vulputate mi lacus id nibh. Quisque eros dui, congue ac fermentum vitae, sollicitudin id dui. Pellentesque vulputate venenatis ligula vel semper. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Aenean at ligula eget enim dapibus tincidunt a id arcu.

Donec venenatis mollis lectus, vel feugiat turpis porta vel. Maecenas ultricies lorem a urna aliquet hendrerit. Integer sit amet urna eu dolor tincidunt facilisis. Fusce vulputate malesuada metus non varius. Etiam mauris odio, vestibulum sed hendrerit et, placerat quis massa. Duis eget augue diam. Cras elementum, nisi sit amet egestas ultrices, est est sollicitudin libero, non luctus ipsum velit at nibh. Vivamus vel velit est. Donec hendrerit, quam elementum mattis condimentum, odio massa laoreet felis, sit amet blandit eros mi nec sapien. Suspendisse auctor hendrerit risus, porttitor euismod augue hendrerit sed. Morbi tincidunt, neque ac congue placerat, metus sapien fermentum diam, ac euismod dui ipsum vitae quam. Phasellus ac nisi in libero rutrum tempor. Donec eu laoreet tellus. Praesent non lorem mi, adipiscing feugiat lorem.

Nullam aliquam suscipit molestie. Curabitur gravida euismod bibendum. In sollicitudin sodales dictum. Nullam interdum pretium dictum. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Vivamus fermentum, justo at aliquam tincidunt, arcu purus vulputate risus, eu molestie nulla nisl sit amet nisi. Nullam egestas sollicitudin semper. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Suspendisse dictum tempor ultrices. In massa nibh, ornare vel gravida et, condimentum molestie diam. Etiam ac augue vitae nunc placerat molestie. Vestibulum bibendum felis arcu.

When my daughter was born I was expecting lots of things - sleepless nights, baby smell, baby snuggles and a whole heap of chaos thanks to having a lively three year old daughter as well.

Hello, Colic.

What I didn't expect was colic. Colic. A word that will scare any parent half to death. And a word that can mean a whole heap of things. But basically it means crying. Inconsolable crying. Often fromt eh time the sun goes down until midnight, but really any period of crying for longer than 3 hours on a regular basis is considered to be colic. But no one knows what causes it. Some say it's gas. Some say its an immature digestive system and some say it's an immature nervous system.

Goodbye, Easiest Baby in the World.

Colic didn't strike until my baby was two weeks old, which I hear is quite common with colic. So there I was, enjoying the easiest bby ont eh planet and wondering why I had such a hard time with my first baby when newborns sleep all the time, and suddenly it was upon us.

I Love My Hug-a-Bub

I'd have periods where I would be walking the floor with her for 8 hours straight. Not pleasant. I tried every medicaton I could get my hands on. I tested her for reflux, tried Infants Friend, Infacol and endured two weeks of hell otherwise known as the elimination diet. And through all of that there was only one thing that would calm her down. And that was bieng in the heart-to-heart position in the Hug-a-Bub.

Which makes sense really. It's like a second womb. A happy baby means better digestion and anything that was going to alleviate the stress on that immature nervous sytem was going to also help her with her wee tummy. All snug in there and upright which helped with gas, she would sleep (even if on a bad day it was fitfullya nd I had to remain on my feet the whole time!) She lived in it. I struggled to get a photo of her not in the hug-a-bub because she was always in there. And then almost like magic at the 6 week mark something happened.

Welcome Back, Easiest Baby on the Planet

I'd read that block feeding could help colic. So I started doing that. Block feeding means you feed on one side for two hours before swapping to help with over-supply. And it doesn't matter if they only feed once in that period or five times you just keep to the one side until the two hours is up. The theory is that over-supply can lead to a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and that if the baby is getting too much foremilk the sugar can ferment int eh belly and cause gas. Now I'll never really know if it was the block feeding or she just grew out of it. But at 6 weeks, there she was. The easiest baby on the planet was back and the colic was gone.

But the easiest baby on the planet still loves her snuggles and spends a decent portion of her day in the hug-a-bub. Which I love too. I'm a snuggly kind of girl.

Isil has lived in Engaland since 2006 with her husband and two children (Defne and Derin). She is originally from Turkey and studied economics and worked as a purchasing specilist at a retail chain. Isil is passionate about natural childbirth, breastfeeding, babywearing, gentle discipline, green living, organic and local foods, sustainable living and informed healthcare decisions. On her blog Smiling Like Sunshine she writes about natural family living, early education, play, food, literature, music, design and cinema. You can follow her on twitter here.

1) When you were pregnant, did you plan on wearing your baby?

Yes, I was aware of  babywearing and got my sling ready beforehand. 

2) What do you love about babywearing?

I love that baby is close to you so you can kiss them whenever you want :) It's also very practical because your hands are free, you can get on with everything from cooking a meal to ironing, whatever needs to get done. With a second or subsequent child, it is even more important maybe. So you can still do something with your older child whilst baby is sleeping in the sling.

3) What is the most common comment you receive when you are out and about babywearing?

I just love it when people smile and tell you how sweet it is.

4) Is your partner a keen babywearer?

He loved wearing our babies. He wasn't too keen on wrap type of slings though, he prefered soft structured carriers.

5) How many carriers do you own? Which one's do you use the most?

I have had 4 carriers: A Tricotti,a Hug-a-bub, an Ergo and a Hotsling. With both babies I used the Hug-a-bub for the first 6-8 months and then the Ergo.

6) What's the first thing you'd tell someone thinking about trying babywearing?

If possible try out a sling before investing in that money. I bought a pouch type of sling before my second was born and he didn't enjoy it at all, so I only used it a few times. 

7) Have your babywearing habits changed from your first to your second child?

My first baby LOVED slings. She loved being close to me and we used to go on to holidays without a buggy. Even after she started walking, she would demand the sling when she got tired and would sleepin it happily. My son is different though. I used to wear him until he turned one, but then he started to prefer the buggy. A few weeks ago, went to the trekking and I only took the  sling hoping that when tired he'd sleep in it. However he didn't enjoy it,I think he kind of feels restricted. I could only put him in the sling after he fell asleep in daddy's arms. 

I used to carry my daughter until she was 2.5 years old, till I was pregnant with my son.

8) What activity are you most likely to rely on babywearing to get done?

I loved being able to cook and hoovering the house. My babies were really frightened of the vacuum so they felt secure in the sling.

9)And lastly, what's your favourite babywearing photo.

1) You are creating negative sleep associations

If they sleep in the wrap or sling they will never learn to sleep anywhere else

The theory about sleep associations is not new. You hear it all over the place if you rock to sleep / feed to sleep / wear to sleep then the theory goes that your baby will never learn to go to sleep any other way, and may even have trouble going through sleep cycles at night. But the truth is that it doesn't matter how you get your baby to sleep, in their own sweet time they will start putting themselves to sleep. Sometimes that time is a bit too long for a parents liking and we might choose to give them a bit of a nudge along. But there is no rhyme or reason to it. My first didn't go to sleep on her own reliably until she was over a year old, my second by the time she was six weeks. It might not feel like it at the time, but you will not be feeding/patting/rocking/wearing your 10 year old to get them to go to sleep.

2) Babies should learn to sleep on their own

You are doing a disservice if they don't learn to go to sleep on their own.

The idea that babies should sleep on their own is a rather new one. Adults often have trouble sleeping in a bed alone, or need to have a hot drink, read a book or any manner of other routines to help them get to sleep. So the idea that a baby should be able to go to sleep without company, comfort or help is pretty unrealistic. It might be tempting to think that once a baby goes to sleep on their own, they will sleep for longer and will be better rested and in the long run better off. But it's no guarantee. My little one puts herself to sleep and regularly (very regularly) cat naps through the day anyway. 

3) Babywearing creates 'clingy' babies

The idea that babywearing will somehow stunt the development of independence and resilience.

In the 1950s baby experts thought that resilience was created by parental detachment. However, it is now known that a secure attachment leads to independence, emotional availablility, better coping skills, improved moral development, reduced stress and improved academic performance.

My first baby was what you would call a high needs baby. She would breastfeed for long stretches, preferred to be rocked to sleep (sometimes it took me up to an hour) and in general liked to be held for most of the day. There was lots to love about a high needs baby. I enjoyed that level of attachment and it was lovely to be needed so much.

My second baby was a different creature entirely. She hated being rocked, she was not a snuggly baby (other than being worn in the Hug-a-Bub wrap carrier) and is quite possibly the most laid back baby I've come across. She plays on the floor on her own and doesn't protest when I'm not in the room. She puts herself to sleep. Few things bother her. Even when I took her to have her vaccinations recently she didn't even flinch when the needle went in. She was born that way and other than a brief stint of colic, she is an unbelievably happy baby.

Recently, as she approached 6 months she started to become a whole lot more unsettled. She would protest being on the floor or when I left the room and started resisting sleep. Which is not unusual for a 6 month old. Separation anxiety starts kicking in and they usually have a good amount of teething to cope with as well. But in my little one's case I think it was that unsettled period before she made her leap to the next developmental stage. She's just about crawling. She commando crawls at the moment and pulls herself along. In no time she'll be off and my productivity at home will drop dramatically.

During this stage there are a whole range of things that you can do.

Harness Brief Periods of Productivity

Even when a baby is going through one of these stages they will still tend to have a decent sleep first thing in the morning. In these times I try to get all the things done that I can do much faster when they are in their bed. Like cleaning the bathrooms, changing linen and getting some work done on the computer. And I make sure and save the things that are easy to do with her for later - especially hanging out washing or anything that needs doing outside - because she loves the outdoors.

Hug-a-Bub and More Hug-a-Bub

During these periods, even as a 6 month old, she will live in the Hug-a-Bub either to sleep or just hang out while I do other things. It's much easier than carrying her around on my hip all day. It's one way of definitely getting her to sleep because I can tuck her head in and it stops her thrashing around too much and keeps her settled enough to drift off. To make the most of this time I have a computer set up at eye-level when I'm standing up so I can use it even when the baby is insisting that I stay on my feet.

Variety is the Spice of Life

As it turns out, it's also the spice of baby. Nothing helps to turn a cranky baby turn into a happy one like a change of scenery - getting outside, even looking out a window can do wonders. But even have a variety of different play areas can be great too - an area on the floor, an easily transportable seat so you can take them around with you and maybe a swing if they are into it {mine has found a way to get our swing to approach warp speed so I haven't put her in it recently}

Know That It's Temporary

If you are anything like me you will enjoy these brief periods of time. I'm quite happy to have a baby who requires a bit more of me than she normally would. It's such a great opportunity to forget being busy and just enjoy her company. The house can wait. She's so tiny but will only be that way for such a finite period of time. I'm going to blink and she will be embarrassed to hold my hand when we cross the road. So I treasure every time she demands to be held close and I would never wish it away.

Piper was my second child, but she was the first one I used a Hug-a-Bub to babywear. And because it was so much more comfortable than other slings I had used, I wore her a lot. I wore her almost continuously up until she was 6 weeks old because she had colic and it was the only thing that seemed to calm her down.

And I wore her almost everywhere after that because having a 3 year old it just made my life much easier. And even when my 3 year old, Riley was at preschool I would often wear her at home because I could get work done or do some housework while she slept. She was quite comfortable in the Hug-a-Bub until she was about 18 months old. And she preferred it to any other type of carrier.

Myth 1: If you wear them all the time they won't learn to sleep on their own

If anything, I found the opposite to be true. Because she went to sleep in the wrap all the time, she seemed far more capable of going to sleep on her own and was putting herself to sleep from a very early age and didn't seem to need as much soothing to get back to sleep in between sleep cycles. She transitioned very easily from the baby hammock to the cot and then to a toddler bed. As far as getting to sleep, she was just easy.

Myth 2: If you carry them around they will never want to walk on their own

I would have been quite happy for Piper to take her time with crawling and walking but she was early with both. Now at the age of 2, I'd be quite happy to keep carrying her around but she insists on being put down to walk. And she's slowly getting the hang of the hand holding thing. Although that has been a very long process.

Myth 3: It will hurt your back

One of the great things about the wrap is the even distribution of weight. So even during periods of babywearing for over 8 hours a day, I didn't experience any shoulder or back pain from it.

Myth 4: If you carry them everywhere, they will be too dependent

Babies are relatively dependent anyway, so this is an odd one. But if anything, the security that Piper had from being worn everywhere meant that she became quite independent early on. She plays on her own a lot. She potters about the house doing her own thing and has never really had any periods of separation anxiety. When I leave, she doesn't really care. And when I come back she laughs.

Myth 5: It limits your freedom to do what you want to do

For me exactly the opposite was true. I didn't have to worry about whether it was nap time or not, I could do what I needed to do whether that was taking my 3 year old to the park, or cleaning the house or sitting down at the computer to get some work done. I was no longer tied to the baby's schedule. Which was great because Piper never really had much of a routine, so she was pretty unpredictable that way.

Myth 6: Closely related to Myth 1. If they sleep while being worn, they won't sleep in their cot when you need them to

Babywearing is great and I really enjoyed having all that closeness and cuddles with Piper. But there are times when you do want them to sleep in a cot or in a bouncer or in a bed. Because you want a break, or want to eat messy food or just want to take advantage of some down time. I never had a problem having the best of both worlds. I find the more different places she got used to going to sleep, the easier it was for her to go to sleep pretty much anywhere.

Two yeas later. I'm glad that I didn't listen to any of those things, and just did what I wanted to do. Because I don't have a baby anymore. I have a two year old adventurer. But luckily she still appreciates cuddles as much as I do.