Skinship

Winter is coming...it's time for mama jackets

If you are pregnant or are babywearing your little one, you will love those mama-jackets and mama-ponchos. They can be used all the way through pregnancy and are very useful when you are wearing your baby or toddler in any kind of soft carrier (slings, poches, mei-tais, etc.). You can carry your baby in front or at the back.
We are using mama poncho all the time...while baby wearing and also while Jun is in the stroller where it turns into a comfortable and warm blanket.

For more details, photos and purchasing click here.

Pouch

I've just received an email from my friend who is asking which type of babycarrier she should reccommend to her friends who are to become the first-time parents. Since mommy is in a wheelchair they  are looking for a baby carrier that is comfortable and easy to use.

After trying several types I would deffinitely reccomend a puch-style carrier because it is the easiest to use- you just put it on as a shirt. You can easily keep it on the whole day and put your baby in and out when needed. This style of carrier is very comfortable when you are sitting.

I especially liked the adjustable fleece pouch by Kangaroo Korner. It is extremely snug and cosy for both you and the baby. The size is adjustable and this puch is growing with your child. They also have a cotton version for warmer days but I haven't tried it yet.

Another great puch made of stretch cotton is by Hotslings. It is also very comfortable but you need to be careful whith the sizing. They have a special section that will help you choose the right size.

I wish you all the best with pregnancy and birth and let us know how babywearing works for you. I am sure your little one will enjoy it.

Skinship groups

Dear readers,

I would like to invite you to join us at Mother's click. I've created two goups for parents who believe in attachment parenting, want to share their ideas, ask for advice or just have a chat with similarly minded parents.

First group is called Skinship and can be found here. It is open for all English speaking readers who share passion for connected and respectful parenting, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, babywearing, cloth diapers or elimination communication and much more.

Since many of Skinship readers come from Slovenia and feel more comfortable communicating in Slovenian I've created a Slovene group called "Moja Mami". You can join us at MojaMami web page.

To join any of the groups you have to register here. You can also upload your picture. The web platform used at Mother's click enables us to use several services from posting notes, activities, managing group calendar, posting photos, posting reviews, and much more.

I wish you a great fun using the service and hope to meet you online soon.

Anja

Mothering Magazine

I've finally got it...a subscription to the Mothering magazine. The Magazine recently celebrated it's 30th anniversary and for all those years it has been an amazing source of information on natural family living for (expectant) parents. They advocate breastfeeding, co-sleeping, babywearing, cloth diapers and other natural parenting choices. But what is best about Mothering is that they do not pose guilt on those who (from whichever reason) chose alternatives. They believe in informed parenting decisions that incorporate specific family situation. They provide parents with all necessary information, offer advice and gentle guidance through the challenging path of parenting.

You can watch a video about Mothering here:

I especially like the section called Quiet Place by Peggy O'Mara which can also be read on line. On their web page you can also join their community where you can discuss with similarly minded parents.

I really recommend this magazine to all parents who practice attachment parenting as well as those who feel in their heart that "mainstream" parenting is not the right thing but need more information before converting from conventional parenting practices to more natural approaches.

Baby wearing…how to start?

The other day my friend asked "How did you start wearing your baby?". She got her baby few weeks ago and she wanted to start wearing him. I had to think a little bit on how we got started…We got our first sling as a present few months before Jun was born. It came with Japanese instructions and you can imagine how much time it took us to figure out how to use it. Add to this the skills of first-time parents and a tiny little baby that you are afraid to even touch. So for the first three weeks we went for the proven method…holding him in arms or lying next to him. But we soon became enough experienced and self confident to try to put him in a sling. It was a discovery…finally our arms were free and Jun was peacefully sleeping or watching us. Since than the sling is a lifesaver for us.
What you need to know before you start babywearing:
• Select your carrier carefully. Things to consider: safety, health issues (consider the young spine development), comfort (for you and the baby), suitability for breastfeeding, softness and durability of the material, age of the baby, your lifestyle, who will mostly carry the baby, the ease of use and of course the price. There are many baby carriers on the market. You can find the widest selection with product reviews of different baby carriers on The Babywearer or Childcarriers. For my recommendation of carriers see previous post.
• Try the carrier before buying it. It is hard to find a carrier that would fill everyone. I advice you to try a carrier before buying it. You can borrow it from your friends. Many shops even offer “rent-a-sling” which is great idea. You can use a carrier for a week or so and than decide wich type fits you and your baby. If you live in Sloveniayou can rent a sling here.
• It is almost impossible to use the same carrier for all ages. Eventhough most producers promise that their carrier can be used from 0-36 months, this is not very good idea. There are so many trade-offs and you will probaby not find the one that fits-all stages optimally. I recommend you to choose one from 0-6 months and one from 6 months on. For the first period consider a sling or pouch style of carrier which enables you baby to lie in horizontal position (with flat back if possible) or cross-legged after 4 months. For the second period structured carriers that can be carried in front, hip and back position are probably the best.
• Make sure baby lies flat for the first 4 or even better 6 months. Read more about oxygen desaturation in previous post. A great carrier that allows this position is Zuco bed by Aprica. This year they introduced even new models, which all enable horizontal flat position for the first couple of months.
• When introducing a new carrier, do it slowly. Allow yourself and your baby to get used to a new carrier. Never put a crying or fussy baby in a carrier for the first time. Allways put a happy baby (usually after nursing) into the new carrier. Once he get used to a carrier and you both find the most comfortable position babywearing becomes the best pacifier in the world.
• Be careful. Before you master the art of babywearing you would probably use one or both hands to support your baby. It will make both of you more secure. Allways double check the carrier beofre you place your baby inside. Also be careful with sudden moves, when going through doorways or passing close to sharp objects. When bending allwys hold your baby firmly.
• Start babywearing as soon as possible. It enables you both to enjoy the benefits of baby wearing as early as possible. It also helps you to slowly build your muscles while your baby is getting heavier.
• Ignore “well-meaning” advice. When they are trying to convince you that babywering leads to spoiled kids, simply smile and ignore it. It will probably take too much of your time and energy to explain the evolutionary, emotional and scientific views of attachment parenting to someone who still believes that you can spoil a baby by being close to and responding to her needs.

You are very welcome to post comments describing your experience with babywearing, choosing the baby carrier or questions that you faced while getting used to carry your baby.

Oxygen Desaturation

An allarming study by Joel L. Bass, MD (Harvard Medical School) and Marilyn Bull, MD (Indiana University School of Medicine) was published in Pediatrics Journal in 2002. However today most of the parents still use non-reclinable rear-facing car seats for young infants. Even more, many strollers have an option of adjusting such car seat to the stroller, which means that babies spend long periods of time in a reclined position that could be harmful ofr their health.

In the above mentioned study researchers monitored 50 term infants and documented that when properly positioned semireclined in rear-facing car safety seats, the mean oxygen saturation levels declined significantly after 60 minutes. In addition, the same report speculated that prolonged oxygen saturations while in a car seat may be associated with clinical consequences and in some cases even with long-term consequences on cognitive function. You can read more about the research here.

The research report suggests that:

• Infants born prematurely as well as term healthy newborns may experience oxygen desaturation when properly positioned upright in car safety seats. Until additional research on the potential significance of oxygen desaturation in car safety seats is available, consideration should be given to limiting the time spent in car safety seats to that necessary for transportation and ensuring children are not left unattended while in a car safety seat.
• Positioning young infants in upright position too early in devices such as swings, infant carriers, backpacks, or slings may have similar physiologic effects in susceptible infants to positioning semireclined in car safety seats.

How to choose a baby carrier?

When you decide for babywearing you find yourself overwhelmed with all the possible choices of baby carriers…slings, pouches, structured carriers, backpacks and many others.

• BABY CARRIERS

In the last couple of months I’ve become a babywearing expert J I did a thorough research of all possible baby carriers and I have even tried many of them. Here are couple of them that we like the most.

For the first couple of months I highly recommend Aprica’s slings, because they enable your baby to lie flat. We used Zucco bed, but they have several models.

From 4-6 months on I recommend Beco carrier or Sutemi pack (for havier babies) that can be used in several positions (front, hip, back, breastfeeding).

If you prefer a pouch style carrier you will like Adjustable Fleece Pouch by KangorooCorner. It's great because it enables your baby to sit cross-legged, which is good for the development of young spine.

• PONCHO&JACKET FOR TWO

When the weather is getting cooler I really like the poncho from Ecobabies. It’s so comfortable and cozy when we both snuggle into the soft and warm fleece. If you need more of a coat-style jacket you might like Mamaponcho.

• PRODUCT REVIEWS

For more information and product reviews of different baby carriers visit http://www.childcarriers.com/home.jsp

What about you? Which carrier do you use? How did you choose it? I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

The Baby Book

For the last six months I have been reading this book: The Baby Book

It is a fantastic book about attachment parenting. It is not just another "how to" kind of book. It is written from personal and professional experience od dr. William and Martha Sears (highly renowned parenting experts). They follow the concept of attachment parenting, which is about creating and nurturing a strong bond with your child. They don't give strict advices, they just help you to reach a deep understaning of your baby and her needs, which will help you parent your baby in the most natural way with great respect to her individuality (not in a general way like baby trainers suggest).

They promote breastfeeding, co-sleeping, babywearing and many other parenting concepts that helped us survive for centuries. However, they are very gentle and allways give a look on the alternatives (like for example bottlefeeding with love).

It is not a kind of book that you read from cover to cover. I contact the book every time I face a question, but more often I just read it for the inspiration. It has so much warmth and love between the lines that it helps you get into that beatiful "parenting feeling".

What I most like about this book are the thoughts that Martha gives as a mother. The one that I remember almost every night is about how she enjoyed breastfeeding one of her (eight) children during the night, when the house was quiet and calm and she enjoyed a true conectedness to her little baby. And every night when I wake up for Xth time and I feel so tired I just think of her sitting in a bouncer and quietly breasfeeding her baby. It makes every nightfeeding such and enjoyable and emotional moment for me and my baby.

This book made our parenting experience so much more enjoyable and it helped us to follow our instinct for natural parenting even when pediatritians, relatives and well-meaning experts were trying to suggest us "crying-out", strollers, formula feeding and other "common" parenting practices.

I highly recommend this book.