Page 12 - Motherhood
Motherhood
Expert Tips for Parents
November 12, 2019
It may sound silly, but there are certain, simple things that should be treasured in the fourth trimester. A shower, a nap, a walk in the sunshine, and a hot cuppa.
Tea is such a simple pleasure but it can bring both psychological and physiological benefits to you after you have your baby.
Hydration
Firstly, you need to hydrate. Being hydrated will keep help support your milk supply if you’re breastfeeding. As your body is putting an incredibly large amount of energy into breastfeeding, you need to fuel it, not just with calories but also with water.
Hydration also helps you to concentrate –the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that even a 1% dehydration level will lead to trouble with motor tasks. When you’re looking after another human, it’s worth holding onto all the concentration you can! Provided you don’t have more than 6 cups of builders tea a day, or 3 coffees, you will not get dehydrated.
Caffeine
If you’re breastfeeding, it’s also worth restricting
Baby Gear
Babywearing
Motherhood
Expert Tips for Parents
November 07, 2019
originally posted at ergobaby.com
When your baby enters the world, she is transitioning from a cosy, dark, comforting womb to a state of constant bombardment of new experiences. Take a moment and imagine the amount of stimulation a new baby must feel. Each day is full of new sights and sounds, and all that activity can be taxing on a baby’s fragile nervous system.
One way parents can help provide a sense of calm and comfort is to establish routines to help baby wind down. By repeating the same steps day after day, your baby becomes accustomed with what to expect and isn’t strained by having to learn something new.
Over time, you and your baby will begin to fall into a rhythm that becomes your own special ritual.
A ritual is more than a routine – a ritual is unique to you. It’s like an inside joke. Only you and your baby are “in” on your ritual. That’s because the nuances you bring to it are what make it special and are what create the loving bond between you and your baby.
To help get
Baby Gear
Babywearing
Motherhood
Expert Tips for Parents
October 25, 2019
Motherhood starts here when it is real, when you’re on the other side of birth and baby is in your arms, and you’re trying to figure out everything that you need to do in real time. No matter how much preparation you do during your pregnancy or even before conception, it’s not really real until baby is here, and you feel how huge it is to encompass being a mother and all the aspects of it.
It’s as much an emotional and spiritual change as it is physical, and that is why I’ve made it my life’s mission and my work to help women make this transition as seamlessly and gracefully as possible with true support, 360 degree support, and this allows the woman to truly heal from the inside out.
Having done this not at all with my first daughter, and then having truly practice the first 40 days with my second daughter, I am my own guinea pig and it is a testament to how honoring this tradition really can help you heal swiftly and fully and can heal parts of yourself that maybe you didn’t even know
Baby Gear
Babywearing
Motherhood
Expert Tips for Parents
October 18, 2019
For centuries families have relied on advice passed down from generation to generation on a vast number of things, and raising babies is one of them. Chances are when you were expecting you were given many tit-bits of information and advice to guide you through- whether they were helpful or not is another matter! The point is that we humans need that interaction, support, and guidance to help us build confidence and to feel empowered in our daily endeavors. And when it comes to raising a baby, nobody is born knowing it all. We learn from our parents, grandparents, friends, and communities. We then pass that knowledge on ourselves, because we want to help and because we know how valuable learned advice can be. With this in mind, I’d like to share with you some newborn sleep tips you need to pass on. I promise it will make you feel good, and that friend who just had a baby will appreciate it too.
Newborn sleep patterns
A newborn’s sleep patterns are very different from our own. They experience
Sleep
Motherhood
Expert Tips for Parents
August 23, 2019
Do you feel fuelled by coffee at times?
Our love of coffee and it’s ability to help busy mums cope with the demands of their little ones (and the sleep deprivation that can come in the first years of parenting) is well known!
But too much caffeine can cause anxiety, irritability and insomnia. This can leave you less capable of managing stress, and we all know that motherhood can be a little stressful at times.
Also if you are breastfeeding, the NHS advise that caffeine can be transferred to breastmilk causing irritability and poor sleeping pattern in infants. A recommended daily limit is 200mg-300mg of caffeine which is around the equivalent of two instant coffees.
As a guideline, here's how much caffeine is in some of your favourite drinks and snacks:
One Mug of
Instant Coffee : 78mg
One Mug of
Filter Coffee : 111mg
One Mug of
Tea : 44mg
Bottle (500ml) of
Coca Cola : 48mg
One 50g Bar of
Dark Chocolate : 31mg
So we’ve put together a few alternatives to coffee that will keep your fire
Pregnancy & Birth
Motherhood
May 15, 2019
Get this SAVED and get it mastered. A must learn for any new mum who wants to improve her core and pelvic floor.
3 x 30 seconds each side, but FIRST read through the below to find out why it’s so important!
A great deadbug variation with hoop ☝️
When you engage your TVA, you will feel a tensing of the broad, flat muscle deep down. If your stomach 'domes' or pushes outwards, if you’re holding your breath or anything is pushing away, then you’re working the outer abdominal muscles and TVA isn’t doing its thing.
The TVA is part of your core system of muscles, as are your pelvic floor muscles. When you draw TVA inwards, pelvic floor should also lift. Remember, to really work your pelvic floor muscles, it’s a deep lift up inside, not a little lateral squeeze at the front. Imagine drawing up the walls of your vagina and back passage as if you’re picking up a small grape and pulling it up inside you...a strange thought maybe, but it does work!!!
The ideal TVA contraction is exhale, draw belly
Baby Gear
Babywearing
Motherhood
April 04, 2019
In honour of World Autism Awareness Week (1-7 April), we’re sharing Laura’s story of how a baby carrier became a useful tool for her beautifully unique son.
Originally published at ergobaby.com
"Early on I knew something was unique about my son. Everything about him just seemed more intense than other babies his age. He cried a lot, seemed behind on his developmental milestones, everything about him was just “more” summarizes how I felt at the time, and babywearing kept us all together. Looking back now I realize that I was indeed suffering from postpartum depression and some PTSD, and carrying for a high needs infant seemed to exacerbate or increase the symptoms. Breastfeeding didn’t go well, I received some really terrible advice, and pumping seemed like a special kind of torture. So we didn’t, and then came on more guilt. Not the ideal birth, not breastfeeding? What kind of Mom was I? This is where the carrier came in.
It got us outside the house, this was where Chandler was most happy,
Baby Gear
Babywearing
Motherhood
March 29, 2019
We're not the only ones loving vivid colours & floral prints with our special edition 'Flores' collection this Spring!
Here are some bright pieces from the high street to brighten your wardrobe in time for the sunshine (we hope!).
1. Lucern Linen Jersey Vest
White Stuff
2. John Lewis & Partners Women’s Floral Preppy Round Sunglasses
John Lewis
3. Button Front Waisted Midi Dress
Marks & Spencer
4. Floral Print Turban Headband
Zara
5. Ellis Opal Womens Sandals in Light Pink Combination
Clarks
6. Ergobaby Omni 360 Baby Carrier in Flores
Ergobaby UK
7. Superga Farrow & Ball Trainers in Pavilion Road
John Lewis
8. Moana Print Lenzing Ecovero Tank Top
Monsoon
9. Scalloped Heart Charm Coin Purse
Accessorize
10. White Stuff Cropped Jeans in Peony Pink
John Lewis
11. Palm Burnout T-Shirt
Next
12. Gizeh in Electric Metallic Magenta
Birkenstock
13. adidas Original Tropic Tee Dress
Next
Our 'Flores' Collection has been designed in collaboration with French Bull NYC and you can shop the range here.
Motherhood
Expert Tips for Parents
February 21, 2019
Originally posted on ergobaby.com
Abby is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist at Burd Psychotherapy in San Diego, CA. She specializes in Perinatal Mental Health, which includes mood and anxiety disorders, trauma and loss. In her free time she occasionally blogs at Baby Bird’s Farm and Cocina, where she shares adventures in natural parenting, urban homesteading and seasonal cooking. She is the proud mama to two girls, born in 2013 and 2011.
In my practice, I hear a lot of questions about the “fourth trimester.” I specialise in perinatal mental health and this subject is near and dear to my heart.
What does the fourth trimester refer to exactly?
Dr. Harvey Karp started referring to the “fourth trimester” as the first three months of a new baby’s life. This recognizes that human babies are more like marsupials than other mammals; they aren’t really able to survive without us. Think about how horses are born able to walk. Due to the size of human brains and skulls, our babies
Motherhood
November 30, -0001
The top 5 tips for Winter Baby wearing.
Brrrr, as the outside temperatures begin to drop, we receive many questions from parents asking how to dress their little one ready for the winter months.
We have the top 5 winter baby wearing tips to ensure you and your little one are both prepared for the coming winter months.
Less is More
Dressing your baby in too many layers of clothing could cause them to overheat. Start with fewer layers and add more if you feel your baby is too chilly.
Your baby carrier counts as a layer of clothing and so do you as your body warms them up. During their early stages of development, your baby can not regulate their own temperature. Small babies loose body heat from their head and feet. To prevent this, place a hat on their head, socks and lambskin shoes when your little one is outside. Their body is ideally protected by a fleece or woollen walking suit, in combination with a fleece cover. Protect delicate hands of your little one from the cold. Integrated