Why is baby not sleeping? “Why do high need children need more of everything but sleep?” a tired mother once asked me. Until we had a high need infant, I would have guessed that these babies would be worn out by the end of the day and would actually need more sleep; certainly their parents […]
It’s 6:00 p.m. and the wailing begins. You’re holding your two-week-old baby – the model of a thriving infant, apparently without a care in the world. Suddenly and unexpectedly he stiffens his limbs, arches his back, clenches his fists, draws up his flailing limbs against a bloated, tense abdomen, and lets out ear-piercing shrieks. If […]
Benefits of Babywearing for Your Baby It is natural for baby to be close to his mother. Babies are happiest when being held by mom. Babywearing is a great practice for keeping baby happy and to help build a stronger bond between mom and her baby. The benefits of babywearing help babies grow up smarter […]
While you are getting used to wearing your baby, support him with your hands. As you go through the learning phase of moving and reacting, the urge to support your baby with your hands is instinctive. After you become a babywearing veteran, you can safely carry your baby in the sling with one or both […]
While infants enjoy being worn by their parents best, babies will adapt to substitute caregivers better if worn in the sling they are used to. “Home” to a tiny baby is in the sling. Brian, a toddler in our practice, calls his sling “my little house.” Parents of high-need babies often confide to us that […]
Babywearing allows breastfeeding on the move so that busy mothers can nurture their babies with the best nutrition, yet continue their active lifestyles. Babywearing is convenient. Breastfeeding while babywearing makes life easier for the mother of a marathon nurser, such as a baby who is going through a growth spurt. Breastfeeding while babywearing allows mother […]
Model Babywearing for Kids When we adults wear babies, we model for our other children that big people carry little people. Children and grandchildren are more likely to adopt the style of parenting that they received or witnessed when young. For example, our own children have sometimes “worn” their dolls in homemade baby slings because […]
A premature baby, especially one with medical problems needing weeks or months of intensive care, is deprived of those final weeks or months in the womb. Instead, baby must grow in an outside womb. The problem is that outside wombs are static. They don’t move. Research has shown that a premature baby whose “womb” moves […]
Let Baby Cry It Out: Yes or No? If only my baby could talk instead of cry I would know what she wants,” said Janet, a new mother of a fussy baby. “Your baby can talk,” we advised. “The key is for you to learn how to listen. When you learn the special language of your […]
How To Move Baby from Bed to Crib I let my 18-month-old fall asleep with me on my bed and then transfer him into his crib. Is this setting up a bad habit? No, it’s setting up to be a good habit. Remember that the goal of nighttime parenting is to create a healthy sleep […]
Babywearing Reduces SIDS Babywearing vs. SIDS If SIDS is basically a disorder of respiratory control and neurological immaturity (and I believe it is), anything that can help a baby’s neurological system mature overall will lower the risk of SIDS. That’s exactly what babywearing does. While wearing our own babies, I noticed how my breathing affected […]
Research on SIDS SIDS and Co-Sleeping Facts There has been a lot of media claiming that sleeping with your baby in an adult bed is unsafe and can result in accidental smothering of an infant. One popular research study came out in 1999 from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that showed 515 cases of […]
