Walk Your Way Calm

I talked about Yogic Walking over in the Fitness blog a while back and this is a page that mothers and fathers with infants should really take a long look at the advice in this article. Walking is not only good for you as a parent with a baby, but it’s good for your baby too. When my daughter was little, she used to love to look at the world around her. Whether she was riding in the stroller or snuggled up to me in a snuggie, going for a walk could calm a multitude of problems for both of … Continue reading →

My Baby is Afraid of Day Care

Even the most social and outgoing of babies can get frightened or suffer from separation anxiety when their mother or father drops them off at the day care or even with the sitter. Don’t be surprised if your baby resists being left with the sitter (even one that is a relative) and that you and they know very well. It’s very normal and their fears are very real. There are lots of things you can do to help cope with this separation anxiety. You should start practicing these techniques while they are very young because they will serve you well … Continue reading →

When Your Baby Won’t Stop Crying

It is frustrating to listen to your baby cry for hours on end. And yet, many parents experience this type of high need baby. Try these strategies for coping with your new bundle of joy to make life more bearable: 1. Wear baby in a sling (or similar carrier). Wearing a newborn in a sling helps “recreate” the womb and eases the transition between inside mommy’s tummy to the outside world. If your baby is very fussy, a sling helps by allowing you to do other things while carrying the baby. Another benefit is that you can offer baby the … Continue reading →

Dear Baby

A few years ago when my daughter was born, I wrote the following letter and put it into her baby book. Since then, I’ve added notes and other letters periodically to the baby book. Someday, likely on her 18th birthday, I’ll give her these missives and notes. Dear Baby, Welcome, as I write this, you are sleeping soundly and securely in the little bed next to my own. We’ve been home from the hospital less than 24 hours and I don’t think I’ve had three consecutive hours of sleep. I keep waking up to look at you. It’s odd to … Continue reading →

Traffic Jam: Taking the twins Out

As if it is not hard enough to get out of the house with more than one baby in tow, (not to mention their three older siblings) when you have multiples it is especially difficult to make any progress towards your goal. We didn’t know this. We were prepared for sleep deprivation–which we had. We were prepared for preemies–which we did not have. We, however, never prepared for the traffic jam that a set of twins causes when you are out in public! For some reason, everyone loves twins. I’m not really sure why, but twins have a way of … Continue reading →

Friday Baby Funnies: The “Mama” War

Regardless of when your baby started to talk, her first words likely included “Mama.” I remember when both of my kids first said, “Mama.” It was an exhilarating moment. Yes! Finally, all of my love, caring, snuggles at 3 a.m., puke-stained t-shirts—they’d all led me to this moment, when my child first said my “name.” I reveled in their newfound word, asked them to say it in front of everyone we knew, which of course they wouldn’t. I videotape them, and wrote about this wonderful happening in their baby books. And then it happened. One day, not long after the … Continue reading →

Breastfeeding for the Long Haul: Into the Toddler Years

I had never intended to breast feed my first daughter for as long as I did. I remember the pediatrician advising me at 4mos to start her on cereal. While I’m not advocating that you disregard your pediatrician’s advice–that’s exactly what I did. Something told me that my daughter was not ready for that. So at her six month appointment, my pediatrician and I had a little talk. I told her that I hadn’t given Lizzy cereal. She politely told me I would regret it. It would be too hard on me to keep breastfeeding past 6 months. Formula was … Continue reading →

Extended Breastfeeding–Why you Should Breastfeed for a Few Years

When you think of breastfeeding your baby, how long are you thinking you will breastfeed? 6 months? A year? Extended breastfeeding is not very common in the United States, but breast milk is the absolute best nutrition not just for your baby but for your toddler too! Breast milk is a fairly amazing substance. Not only does it supply your child’s complete nutritional needs (and is capable of doing so for the first year of life without any help from solid food) but it is a living substance. It changes properties according to the needs of your child. It is … Continue reading →

Taking Care of Your Baby When YOU’RE Sick

Taking care of your baby when you’re sick can seem impossible. I remember when my son was nine-weeks-old, I got a stomach virus and literally could not hold him for three days. It was terrible. My husband had to take off work and all I could do was lay in the fetal position myself, while he took care of our baby. I was lucky that time that he was able to take the time off work. Usually there’s a one-day limit. If I’m really really sick, he can take off one day, but that’s it. Tell me, who gets better … Continue reading →

Happy Daddy’s Day to the Boogieman Destroyer

I remember the day our son was born. It had been a difficult birth, 37 hours, and our son had come out sleepy from the Magnesium Sulfate I was given. It was a frightening experience, seeing his little body limp, not crying. He spent two days in the neonatal intensive care unit. Because I was hooked up to so many IV’s and not doing so well myself, I wasn’t able to see my son until the day after his birth. My husband fed our son his first bottle. He stayed with him when I couldn’t, rubbed his little head, loved … Continue reading →