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Showing posts with label Baby Wearing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baby Wearing. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Baby wearing
After my post about our fabulous new carrier I thought I'd do a post completely dedicated to my love of baby wearing!
Our baby carrier collection numbers 5 (4 different types)!!! We have a BubbaMoe sling, an Ergo, 2 large swathes of material for wrapping and now a pouch sling. You can't have too many carriers can you? I've only just stopped wearing Elliot in the Ergo, but if he asked again I'd give it a go. Archie still gets carried in the Ergo, but hasn't been in the BubbaMoe sling for a while.
I've always been a big baby wearer, there are so many benefits for baby and many many advantages for Mum too. A friend once told me that babies carried a lot are more likely to have delayed development because they are never on the ground using their muscles. Well, both our boys walked by 10 months so there goes that theory!
The following passage was found here, and it outlines just a few of the advantages succinctly.
Using a baby sling or wrap can make life easier for you and is good for your baby. Following are some of the advantages of "wearing" your baby (from The Baby Book by William and Martha Sears):
So why wouldn't you wear your baby? They're the ultimate accessory!
Elliot at 6 months helping me with dinner in the kitchen of our old Brisbane house, pre-renovation. Please excuse my daggy yard clothes, we were renovating a house and yard!
Smiley Elliot!
Our baby carrier collection numbers 5 (4 different types)!!! We have a BubbaMoe sling, an Ergo, 2 large swathes of material for wrapping and now a pouch sling. You can't have too many carriers can you? I've only just stopped wearing Elliot in the Ergo, but if he asked again I'd give it a go. Archie still gets carried in the Ergo, but hasn't been in the BubbaMoe sling for a while.
Slings/carriers just make babies so portable and makes life so much easier!
Here is Archie at our friends' wedding at almost 4 months.
Here is Archie at our friends' wedding at almost 4 months.
I've always been a big baby wearer, there are so many benefits for baby and many many advantages for Mum too. A friend once told me that babies carried a lot are more likely to have delayed development because they are never on the ground using their muscles. Well, both our boys walked by 10 months so there goes that theory!
Cutting some wicked moves on the dancefloor at the wedding!
Archie and Matt visiting Santa at our old neighbourhood Christmas party. It was Archie's first Christmas and he was 9 months old.
The following passage was found here, and it outlines just a few of the advantages succinctly.
Using a baby sling or wrap can make life easier for you and is good for your baby. Following are some of the advantages of "wearing" your baby (from The Baby Book by William and Martha Sears):
- It's convenient. You can breastfeed discretely in a sling while working, getting things done around the house, shopping or eating in a restaurant. If you have a baby who wants to be held all the time, this is an easy way to meet her needs while doing other things.
- It helps moms care for older siblings. Carrying your baby in a sling can give you the mobility to care for your older children.
- It helps some babies to breastfeed better. Some babies, particularly those who are tense or tend to arch their backs, breastfeed better while moving. Also, babies who are slow to gain weight (for no apparent reason) have been known to gain better if carried in a sling for several hours a day, since proximity to mom encourages babies to eat more frequently.
- It reduces crying and colic. A 1986 study of 99 mother-infant pairs (reported in Pediatrics) showed that carrying babies at least three hours a day reduces crying and fussing 43% during the day and 51% at night. Babies are happier because they have less need to cry, and parents enjoy their babies more as a result.
- It enhances learning. Carried babies have enhanced visual and auditory alertness, and increased "quiet alertness" times. Carrying a baby promotes cognitive development and speech development, since babies are exposed to more experiences and conversations.
- Carried babies are involved in their parents' world. They participate in life, rather than see it as a spectator.
- Carrying your baby promotes bonding and enhances parents' feelings of competence. A higher frequency of feeding and touching stimulates mothering hormones, and frequent carrying encourages and speeds the development of a mutual reading of each other's cues.
My absolute favourite baby-wearing photo, me with both boys for a quick dash into the grocery. I'd promised El he could go in the Ergo but Archie was asleep in the car (and we HAD to go).
It was an interesting shopping experience, more for the looks and comments than the actual wearing, it wasn't uncomfortable!
A lady out the front made a passing comment that I needed a photo of that so I gave her my phone!
Elliot was 2.5 yrs, Archie was 8 months.
So why wouldn't you wear your baby? They're the ultimate accessory!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My Pay it Forward:2011 Gift!!!
Last week I received my Pay it Forward: 2011 gift from the wonderful Milky Mumma! As always, it was lovely to get a parcel in the post!
I received a wonderfully sewn pouch sling to use with the new baby (although Archie has been giving it a test run). It is very warm and snuggly, perfect for our winter bub-to-be.
Thanks Lu, I absolutely love love love my new pouch sling and Archie loved it too, the 'star sling' as we now call it. El also decided that it was his favourite because it has stars on it. I'm so grateful to be sharing this journey of motherhood with you! xx
I received a wonderfully sewn pouch sling to use with the new baby (although Archie has been giving it a test run). It is very warm and snuggly, perfect for our winter bub-to-be.
How big does my wee man look! I can't believe he is going to be 2 in just over a month!
Where in the world does the time go?
Thanks Lu, I absolutely love love love my new pouch sling and Archie loved it too, the 'star sling' as we now call it. El also decided that it was his favourite because it has stars on it. I'm so grateful to be sharing this journey of motherhood with you! xx
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sleep, Where For Art Thou?
Over the three and a half years I've been on this parenting journey I think I've used just about every method of getting a baby or toddler to sleep there is. I have sung, rocked, danced, pushed the pram, bounced on a fit ball, driven, breastfed, patted bottoms, and even in one moment of desperation, control cried (all that ended up happening was both of us crying, and I swore I'd never do it again). All of this has taught me one thing. Babies (and toddlers and children) will sleep when they are ready to. All we can do is help them along the ride.
Elliot, now three and a half, has always been a good sleeper - once he's asleep! He is a deep and sound sleeper but not good at actually going to sleep. When he was a little over two he just said to me one day when we were having the sleep battle "But I just need people with me". What can you say to that? He has always needed and still does need someone (me, Daddy, Nanna, Pop) to be with him until he is asleep. Fortunately for me (cause I get him into bed and Matt does Archie) he seems to have found a solution, he goes to sleep in Mummy's and Daddy's bed on the condition that he's in there by himself. Later when we're ready to go to bed Matt will take him back into his room. If he wakes through the night, he simply brings himself back in with us and more often than not, neither Matt nor I realise he's there til the morning (or when we're up with Archie)!
And on to Archie. For every bit that Elliot is a deep sleeper, Archie is a light sleeper. He has the same issues as El with needing people, so someone has always needed to put him to sleep but then he's awake. And then back to sleep, then awake, then back to sleep, rinse, repeat. For the first, hmmm, probably ten months of his life he fed every 1-2 hours around the clock, day and night. To say it was exhausting is an understatement because while sometimes he'd feed back to sleep, more often than not at night, he was awake. Sometimes cranky, sometimes just awake and wanting to play. It was through all of this that we seriously started co-sleeping because we were just too tired to do anything else and anyway, nothing else worked!!! But eventually (and I mean, in the last couple of months) he's just gotten into a little sleeping routine that works for all of us. Matt takes him to bed in the evening and they rock in the chair and sing songs. When he wakes the first time through the night he comes in with us. Some nights he has a feed back to sleep, some nights he has a feed and isn't asleep but puts himself back to sleep and some nights he's not interested in a feed and just fusses around giving us pats and kisses and then puts himself to sleep, usually on top of the covers with his feet in our faces. He is generally only up once or twice a night now which I'm just over the moon about considering where we've been on his sleep journey!
* When going through all the baby photos for sleep pics, I realised that we don't have many of Archie. At first I put this down to being the second child, poor hard done by wee man he is, but then when I was talking to Matt about it he said "It's because he didn't sleep!"
Elliot, now three and a half, has always been a good sleeper - once he's asleep! He is a deep and sound sleeper but not good at actually going to sleep. When he was a little over two he just said to me one day when we were having the sleep battle "But I just need people with me". What can you say to that? He has always needed and still does need someone (me, Daddy, Nanna, Pop) to be with him until he is asleep. Fortunately for me (cause I get him into bed and Matt does Archie) he seems to have found a solution, he goes to sleep in Mummy's and Daddy's bed on the condition that he's in there by himself. Later when we're ready to go to bed Matt will take him back into his room. If he wakes through the night, he simply brings himself back in with us and more often than not, neither Matt nor I realise he's there til the morning (or when we're up with Archie)!
Elliot (7 weeks) being nursed to sleep by Pop
Elliot (14 months) waking up with Nanna after a sleepover.
Archie (4 weeks) have a nap with Nanna *
Archie (5 weeks) sleeping in the sling which was a sleep lifesaver for both boys. *
I'm really pleased that both boys have found their own sleeping patterns because, as tiring as it has been, I can sit back and know that we listened to them and what they needed at the time. We respected them as little people and didn't impose unrealistic expectations which would have set us and them up for failure (aside from that one horrid moment of controlled crying, which failed dismally). We were willing to give them the time they needed.* When going through all the baby photos for sleep pics, I realised that we don't have many of Archie. At first I put this down to being the second child, poor hard done by wee man he is, but then when I was talking to Matt about it he said "It's because he didn't sleep!"
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
A Day of Journeys Ending Part 2
Almost exactly two years ago yesterday, my then 14 month old baby was going into hospital for surgery to have grommets inserted. Yesterday, he passed his final hearing test with flying colours after both the grommets came out a couple of months ago!!!
It has been a long road, but we are so glad he had the surgery even though I was so apprehensive about putting such a little man under a general anaesthetic. In the months before the surgery Elliot suffered from 'recurrent' ear infections (it was pretty much just one big, long ear infection) and severe glue ear in both ears. He was constantly on antibiotics until the GP decided that they were doing nothing and there was no point in continuing with them. That was a great day because I hated giving him medicine that I knew was doing nothing. His hearing test came back that he had a severe hearing loss in both ears and the fact that he had even a couple of words was amazing. The GP referred us to an ENT (an Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon) and then we were on the waiting list. It was meant to be a 2 month wait but fortunately the next week the receptionist rang saying they had a cancellation and an appointment was available the next week!
After an anxious wait at the ENT's, she finally saw us and within about two minutes of being in the consultation room she told me that he would need grommets in both ears. She said normally they like to wait and observe with children this young, but his case was severe (when I told her the infections had been going on for at least 6 months she was a bit shocked!) enough to put grommets in straight away. She had an opening for surgery in a couple of weeks and he was booked in!
The day of surgery rolled around and as Matt had just started his new job he was unable to take the day off work. As Elliot had to fast before surgery, my Mum came with us. I was only a couple of months pregnant with Archie and Mum was concerned about how I would go not being able to eat for that long! I'm so glad she came with us because it was such a long day and it didn't turn out to be as smooth sailing as everyone had told us it would.
The fasting was really hard. Elliot was (and still is) a big eater. He loves food and not being able to eat for such a long time was difficult. They put us in a room that was not designed for children (they were renovating the kids' ward) and there was not even a cot for him, just a regular hospital bed. We didn't take many toys or books because we were told there would be a toy room but we couldn't access that either. He ended up getting massive cabin fever, but luckily he went to sleep in the sling once the doctors had done their consultations. Thank goodness for the sling!
When we were called for surgery he was still asleep and the anaesthetist said that was fine, she could put him under while he was asleep in the sling and then I could take him out and put him on the table. She tried to get the needle in one hand, but he woke up screaming and she couldn't get it in. She then tried on the other hand, but that didn't work either. By this time he was bordering on hysterical and she just kept trying alternating between hands. She ended up giving up with the IV and decided to put him on the table and put the mask on. Because he was so worked up it took four of us to hold him down while she put the mask on. Eventually he went to sleep and I walked back up to the room to wait for him to come back. I walked back the whole way shaking, in tears and covered in my little mans blood. It was horrible. I was so thankful that Mum was with me because I'm sure the nurses thought I was a bit crazy.
As I wasn't allowed to be in recovery when he woke up, a nurse came into the room, and then the surgeon followed. Surgery had gone well but he had an infection in both ears at the time of the operation (big surprise!) and as a result he'd have to have antibiotic drops. The ENT explained that this would cause him to be in more pain that normal after surgery. After a little while longer another nurse told us that he was on his way up from recovery. I could hear him crying from down the hallway so went out to get him, but legally they had to carry him until we got to the room so I walked along beside, rubbing his arm and trying to talk to him. He took what seemed like an age to calm down, but after some painkillers he did, but it felt like an eternity. After another hour or so we left the hospital and came home.
Due to the infection he had to have drops in every few hours and they were very painful because the grommets allowed the drops to go right into his ear drum. I couldn't do it myself because as soon as he saw the bottle he'd run away and start to cry and I couldn't hold him down and do the drops as well! Luckily we had some wonderful friends living across the road so I would take him over to their house and their lovely 3 year old daughter would distract him by singing songs while I put the drops in. The husband/Dad of said wonderful family was a 4th year med student at the time, so he was very patient with me ringing and coming over, asking him to look, answering my questions, was this amount of goo coming out normal? How will we get the drops through the goo and into his ear? When will the infection heal? Poor Rob even did some 'back deck doctoring' and got an empty syringe and sucked out some of the goo so the drops could get through! Completely disgusting but it did the job!
After a week or so the infection cleared and then we had the fun of life with grommets. He was not allowed to get any water in his ears so hair washing involved ear plugs, swimming involved ear plugs and a bathing cap, showers were a thing of the past and impromptu baths with friends involved the joy of me or other parents yelling "NO SPLASHING!" which makes baths with friends decidedly less fun!
Since the operation he has had one ear infection (about a month after the operation) and no other problems. His speech took off like a shot and it was amazing to see him be able to hear properly. We lived near a small airport and light planes going overhead was quite normal, especially on weekends, and one day not long after the post-op infection healed a plane went over and he looked up shocked. He'd never heard it before!!!
So we are all hoping that this is the end of Elliot's ear dramas. Fingers crossed that it is all over!!!
It has been a long road, but we are so glad he had the surgery even though I was so apprehensive about putting such a little man under a general anaesthetic. In the months before the surgery Elliot suffered from 'recurrent' ear infections (it was pretty much just one big, long ear infection) and severe glue ear in both ears. He was constantly on antibiotics until the GP decided that they were doing nothing and there was no point in continuing with them. That was a great day because I hated giving him medicine that I knew was doing nothing. His hearing test came back that he had a severe hearing loss in both ears and the fact that he had even a couple of words was amazing. The GP referred us to an ENT (an Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon) and then we were on the waiting list. It was meant to be a 2 month wait but fortunately the next week the receptionist rang saying they had a cancellation and an appointment was available the next week!
After an anxious wait at the ENT's, she finally saw us and within about two minutes of being in the consultation room she told me that he would need grommets in both ears. She said normally they like to wait and observe with children this young, but his case was severe (when I told her the infections had been going on for at least 6 months she was a bit shocked!) enough to put grommets in straight away. She had an opening for surgery in a couple of weeks and he was booked in!
The day of surgery rolled around and as Matt had just started his new job he was unable to take the day off work. As Elliot had to fast before surgery, my Mum came with us. I was only a couple of months pregnant with Archie and Mum was concerned about how I would go not being able to eat for that long! I'm so glad she came with us because it was such a long day and it didn't turn out to be as smooth sailing as everyone had told us it would.
The fasting was really hard. Elliot was (and still is) a big eater. He loves food and not being able to eat for such a long time was difficult. They put us in a room that was not designed for children (they were renovating the kids' ward) and there was not even a cot for him, just a regular hospital bed. We didn't take many toys or books because we were told there would be a toy room but we couldn't access that either. He ended up getting massive cabin fever, but luckily he went to sleep in the sling once the doctors had done their consultations. Thank goodness for the sling!
When we were called for surgery he was still asleep and the anaesthetist said that was fine, she could put him under while he was asleep in the sling and then I could take him out and put him on the table. She tried to get the needle in one hand, but he woke up screaming and she couldn't get it in. She then tried on the other hand, but that didn't work either. By this time he was bordering on hysterical and she just kept trying alternating between hands. She ended up giving up with the IV and decided to put him on the table and put the mask on. Because he was so worked up it took four of us to hold him down while she put the mask on. Eventually he went to sleep and I walked back up to the room to wait for him to come back. I walked back the whole way shaking, in tears and covered in my little mans blood. It was horrible. I was so thankful that Mum was with me because I'm sure the nurses thought I was a bit crazy.
As I wasn't allowed to be in recovery when he woke up, a nurse came into the room, and then the surgeon followed. Surgery had gone well but he had an infection in both ears at the time of the operation (big surprise!) and as a result he'd have to have antibiotic drops. The ENT explained that this would cause him to be in more pain that normal after surgery. After a little while longer another nurse told us that he was on his way up from recovery. I could hear him crying from down the hallway so went out to get him, but legally they had to carry him until we got to the room so I walked along beside, rubbing his arm and trying to talk to him. He took what seemed like an age to calm down, but after some painkillers he did, but it felt like an eternity. After another hour or so we left the hospital and came home.
Due to the infection he had to have drops in every few hours and they were very painful because the grommets allowed the drops to go right into his ear drum. I couldn't do it myself because as soon as he saw the bottle he'd run away and start to cry and I couldn't hold him down and do the drops as well! Luckily we had some wonderful friends living across the road so I would take him over to their house and their lovely 3 year old daughter would distract him by singing songs while I put the drops in. The husband/Dad of said wonderful family was a 4th year med student at the time, so he was very patient with me ringing and coming over, asking him to look, answering my questions, was this amount of goo coming out normal? How will we get the drops through the goo and into his ear? When will the infection heal? Poor Rob even did some 'back deck doctoring' and got an empty syringe and sucked out some of the goo so the drops could get through! Completely disgusting but it did the job!
After a week or so the infection cleared and then we had the fun of life with grommets. He was not allowed to get any water in his ears so hair washing involved ear plugs, swimming involved ear plugs and a bathing cap, showers were a thing of the past and impromptu baths with friends involved the joy of me or other parents yelling "NO SPLASHING!" which makes baths with friends decidedly less fun!
Since the operation he has had one ear infection (about a month after the operation) and no other problems. His speech took off like a shot and it was amazing to see him be able to hear properly. We lived near a small airport and light planes going overhead was quite normal, especially on weekends, and one day not long after the post-op infection healed a plane went over and he looked up shocked. He'd never heard it before!!!
So we are all hoping that this is the end of Elliot's ear dramas. Fingers crossed that it is all over!!!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sliding Good Fun!!!
At the moment I have two boys who are incredibly clingy.
I know what Archie's caper is, he has cut at least two eye teeth over the past few days. The bottom pair are definitely through although I have no idea about the top pair, I'm not game to put my finger in his bitey little mouth! As a result he is sleeping better (go figure?) but so incredibly clingy through the day. If his feet are touching the ground we're doing well. If they're touching the ground and he's not crying it's even better! Most of the time he's been in the Ergo (a.k.a. my lifesaver) or I've just been carrying him around. Not very conducive to getting stuff done, but it seems to be a bit of a 'go with the flow' week.
Elliot's clinginess, on the other hand, is a complete mystery. The optimist in me is hoping it's just a phase and he'll grow out of it soon. The pessimist in me is imagining the years ahead being a torrent of tears and tantrums, full of wanting me there, but not wanting me to do anything in particular. It's tiring to say the least!
After rearranging all the toys today we HAD to get out of the house and into the backyard. Unfortunately our house is not conducive to outside play so it can seem like a bit of a mission. I'd love to be able to open a door and let the boys run wild, but in a highset house on a busy road with bad fencing it is just not an option. So this afternoon we went and just played, no gardening, watering, washing. Just playing. And it was so much fun! Both boys love a slide and luckily we have two! They were having race after race so I was able to just sit on the grass and take photos! It was exactly what I needed after a clingy day!
Elliot is very interested in taking photos at the moment. Unfortunately his hands are a bit too small to manipulate our big DSLR camera. This was his attempt at capturing the potato patch. Not a bad shot of his boot!
I know what Archie's caper is, he has cut at least two eye teeth over the past few days. The bottom pair are definitely through although I have no idea about the top pair, I'm not game to put my finger in his bitey little mouth! As a result he is sleeping better (go figure?) but so incredibly clingy through the day. If his feet are touching the ground we're doing well. If they're touching the ground and he's not crying it's even better! Most of the time he's been in the Ergo (a.k.a. my lifesaver) or I've just been carrying him around. Not very conducive to getting stuff done, but it seems to be a bit of a 'go with the flow' week.
Elliot's clinginess, on the other hand, is a complete mystery. The optimist in me is hoping it's just a phase and he'll grow out of it soon. The pessimist in me is imagining the years ahead being a torrent of tears and tantrums, full of wanting me there, but not wanting me to do anything in particular. It's tiring to say the least!
After rearranging all the toys today we HAD to get out of the house and into the backyard. Unfortunately our house is not conducive to outside play so it can seem like a bit of a mission. I'd love to be able to open a door and let the boys run wild, but in a highset house on a busy road with bad fencing it is just not an option. So this afternoon we went and just played, no gardening, watering, washing. Just playing. And it was so much fun! Both boys love a slide and luckily we have two! They were having race after race so I was able to just sit on the grass and take photos! It was exactly what I needed after a clingy day!
Elliot is very interested in taking photos at the moment. Unfortunately his hands are a bit too small to manipulate our big DSLR camera. This was his attempt at capturing the potato patch. Not a bad shot of his boot!
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