Are you baby wearing safely?

 

There has been some controversy over the safety of baby slings this month, in light of 3 babies dying while being in baby slings in Australia (since 2010). There is a safe way to babywear, and an unsafe way. Below are some tips to ensure you are not putting your baby at risk, these can be remembered by the acronym T.I.C.K.S:

TIGHT – slings and carriers should be tight enough to hug your baby close to you as this will be most comfortable for you both. Any slack/loose fabric will allow your baby to slump down in the carrier which can hinder their breathing and pull on your back. Make sure the sling you buy fits you well, and if you and your partner are very different sizes, you may find you need two different carriers. If you are using a Moby style wrap or a Woven wrap, practise well to ensure you know how to do it firmly before you start carrying baby in it.

IN VIEW AT ALL TIMES – you should always be able to see your baby’s face by simply glancing down. The fabric of a sling or carrier should not close around them so you have to open it to check on them. In a cradle position your baby should face upwards not be turned in towards your body.

 

CLOSE ENOUGH TO KISS – your baby’s head should be as close to your chin as is comfortable. By tipping your head forward you should be able to kiss your baby on the head or forehead.

 

KEEP CHIN OFF THE CHEST – a baby should never be curled so their chin is forced onto their chest as this can restrict their breathing. Ensure there is always a space of at least a finger width under your baby’s chin.

SUPPORTED BACK – in an upright carry a baby should be held comfortably close to the wearer so their back is supported in its natural position and their tummy and chest are against you. If a sling is too loose they can slump which can partially close their airway. (This can be tested by placing a hand on your baby’s back and pressing gently - they should not uncurl or move closer to you.) A baby in a cradle carry in a pouch or ring sling should be positioned carefully with their bottom in the deepest part so the sling does not fold them in half pressing their chin to their chest.

Baby wearing was a life saver for us with a colicky and unsettled baby, and for parents chasing toddlers while trying to settle a baby. It is so simple to make sure you are doing it safely. If your current carrier is not able to fulfil these requirements, for the safety of your baby, please look into a better, safer carrier. Don't become a very sad, very avoidable statistic. We <3 SAFE baby wearing!

Image used with permission photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/manueb/4511359563/">Manue@PrettyKiku</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

Understanding the reason behind the behaviour

This intuitive parenting approach makes parenting more cooperative, fun, and most importantly —customized to your individual child. Your children are telling you exactly how to parent them. Do you know what they’re saying? This infographic comes straight from thechildwhisperer.com and I believe it can give any parent some insight into the cause for your childs behaviour. Your children may be a mix of two or more types, but if you explore what is going on for them, you may find a simple solution like some down time, a simple cuddle or a grand adventure may make your day go so much more smoothly!

What makes a good baby swaddle?

 

Choosing swaddle for yourself or a loved one's baby can be a daunting task! We have looked at the 3 main types of wrap, weighing up the good and the bad points of each. First things first: What is swaddling? Swaddling a baby is simply wrapping them firmly in some sort of cloth to help aide sleep. Babies under 3 months sleep better swaddled, and many prefer to be swaddled much later than this. Swaddling increases the length of sleep, makes it easier to get baby to sleep and can reduce the symptoms of colic. So getting it right may make your sleepy times much easier.  There are so many different styles of swaddle available to choose from and they fall in to three main categories:

A simple flat blanket:

http://www.itibaby.co.nz/

Wings and a pocket for the feet:

http://www.miracleblanket.com/index.htm

or one that zips up the front/acts like an all in one suit:

 

http://www.ergopouch.com.au/swaddles/aircocoon-swaddle.html

There are good and bad points for all of these choices, and you need to think what works best for you and your situation.

A simple flat blanket

With a simple flat blanket there are endless ways to swaddle, a simple Youtube search will bring up many tutorials. These can get confusing and can be difficult to execute quickly and efficiently when they are required. They do need some practise to master - I recommend practising on a baby sized doll until you are confident. See the Iti Baby website for 2 methods that I recommend trying. There are some ways of folding that means their top half can stay swaddled while you change their nappies, other folds will have to be totally re-done each nappy change.
Flat swaddles come in a range of sizes and fabrics. You need a natural fabric with a good diagonal stretch, that is not too thick and can breathe when baby gets hot - ideal fabrics are merino, bamboo and cotton. Square swaddles are much easier to use than rectangle ones. In regards to size - I would not recommend any swaddle under 95cm square for a baby under 12 weeks. After 10-12 weeks babies need a wrap over 120cm square Any swaddle under these sizes are pretty useless to wrap with and you will get frustrated, and baby will escape. A larger swaddle can be used right from birth - making it a great investment. A merino swaddle can then be used as a great cot, TV, or travel blanket. 

Side note: Please do not use polar fleece to swaddle - babies overheat and are at greater risk of SIDS.

A swaddle with wings and feet pouches

These are great for Houdini babies, you strap their arms down and swaddle around them. Many people swear by them. However the aren't so helpful for babies who like their hands across their chest or near their mouths to self soothe. You need to be aware that babies will grow out of these - always check that baby has plenty of foot room. Many of these style swaddles you can change a nappy without removing the whole swaddle. These come in a range of fabrics, but are usually made from either merino or cotton knit - both of which are natural breathable fibres.

All-in-one swaddles

Similar in concept to the above swaddle, but they allow baby to have their hands up by their chest or face depending on the brand. They are nice and quick to put on, with no tricky manoeuvres to master. Again they have a size limit - you may think they are a cheaper option, until you find you need to buy several different sizes. These are very Houdini proof, but some babies find they allow too much movement to settle easily - defeating the purpose of swaddling altogether.

Many babies enjoy being swaddled well into the second half of their first year, some continue to sleep better swaddled over one year of age, so which swaddle you choose may be with you for a while - choose quality. A good quality wrap will last several children. Whichever choice you make, you need to make sure that baby can relax into a hip-healthy position when asleep.

Please remember: It is important that baby's face is kept clear at all times, and that a swaddled baby always sleeps on their back!

 

I hope this make swaddle choosing a little easier.

 

 

Movies these holidays

I am staring down the barrel of 2 weeks with 2 kiddos at home, 24/7. Safe to say I am already making some plans. We are planning a trip to the movies as a special treat, so here is the low down of the movies coming out these holidays. I am still not sure which one we will see, as none of them are about princesses covered in pink glitter riding unicorns with wings (known as Alicorns), which would be my children's ultimate movie I'm sure.

Mr Peabody And Sherman 2D and 3D

       

PG (Violence) Release Date 27/03/2014 Genre Family Running time 97 mins

Rotten tomato score: 7.8/10 (this is a good rating)

Synopsis
Mr. Peabody, the most accomplished dog in the world, and his mischievous boy Sherman, use their time machine - the WABAC - to go on the most outrageous adventures known to man or dog. But when Sherman takes the WABAC out for a joyride to impress his friend Penny, they accidentally rip a hole in the universe, wreaking havoc on the most important events in world history. Before they forever alter the past, present and future, Mr. Peabody must come to their rescue, ultimately facing the most daunting challenge of any era: figuring out how to be a parent. Together, the time traveling trio will make their mark on history.

Muppets Most Wanted 2D and 3D

 

G  Release Date 10/04/2014 Genre Family Running time 113 mins

Rotten tomato score: 7.9/10

Synopsis

Disney's "Muppets Most Wanted" takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe's most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine-the World's Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog-and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. The film stars Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.

 

Rio 2 2D and 3D

G Rlease Date 17/04/2014 Genre Family Running time 101 mins

Rotten Tomato score: 4.9/10
Synopsis The voices behind the colourful characters in Blue Sky Studio’s original animated family adventure Rio return for a second time as Jewel (Anne Hathaway), Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and their three kids leave their domesticated life in that magical city for a journey to the Amazon.

The Lego Movie 2D and 3D

PG (Low level violence) Release Date 17/04/2014 GenreFamily Running time 100 mins

Rotten Tomato score: 9.6/10 Synopsis
The original 3D computer animated story follows Emmet (Chris Pratt) an ordinary, rules- following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared. The directors of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs bring LEGO to life in this stop-motion-simulating animated comedy featuring Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Alison Brie, Morgan Freeman, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Michelangelo and the 2002 NBA All Stars.

If you have seen any of these and have any opinions on them, please share!

 

Thanks to http://www.rialto.co.nz/ and http://www.rottentomatoes.com for the information!

       

       

Gluten Free Brownie

Good gluten free baking is hard to come by. The Internet is full of promising recipes with beautiful Pinterest worthy photos, but when you try them at home they fail. They fail epically. They are either chalky, crumbly and dry or gelatinous and slimy. *Gag*
This brownie recipe is amazing, its soft but not gooey, chewy but not dry, it is awesome.

Oh and it is easy!

Dana's Gluten-Free Actually Delicious Brownie.

Melt 150g of Butter in a large bowl or pot.
Add 2 Eggs and 1C Sugar and mix well.
Add (sift if you like, I don't bother) 1/3C Cocoa, 1C Baking Mix (either from a packet or this recipe here), 1/2 t Baking Powder, 1C (white, milk or dark)chocolate buttons or chips - optional, but recommended!

Pour into a lined 20x25cm tin and bake at 180 deg C for 25-30 min. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, dust with cocoa or icing sugar.

Will keep in a sealed tin for about 1 week, if you forget about it, ours usually lasts 2-3 days.

Time to get my bake on!

SLEEP - getting a baby to sleep and stay asleep

 

Sleep - we all need it, and most parents say they need more of it. It is one of the most argued about parenting topics, right up there with immunisation. Below are some time proven ideas, most of which will work just as well for a little baby as they will for a toddler.

First up it is Decision time:

 

Is your current attitude realistic?
You can't force a baby to eat, you can't force a baby to poop and you can't force a baby to sleep. The best you can do is to create a secure environment that allows sleep to overtake your baby. What you can aim for is a healthy attitude toward sleep: that it is a pleasant state to enter and a secure state to remain in. In the same way that daytime parenting is a long-term investment, so is nighttime parenting. There is no quick fix (sorry!).

Where does your baby sleep best?

There is no right or wrong place for babies to sleep, as long as it is safe. Wherever all family members sleep the best is the right arrangement for you and your baby. Some babies sleep best in their own cot in their own room, some sleep better in their own bed in the parents’ bedroom, other babies sleep best snuggled in the parents’ bed. Realistically, most parents use various sleeping arrangements at various stages during baby's first two years. 

 
A note on Sleep Training:
There are many different ideas and styles of sleep training but these sleep-training techniques are just variations on the old cry-it-out method. Use your inner parent voice to screen the advice: Does this advice sound sensible? Does it fit your baby’s temperament? Does it feel right to you? Don't get into a technique that doesn't sit right with you. If you can't stand to hear your baby cry, you are doing no long term damage cuddling them instead! Sleep training techniques seldom work on high-need babies with persistent personalities (like my miss 3).

Sleep starts before bedtime:
 
Stay flexible. Develop a night time parenting style that works for you. No one approach will work with all babies all the time or even all the time with the same baby. If the “sleep program” isn’t working for your family, stop it and move on. And, be prepared for one style of nighttime parenting to work at one stage, yet need a change as she enters another stage. Follow your heart rather than some stranger’s sleep-training advice, and you and your baby will eventually work out the right nighttime parenting style for your family.
 
Give baby plenty of sleep cues. Make yourself a routine and stick with it. For example: Dinner -> Bath -> Massage -> Pyjamas -> Sleep sac/Swaddle -> Story -> Final feed/bottle -> cuddle/rock/sing/mobile.

Fill baby up your baby during the day. Babies need to learn that daytime is for eating and nighttime is mostly for sleeping. Feed your baby at least every three hours during the day to cluster the baby’s feedings during the day time.

Re-look at your day routine. Is is restful and calm?

 "A peaceful daytime is likely to lead to a restful night. The more attached you are to your baby during the day and the more baby is held and calmed during the day, the more likely this peacefulness is to carry through into the night." - Dr Sears

 
Getting off to sleep:

There are different ways to help baby off to sleep. If one isn't working after a while, move on and try something else to avoid getting tense and frustrated - baby will pick up on it and get tense too. Contrary to popular belief helping baby to sleep when they are young, does not mean you will have to do it forever. They will eventually work out how to get to sleep themselves.

1. Feed to sleep. Nestle next to your baby and breastfeed or bottle feed him off to sleep. The smooth continuum from warm bath, to warm arms, to warm breast, to warm bed is a recipe for sleep to soon follow.
2. Daddy cuddles. Put baby up on your shoulder. The vibration of the deeper male voice lulls baby to sleep.
3. Rocking or walking. Try rocking baby to sleep in a bedside rocking chair, or walk with baby, patting her back and singing or praying.
4. Nestling down. For some babies, the standard fall-to-sleep techniques are not enough. Baby just doesn’t want to be put down to sleep alone. After rocking or feeding baby to sleep in your arms, lie down with your sleeping baby next to you and nestle close to her until she is deeply sound asleep.
5. Wearing. Some babies are so revved up during the day that they have trouble winding down at night. Place your baby in a baby sling and wear her around the house for a half-hour or so before the designated bedtime.Wearing is particularly useful for the reluctant napper. When baby falls asleep in the sling, snuggled with his tummy against your chest or draped over your chest once you lie down, you both can take a much-needed nap.
6. Driving. If you’ve tried all the above transitioning techniques and baby still resists falling asleep, place baby in a car seat and drive around until she falls asleep. When you return home and baby is in a very deep sleep, transfer to bed. Do not leave baby asleep in a car seat as they are not in a safe neck position and risk suffocation.

Keeping them asleep:

While nothing is a sure thing with babies, these things will all help contribute to keeping baby asleep.
 

1. Swaddle: Try various ways of swaddling your baby at night. In the early months (and sometimes much later), many babies like to “sleep tight,” securely swaddled. A baby who gets too hot or too cold may become restless. Adjust the layering according to the temperature of the room and the sleep habits of your baby.  For swaddling tips read here.
2. Quiet in the bedroom. Since most babies can block out disturbing noise, you don’t have to create a noiseless sleeping environment, yet some babies startle and awaken easily with sudden noises. For these babies, oil the joints and springs of a squeaky crib, put out the dog before he barks and turn the ringer off on the phone. White noise in the bedroom can help mask these noises, try searching on youtube for a track.
3. Darkness in the bedroom. Keep the room dark even for day sleeps, you may find they sleep longer without the light waking them 
4. Music to sleep by. Try a continuous-play recording of your baby’s favourite music, so when she awakens she can resettle herself to the familiar sleep-inducing sound.  
5. Leave a little bit of mother behind. If you have a separation-sensitive baby, leave a breast pad or worn t-shirt in the bed.  
6. A full tummy. Tiny babies have tiny tummies, a bit bigger than the size of their fist. So, your baby’s digestive system was designed for small, frequent feedings, which is why, in the early months, babies feed at least every 3 to 4 hours at night and more often during the day. 
7. Lessen physical discomforts: Clear the nose so they can breathe. Relieve teething pain. Change wet or soiled nappies. Pre-warm the bed with a wheat bag. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature - 20-24 degrees.

 
At the end of the day, your baby will eventually sleep through the night. How often do you see a teenager needing rocked to sleep? Some people by nature just aren't great sleepers, and that's OK too. As parents we can encourage good, healthy attitude toward sleep and create patterns and routines to train the babies brain that it is time to settle down and relax. Whether you co-sleep, feed-to-sleep or let your kids work it out for themselves, getting a baby to sleep well can be HARD. I hope these tips will help you find something that works for you and your family. And remember, it's only a phase, it won't be like this forever.

For more reading try these :
http://www.itibaby.co.nz/#!sleep-and-settling/cm3i
http://www.askdrsears.com
http://www.sleepstore.co.nz

Coping with Colic

I have heard a lot of new parents struggling with babies with 'colic' in the last few weeks. I thought it was about time for a colic blog post.

Both my babies had classic colic, and the second one had silent reflux as well. NOT A FUN TIME!

Colic is defined as: Unexplained crying for 3 or more hours a day, for 3 or more days a week, for 3 or more weeks.

What this really means is life is miserable! There is no known cause (though there are A LOT of theories) and there is no real treatment available. Colic typically starts around 3 weeks of age and seems to be gone again by 14 weeks. Leaving the longest 11 weeks of your life in the middle. 

It is often assumed that colicky babies are in some kind of pain, as they are not relieved by the comforts of feeding and holding, often writhe and grunt, may start and stop their screaming very abruptly, and have a shrill cry that resembles the sound they make when they are in pain, they are often said to 'pull up' their legs while crying.

 

One of the compelling reasons why colic is NOT something parents have to put up with or accept is that in a number of cultures, colic is virtually absent.

 

What causes colic?

 

Over the years many explanations have been put forward about the cause of colic. Common explanations have included that colic is caused by wind, by maternal anxiety, by tummy troubles, by a baby’s sensitive temperament, or by a baby’s immature brain.  The ideas of stomach migraines and early food allergies have also been thrown around. While there is an element of truth in all of these explanations, none of them fully explain colicky behaviour, or point to what we can do to calm a colicky baby.

The true cause of colic is what is now often referred to as a missing '4th trimester'. Human babies (as opposed to other animals) are born before their brains are fully developed, and before they are fully ready for the world.

 

Inside the womb, a baby is very tightly bundled, she is constantly fed, she is exposed to 80-90 decibels of ‘white noise’ 24/7, and she constantly swings and jiggles about inside a sea of amniotic fluid. These are the conditions that calm a baby in the womb, and unless we make a concerted effort to replicate these conditions once a baby is born, their absence will be a cause of considerable distress to a newborn.

 

Many other cultures will carry a tightly swaddled baby in a sling carrier the whole day, and co-sleep at night. These babies are breastfed as soon as they become unsettled and are not expected to self-sooth or go with out their mother for the first 3 or more months.

 

Interestingly these cultures also do not experience colic in the way the western culture does.

 

Your baby wants to be held, she will sleep in your arms or on your chest but not in her bed, she will wake as soon as you put her down. It is a survival instinct, they are too young to sleep alone naturally. They need your warmth and comfort, all the tricks in the book are really trying to replicate you, why don't we as a society accept that maybe baby just needs some parent time?

See our Sleep and Settling page or Swaddling page for more details

If you think of the times of day your baby gets upset and try and re-look at your routine at this time of day. It is often tea time - other children are tired and hungry and need their dinner/bath/bedtime routines too, so baby gets handed to someone else or left to their own devices while mum gets dinner ready.

 

Some suggestions:

 

- Pre-prepare dinner/meals when baby is settled

 

- Enlist some help at tea time - Dad, Nana, Aunty, an older sibling or a DVD (shock horror)

 

- Put baby tightly swaddled in a bouncer or pushchair by the dinner table and keep baby moving with your feet while you eat.

 

- Sling or wrap style carriers are great - pop baby in and have two hands free to continue with what you were trying to do.

 

- Use a pacifier to help soothe baby

- Some babies find a deep, warm bath relaxing.

- If baby is unsettled it will do no harm to future sleep patterns if you spend the evening with baby napping on your chest in the lounge while you read or watch TV. In fact you will both be more relaxed and baby will probably get more sleep then trying to settle them alone in their own bed.

 

- If you choose to co-sleep it is recommended that you do so by using a 'side car' style bed - where baby has their own space.

 

http://spiritedmamadotcom.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/bednest.jpg

Warning: Bed Sharing /co-sleeping should not be undertaken by people who smoke, have been drinking alcohol or are under the influence of drugs, these things greatly increase the risk of SIDS (cot death). Do not co-sleep on a couch or lounger chair.

 

I hope this is helpful for those out there struggling. It's not an easy time, but it does pass (like most things with babies). If you are really struggling with your crying baby, put them down somewhere safe and have a break, call for back up if need be. Kia kaha.