posted July 07, 2006 08:12 PM         

by aviva jill romm

Written for the woman who wants to take a creative, proactive role in her prenatal care, The Natural Pregnancy Book describes effective natural techniques, herbal remedies, and nutritional aids to support a healthy pregnancy. Topics include: -- Pregnancy as a transformative experience -- Guidelines for nutrition and herbal remedies -- An exploration of birthing options -- Issues for your partner end children -- Resources and support groups

Ruth Yaron cares deeply about what your baby is eating--so much so that her bestselling Super Baby Food is encyclopedic in both scope and size. Ounce for hefty ounce, this manual/cookbook/reference guide is worth its weight in formula, packed as it is with detailed information on homemade baby food, nutritional data, feeding schedules, cooking techniques, recipes, and other invaluable feeding tips. Yaron builds her compelling argument for making baby food at home on the simple premise that food profoundly impacts health, especially when an infant's developing digestive tract is involved. Parents will learn why babies should start out on rice porridge, bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes before advancing to more difficult-to-digest foods such as wheat cereals and milk products. While Yaron's passionate stance and vegetarian bias may turn off some parents, others will be grateful for her strict attention to potentially harmful additives and chemicals. No matter what their eating philosophy, most parents will appreciate the economy and surprising ease of making baby food at home. This is not gourmet cooking; all you have to do is learn how to boil water and operate a blender. For veggies, simply steam some vegetable chunks and blend. For baby porridge, just grind some whole grains in a blender and boil. It's that simple. And when you're feeding your baby, simple is best. --Sumi Hahn

Book Description
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING you should know about feeding your baby and toddler from beginning solid foods through age three years. How and when to start your baby on solid foods, with detailed information on the best and safest high chair, spoons, bibs, and other feeding equipment.
Which foods to introduce to your baby during each month of his first year, with details on proper food consistency, amount, and temperature. How much you can expect your baby to eat and drink during the months of her first year with information on her digestive system at each age. Interesting details on your baby's physical, emotional, intellectual, and psychological development as it applies to self-feeding and mealtimes; how you can increase your baby's or toddler's self-esteem and self-confidence during mealtimes...

...All about nutrition and your baby, including nutrient tables of all major vitamins and minerals with convenient baby-sized portions to help you be sure that your baby is getting proper nourishment. How to save money by making homemade yogurt, fruit leather, and how to grow sprouts, fruit plants, and herbs in your kitchen for fun and food. Easy, economical recipes for homemade baby accessories, such as baby wipes, diaper cream, and many more.

Baby-safe and environmentally-friendly recipes for household cleaning products, such as baby-safe drain cleaners, furniture polish, window cleaners, and more. These recipes cost only pennies to make and are so safe that most are actually edible!! Tips for removing crayon, spit-up, and urine stains from baby clothes, carpets, and furniture. This book is the most complete and well-researched baby food book on the market today. Even though it is 600 pages, it is cleverly designed for the busy parent to read only a small part each month as baby grows.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0965260313/qi d=1152317301/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-1822882-9295243?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

i learned more from these books than almost any others.

posted July 07, 2006 08:30 PM         

i'm giving away a maya wrap baby sling...i love this fabric, it's a very beautiful blue/green weave. we used this sling very little so it's almost like new.

if interested, email me at salome_nu@yahoo.com

posted July 09, 2006 12:34 AM         

the next sling i purchase will be a didymos...the fabric is amazing. i'd suggest purchasing your sling as soon as possible...and learning to use it...esp with one like the didymos or storch that requires a very big learning curve...you'll want to carry your babe in a sling from the moment you can walk with her...and believe me, knowing how to use the sling will make all the difference in the world.

a perfect sling for a newborn is the rebozo. the very thin, breathable fabric is perfect for sheltering babe, and easy to wear close to your body...very simple, like a shawl, and like the didymos, requires tying the sling to fit you. this is nice, as it gives an excellent custom fit.

as for the maya wrap, it's different than the others that tie in that it has rings that make the fabric adjustable. excellent for custom fit and versatility. we didn't use ours very much as i purchased mine after babe was a little older, and he preferred being mobile to being in a sling...by that time we used mostly the ergo carrier, a backpack sling (see my photo album in the LL photoshop, i still carry my boy in the ergo carrier when we walk our puppy and he's almost 4) and the baby trekker.

a very good sling for newborns and new sling wearers is the sling-ezee. it's a padded ring sling and these seem to be be forgiving for carrying a babe with little sling knowledge. i haven't tried this one, but i've heard the greatest things about it, and it's one i'll also purchase when i can.

i've also heard delightful tales about the zolo carriers...very beautiful unpadded ring slings that are beautifully designed...some in silk, perfect for formal wear.

the very simplest sling, if all else fails, for a newborn is the snugli carrier...only wearable for babes to 20 lbs. for me it was a lifesaver, as i could barely walk for weeks after babe's birth, and hadn't practiced with any of the other slings beforehand (this is a must!). when he was almost two, i was going through a box of some of his newborn stuff (we'd stopped using the snugli after about 6 months) and i found the snugli. he immediately cried 'baby!!' -- grabbed the sling, laid it in my lap, laid down in it, and asked me to carry him (at a time he almost refused to get in a sling). he was much too big for it at the time, but i was so surprised that he remembered, and in such a happy way too.

this site will give you so much good comparative information about every different kind of sling (a list of the advantages and disadvantages that is very detailed and informative). this lady has a big cult following for her handmade slings -- i learned more from her site, about all slings, than everywhere else put together. i used her adjustable fleece puch to no end, from newborn to big babe as much as any other. and i used her mesh sling in the shower almost every day for years.
http://www.kangarookorner.com/index.shtml

zolowear

http://zolowear.com/Gallery.aspx

posted July 09, 2006 07:29 AM         

Whatever you ladies choose.....I wish you luck with yer new babies...

I have never been the same after giving birth to my baby...who is now nearly 8 years...old....

No words could describe the all consuming feelings of love you feel for this little person....

And...I havent stopped crying....albeit tears of joy or sadness...

Everything seems to become more real...

Somehow...

posted July 10, 2006 07:59 AM         

You never stop laughing, crying and smiling for sure.

posted July 10, 2006 11:32 AM         

It was such a lovely sight and took me back to my breastfeeding days....

Am so glad I was able to do that,,,,cos I know in this lifetime I wont get the chance to do it again....

Oh I am so grateful for this experience....

posted August 04, 2006 12:29 PM         

I've read a few articles recently of babies dying of SIDS while in their slings due to improper placement. Apparently their little heads are bent forward and this makes it hard for them to breathe. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean I don't want a sling or I think they're unsafe - just that I'm concerned with getting one specifically good for a newborn and using it correctly.

We do a lot of hiking in the summer and I'm thinking I might want the ergo for that come next year. But in the meantime, I just need something to carry him with around the house and out for short errands. I really believe in the close proximity thing, especially with the newborns. I'd rather have him in the sling than the swing, you know what I mean?

posted August 04, 2006 12:54 PM         

"Sling Baby—the ring-free easy adjust baby sling,—is a must for anyone caring for an infant. Called "a standout among slings by Fit Pregnancy magazine," Sling Baby can be used throughout an infant's day, from breastfeeding to bedtime. Made from carefully chosen climate-control fabrics, Sling Baby grows with your baby.

posted August 04, 2006 12:56 PM         

I have spent untold hours on that website. I decided not to do the Rhogam vaccine while pregnant, but will consent to it after the birth if the bambino turns out to Rh+.

Surprisingly, when I informed the mid-wife of this she didn't really freak. She promised that the vaccine they use in her office is mercury free. She "suggested" I get it during the pregnancy, "suggested" it might be unwise not to do so and "suggested" I look into it further. No big ugy cat fight though. She said she had no problem continuing to see me if I declined the shot.

I also brought up the Hepatitis B shot the hospitals seem to inexplicably enjoy giving infants immediately following birth. I told her that was out of the question and she agreed it wasn't necessary.

posted August 04, 2006 01:06 PM         

this is one that seems to address your concerns, as it's designed specifically for newborns, and their proper position in the sling...as well as utilizing fabric made to adjust for babe's skin breathability.

posted August 04, 2006 01:30 PM         

once you wear your babe and become familiar and confident with the best position for her, in a newborn sling, you could then find the best way to adjust a versatile sling like the didymos for the most favorable and healthy position. you're drawn to the didymos/storch slings for a reason....they will suit you best, and the more you love your sling, the more you will be inclined to use it....and it may well be the best choice for babe too...mama's intuition can't be ignored!

i don't know anything about sids caused by sling wearing, but i think the more adjustable slings wouldn't be likely to cause that...as you wear the babe closer to your body with those, and you'd be more aware of their breathing and discomfort.

here's a tidbit about the benefit of attachment parenting and how it reduces the incidents of sids ~

quote:

---

"ATTACHMENT PARENTING CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF SIDS

The most plausible explanation for SIDS, in most babies, is a defect in cardiorespiratory control and arousability during sleep. Also, research suggests that some infants at risk for SIDS have less-organized physiological control mechanisms. So, any parenting style that can enhance the development of a baby's physiological control systems and increase mother's awareness to subtle changes in her baby's physiology, would lower the risk of SIDS. Attachment parenting does this.

Attachment parenting organizes an infant's physiological control systems. New thinking is that some SIDS babies may not have been as physiologically normal as they appeared to be before they died. Findings of higher heartrates and less adaptable heartrate variability in babies at risk for SIDS suggests these infants are less able to adjust their physiology to changing biological conditions. Also, several studies of high risk infants and babies who died of SIDS suggests that some of these babies had temperaments and behavioral qualities that lessened their ability to protest life-threatening circumstances. Summing up this complicated and shaky research that attempts to correlate infant temperament and SIDS, it seems that in some infants the drive to survive is weak. Some infants are physiologically disadvantaged to protect themselves from SIDS.

A baby who spends a lot of time in mother's arms, at mother's breasts, and in mother's bed becomes more physiologically organized. Therefore, I believe a baby whose overall physiology is more organized has a lower risk of succumbing to SIDS.”

“Experiments on both human infants and infant experimental animals showed these fascinating results about attachment research. :

Human infants with the most secure attachment to their mothers had the best cortisol balance.
The longer infant animals were separated from their mothers, the higher the cortisol levels, suggesting that these babies could be chronically stressed. The mothers also experienced elevated cortisol levels when separated from their babies.

Prolonged cortisol elevations may diminish growth.
Prolonged cortisol elevations may suppress the immune system.
Infant animals separated from their mothers showed imbalances in the autonomic nervous system -- the master control system of the physiology. They didn't show the usual increases and decreases in heart rate and body temperature, had abnormal heartbeats (called "arrhythmia"), and showed disturbances in sleep patterns, such as a decrease in REM sleep (the stage of sleep in which an infant is most arousable in response to a life-threatening event). Similar physiological changes were measured in preschool children separated from their parents
In addition to the agitation caused by prolonged elevation of adrenal hormones, separation sometimes caused the opposite physiological effect: withdrawn, depressed infants who had low cortisol levels.

Separated infants showed more irregular heart rates.
Infants separated from their mothers were less able to maintain a stable body temperature.
Infant animals who stayed close to their mothers had higher levels of growth hormones and enzymes essential for brain and heart growth. Separation from their mothers, or lack of interaction with their mothers when they were close by, caused the levels of these growth-promoting substances to fall.
Clearly, the continued presence of a nurturing mother is important for the infant's physiological and emotional well-being. A secure mother-infant attachment helps an infant's physiological systems work better. “

“Attachment parenting helps babies thrive. If, as we have seen, an in-arms baby cries less and is less anxious, and therefore consumes less energy, I conclude that the infant has more "free time" to divert that energy that would have been wasted worrying and fussing into thriving. To thrive means more than just growing bigger; it means an infant grows to her fullest potential, physically, intellectually, and physiologically.

Attachment-parented babies feed more frequently, an interaction that itself improves growth and overall behavioral organization. One of the oldest recipes for the failing to thrive baby is "take your baby to bed and nurse." As previously discussed, attachment promotes growth hormones and enzymes that enhance brain growth in experimental animals. Growth hormone is secreted primarily during sleep. Endocrinologists have discovered that human infants deprived of sufficient attachment have lower growth hormones and fail to thrive -- a malady called psychosocial deprivation.”

“It's up to the parents to listen, and it's up to professionals to support the parents' confidence and not undermine it by advising a more distant style of parenting, such as "let your baby cry it out" or "you've got to put him down more." Only the baby knows his or her level of need; and the parents are the ones that are best able to read their baby's language.
Babies who are "trained" not to express their needs may appear to be docile, compliant, or "good" babies. Yet these babies could be depressed babies who are shutting down the expression of their needs, and they may become children who don't ever speak up to get their needs met and eventually become the highest-need adults."

---

posted August 08, 2006 11:05 AM         

Thank you, Salome, Harpyr, Tink, Future uncertain...
for all the information!
I love this all.
I'm happy to join the ranks of those who appreciate this info!

Congratulations this October, ladies...
I loved having my daughter in October. It is seriously, a lovely time to welcome a child into the world!

This will be my first pregnancy through the winter. My daughter was in October, son on Dec. 1st..... I'm pretty jazzed, because normally I am soooooo cold in the winter, and so I'm looking forward to my natural circulation inprovement for this winter.
It'll be a great spring!

Thanks for this string!!!!

posted August 09, 2006 01:41 PM         

i saw that sweet baby moving around in the ultrasound -- how exciting!!

you have divine love residing in you...what a blessing.....angels must be all around you.

love for you and sweet babe.

posted August 20, 2006 10:50 AM         

What names have you chosen?