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Baby Wearing…A Fashion Trend or a Benefit to Your Newborn?

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baby wearing

Baby wearing has long been used by our ancestors and many cultures around the world as a means to care for an infant while maintaining existing responsibilities.

After your baby is born, we need to think of the first 6 to 9 months after birth as the fourth trimester. This fourth trimester is a crucially important time for your baby’s growth and development.

The first nine months were spent in the womb, where the baby is warm, comfortable and is feeling and listening to the rhythms of the mother’s heart, breathing, voice and movement. Once the baby is born, their environment changes drastically, so baby wearing is a means to help the baby adapt to their new reality.

Research shows that skin to skin contact between a baby and its mother promotes brain development, helps the baby adapt to the outside world, promotes milk production in the mother and can help promote healthy weight gain for the infant.

Some of the benefits of baby wearing for the baby are:

  • Close contact with mom or dad promotes development
  • Provides baby with contentment and calmness
  • Creates baby attentiveness and allow for faster learning
  • The sensations and sounds the baby hears and feels while being worn reminds them of the womb experience and balances their environment (Sound of heart beat, sound of breathing, the rhythm of the mother’s walking patterns and voice)

Some of the benefits of baby wearing for mom or dad are:

  • Convenience
  • Baby bonding
  • Allows you to perform tasks while you carry your baby or to care for other children
  • Picks up on needs of baby more easily
  • Easier errands – no need for stroller
  • Easier access for breastfeeding

How to choose the right baby wearing attire

This will likely come down to the preference and comfort for the parent using the attire. Some people will prefer a sling style and others will prefer a more structured support. The style of carrier is less important than following the safety protocols of each individual carrier style.

Baby Wearing Safety Tips

  1. Ensure clear airway. Think of your baby’s airway as a straw that when pinched either slows or restricts completely its effectiveness. When your baby’s chin drops to their chest the airway is being pinched off. Ensure that the baby’s head is positioned in a slightly upward direction to allow for a clear passageway. Also, be sure to provide support to your baby’s neck and back.
  2. Check your baby carrier regularly for wear and tear and to ensure that the it will securely hold the weight of your baby.
  3. Test the baby wearing device using a weight similar to that of your baby before using with your baby. The first time you use the device with your child, use a spotter or do it over a bed or couch to ensure safety.
  4. If you have questions or concerns about baby wearing, speak to your chiropractor, midwife, or other natural health practitioner who is familiar with your family.

With Sources from:

http://www.becomingmamas.com/babywearing/

Are you Addicted to Caffeine? How to Detox without Withdrawals

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Are You Addicted to Caffeine?

Do you stumble out of bed and head straight to your coffee pot? Do you even have a timer set so it’s ready and waiting for you?

Do you need a little pick-me-up mid morning and hit the Tim Hortons drive thru?

Or mid-afternoon, do you find yourself reaching for a soda (or worse, an energy drink) to give you enough energy to get you through the rest of your day?

These are some not-too-subtle signs that your body is relying on caffeine as an energy source – both physically and mentally.

Caffeine can wreak havoc on your adrenal system and depending on the source of your caffeine, can affect your cardiovascular system and digestion, not to mention your sleep habits.

You may also know it’s time to curb your intake of caffeine if you notice…

• you need more and more to feel its effects
• your consumption levels are ever increasing
• you are starting to notice that your nerves are jumpy or you are not feeling like yourself
• you feel fluttering in your chest or differences in your breathing
• extra urination and symptoms of dehydration
• if you have a headache or other uncomfortable symptoms if you don’t have caffeine

So how do you reduce or eliminate your intake of caffeine without serious withdrawals?

Everyone’s body reacts differently when they come off of caffeine. As it is classified as a drug,  it is important to treat this as a serious issue and make sure your withdrawal is limited and your transition out of its clutches is gentle.

Some people may decide to go cold turkey, but that definitely tends to cause headaches and other terrible symptoms that may leave you out of commission for up to 3 or 4 days.

It would be best to slowly reduce your intake until you either bring it back down to a more controllable level or remove it from your life altogether.

For the first week, reduce your consumption by 25%. So if you’re having 4 coffees (or whatever your caffeine source is) per day, try to have just 3. Do this for a week and notice any changes.

For the second week, again reduce your consumption by 25% – so just have 2 coffees per day.

And for the third week, reduce another 25% and have just 1 coffee per day.

For the fourth week, you can continue to reduce your intake by having a coffee every other day or if you feel like you are back in control, one per day is a much better amount.

Be sure to supplement your eliminated cup of coffee with another liquid – either warm water with cinnamon and lemon squeezed into it or a caffeine-free tea, so you do not feel deprived of the relaxation of enjoying something warm in your hands that tastes lovely and feels comforting.

While you are making this major life change, it is incredibly important to support your body with added vitamins and nutrients during this time.

Load up on the plant based meals and add as many extra fruit and vegetables into your day as you can. This will help to rebuild your body and support your reduced caffeine intake by offering a real energy source. If your body is fed properly with abundant sources of real nutrition, it will stop craving external energy sources, such as caffeine to get your through the day.

If you have any questions about reducing your caffeine intake and supporting your body through this change, talk to your natural health practitioner.