Tuesday 30 November 2010

Secret Lives of Women - Baby Ella

Secret Lives of Women - Baby Ella



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZfj7uudd7E&hl=en

Sunday 28 November 2010

Urban Baby Clothes

Are you a cool dresser and do you want your baby to look the same? Urban baby clothes are great for making your new baby look stylish and trendy when you are out shopping, but they are also functional clothes for all seasons. Individual pieces can be put together to create a really trendy look whether you are in a city mall or playing in the park.

I always think of urban clothing as utility wear, yet flexible enough to be worn in any situation. Babies are really tough on their clothes, you may put bibs on them but they still manage to spread the mess everywhere. The fabric of all baby clothes should be soft and capable of withstanding numerous washes.

Urban baby clothes may be fashionable but they are adaptable. Wearing layers is a real advantage when kitting your baby out. When it is chilly, a trendy T-shirt over a long sleeves is ideal, if the weather warms up, then it is easy to strip one off. If it turns really cold, add a hoodie and your babe will be snug.

Urban clothes are hard wearing. Think of the stylish but practical, casual look that you wear around the city and transfer the idea to your baby. Cargo trousers will look as trendy on your baby as they do on you, stylish sneakers and boots are available in baby sizes. Hats, gloves and scarves will finish the outfit.

If you live in a small town rather than a city, you may find little choice in your local shops, but online there are a number of great stores stocking a wide variety of urban outfits and accessories to go with them.

Online auctions are a good place to look for clothing bargains. As good quality urban clothes are tough, children outgrow them so quickly they do not wear out. Selling them online means parents can make a little money to reinvest in a new outfit, while the buyer gets them at a fraction of the shop price. Look out for bundles of clothes, you may not like them all, but you can always put any you don't want back into the auction.

Of course there is no need to stop at clothes. Really cool bibs, bottles and fancy diapers bags are all available to complete the image. There are some great looking sling carriers for your little tot too, so shop around and turn your baby out as stylish as yourself!

Friday 26 November 2010

Help - Silver, Gold, Pearl - What Earring Material Should I Wear?

Earrings are a small but yet so important part of your outfit and styling. The small things usually matter the most, and therefore a detail such as earrings could be crucial for your overall fashion expression. The type of accessories which you choose to pair with your outfit will be of your choice but most women have a certain style they follow and this applies to the earrings as well.

The first choice any fashionable woman will come across when it comes to earrings is the material. You have many women who only wear gold, then on the other side you have women who are only attracted to silver. And then there is a group in between that actually doesn't mind wearing any material just as long as it fits.

Pearl earrings and necklaces were very popular back in the 80's and their popularity dropped with the modern time. However, the trend is reversing. These small pearl accessories highlight any outfit both with high class and modesty. Just think of a famous painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring", a work of Johannes Vermeer, known as the Dutch painter. Its simplicity brings out the inner beauty and everlasting style. Pearl stands the test of time and fashions.

Gold is also timeless. However, even though it is somewhere considered to be a status symbol not all women prefer it. Silver earrings are very popular with the younger generations.

As fashion styles move through decades, styles of earrings change too. In the 80's earrings were quite large in size and this is why most of the earrings from that time were "on clip". They were just too heavy to be worn as pierced earrings. As we mentioned before, pearl earrings were very popular even though there were many imitations of this material to be found at the time. Gold was also in fashion in the 80's as well as the gold imitations.

During the 90's creativity of the earrings has advanced and a trendy woman with a desire for a nice pair of earrings could choose between many styles and shapes such as stud, hoop earrings, dangle earrings, etc. Glass, plastic, metal, stone, beads, silicon etc. were introduced to the fashion mainstream as materials used for making earrings.

During the late 90's a unique trend won the market - body piercing. With body piercing a new material was introduced - the "surgical steel". This material gives the impression of silver and doesn't cause any allergic reaction which makes it a perfect material for any type of body jewellery.

Cubic zirconia body jewellery and earrings suddenly made an impact on the fashion market. Many celebrities and people all around the globe turned themselves to body piercing as the latest fashion trend. Many women and men nowadays don't have their ears typically pierced but instead choose a small piercing on the top of their ear, or even maybe two or three in a row in one lobe. Variations are unlimited and your imagination can produce a particular personal styling.

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Stress Incontinence

If you suffer from stress incontinence you need to take a look at this news broadcast. So many women suffer from this problem, unnecessarily. There are minimally invasive treatments that can fix a week urethra and rid you of the embarrassment incontinence can cause. This video can further explain.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D61UqlYyqA&hl=en

Monday 22 November 2010

Diaper Bag Review - The Patent Ruby Tote Diaper Bag by Timi and Leslie

Timi and Leslie have totally revitalized their entire line of diaper bags to focus on their mission; provide gorgeous functional luxury diaper bags that appeal to the woman in every mom. They manufacture high quality, high profile, and highly attractive hand bags, totes, and messenger bags that cleverly convert to become conveniently functional diaper bags. We have reviewed the Patent Ruby Tote and consider it to be an excellent example of the new direction that this designer of diaper bags has taken.

Celebrity Favorite

The Patent Ruby Tote is one of the major reasons this company has caught the attention of celebrity moms and dads like Angelina Jolie, Christina Aguilera, Nicole Kidman, and even Jack Black who carries the Dad version. Timi and Leslie have streamlined their designs to provide city style and yet maintain a casual feel, as witnessed in this elegant but comfortable tote. Any mom, celebrity or not, would be confident in carrying this striking diaper bag to the office, the board meeting, or on the town for an evening's social event.

Conveniently Convertible

As a design-driven company, they created the latest innovation in designer diaper bags which is the ability to convert the highly functional baby bag into a fully fashioned, boutique style handbag, within only seconds. Before the Timi and Leslie brilliant engineering, it used to be that once the baby had grown out of bottles and diapers, the need for a gorgeous leather diaper bag resolved itself and your favorite bag was rendered obsolete. Now, you simply remove the baby specific components and convert the baby pockets to your personal pockets and you can continue to carry your stylish and fashionable tote.

Expertly Functional

The Patent Ruby Tote carries all the signature Timi and Leslie convertible bag features, including the detachable patent leather shoulder strap, the removable bottle tote and changing pad, a wristlet for personal items for either baby or Mommy, stroller straps, waterproof lining, elasticized inner pockets for holding either diapers, wipes, and more bottles or makeup, wallet, and cell, and, of course, the very helpful easy access key fob. The size of this tote is impressive, a full fifteen inches x eighteen inches x four and a half inches and in sturdy patent leather. Should need be, you can even carry your laptop, along with everything else. This is handy because once we start adding all the different bags and paraphernalia that a mother can carry, the weight becomes a bit much for her shoulder and back.

Gorgeous to Look At

The bottom line with Timi and Leslie diaper bags is that they design bags that look beautiful, no matter what their mission in life. We agree that they appeal to the woman in every Mom, and not any less so with the Patent Ruby Tote. In perfect color harmony with the coming fall season, this tote comes in Chocolate suede with patent leather trim, Cream, Eggplant, and Red. These diaper bags fulfill all the criteria for high performance diaper bags except for one thing, I am partial to black bags and of all the styles available in black, this is not one of them.

Sunday 21 November 2010

Bad Boy toddlers in denim diapers...should not be ogled by grown women

It would be cool if they liked my idea and paid me for it! Then I could afford a better computer...a better camera...some software...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEIHN7hyCbA&hl=en

Friday 19 November 2010

Roscoe Village: What Could Have Been? - 3 of 3

Nate wakes up to find a sleepless Van, staring into space, chain smoking. On the way home from work Van saw his ex-girlfriend with husband and child. Spinning him into a bout of contemplation and regret. And on the flip side, while out to dinner with his girlfriend Lane, Nate brushes with a life filled with diapers, soccer practice and driver's permits. The love fest is decimated by Hayden with a tale of unfaithfulness and hot sex bringing the balance back to status. Life moves on, sometimes really, really fast. Can the guys keep up?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ec-eTUvOuI&hl=en

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Venice Beach Comedy Sluts

Me on tour in Venice Beach, taking in some local scenary.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxs2tvq9Af8&hl=en

Monday 15 November 2010

Essential Dad and Parent Skills 2-1 How to Change a Diaper

If you google about dad changing diaper, you are most likely to find a dad complaining about changing a diaper or saying they almost fainted, or some ridiculous video on it, etc... Give me a break. Are you a man or not? Women don't even complain! You don't hear your baby complaining when you let one rip so nasty that is practically peeling the paint off the walls in the bathroom do you? It isn't that big a deal. Now I have gotten a lot better at changing a diaper since doing this video, but this should still give you the general idea. It is fast and it is easy. Especially at home. "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, con a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Robert Heinlein, Time Enough forLove Love it? Hate it? Like it? Know how to do it better? Just looking for advice? Care to comment? Want to talk about dad stuff? contact me: dsw@cluelessfather.com Or if you want the female side of things talk to my wife. rosew@cluelessfather.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74GiSfE29Lc&hl=en

Saturday 13 November 2010

Parents Switch To Cloth, Eco-Friendly Diapers

The Diaper Genie is the first gift most pregnant women get as a gift. It is designed to keep smelly diapers from fouling up the house, but now, there are new biodegradable diapers to take away the stink.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnUdm1aAEAA&hl=en

Thursday 11 November 2010

Things That Grown Women Don't Wear

Apart from diapers, you mean? Even then, that's questionable since we do use sanitary napkins...which...erm, some kids liken to a nappy. I know of one mother who actually said it was a nappy to her kids! I was like....argh, eugh, gross...but she took it in her stride, raising her eyebrows asking, "What do YOU suggest I tell them?"

I don't know...but I told my son that it was none of his business and if he ever dares to touch those...erm, stuff or take it out of the room, I will personally see that his PC game privileges are taken away from him. And he refuses to look into my personal drawer after that.

I am no clothes-horse in person and it was only a couple of hours ago that my aunt in Dubai called me to tell me that I was sloppy. In my personal opinion, I am 'carelessly casual'. Hey, can you blame me for being so when I work at home and have to consider changing in and out of clothes often because there's pee, poo, spit, vomit...and what-have-you-nots on them. I do have to take care of my kids, you know! Donald Trump is, unfortunately, out of my league and he's not my father, so, I have to take care of the kids and work at home at the same time, ok?

And since I work at home, is there a point to dress up in coats and skirts....what, to please my computer?

Anyway, in my personal opinion, there are several things that women shouldn't wear, under ANY circumstance.

ONE, pigtails. I used to have long hair and whenever I had to perform one of those 'ah-sam' (women who have to perform lots of house chores) work, I would tie pigtails. Now I don't. Why? Well, one of my cousins once asked me if I was trying to behave, act and look like a maid. If I walked side-by-side with my maid, they'd think I was the maid cause even my maid does not wear pigtails.

TWO, overcoats. In this friggin' weather?? Come on. But even if I was living in a very cold country, I would only wear an overcoat if someone threatened to shave my eyebrows off, ok?

THREE, checkered red and black skirts. ....and look like I was wearing a kilt? Come on. Besides, Kilts are for Scottish MEN, mind you, not sensible women.

FOUR, socks that goes up to the knee. You want to look girly, go for plastic surgery, dear. Wearing socks that goes up to your knee will only make you look like you're out of your mind, not younger.

FIVE, frilly frocks. Lord, only people who belong in an asylum will want to wear a frilly frock. Or are you pretending to be a princess in the making? Look, if you're 30 ot 40 years old, wearing a frilly frock makes you look like you don't know the difference between your nose and your knee.

For aging women, the best thing is to go for simple and casual stuff....back to the kind of clothes I would wear anytime of the day. As long as it is kept simple, nice, tidy, classy and not creased like you'd been snogging with your fave bloke behind the curtain, you should be safe.

Coming from a person who would rather be shot in the toe than wear high heels, you might want to consider whether you want to listen to me yap on about FASHION or not.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

This is Dedicated to All Those Single Ladies That Wonder If They Are Missing Out

You wake up in the morning to the sound of your 6yr old cheering about the money the tooth fairy left under his pillow. You have no time to enjoy this because all it does is remind you that you left that darn tooth on the couch and you are about to be found out, so you run. In leaving so quickly, you neglect to turn off the alarm and you have to sprint back to shut off the damn beeping before the baby wakes up. You get the two kiddos dressed, fed and out the door but just as you are dropping them off you realize that yellow teeth are more of a reflection on you than them and you wish you would have remembered to brush their teeth this morning.

Back home and you really need to get your work done. You get your coffee and get started but then the baby needs a diaper and food and the 2yr old has hidden in the laundry to have some bathroom privacy and this causes a huge delay in your progress. You run to the bathroom to get a towel when you see your reflection and...well...moving on. You need a shower really badly but you must get your work done before the a.m. preschool pickup times comes around.
Now you get everyone dressed, dash to pickup, and head to the park for a classmate's birthday party. You have bought a gift and are taking the time to go when your child announces that the birthday girl is not his friend, great. You get to the party and although there are a couple of fun girls to chat with, chatting is not easy due to the constant interruption of checking on multiple children to see if one has left the park to join a new family. While there, you realize that you are having to ignore the icy stares of strange women who seem to be quite judgy. You decide you don't care because they have plucked their eyebrows too thin and have way overprocessed hair..ha. Party is over and thank goodness the cake was chocolate and the pizza had sausage because you avoided eating the kids leftovers for lunch. You head home and are grateful that the baby is asleep and it is the 2yr old's nap time..you will get your work done.

You start working and are making good progress when you start feeling light headed and whoozy. That is when you remember that you did not eat breakfast or lunch and in fact your full cup of coffee is still sitting on the counter from the morning. Now you are feeling grateful that your husband got laid off because he has time to make you a sandwich while you finally finish up your work. Dear hubby heads out to the post office but you are left with three kiddos and one to pick up from school and the 2 yr old is still sleeping. You cram everyone in the van, including groggy toddler, and head up to the school to pick up your eldest. You realize that your hair is 100% worse now than it was this morning and it was bad this morning so you throw on your sunglasses because somehow you wearing sunglasses makes it harder for other people to detect your dirty hair.

Your home and now you accomplish something that does not happen most days. Your three boys pick up the house quickly without complaint the first time you ask, wow. What skill have you mastered? Well, bribery, they will do anything for a little bag of chips. So now it is 3pm and then it is 4:30 and what happened in that time, mysteriously there is no memory and you wonder what you could have gotten done had you not been doing whatever it was you were doing!!

The yelling starts and the two oldest boys are correcting your two year old so you march in to stand up for that cutey when you see your bathroom walls decorated with stripper red lipstick that you did not know you owned. Ah, you are so relieved because you did not want to relax, read, watch TV, eat, or any other such thing and the mess has given you purpose to your life. You get Windex and paper towels and sit down on the floor to clean. You are going to use this as a learning opportunity so you give the 2yr old his own paper towel to clean his own mess. Aren't you clever...turns out that this is a giant reward and the only thing better than smeering the lipstick in the first place is getting to wipe it off with mom. 30 minutes later you are high on fumes and your eyes are bleery enough that you can't tell if the walls are still messed up or if they had that pink hew to begin with.

Oh damn, time for dinner and you have no ideas. Is it really bad to give everyone cereal, again? The day is wrapping up and maybe just maybe if you get their yellow teeth white and your dirty hair clean it will all be a success. Here you are Living the Dream.

Sunday 7 November 2010

Carefree panty liners

Advertisement for Carefree Panty liners



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaTh1X6IcP8&hl=en

Friday 5 November 2010

Unique And Beautiful Designer Diaper Bags By Australian Designers Who Think Outside The Bag!

I search all over to find diaper bags that are not only unique and beautiful, but also functional. I came across several Australian designed diaper bags (which they call nappy bags or change bags) in the last couple of days and I though that I would share them here.

Some of the designs we are pretty familiar with come from Australia are OiOi and Storksak. The designers from these two companies are pretty popular with celebraties and non-celebraties alike. So I thought to myself there has to be other designers from this country that are just as creative as those two. Here are my findings and I must say they are some very stylish and creatively designed bags which most like most women who want a style of their own can appreciate.

The first diaper bag is called the Isoki ( which is an African name for "beautiful gift"). The company launched in May to a very receptive audience of moms in Australia who love the concept. The concept I speak about is that the diaper bag is reversible and the shape of the bag is very unique. You actually get 2 bags in 1!! There are 3 different color designs to choose from the Isoki Bahama Birds , Moroccan Vine and Vintage Floral and 2 styles the Reversible Baby Bag and the Reversible Hobo.

There are so many feautures to this bag. Check it out:

Made from 100% durable cotton canvas.

Reversible baby bag with co-ordinating inner components.

Double sided storage satchel (removable).

Insulated cooler bag (removable).

Large padded change mat for your baby's comfort (removable). Adjustable shoulder strap.

Easy to carry over the shoulder, across the body or over a pram.

Six large accessible secure pockets.

Zip off bottom storage section designed for change mat, nappies, dirty laundry etc.

Metal feet protect the base of the bag from hard/wet surfaces.

The second bag is the Uchi Messenger Baby bag . Uchi is a Japenese name for home or inside. This diaper bag's sleek streamlined design is a very convenient for moms wo don't want to carry a large diaper bag all of the time. It kind of reminded me of a attache case, a briefcase you could carry to work until I looked at all of the compartment which makes it a very functional diaper bag.

Uchi Messenger Baby Bag - Blossom Pale Blue combines form with function, by considering every detail that parents look for by providing organization with simplicity and beauty. Uchi also makes a Backpack Baby Bag, which is very convenient by leaving your hands free for baby.

The features of this bag are:

Insulated bottle chill pack suits most bottles including wide neck bottles.

Wide, woven adjustable canvas shoulder strap with comfort pad, large frontal and rear compartments with zipper closure ability to expand the bag by zipper,

magneticclosures on front flap,

internal accessories pockets with zipper closure,

1 large & 2 smaller internal elasticated pockets,

2 elasticated straps at each end of the bag, ideal for baby bottles.

40 x 25 x 15 cm (15.7 x 9.8 x 5.9 Inches)

And third is the Vanchi Geisha Bowler which is made by Australian designers at the Vanchi company. This bag is very roomy and made from carefully fashioned faux leather and complimented with crocodile trim, The Bowler features a fully wipeable surface inside and out. Metal feet are conveniently placed on the base of the Bowler to protect it from wear and tear. A stylish new look with a focus on fashion and function.

The bag features the Geisha design on the outside and an ebony colour internal lining.
Features:

Baby Bag

Bottle Thermos

Dummy Safe

Wet Pack

Change Mat

Dimensions: 38L x 30H x 21W cm

Three great bags. Great design. Functional and efficient. The things we moms look for and style to boot. You gotta love the outside the box creativity of these diaper bags.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Depend Briefs for Women: Now SUPER ABSORBENT!

Another Digital Message Making piece. Had to do a 30 second commercial for any product of our choice. Originally, they were required to have humorous content, but the teacher removed that. Me being me, however, I kept the humorous quality. I'm going to be making some additional ads for this one too. I ended up with so much footage that I decided I could make about 4 or 5 different, yet similar, ads. Music: Fur Elise Valentina Lisitsa



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmwkSZxkbxA&hl=en

Monday 1 November 2010

Babywearing - The Art of Wearing Your Baby in a Sling Or Carrier

I was once asked what parenting tool I found most valuable. My answer is babywearing. I find babywearing to be the most valuable tool for parenting because of all the abundant benefits to parent and baby and because of the lifestyle you find yourself in when you embrace wearing your baby.

It is so interesting to me when people ask about this new or alternative parenting style. Parents have been wearing their babies for centuries. Strollers are the new, alternative invention. Women all over the world wear their babies every day, as did their mothers and grandmothers. Wearing your baby provides a feeling of completeness. You know I love following your innate wisdom as a mother and do you not feel that sense of completeness when baby is pressed against your chest? Carrying or babywearing meets a baby's needs for physical contact, affection, security, stimulation, and movement (all of which encourage neurological development) while on the go.

What is it?

In response to me telling a therapist friend that I practice babywearing, she replied, "What is that? You wear a scarf made out of babies? That is really messed up Rachel." Of course, she was joking. But the truth was that even this intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning, helper of families was so unfamiliar with the concept that I may as well have been talking about wearing scarves made out of babies. To wear your baby means to carry her, to hold her on your body. It's really that simple. To get all these amazing benefits, all you have to do is hold your baby. With the addition of a sling or carrier to the equation, babywearing not only makes all the all tenants of attachment parenting easier but life in general! Make the sling part of your daily wardrobe, pop baby in, and live your life. Voila- babywearing.

Why?

Babywearing gives mom freedom! So many parents out there think they have to choose: sit cozy in a chair and rock your baby on your chest and breastfeed or strap baby to a chair venture out into the world- but what if baby wants to nurse? What if he gets cold? What if he demands to be held and then how will you push the stroller and open doors? Babywearing gives you the freedom to have it all! Baby is snuggled close, safe and cozy, rhythmically moving, can breastfeed anytime with privacy all while mom has 2 free hands, complete mobility, and gets to be connected to the outside world! You are less dependent on things like car seat carriers, cribs, and swings. The entire world becomes a safe haven for baby- you are home, not house is home. Really think about that. You can do anything and go anywhere if you are home to baby. You are now free to go out! Home is where mother is, no reason mother has to be stuck at home. Babies in slings are quiet and content so they are society-friendly. Bring them out to dinner, take baby to that office party, you are now set up to live a truly family-integrated lifestyle. Even traveling need not be feared (unfamiliar sights and sounds are not frightening, easier transitions, close by (no wandering)).

Have a baby who cries (rhetorical question- all babies cry sometimes). Then babywearing is your savior because it calms baby. One study found that compared to a control group of babies whose parents were not given a free sling and encouraged to babywear, they cried 43% less! Also, in cross cultural studies of other cultures where babies are worn all the time, long periods of crying are unheard of. One of the culprits for crying is disorganization (of the nervous system). Infant Massage helps regulate this and so does babywearing. It promotes organization by teaching babies how to be content, in large part because it mimics the womb (swaddling, heartbeat, temp regulation, nutrition right there, rythmic motion, booming voice, not alone). Fans of The Happiest Baby on the Block program should love babywearing. If getting baby down for bedtime is a challenge in your home, try "wearing down". Just wear baby, live your life, he will fall asleep, remove yourself from the sling and place him in bed.

Babywearing promotes learning in all aspects of development. Babies learn about the world from the carrier. They see what mom sees, hear what dad hears, and experience mom and dad's reaction to the stimuli. Babywearing enhances speech development. Worn babies are right at mouth and eye level. They are right there, involved in all your conversations. Before you know it, they are even including themselves.

Babywearing makes you a better and more successful parent. One example is improved attentiveness. In one study moms were given a sling or infant seat. Carrying moms were more attentive at postpartum and 13 months and infants were more securely attached. Another example is improved breastfeeding success. Wearing your baby in a sling makes breastfeeding easier, makes discreet nursing easier, satisfies the frequent nurser, organizes problem suckers (gets them in the right position and relaxed), and helps the slow-to-gain-weight baby. Babywearing makes home management easier. You can get all your household stuff done even though sometimes baby is just not happy anywhere but in the arms of mom or dad. Put baby in the carrier and wash the dishes, fold the laundry, vacuum the floors (babies are especially soothed by this one- try it!). Trying to be a great mom to baby and an older sibling? Babywearing gives you the freedom to give your hands and attention to big sister. Another great example is work and wear: work while mothering. These two things do not need to be mutually exclusive. You can contribute to the world in positive and meaningful ways while being a devoted parent. One of the most important benefits for some mothers is that babywearing helps overcome Postpartum Depression (PPD).

Research supports the benefits of babywearing. Like with infant massage, the power of nurturing touch involved in babywearing tunes you in to your little one and results in reduced crying, improved breastfeeding rates, improved sleep, better attachment and improved parental responsiveness. Evidence-based benefits for full term babies include improved state organization and motor system modulation; improved temperature regulation; and an analgesic effect, reduced crying, improved maternal responsiveness, and babies who were more securely attached. Preterm babies especially have been shown to receive marked benefits from babywearing including shortened hospital stay, decreased illness, higher exclusive breastfeeding rates/longer breastfeeding duration, increased weight gain, improved temperature regulation, and improved maternal sense of competence.

How?

Try, try, try again. Like breastfeeding, babywearing takes some work at the beginning to get the hang of it. If I had a nickel for every time I was stopped while wearing my baby out in the world and told, "Wow, that looks amazing. I wish I could have that. I was given a Baby Bjorn for my shower but it hurt my back." or "Wow, that looks amazing. I wish I could have that but my baby didn't like it. I think her legs were uncomfortable." (or something to these extents). I had to try many styles, types, and brands before I found the perfect carriers for me and my babies. And it took practice to get the hang of using each one. But once you make it over the hump, there is bliss on the other side. Don't be intimidated and don't quit! Get recommendations from other like-minded parents. This is important- other like-minded parents. You may have a lot of friends who you like and have a lot of history with who occasionally use a Baby Bjorn and tell you to get one but look for role models around you. If you see a mom loading groceries in her cart while reading a list with her older son and as you get closer notice she is even breastfeeding too- ask her about her sling! I am frequently asked about my tools for babywearing. I take it as a compliment each and every time. Go shopping! Every store that sells slings has models to try on. Stores like the Pomerado Woman's Boutique and Babies in Bloom have people there to give you all the help you need. My favorite carriers are Baby K'tan for newborns and Ergo Baby as he gets heavier and needs more support. There are many other types (ring sling, mei tai, structured carrier, moby wrap, etc.) and brands. And for each type of carrier there are numerous position options for baby.

Quote:

Babywearing is extremely beneficial to getting breastfeeding off to a good start. When babies are worn, either skin-to-skin or in a baby wrap/carrier, they cry less, are more neurologically centered, and feel less stress. Skin-to-skin and babywearing in the first month after childbirth has been proven to help bring in a mother's milk more quickly and help develop a sustained milk supply. As a breastfeeding mom, it is easier to sense when your baby is hungry because you will notice all of the 'hunger signs' (smacking lips, hands to mouth, rooting) before it accelerates to the last sign (crying!) Also, it is very easy to master breastfeeding while babywearing, which allows the mom more freedom to go about her day without worrying about breastfeeding in public or scheduling her day around when her baby might be ready to eat. For more information about the benefits of breastfeeding and babywearing, check out the web site about Kangaroo Mother Care (www.kangaroomothercare.com ).