Unique Babies

Organic material is important because your baby has a tender developing immune system and they need to be protected from harmful toxic pesticides that they use to treat the natural fibers.  Many parents focus on buying organic clothes, but there are many other things that touch your baby’s skin such as a baby carrier.

Organic baby carriers or slings are super because you know that the material is safe when it touches your baby.  Covering your baby with natural organic material is necessary to protect them from absorbing harmful toxins into their tender body.  A unique baby item, like an organic baby sling, is not always easy to find.  Shopping a unique baby boutique that would cater to the unique and safety of your baby is a place to start your search for the organic baby sling.  Many average retail establishments are not looking to offer organic materials they usually provide the cheapest baby item but not always the safest item for your baby.  An organic material is the only fabric that should be touching your baby’s skin.

Baby wraps are usually called wraparounds or wraparound slings, and they wrap around both mom and baby.  These wraps are much different from the other two type of baby slings, it is usually 5 to 7 yards of material and wraps over both shoulders and around the body and then ties in front or back.

It is a very versatile wrap in that your baby can be in the front, on your hip, or on your back.  Another benefit is that there is no limit in the amount of time the baby can stay in the wraps.  There is no pressure on the baby because they are comfortably held close to your body.  There is a little bit of a longer learning curve in learning how to use the baby wrap, but it is not difficult if you follow the directions with your wrap. Another draw back may be that your baby is snuggled close to your body it can get hot holding your baby in a warmer climate.

Baby Wraps are usually made out of two different types of material, stretch or woven.  The stretchy wraps are generally made out of jersey or knit; it is easy to pop babies in and out of the stretchy wraps.  Woven natural fibers such as 100% cotton tend to have a little less stretch which is beneficial as your child gets a little larger and heavier.  Woven fabrics like homespun or hand woven cotton is by far the most commonly used material. These fabrics allowing the baby wrap to form more to the baby’s body therefore provides some give and diagonal stretch for comfort.

There are many different types of  baby sling the ring sling, pouch sling and the baby wrap.  If you are in the market for a baby sling these blogs over the last four days may help you narrow down the choices of which baby sling will work the best for you and your baby.

Traditionally a baby sling and carrier were simply adaptations of whatever a culture normally used to carry anything heavy.  Ring slings can be used anywhere from birth through the toddler years.  They grew out of the original idea of carrying your baby and having your hands free.  We know that babies are happiest when they are held; the concept of attachment parenting has grown out of this philosophy.

The Benefits of a ring sling are that they are easily adaptable.  Once the ring sling is put on you can take it off very easily without having to rethread the loops.  The loops (rings) work like a buckle and hold the baby in place by the weight placed in the baby sling.  The baby ring sling can be loosened to allow the baby to nurse and the tail is long enough to cover for complete privacy, then when the baby is finished the baby sling can be easily adjusted.  This has made the ring baby sling the first choice of parents with young babies, because when they are small they nurse frequently.

There are different types of ring slings, some are padded in the shoulder and others are not.  Some “hybrid” ring slings have a seat sewn into the body more like a pouch sling.  The ring slings are very similar to the Mexican ‘Rebozo’ the ring has replaced the tie. The fabrics that are used in a baby sling need to be a diagonal weave and should use a breathable fabric or handspun fabric that gives a loser weave so it is breathable.

There are not many disadvantages of the ring sling.  If the baby ring sling is not made properly then the rings and the seams where they are attached could become unsown.  If you buy a ring sling make sure they use rings manufactured for baby slings.  Be careful to take care of your sling and make sure there are not tears or that the seams are becoming unraveled.  These are uncommon problems but they are good to be aware of the possibility that these can happen on occasion

Overall, ring slings are very popular and for many good reasons.  But you need to make sure that it is a good fit for you and your baby.  Look for tomorrow’s blog where we talk more about baby slings - the pouch and the next day the Mia Tie style wrap.

Baby slings have been around for centuries in many different cultures.  But it is only in about the last decade that they have started to become more popular in the United States.

Which baby sling is the best choice for you?  There are many different types of baby slings, ring slings, pouch slings and there are even wraps that wrap around the body to hold your baby up against you.  Over the next three days I am going to cover in more detail the benefits or advantages and the disadvantages of the three different types of baby slings.  This is based on research I have studied in learning about each type of baby sling.

Do you think of your baby as unique and different from any other baby?  We as parents love our children and want to have the best for our children.  This starts before the time they are born and continues throughout their entire life.  It does not matter how old they are we want to have the best for them and try to do all that we can to offer them the best opportunities.

Look at your child as a unique gift from God,  it states in Psalms 139:14a  “I will give thanks for thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made….”  God looks at us and your baby as a unique individual that starts before you or your baby were even born.  Since your baby is a unique individual, do you want just the ordinary for your baby or do you want the extraordinary for your Unique Baby!

Providing the essentials for your baby that are unique and organic can be accomplished.  Don’t shop at the average retail establishment that has the same old boring baby items that everyone else has for their baby.  Shop a unique baby boutique for your baby; you will be amazed at the unique baby items you will find for your UNIQUE baby.

I can remember when my children were newborns not getting much sleep.  My two older children started sleeping through the night when they were about 4 months old.  The next two (twins) were sleeping through the night by 2 months old.  The reason they were sleeping through the night earlier was because of my pediatrician a wise older man. He gave me a great tip that I try to pass on to all mothers that are having this problem of getting little to no sleep.

First, your baby needs to be on a schedule with their eating.  Do not let them just eat on demand; this causes your baby to over eat (especially in the middle of the night).  Second, if they have shown you that they can sleep for a stretch of time (in the middle of the night) then if they wake up sooner they need to sooth themselves back to sleep.   They do not need to get up every two or three hours and eat if they have shown you they can go for five or six hours.  Third, he said to start them on a sleeping schedule early, if it is bed time lay them down and let them cry themselves to sleep.  The crying will make them more tired and it teaches them to comfort themselves and go to sleep.

I started doing this with my twins after their two month check up.  The first night I laid them down to sleep it took my son 15 minutes to cry himself to sleep it took my daughter 45 minutes.  I almost went in and got her up but I did not.  The next night she only cried for 10 or 15 minutes, and each night it became a shorter period of time that they would cry.  They learned that they were put down late in the evening when it was bed time and they would sleep for five to six hour stretches.  As they got a little older the length of time that they slept extended to 7 or 8 hours and then they were sleeping a full 12 to 13 hours.  One thing that helped my children was a musical box that played music for 15 minutes.  It also had a remote control that I could turn it back on if I needed to, usually they were asleep by the time it was finished playing.  They also slept with pacifiers; and when they were newborns and little babies it was difficult to keep them in their mouth.

I have discovered the coolest new invention that was not around when my children were newborns.  It is called a Binky Buddy, I wish I invented this; it is truly a unique baby item.  This unique baby item helps your baby keep their pacifier in their mouth, or if it comes out they are easily able to find the pacifier because it is right in front of their mouth.  I would have loved to have had this so when my children where trying to cry themselves to sleep they would not have lost their binky out of their mouth and would have been able to pacify themselves and gone to sleep faster.

Baby slings are easy to use, easy to slip into the diaper bag and are easy on your back.  It is easy to learn how to use baby slings once you are shown.  Most every baby slings give some type of instructions of how to wear.  Baby Slings fold up small enough that they can easily be put in your diaper bag, so you always have them handy whenever they are needed.  Many times when you are out shopping, you need to get the stroller out of the car and then pushing your child around the store at times may be difficult.  If you have a baby sling you don’t need the stroller you can just slip on the baby sling and easily carry your baby around close to you.  Many moms love the baby sling because it is convenient and doesn’t hurt their back.  The way the rails go across the shoulder and around the body disperses the weight of your child, so baby wearing is easy.

Your baby loves and needs to be held and the bond that forms is so important, so start off with a good baby sling.  Most moms request a baby sling as one of the first baby items that they put on their gift registry.  Because you know that you are going to be carrying your baby, so be prepared, get a baby sling so you have it from the time their baby comes home from the hospital.

I wish when my babies were first born that I would have known about baby slings.  I know they were around because in other cultures they have been using them for centuries.  I did carry my babies around with me a lot, but I never found a baby carrier that I felt comfortable carrying my children around in.  I only tried cheap snuggle carriers that were given to me for shower gifts.  I did not like them so I never pursued looking for any other carriers.  I do not remember ever seeing baby slings until my children were much past their toddler years.

A few years ago, I remember a friend of mine, who had many children, using a baby sling.  I was thinking to myself “that looks like a great idea; I wish they would have been around when my children were younger.”  I have 4 children and my last three are very close together.  My second child is 21months older then my twins, who are children number three and four.  I would have loved to have been able to free up my hands a little more if I could have used two baby slings to carry my twins around.  There are many times that you just run out of hands when you have multiples or just many young children.

But aside from freeing your hands up, it also allows you to keep your baby close.  Whether your baby is a newborn or a toddler they want to be held and close to you.  This is a special time of bonding that you will never be able to replace as your children grow older.  Babies love to have human contact and to be close to you, they tend to be less fussy, sleep well and bond better with you.

Lots of women derive joy and bonding from holding their children. It can truly create a special and lasting bond. And as much as that bond is strong and offers a wonderful feeling to everyone involved, it can be downright difficult and trying. Especially as your children grow up, they can become very heavy. At that point, you almost have to be a weight lifter in order to carry your kid for any extended periods of time. If you still want the special bonding offered by holding your child without all the back, neck, and arm strain, there is an easier way.

Just invest in a baby sling. This will take a lot of the weight of your child off any areas that are prone to get sore like your neck and back. It also offers you a lot of freedom and convenience because your arms become free with a baby sling. And for people who are worried that baby slings are dowdy or unfashionable, there have been some great strides in recent years. Baby slings now are often made in colorful and fun prints and fabrics, ensuring you stay stylish while being a great mom.