Paper Moon Babies

“It’s all fun and games
And sexy breathing exercises for birth
And romantic plans about how he’ll take the baby while you do yoga every day

Until you’re 10 days postpartum
Still bleeding and soaked in breastmilk
Riding a roller coaster of hormones and sleep deprivation
And your lovely partner forgets to pick up a smoothie on his way home from the grocery store

And you lose your sh✨t
Like sobbing into the bathroom sink
Like cursing his mother
Like wondering why you ever procreated with someone capable of such unimaginable selfishness

And then, when the storm has passed, and you’ve had a snack- you realize
Two shaky, raw, sleep deprived humans
Trying to be life rafts for one another
While sinking into the depths of exhaustion and stress
Keeping the tiniest, most fragile, precious being afloat
Is hard AF

We weren’t meant to do this alone
We were not meant to be sent out to sea on a tiny little life boat with no map
Even the most loving, stable partnership can sink under the weight of operating in survival mode while finding your footing as parents

So, if you’re out there, treading water
Buried in laundry and breastmilk
Surviving on freezer pizza and three hours of sleep
Thinking mildly unkind thoughts about the person you chose to parent with
Because he can’t seem to calm the baby or remember your smoothies or grasp the depths of the earth shaking transition you’re navigating
You’re not alone
And it will get easier
One sleepy, shaky day at a time.”
Image and words by:

Recent research* has shown how warped our expectations of infant sleep are.

The study of almost 400 babies assessed how much they really sleep (and how their sleep impacted them & their parents). They found:

At 6 months; almost 40% were not sleeping for chunks of 6hrs and almost 60% were not sleeping for chunks of 8 hours.

At 12 months; almost 30% were not sleeping for chunks of 6hrs and almost 45% were not sleeping for chunks of 8 hours.

Considering most describe ‘sleeping through the night' as sleeping from bedtime until morning, ie 12 hours, what this study found is that only half of one year olds are sleeping through, the other half are still waking regularly at night! It's important to note this study relied on parentally reported data and we know parents under-report waking (ie: babies wake a lot more than parents think). So it's likely that the babies were actually waking a lot more than this!

What the research also found is that there was no negative effect for the babies who were waking, they were no more likely to suffer from mental or physical problems, or delays to their development, when compared to their peers who 'slept through'. ie: it is NOT better for babies to sleep through the night & night waking is not a problem for them!

They also found that mothers of babies who woke at night were no more likely to suffer from postnatal mood disorders (e.g: PND) than mothers of babies who slept through.

These last two points are key when it comes to dire warnings issued by those in favour of sleep training - we now have research showing that it is NOT better for babies to sleep through, they don't suffer in any way for it and also, it's not better for mum's emotional health either! Combine this with other research showing that after 6 months there is no difference in the sleep between babies who have been sleep trained and those who haven't (ie sleep training does NOT teach better sleep!) and you have to wonder why sleep training is still so popular?!

For information on the science of baby and child sleep, evidence based expectations and how to improve sleep *without* sleep training check out the new second edition of my Gentle Sleep Book: The Gentle Sleep Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0349405204/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_2R4VFb5BQVV48

* link to research: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2018/11/08/peds.2017-4330

Looking for a way to help with recovery after labor? I'm so excited to share with you a new product I'm offering. These are amazing (seriously, so amazing) postpartum herbs. They're one of my post labor essentials!

Use them in a bath to heal and relax while bonding with your newborn, in a sitz bath, or freeze them on a pad. Or my personal favorite - in a peri bottle!

Check them out here for more information: https://www.papermoonbabies.com/product-page/postpartum-herbs

Feeding post #3! 🥑🍒🍅

Today, let's talk about HOW to feed. There are 3 ways people can choose from- purees, baby led feeding, or a mix of both.

Purees: Are a little more straightforward, but there are a few things I want to mention.
🥑Don't force feed. With purees, baby isn't in charge of how much they're putting in their mouth. Feed after nursing or bottle, and start small (think a tsp!). Be really aware of following baby's cues.
🥑Offer baby a spoon for themselves to get them involved and learn how to manipulate food into their mouth.
🥑Around 9 months or so is when people are ready to offer actual table foods. With purees, babies are learning to swallow before chewing. You'll need to take this into account since baby will need to learn to chew still. Start offering chunkier and chunkier purees, until baby is ready and prepared for chewing.
🥑Pay attention to brands if you're buying it. There are so many brands out now without added sugars, sodium, and other unnecessary ingredients. Focus on baby purees with only whole foods.

Many people who do daycare love to option of doing both baby led feeding and purees. Purees at daycare, baby led at home. There is soooo much to share with baby led feeding, so we'll save that for next time! 🥑🍒🍅

https://zora.medium.com/midwives-doulas-and-the-push-for-better-care-cc45cf93709a

This is not new news any more, that women of color are incredibly mistreated during labor and delivery. (Not even mentioning pre and post natal care treatment!). Read these experiences. Read the statistics. Then think about this and remember it during the next election. We not have tons of people getting ready to run for our new president, but who is willing to help women of color?

Midwives, Doulas and the Push For Better Care Facing racism at hospitals, some women of color turn to home birth

🍉🍉🍉 Post 2 in our BABY FEEDING FRENZY! The big, controversial question about starting solids- WHEN do I start? Maybe you've been told to start around 3 or 4 months from an older relative or a pediatrician. This is pretty common advice-- and pretty outdated. Now all the major organizations (AAP, UNICEF, Australian NH, Health Canada, etc) support the newer research that waiting until around 6 months is the best idea. Before this, the gut isn't fully developed enough. Remember the 6 month birthday isn't a requirement and it's ok to start later, but waiting until the *signs of readiness* are present is important.

**Signs of readiness:
🍉Holding head up by themselves
🍉Sitting up with no assistance
🍉Baby has lost the tongue thrust reflex- doesn't automatically push solids out of mouth with tongue
🍉Baby is ready and willing to chew
🍉Developing a pincer grasp (where they are picking up foods and other objects between thumb and forefinger)
🍉Eager to participate and tries to grab food and put in their mouth

Starting too early can be really rough on baby's gut, so waiting for these signs of readiness is an easy way to decide. These usually happen around 6 months, but it's important to remember that 6 months is not a magical deadline or requirement! 🍉🍉🍉

🍏🍋🍌🥔🥕🍒🥥🍍

Thinking of starting solids soon? Or are you a mom to be and just curious? This post is for you! Last week at Babies & Bumps I gave a PACKED seminar on starting solids. Because babies don't want to sit still for an hour in a conference room, moms had to come and go to keep them happy.

Since then, I've had many moms asking questions about things they missed when stepping out. So I decided I would take the next few days and make some posts giving a quick bullet pointed run down of the seminar!

Remember if you have more specific questions or want some one-on-one help, find my services in the link in the bio!

Finished product of one of my test runs with ice dye! These colors are just beautiful 😍😍 I can't wait to wrap a new mama up with this one!

New to belly binding and wondering what the heck is going on?! Belly binding is an ancient Malaysian technique that is effective and important in aiding a mom's recovery. A long piece of muslin is wrapped around the abdomen, and supports the natural healing process. What are the benefits?

❤️provides a mama's postpartum body with 360 degree support to assist the abdominal wall muscle retraction, helping to bring the bands of abdomen muscles back together

❤️It can strengthen and support the muscles more effectively.

❤️can stabilize loosened ligaments, and provide support to the torso

❤️protects and assists swollen internal organs to return to their pre-pregnant shape, while also tightening other body parts covered by the binding that may have lost muscle tone during pregnancy

❤️lower back support, which also encourages proper posture; a snug wrap won't allow hunching over, especially during those early breastfeeding days.

❤️❤️❤️ While there are many physical benefits, it's also important to note the emotional and spiritual benefits. Taking care of our bodies and utilizing an ancient technique can be very grounding. Women can use binding as a spiritual or symbolic closure of their pregnancy, especially if they didn't receive the birth they wanted. They cocoon our body in a way that makes us feel safe. Plus, they're just beautiful to look at!

Know a new mama who could benefit? Check out my site for more info! ❤️

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https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2019/01/breastfeeding-rates-rise-if-newborns-bath-delayed-cleveland-clinic-study-finds.html

Breastfeeding rates rise if newborn’s bath delayed, Cleveland Clinic study finds Delaying a baby's first bath by at least 12 hours drove up in-hospital exclusive breastfeeding rates in a study at Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital. The hospital has adopted the new policy, and is spreading it to other facilities in the system.

❤️❤️This is so spot on.

'Self-care' is not enough to fix how much moms are burnt out Society is asking you to nurture in an environment that does not nurture you back.