originally posted at ergobaby.com

Why is asking for help so hard for us? I think we have it in the back of our mind that we should be able to take care of it all, we should be able to handle everything, and it feels really outside of our comfort zone to start asking for help.

So, if you are watching this, I’m guessing you probably have already done a little bit of research on the fourth trimester, you’ve done a little bit of research on postpartum and what your needs are going to be, and I’m sure by now one message keeps coming through again and again, and that is you have to ask for help, and you have to be open to receiving it.

So, I’d like to talk a little bit about why that’s hard for us.  Now, our ultimate

originally posted at ergobaby.com

We have all heard about new car smells, but what about new baby smells?

You know, that earthy, new baby smell, that one that causes dopamine to release in your brain and makes you feel so good – what is it?

Smell can be the most potent sense to strike up an emotional response.  The smell of a newborn is likely thought to be a combination of chemicals secreted through sweat glands, lingering amniotic fluid and vernix caseosa, the white cheese-like cream that covers babies at birth; all this combined, is thought to create a combination of intoxicating medley aroma that nature designed to pull you in.  Whatever it is, that distinct smell provides a pathway to our brains and to ultimately our hearts and binds us to that little life in front of us.

When shopping for a baby carrier, wearing baby in a front outward facing position is a feature that a lot of parents look for. Although some babies do not enjoy being carried facing outward, many love being able to watch the world around them, exploring new sights and sounds with the comfort of you close behind.

Unlike sitting facing the world in a stroller, wearing your baby front outward facing means she is held up higher where she can see over the fence at the farm for you to point out the animals or up at conversational height on a woodland walk, able to reach out and touch the leaves.

Before you embark on your world-facing adventure, you should know the signs that mean your child is ready, how to wear baby in an optimal, front outward facing position in our 360 or Omni 360 carrier and when baby needs to be turned back to a parent-facing position.

Signs Baby is Ready to Try Front Outward Facing

As baby’s brain develops and their muscles

originally posted at ergobaby.com

We often hear the phrase “trust your instincts” but life as a new mother can be a puzzling time for knowing what impulse, gut feeling or knowledge is or is not coming from within. Life with a newborn is wonderful and equally daunting. The learning curve can feel more like a hair trigger jump directly upwards instead of a nice sloping curve. No matter how many books you read, classes you take or parents you talk to, becoming a mother in real time is a whole new ball game.

Up until that time when we walk through the portal from maiden to mother, everything is theoretical. With most topics concerning motherhood, it is layered and often paradoxical. So asking the question “how do we trust our instincts?” is not an easy answer that applies to all. We need to look at the time before we gave birth. Did you trust yourself? Did you grow

With Winter approaching, getting outside with little one is still achievable with the right kit.

When thinking about going out in the cold, snow suits are something that often come to mind first. However, you don’t always have to use a snow suit, as a footmuff can provide the warmth needed to protect little one alongside the right clothing.

A footmuff allows easier mobility and practicality as you attach the footmuff to the stroller and you don’t need to continually take your child in and out of a snowsuit when going inside and outside.

A footmuff is an accessory you can purchase and attach to the stroller - like the Ergobaby Footmuff that fits the Ergobaby Metro Stroller. It has been designed for 6 months - 3 years of age to keep your little warm

originally posted at ergobaby.com

Slow ride.  Take it Easy.  When I think of the silly words of Foghat, the song somehow always makes me think of the ideal state of mind for what’s called the 4^th trimester, the first three months of a baby’s life.  The focus on the 4^th trimester is not only nurturing the newborn baby but also the post partum care and mental health of the healing mother.

Let me take a step back for a moment.  Human development is a well-studied and documented field.  What’s indisputable is that human babies enter the world totally dependent on their caregivers.  Experts continue to theorize as to why babies are born at the gestation period when they are born (at approximately 40 weeks.)

Some theories emanate from anthropologists who generally have thought that an infant’s brain must be sized against

originally posted at ergobaby.com

When your baby enters the world, she is transitioning from a cosy, dark, comforting womb to a state of constant bombardment of new experiences. Take a moment and imagine the amount of stimulation a new baby must feel. Each day is full of new sights and sounds, and all that activity can be taxing on a baby’s fragile nervous system.

One way parents can help provide a sense of calm and comfort is to establish routines to help baby wind down. By repeating the same steps day after day, your baby becomes accustomed with what to expect and isn’t strained by having to learn something new.

Over time, you and your baby will begin to fall into a rhythm that becomes your own special ritual.

A ritual is more than a routine – a ritual is unique to you. It’s like an inside joke. Only you and your baby are “in” on your ritual.

Motherhood starts here when it is real, when you’re on the other side of birth and baby is in your arms, and you’re trying to figure out everything that you need to do in real time.  No matter how much preparation you do during your pregnancy or even before conception, it’s not really real until baby is here, and you feel how huge it is to encompass being a mother and all the aspects of it.

It’s as much an emotional and spiritual change as it is physical, and that is why I’ve made it my life’s mission and my work to help women make this transition as seamlessly and gracefully as possible with true support, 360 degree support, and this allows the

Originally posted at ergobaby.com

Spooky decor, creative costumes, festive music, pumpkin scents, and all your favourite candies in bite-size form—it’s hard not to love all the sights, sounds, and tastes of Halloween. But Halloween isn’t always loved by young kids. What’s fun to you may be frightening to them. And while you’d think that every kid would enjoy and be able to handle one evening of trick-or-treating, it can become more of a trick than a treat.

But still, trick-or-treating is worth trying with your kids. Follow these eight tips to help make this year’s Halloween night of trick-or-treating as fun, festive, and safe with your kids as you can!

1. Prep your child for everything Halloween.