Babies

If you are a keen babywearer interested in sharing your knowledge with other parents, there are many ways you can, says Victoria Ward. YOU COULD SET UP A SLING meet or sling library where you arrange regular meetings at home or in a community venue, or become a babywearing consultant or even a sling/ wrap/carrier manufacturer.

Theresa Mellor, mum of two has always been sporty but when she fell in love with babywearing, a new business was born. Kangaroo Fitness is designed with the new Mum in mind. You get to wear your baby as part of the workout!

Nyssa Rampling started up Lowestoft Sling Library several years ago supporting local baby wearing mums. MY SLING JOURNEY BEGAN IN 2010 when I first carried my new baby daughter. I loved it. The closeness, being hands-free, not having to pick up, put down, load and unload the pushchair. When she was a bit older I found an online forum and then the world of babywearing opened up to me!

There are so many slings on the market now, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by choice. But there are also lots of fantastic experts willing to offer their own experiences of babywearing.

Love baby wearing and want to try making your own sling? In this picture tutorial, Sarah Beverton shows us how to make a simple Mei Tai. Of course your new sling hasn't been tested in the same way as bought ones might be so caution is always required but this is a basic rule of any babywearing. Once you've mastered the basic design you can adapt it to suit your own needs and embellish to your heart's content giving you a truly original set of slings! Happy making!

Unsure how many nappies you'll need to get started, or whether they'll really be right for you? Don't know whether you'll really be able to save money by choosing cloth over disposables? Check out these Frequently Asked Questions and the answers to all your nappy based queries.

Katie at Wellness Mama shares her favourite recipe for creating your own calendula nappy cream, proven to soothe sore skin. It can even be used effectively on rashes or for healing postpartum.

The perineum is the delicate piece of skin found, on a woman (though men have a perineum as well), between the vagina and anus. It is an important part of a woman’s anatomy because it connects with the pelvic floor muscles – two broad flat muscles that create a hammock-like support to the pelvic organs. It is also an area that women often become painfully aware of after giving birth, with an estimated 85% experiencing some degree of perineal tear.

Before we had our first child I thought it would be an interesting experiment to see if we could go without buying anything new. What we hadn’t anticipated is how keen grandparents would be to lavish our son with everything he could need and much else besides. Though we were deeply grateful for their generosity it did mean our nothing new idea went out the window somewhat! But I was curious even before we had children by the notion babies ‘needed’ so much stuff. SO much stuff! Buggies and baby monitors and special baths and bedding and beds. The list goes on and on.

Barefoot babies and children are at a distinct developmental advantage over their harder-sole wearing peers. From foot development to overall posture and spine development, the benefits of going barefoot are important and have long term implications. However, going completely barefoot isn’t always possible or even desirable. Delicate little toes padding through the ice and snow is not a welcome thought for most parents. So, for most the solution lies in barefoot shoes. But which are best, which are right for you and what can the many brand available offer? Choosing can be tricky, so we’ve put together a list of our top 5 to make it that little bit easier.