Adventures in Folding a Cloth Diaper...

How many people does it take to fold a cloth diaper? I don’t know…I lost count! Imagine an array of people with years of mothering experience and high levels of education all being completely lost when it came to folding a diaper…and not even a piece of loose cloth but one that is pre-folded. Yes embarrassingly it’s true! I’m happy to report that we eventually solved the puzzle and are now happily using...

Choosing and Using Cloth Diapers...

As a self proclaimed Eco-Mama, the choice to use cloth diapers was a no-brainer. I knew that disposables are a landfill disaster, taking about 500 years to breakdown. In addition, with the number of chemical gels and plastic materials in disposables, I wanted to be able use something natural against my baby’s bottom. Cloth diapers are also a whole lot easier on the budget. When faced with the choices of cloth diapering...

A Blessing Ceremony...

In many cultures around the world it is traditional for the expectant mother to have a blessing ceremony to honour her and the unborn child. This is a time for her women family and friends to gather and offer love and support for the journey ahead. The blessing event provides the opportunity for women to celebrate their womanhood, share stories and pass on expertise. A blessing ceremony (also known as a Blessingway)...

Breastfeeding as a Meditation and Healing Practice...

There are a multitude of reasons why breastfeeding is physically good for baby and it is also powerful for them on more subtle levels. As a Mama who has been breastfeeding for 6 months I have found it to be a holistically enriching experience. To me breastfeeding is a reminder of life’s miraculous perfection. I am so thankful to be able to breastfeed and the ability to create food for another being to thrive on...

How to Make Your Own Natural Baby Wipes...

Changing a baby’s bottom is an integral part of parenting. If you change your baby an average of 10 times in a 24 hour period, that is 3650 changes per year! A common part of the changing regime is the use of  disposable baby wipes but there is a growing awareness that these wipes may have possible negative effects on our little ones. Research has shown that the majority of commercial baby wipes contain unnatural...

Starting Solids...

A baby’s life is full of milestones where each month, week, and even day, they do something new. As parents we greet every additional accomplishment with a personal fanfare and one of the biggest milestones is the first bite of food. This week, after 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, my little girl was introduced to solid foods. As I am sure many other mothers have experienced, it was a joyous and momentous occasion...

How to Make a Belly Cast...

It’s amazing how much a pregnant belly can expand and I wanted to capture the memory of my bump with more than pictures. I opted to make a belly cast in the last month of pregnancy when I was feeling as round as I could possibly get. I found some instructions in the book Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation but I could not get any of the pre-plastered bandages that were recommended....

A Pregnancy Meditation...

Taking time to meditate is beautifully beneficial at any stage of our lives but it is especially valuable whilst nurturing a young baby in the womb. Calming our emotions, which can fluctuate wildly with hormonal changes, helps us to be clearer, happier, more focused and prepares us for giving birth. The baby also picks up on the vibes and is likely to be calmer and uplifted on a subtle level. During deep relaxation our...

My Natural Birth Story - The final part!...

My friend had told me that I might experience a ‘birth high’, a sensation of blissful feelings as I was in labour. I could feel myself oscillating between this joyful and calm state and a more left brain logistics mode as the baby moved ever closer and fought not to get so relaxed that the baby popped out in the back seat of the car. If the homebirth option had been available and I wasn’t trying to get somewhere...

My Natural Birth Story- Part 2...

On Wednesday 9th I went for a dip in the hot tubs at Shangri-La and hoped the warmth of the water may help stimulate things to start. As ‘D-day’ Thursday 10th arrived so did all the phone calls and emails asking if anything was happening yet! I had read that only 5% of babies actually arrive on their due date and I didn’t feel at all like I was about to have a baby. However, as is typical in the last days of pregnancy,...