Below is my review of the Ergo baby carrier (ERGObaby carrier)…

Enter the Ergo baby carrier. I wonder constantly why I didn’t happen upon this one sooner–but I don’t mind in a way, because I can fully appreciate it in all it’s wonderful-ness very fully, right now! I’ve seen the Ergo baby carrier in action–several friends, down to my sister (who has, in the last few years, become quite a sling connoisseur herself) say that this is their absolute favorite.

They love the versatility, not only in positioning but in use with kids of different ages. I can totally appreciate that now as well, as even walking around my house, I have come to putting the toddler in the Ergo baby carrier on my back while carrying or slinging the newborn. Wow! The Ergo is top-of-the-line sturdy, without being bulky and heavy. Extremely well-made, there is not another carrier out there that I have found that is more comfortable on my body.

I feel completely balanced with it on, no matter the position. Plus, at this point, the sort of classic, rugged style is exactly what I need and want (I have a simple, beige colored one–there are more ornate, decorated versions available). Completely practical and fashionable in design and function, I can hardly ask for anything else.

The best part is, even though a newborn gets carried in a vertical position, Ergo has gone to extremes to make this comfortable and physically healthy for the baby. Being sensitive to baby’s neck and leg development, they developed the Ergo infant insert which is a godsend. If it were possible to use the Ergo without this insert, (they of course don’t recommend that), I’d be back to my days of the Baby Bjorn.

It just wouldn’t work that well, making it kind of obsolete for new babies. But the insert is really cool; it’s this little cotton bed with kind of a “seat” on it for the baby’s bottom. You wrap baby in the bed and Baby kind of rests her bottom on the seat, with her legs able to be folded in her natural baby position (not too open, or splayed; bad for hip development). The Ergo infant insert keeps the rest of her body from sliding around the carrier, and just provides extra support and cushion.

The minute I put my 4 week old daughter in it, it acted as a sedative! Within minutes her eyes were closed, and she was snug between the insert in the carrier and my body. Best of all, there is virtually no way her head can roll around or that she can fall out (unless of course I stand on my head:) while I attend to a toddler, or pick him up off the floor.

Another bonus of the Ergo is the fact that someone other than me can wear it ( all my other slings were sized for me). Today, I took all 5 kids to the library by myself, and found out that it’s also pretty simple to nurse in the carrier, which was a good thing because it made more sense to just keep baby where she was as I was still running around after everybody else.

Thank you, Ergo! You are exactly what I need to be able to be the mama I want to be to this wonderful and special fifth child. It would be easy to put her down while I cook meals and take care of everyone else, but I am so grateful that I don’t need to do that.

She is receiving the closeness and love that I believe babies need; nothing more really, than their mama’s skin. And last but not least, I feel really comfortable having her in the Ergo baby carrier while I attend homebirths. Acting as the midwife now, and not the assistant, I need to feel like I can take care of the laboring mama AND my baby. I think the Ergo will be the perfect solution when baby needs to be held, because I really will have my hands completely free (and most likely have a quiet, sleeping baby on me to boot:).

It’s been a trip through motherhood so far; and thanks to my slings and carriers, babyhood, at least, has been pretty seamless. Makes it pretty clear why other cultures have always, and still do, keep their babies and young children as close by as their own body.

It’s the natural thing to do. And with so many options, there really is a match for every mama and baby. So, if and when there is ever a sixth baby in our future, I know I will come across just the right thing….

Get more information about the Ergo baby carrier…

Related Articles:

1. My Baby Sling “Evolution”
2. Earth Mama Angel Baby
3. Third Baby Syndrome

The Pregnancy Miracle^TM manual will serve many women, in a multitude of situations.

It is not only for women encountering differing degrees of “infertility”–can you find yourself in one of the many descriptions below? I could name a handful of women I know right this minute that would benefit from AND enjoy this book.

Are you/have you:

• desiring to become pregnant any time soon?
• experiencing any kind of “female” reproductive or hormonal issue?
• having any trouble getting pregnant? Think you are “too old?”
• wanting to be in optimum health during your childbearing years?
• had a miscarriage or preterm birth?
• interested in learning more about your body, and fertility in particular?
• a midwife, healer or other professional that works in women’s health?

I absolutely promise that not only is this manual easy to read, but its core focus is music to my alternative health ears. The author offers great advice–listen to your body, keep your own fertility charts and be empowered and in charge about what comes next.

She educates and inspires the reader to correct any health imbalances, from detailed information on fasting and cleansing, to intricate details of chinese medicine that will appeal to those that like to self-treat (‘it’s also just as easy to get an idea of what your imbalance might be, and then go see a good acupuncturist to confirm and treat.)

Creating this crucial balance in the body can solve not only fertility problems, but menstrual and hormonal problems as well. Seemingly unrelated issues, like preterm birth are also discussed, and I was pleased to see that as we tend to think it is “different” than infertility because there is already a baby! But, as she explains (and as I agree), women that experience preterm births are often just as imbalanced as those that experience infertility and miscarriage. That was fascinating to me, to consider preterm birth as a variation of infertility. At first it sounds strange, but if you read about Chinese Medicine and how the different body systems are affected (in pregnancy, infertility, etc.), you will understand how one imbalance can create a multitude of problems.

Titled Pregnancy Miracle^TM, this book is truly for any woman in her childbearing years. As a veteran “patient” of Chinese medicine, I can personally attest to the amazing improvement I have experienced receiving acupuncture. Most of my experience comes from the postpartum period (although I do get acupuncture when I am pregnant). It is my firm and hints belief that EVERY woman who has ever been pregnant needs to get her body back on track this way! A good acupuncturist is amazingly deft at linking all kinds of seemingly unrelated symptoms or complaints–and in the postpartum, I usually find myself with quite a few! Headaches, appetite, strange bleeding–my amazing acupuncturist sees these symptoms, of mine among others, as a spleen deficiency. Why spend the time and money to correct it? Well, I feel better, I sleep better and my hormones line up very quickly. A spleen deficiency, according to my acupuncturist, is not just common after birth but almost typical.

Neglecting to rebalance in this way could cause hormonal issues and even miscarriage-as the spleen is the organ to “hold the baby.” This is all to say that balancing in all the ways this author recommends is not optional–but vital!

Two particular points of encouragement and interest that are discussed are age and fertility and some new fertility technology. Anyone deemed “old” by the medical world will find solace in this text; Chinese medicine, in particular, does not site “old age” as a fertility deterrent! Again, it is all about balance. The older a woman is, the more likely it is that her hormones are a bit off, therefore causing problems with the reproductive system. At the very least, those women just beginning to struggle with infertility (and definitely those getting ready to conceive) need to read this book and get cracking.

Secondly, the information that was new to me (as a midwife that deals with these issues regularly!) was absolutely fascinating! Did you know that, besides your cyclical ovulation each month, there is another opportunity for conception, based on the lunar cycle? I am a fertility awareness nut and I was pleased to have this other method of fertility awareness be news to me! In addition, the author does discuss technologies such as spit tests for detecting ovulation and newer tools like the home sperm test.

If you are planning on becoming pregnant or are actually trying, you must read this book. And in the case of running into any problems “achieving”, you must read this. It will empower you, give you hope AND plenty of information and ideas to research and implement.

Do NOT think your average fertility doc is going to know or spend time on any of the possible solutions; they just aren’t in the mindset of Western medicine. For example, do you know what supplements may hinder or help fertility? Every woman owes it to herself to take charge of this process. This book will give you the tools and encouragement to do so.

However, this manual is NOT for women that desire an easier fix (if it really can be seen as “easier”) by the Western medicine world. Putting the plan of balancing the body and educating the mind into action requires commitment and fortitude. Simply said, Pregnancy Miracle^TM is for women wanting to accept responsibility for and participate in their healthcare, their overall wellness, and of course, their fertility.

Click the button below to hear the author’s story and to read the stories of Pregnancy Miracle^TM babies…

Related Articles:

1. Take Responsibility for Your Pregnancy
2. What the Medical World Hopes You Won’t Read About Premature Birth
3. Zaida Baby- What Pregnancy is Really About

According to Wikipedia, a misconception “happens when a person believes in a concept that is objectively false”. This is the premise of Naomi Wolf’s Misconceptions: Truth, Lies and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood. Wolf brings to the surface many relevant points about how “backwards” we are here in America when it comes to birthing and raising our children.

From the motive of hospitals to the “unbalanced parternships” we face as couples when the baby arrives, Wolf challenges many common misconceptions. However, Wolf also chooses to include her own personal journey through birth and early motherhood in her book. The disparity occurs when she presents all the statistical information, which is well-supported, in conjunction with her own, seemingly narrow-minded view about these issues. Her personal experience, in my opinion, does not fall under the category of “misconceptions” but perhaps one that stems from a lack of trust in birth and mothering.

For the newly pregnant mama and her partner, who are just entering the arena of birth choices, this book presents some helpful information. Specifically, Misconceptions sheds light on hospital interventions during a birth by highlighting how these interventions are not only protective, but profitable for the hospital. For example, she focuses in on one of the surest interventions during a hospital birth, the electronic fetal monitor (EFM). The description and stories that surround this expose is shocking even for me. Something I didn’t know: Even ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) recommends that routine, continuous EFM be “dropped” from the care of low-risk women in labor. This is a conservative group of doctors, and even they agree that the EFM can be more harmful than helpful. However, hospitals continue to use the EFM continuously, even on low-risk women. Why?? Because the “tape” the EFM produces as it graphs contractions and fetal heart rate is a legal protection tool for the OB and for the hospital. A legal protection tool that is much too valuable to be dismissed.

Wolf takes a look at some other interventions and how they contribute to the hospital’s financial bottom line. She claims that hospitals must maintain, on average, an 80% epidural rate to be able to provide full-time employment to an anesthesiologist. Another point that she makes, which I had not thought of directly, is that epidurals decrease the need for staff and nurses during labor. A woman with an epidural is likely to just lay there in bed, not even knowing when it is time to push. Contrast this picture with the woman who wants a natural birth, who sits on a birth ball, needing to be supported and who moans through her contractions. This birth is more time-consuming and costly for the hospital staff, not to mention more of a “nuisance”.

One of my favorite part of Wolf’s book is the many comparisons between what birth and birth choices really are and what we think they are. A humorous, sarcastic way of driving this point home is in her referrals to advice given in the well-known mainstream pregnancy “bible”, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”. Her critiques of this book are right on, well-said and actually very insightful. It becomes very clear where many “misconceptions” originate and are perpetuated in our culture.

The information provided by Wolf in her book is informative and interesting. However, I was left baffled by her own personal lack of understanding and her overriding negativity towards natural birth. Had she not chosen to include her personal experience, it would not be an issue, as many writers may not have wanted to include their personal stories. But Wolf chooses to include her own experience with not one, but 2 medical, c-section births (which from her description were not “emergencies”). After all this research, one wonders how she could be surprised with her outcomes based on what she basically went looking for in prenatal care.

My personal take on it is that she knows the facts, but for better or worse, does not have any deep-seated trust in her body or the process of birth. Even after writing this book, she refuses to take her own advice ,yet wants the best of the “2 worlds” (natural and medical birth). Wolf challenges misconceptions but then ultimately seems to accept them as her foundation of beliefs. Her tone, especially when talking about her personal experience, is whiny and very reactive. There is nothing pro-active or empowered about it, and throughout the book she mentions several times what she “doesn’t want”. Every time I came across a segment like this, I wanted to shout at her to go after what she does want. I was floored that Wolf didn’t seem to get that the perfect birth experience wasn’t going to be handed to her on a platter, much less when she chose to order it up at a hospital.

Besides Wolf’s lack of trust in her ability to birth, I was frustrated with her supposed lack of real understanding about midwifery care. She compares what is behind the “2 doors” (again, natural birth vs. medical birth) but describes natural birth with a midwife as devoid of technology. She seems to not know that although midwives cannot perform c-sections at home, there is a wide range of monitoring and/or intervention that a midwife is capable of. In most cases, the midwife chooses to remain non-interventive because she can see that there is no need for gadgets and gizmos.

Wolf describes what she thinks would be the ideal care for women—midwifery support in labor (which is essentially the role of a doula) merged with the smart, protective care of a doctor overseeing everything in the background. She misses that this is what gets many women into the cascade of interventions that she found herself in. And as what I see is an insult to midwives everywhere, Wolf dreams of midwifery care that “..follows ACOG standards”. Here is an intelligent, well-spoken woman that does not understand that midwives (and the women they serve) don’t want mini-doctors, they want midwives. Her lack of understanding of this issue and of the truly unique care that midwives provide is a true disservice to this book and to women investigating their options.

All in all, I’d recommend Wolf’s book, both for the helpful tidbits and insights as well as the thought-provoking look at birth and motherhood in the culture.

From the motive of hospitals to the “unbalanced parternships” we face as couples when the baby arrives, Wolf challenges many common misconceptions. However, Wolf also chooses to include her own personal journey through birth and early motherhood in her book. The disparity occurs when she presents all the statistical information, which is well-supported, in conjunction with her own, seemingly narrow-minded view about these issues. Her personal experience, in my opinion, does not fall under the category of “misconceptions” but perhaps one that stems from a lack of trust in birth and mothering.

For the newly pregnant mama and her partner, who are just entering the arena of birth choices, this book presents some helpful information. Specifically, Misconceptions sheds light on hospital interventions during a birth by highlighting how these interventions are not only protective, but profitable for the hospital. For example, she focuses in on one of the surest interventions during a hospital birth, the electronic fetal monitor (EFM). The description and stories that surround this expose is shocking even for me. Something I didn’t know: Even ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) recommends that routine, continuous EFM be “dropped” from the care of low-risk women in labor. This is a conservative group of doctors, and even they agree that the EFM can be more harmful than helpful. However, hospitals continue to use the EFM continuously, even on low-risk women. Why?? Because the “tape” the EFM produces as it graphs contractions and fetal heart rate is a legal protection tool for the OB and for the hospital. A legal protection tool that is much too valuable to be dismissed.

Wolf takes a look at some other interventions and how they contribute to the hospital’s financial bottom line. She claims that hospitals must maintain, on average, an 80% epidural rate to be able to provide full-time employment to an anesthesiologist. Another point that she makes, which I had not thought of directly, is that epidurals decrease the need for staff and nurses during labor. A woman with an epidural is likely to just lay there in bed, not even knowing when it is time to push. Contrast this picture with the woman who wants a natural birth, who sits on a birth ball, needing to be supported and who moans through her contractions. This birth is more time-consuming and costly for the hospital staff, not to mention more of a “nuisance”.

One of my favorite part of Wolf’s book is the many comparisons between what birth and birth choices really are and what we think they are. A humorous, sarcastic way of driving this point home is in her referrals to advice given in the well-known mainstream pregnancy “bible”, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”. Her critiques of this book are right on, well-said and actually very insightful. It becomes very clear where many “misconceptions” originate and are perpetuated in our culture.

The information provided by Wolf in her book is informative and interesting. However, I was left baffled by her own personal lack of understanding and her overriding negativity towards natural birth. Had she not chosen to include her personal experience, it would not be an issue, as many writers may not have wanted to include their personal stories. But Wolf chooses to include her own experience with not one, but 2 medical, c-section births (which from her description were not “emergencies”). After all this research, one wonders how she could be surprised with her outcomes based on what she basically went looking for in prenatal care.

My personal take on it is that she knows the facts, but for better or worse, does not have any deep-seated trust in her body or the process of birth. Even after writing this book, she refuses to take her own advice ,yet wants the best of the “2 worlds” (natural and medical birth). Wolf challenges misconceptions but then ultimately seems to accept them as her foundation of beliefs. Her tone, especially when talking about her personal experience, is whiny and very reactive. There is nothing pro-active or empowered about it, and throughout the book she mentions several times what she “doesn’t want”. Every time I came across a segment like this, I wanted to shout at her to go after what she does want. I was floored that Wolf didn’t seem to get that the perfect birth experience wasn’t going to be handed to her on a platter, much less when she chose to order it up at a hospital.

Besides Wolf’s lack of trust in her ability to birth, I was frustrated with her supposed lack of real understanding about midwifery care. She compares what is behind the “2 doors” (again, natural birth vs. medical birth) but describes natural birth with a midwife as devoid of technology. She seems to not know that although midwives cannot perform c-sections at home, there is a wide range of monitoring and/or intervention that a midwife is capable of. In most cases, the midwife chooses to remain non-interventive because she can see that there is no need for gadgets and gizmos.

Wolf describes what she thinks would be the ideal care for women—midwifery support in labor (which is essentially the role of a doula) merged with the smart, protective care of a doctor overseeing everything in the background. She misses that this is what gets many women into the cascade of interventions that she found herself in. And as what I see is an insult to midwives everywhere, Wolf dreams of midwifery care that “..follows ACOG standards”. Here is an intelligent, well-spoken woman that does not understand that midwives (and the women they serve) don’t want mini-doctors, they want midwives. Her lack of understanding of this issue and of the truly unique care that midwives provide is a true disservice to this book and to women investigating their options.

All in all, I’d recommend Wolf’s book, both for the helpful tidbits and insights as well as the thought-provoking look at birth and motherhood in the culture.

Related Articles:

1. Finding Your Own “Truth” in Birth
2. The Truth About Birth in the U.S.
3. The Best Book About Birth and Spirit That You Need to Read

About 7 months ago, I was wandering through a used bookstore when a book literally jumped off the shelf at me: Primal Mothering In a Modern World, by Hygeia Halfmoon. The front cover has a picture of a beautiful family. The mother is topless and breastfeeding her youngest child. I knew that the book was made for me. I bought it without even reading the back cover.

When I got the book home, I was delighted to find that the book was written by a raw foodist, a fruitarian to be exact. Being a raw foodist myself, I was expecting to read a book about raising a raw family. Little did I know I was in for so much more.

The common thread throughout this book is not a raw food lifestyle, but women’s empowerment. Empowerment in the choices we make in our mates, in birth, education, where we live, and yes, the food we eat. Ms. Halfmoon uses her life as an example throughout the book to illustrate how women often get caught in the trap of societal and/or cultural norms without even realizing it. She begins her “counter-culture” choices toward empowerment when she decides to leave her abusive husband and live in a shelter just after her first daughter is born. Her choices continue as she turns down public assistance because she would have to stop breastfeeding her daughter to go to work, because the government would not support her. With many other twists and turns along the way, this courageous woman earns her Master’s Degree while living in a tent in Oklahoma, somehow finds enough money to move her whole family to Hawaii, and has an unassisted homebirth. She raises her 3 children and runs her own home business making baby slings as well as authors many empowering books. The story of this part of her life ends here, leaving you wishing to hear more.

After a quick Google search it is not hard to find the rest of the story and, unfortunately, it is not all good. Ms. Halfmoon ends up loosing her daughter to Florida State Child Protective Services, looses her standing in the raw community, and returns to alcoholism. It is unclear how this part of her life ends. I did find out that she is living right here in Northern Arizona as of a month ago, in Williams. It appears her sling business is still active and that she may have had more children. She is also now a grandmother.

Despite her recent misgivings, Primal Mothering is no less inspiring and empowering than before finding out about Ms. Halfmoon’s fall from grace. I feel so strongly about this book.

Related Articles:

1. Zaida Baby- What Pregnancy is Really About
2. What the Medical World Hopes You Won’t Read About Premature Birth
3. The Best Book About Birth and Spirit That You Need to Read

What is pregnancy and birth really about?

The answer depends on what culture one is in, what the circumstances are, and who you ask.

Today, in the U.S., I am not quite sure we have kept our connection to the sacred, primal, usually simple process that is being pregnant and giving birth. Mainstream America doesn’t value a mom’s intuition in the process, encourage her to relish each and every moment of her empowerment as a (pregnant) woman. “Rite of passage” is an un-politically correct concept, because women should be able to come by a baby by many means, and pregnancy is no longer considered a special and exalted space.

Pregnancy and birth are only the beginning in creating a family, a community, a connection to our lineage. A wonderful pregnancy means not only health, but growth for the woman and baby and family on a spiritual and emotional level, as well as the physical. Pregnancy, labor and birth gives a woman one of the most unique ways to connect with her soul- by connecting with the spirit of another who lives inside of her. It is her chance to imagine and create a piece of the world.

Sandy Jamieson’s creation, Zaida Baby-My First Keepsake is the reminder we need to connect again with what pregnancy really means. Sandy’s album of black-and-white photographs of pregnant mamas and their families are truly stunning. More than being beautiful to look at, they resonate at a deep level with the essence of what it means to be full of life. There is a simple, unspoken spiritual reaction I have to paging through her book. The photos and the words connect in a way to remind me that pregnancy is uncomplicated yet miraculous. The babies and families remind me that pregnancy is a journey for all involved, and that it is just a moment in time that should be relished and cherished.

Sandy’s book will help remind any pregnant woman, no matter where she comes from, that it is okay to love her body and to love the process and that there is value in connecting with her baby way before birth. And that she, as well as her baby, is truly fortunate (the meaning of “zaida”). Beyond inspiring, the book also includes a section that is for personal memories and photographs. In my opinion, the message is that pregnancy is a different experience for all women, from literal “belly measurements” to personal letters written from mom to baby. The final section of the book is from the baby’s perspective at birth and in the year afterwards. It is the nicest of “baby books”, and ends with several pages for family photographs.

I am grateful for the messages that Sandy sends with her Zaida Baby- in a time and culture where nothing about women’s bodies (or birth) is viewed as sacred, this book is so meaningful. When words and stories don’t remind us where we all came from, pictures sometimes do.

Thank you, Sandy, for reminding us what pregnancy and birth are really about.

Sandy Jamieson can be reached via her website, www.zaidababy.com. You can also view a preview of the keepsake book, purchase a copy online, read press reviews and visit Sandy’s blog.

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1. The Best Book About Birth and Spirit That You Need to Read
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Never have I read a book about birth with which I so closely identify. I need to tell every woman I meet about this book, and I am already considering making it a “required read” for my homebirth clients.

The reason is simple: Birth is spiritual. No matter what your religion, giving birth is a mystery, a gift to women, and as Marcie says, “a leap of faith.”

Birth is spirit, and our society has forgotten this.

Spirit is what is essential, and what is missing in “medicalized” birth today. Marcie’s book is unabashedly bold, so honest and raw and emotional, and makes no apologies about this fact. That is what I absolutely love about it. I love that although some women may be offended by this boldness at first, everything she says can be identified by every and any woman if she just digs deep enough.

Her idea of spirit in birth is the obvious reason women have become so irresponsible in birth. Epidurals, scheduled c-sections- it all comes down to the fact that birth can just be this thing that happens to women that haven’t found their strength, those that haven’t been informed of “the Truth.”

And “the Truth,” in Marcie’s words, is this: “You are capable. Your muscles, bones, ligaments and skin were made to birth. Your soul, your heart and your Spirit were created to support you in this task, and your intellect was designed to support your confidence, not undermine it.”

There is something for every woman in this book. For the passionate homebirther like me, there is a feeling of sisterhood and delight about seeing these words on the page for everyone to read. For someone who has had an undesirable birth experience, there is compassion, healing and hope for better. And for women that have never given birth before, there is unbelievable optimism and promise and truth about what birth really is.

This wonderful book is almost a personal dialogue with the reader, one where you feel connected to the author. Interspersed are provoking questions, workbook-like sections encouraging the reader to get down on paper her own emotions and beliefs. Whether you have birthed before or not, these journaling questions are invaluable and something I would like every pregnant woman to have. The quotes and meditations (written by Marcie) on birth are so beautiful and thoughtful.

Read this book to empower yourself, read it to nurture yourself and to help stir up the power that is inside of you that is your birthright as a woman.

Perhaps my favorite idea presented in this book, and the one I believe to the absolute core of my body and soul is this:

In my own words, this comes down to respecting birth, my cardinal belief. We cannot control birth any better than we can control other natural processes, like death. We can only go into our experience without fear and with trust and with faith. This book exemplifies that principle like no other and will make every woman want to find this trust and faith within herself.

Marcie writes that birth is “powerful, beautiful, instinctive.” Prepare with this book, and experience birth as spirit for yourself.

Marcie Macari is an author, speaker and workshop facilitator. She can be reached at: 1-888-432-7171, or by visiting her site: www.shebirths.com

Related Articles:

1. Zaida Baby- What Pregnancy is Really About
2. What the Medical World Hopes You Won’t Read About Premature Birth
3. Do You “Trust Birth?”

It is very important to me to NOT put any chemicals into my kids or on their skin. I’m sure some would say I am overboard, and others would say I don’t go far enough. In any case, I read labels and end up actually making my own “beauty” products for our family.

The latest concoction was a peppermint shampoo, and the week before that it was totally homemade almond soap. I use organic herbs and oils whenever I can, and I make sure that the ingredients I am using actually make sense iwith how I want the product to function. For example, I use chamomile and a minuscule amount of goldenseal in my diaper lotion, for nourishing the skin and gently combating any yeast.

I am delighted to report that should I desire, I no longer have to make these baby bodycare products! I actually quite enjoy this process, but I have discovered a line of products that I would buy in a pinch that I feel really good about using on my children.

Earth Mama Angel Baby is a company in Oregon that makes and sells natural products for pregnancy, postpartum and baby care. Since I am in the “new baby phase” right now, I tried out some Diaper Rash Soap and also some Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash.

The diaper rash soap is in bar form, and is really wonderful. It is very gentle, and quite similar to a homemade baby soap I received as a gift. The ingredients are all organic, and the soap is just mild and barely scented. I even used it on my own face and thought it felt great. All of my children have had very sensitive skin, so I appreciate that there is truly no added fragrance or dyes. That’s very rare, since most baby care products smell so strongly of powder or other fake baby smells.

The body wash (also organic) was my favorite for bathtime for a few reasons. The pure essential oils give it, again, a very natural but yummy smell. My Talula is only 3 months old, and because I am still supporting her head and body in the bath, I just LOVED the fact that this wash comes out of a pump! When you press it, the liquid wash comes out as a foam, making it so easy to wash your baby. I just squirted a bunch on her, and was able to not rearrange my supporting hand. Very helpful, and not something I would have considered until bathtime!

I’d recommend these products if you are concerned and focused on what you put onto your baby’s body. The products seems wonderful for even the most sensitive of skin, and I would definitely buy some as gifts for new moms, especially since they are packaged so nicely. Forget giving baby clothes, these products will get used time and time again, by both mom and baby.

Visit Earth Mama Angel Baby

Related Articles:

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If I had a penny for every time I heard a woman with a new baby say that she didn’t have enough milk to breastfeed, or that the baby was too demanding and she couldn’t keep up, I’d be rich.

Now I’m not saying this is the woman’s fault necessarily. We have come to birth and raise our children in this culture that wants to push them away, on the road to independence before they are past infancy. I can’t solve all of these problems (though I might try) but I do have the most fantastic “product” that you just must have if you want to succeed at breastfeeding.

To put it simply, there is one thing that you need to successfully produce milk for your baby. And simply put again, that thing is that your baby needs to be with you, touching you, on you. The closeness alone stimulates your body to make milk, and the best way to get this closeness (and still be a functioning human being) is with the most heavenly invention, the baby sling.

Now, I have several slings in my home, all of various types and sizes and patterns and colors. I continually recommend only one of these slings to my friends and clients, and I want to tell you all about it so that you can have the best “sling experience” possible!

Kate Brown, of Peekaboo Pouch is single-handedly responsible for my calm, content child cuddling on me right now as I write this, fast asleep. It is because of her wonderful product that I am able to keep my baby with me throughout the day, as she sleeps and nurses, and as I take care of my other kids, among (what seems like) millions of other tasks.

Like I said, there are lots of slings to choose from out there. It can be very complicated, but Kate makes it simple, and what mother isn’t grateful for that?

I recommend only Peekaboo Pouch because the fleece is stretchy and comfortable for both baby and me, even in warmer weather. The price is right, and the slings are just gorgeous to look at (she’s got a ton of patterns and solids to choose from)- I promise you that every time I am out, at least two women ask me how to get one just like it.