Blog

Planning my first course of 2020 for Sunday March 1st. Booking will be up soon. I’m offering fewer courses this year as I’m spending more time training others to become peer supporter trainers (with Born To Carry), attending conferences, and also visiting a few countries for lectures.

Let me know if you have a HCP team needing training or want to commission a course. ... See more

I loved this article by Rebecca Schiller for Grazia UK in response to the Meghan Markle babywearing photos. Why do photos of celebrities using slings push so many buttons so hard?

“A mother with hands free to do as she pleases, advertising her complex, three-dimensional glory, is a scary sight to our still-patriarchal world. With her infant part-hidden from view, away from society’s policing gaze, pressed happily against a human time bomb that is yet to be modelled and moulded into the rule-following ideal, the babywearing woman pushes society’s buttons hard. And what the world is really saying to her, when it fusses and frowns over a baby in a sling, is ‘get that precious baby a little further away from this thing that we don’t trust and can’t yet control’.” ... See more

As Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, discovered, there’s nothing like babywearing to get the mother-shamers all fired up. Read more on Grazia.

Sometimes everyone just needs a hug 🥰

It seems as if baby is out exploring and returns to mama for some cuddles and reconnection/regulation.

It's International Hug Day! ...and sometimes all you need is a hug 🙊😍

#Dynasties

Dear New Mum

Things are hard, aren’t they? Harder than you had expected before your baby actually arrived, as nobody really told you what to expect.

You’re torn between joy and desperation, excitement and exhaustion, and feeling all of this at the same time.

You’re not alone. Many new mums go through this - the process of becoming a mother is known as matrescence - and it’s a journey where you keep learning new things as you go.

Don’t ever doubt your instincts to cuddle your child or to respond to their needs: your baby’s intense need for closeness in this “fourth trimester” period is normal. Your baby is transitioning to life in the outside world, as are you. You won’t spoil them, you’ll help them to feel secure. That creates confidence later in life. You don’t need to be perfect; you only need to be good enough, so don’t be hard on yourself.

There’s so much conflicting advice about the best way to raise your child and it’s confusing. Do what feels right to you and your family: and find people who will support you in this.

Don’t forget to care for your own needs too. Your health and happiness matter just as much as your baby’s. Nobody will judge you for finding things tough. There’s a lot of help out there, don’t be afraid to ask.

A good baby carrier can help with all of this: we all feel better for the sensation of being loved and hugged: that’s oxytocin. Being hands free and able to meet your child’s needs for closeness can be liberating. Babywearing isn’t as hard as it can seem: there is a lot of support available. Look for people who treat you with kindness and gentleness.

We’ve all been there: we’ve all needed help. We’re here for you. Together, we’ve got this.

Love
Rosie

#carryingmatters #buildahappybrain #mybabymymind #fourthtrimester #matrescence ... See more

What do you think the most important things are for the health and well-being of children under 5? Have your say here... they need to hear from a wide range of people.

https://5bigquestions.org.uk/

By taking part in our quick survey you can help us create a national conversation and bring about positive, lasting change for generations to come.

Meghan Markle (Duchess of Sussex) has a baby carrier for little Archie: it’s an Ergo 360 Omni, she was seen using it today. Isn’t that lovely?

It looks like she has it on the narrower setting used for facing out, maybe he was in this position originally for the walk and she turned him in when he was getting tired for a sleep (he’s clearly fast asleep!) and perhaps she couldn’t quite get him turned around and repositioned on her own while he was all floppy. Heavy sleepy babies are hard to move! His airway is obviously clear and they’re lovingly connected to each other.

#carryingmatters #buildahappybrain #connection #meghanmarkle

....
Update to include a response to a comment below

“I raced to get these photos out ASAP with a positive commentary that both celebrates her carrying her son with a positive message normalising how many of us don’t manage to get it perfect and why it may happen, and pointing out that while not perfect; it’s safe. Doing it this way hopefully sets the tone of encouragement and prevents horrible comments being posted. I’ve seen it time and again; if I (with my platform) didn’t make a comment about the position in the OP, everyone else would. I wanted to get there first, positively and helpfully.
I hope this helps people to understand my motivation better.” ... See more