Articles

Getting Pregnant

It’s not just a matter of male/female copulation to procreate anymore. There is a plethora of methods to merge chromosomes into nine months of gestation...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Pregnancy

THE most miraculous gift we women will ever know – growing a human being within our belly is just a divine and intricately complex phenomenon. Amidst the excitement, nausea, and raging hormones...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal Yoga is a delightful way to decompress, stretch, breathe and connect with the little yogini inside. Not only is it therapeutic in the present moment, it is extremely beneficial for natur...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Preparing for Baby

An important point to remember as you prepare your home for Baby is that less is more. We become very caught up with consumerism as we get closer to the due date. They call it “nesting” but I cal...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Diapers

The EPA has a big problem with disposable diapers. And we should too. Afterall we are leaving the earth to our children so it simply makes no sense to fill our landfills with hazardous w...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Birth

Labor and birth has become somewhat of a cliché portrayed in movies as crazy amounts of screaming pain, demanding as many drugs as quickly as humanly possible, a team of nurses and doctors pullin...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Preemies

It is incredibly frightening to know that your little human is coming early. There are so many questions, fears, concerns that can cause either direct panic or total numbness when faced with earl...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Multiple Births

To think that more than one baby can grow between your ribs and pelvis seems somewhat ridiculous. One burgeoning infant is plenty – but two or three or four…? With the advent of IVF in the last ...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Special Needs

When Baby is born we pray for her to be in perfect health, for her organs to function normally, for her brain to be fully developed, for her to have all her limbs, fingers and toes....
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Loss

The utter devastation when we lose our Baby cannot possibly be captured in a sentence. The sorrow can be overwhelming and the disappointment during pregnancy, catastrophic.   At this time, there...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Postnatal Recovery

While your hormones stabilize for the healing, breastfeeding, mothering journey ahead, your body requires time to acclimatize to the new status quo. The misconception that your belly will be gone...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Postnatal Depression

It is miraculous that after the hormonal turmoil of pregnancy that we mums can function at all when a new human is placed in our arms and our entire life changes instantaneously. Like PMS, depre...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Bringing Home Baby

One of the most special days in a lifetime. You’ve been preparing for months and months, endured all the discomfort and mind-and-body-boggling changes, and the intensity of Baby’s birth. Now it’s...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Adoption

There are many ways for the stork to deliver Baby. Adoption is a particularly heroic means to become a mother, as you have jumped through bureaucratic hoops to prove that you are worthy of becomi...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Breast Feeding

Those first weeks of nursing after birth are never illustrated accurately until you yourself experience the pain and frustration that so often accompanies latching on. We’re supposed to organical...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Thumbs Up

One common item we don’t see with Pikler® is the pacifier, or “dummy” as it’s bluntly referred to in England. Despite the temptation most parents or care-givers feel, when struggling to quieten t...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Play

I mentioned toys in Preparing for Baby, and the reason why a Pikler® Baby doesn’t need to be inundated with all the latest electronic, plush, entertainment. There simply is no need to entertain ...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Pumping

Every women’s milk supply varies. At some point it is likely that you’ll want or need to pump excess milk and store for a feeding without you present. Perhaps your partner will feed Baby during t...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Bath Time

Bath time is the perfect opportunity for skin on skin time. So whenever possible climb into the tub with Baby, use your own body for him to rest on, always mindful of keeping his head supported a...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Co-Parenting

Baby Daddy (or female partner) can seem somewhat superfluous in the first few weeks after birth. Afterall his/her nipples don’t produce milk, which is rather frustrating at times. Like 3am for ex...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Single Mama

I was a single Mama, and though I missed the exquisite connection between Baby Daddy and Baby, I relished the autonomy this afforded me! Reframing your predicament...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Grandparents

Baby is here and Grandparents are chomping at the bit to get their crinkly hands on her. This is a special time for all involved, the branching of the family tree is a time for celebration and ye...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Swim

My three children were swimming before they could walk. There are some very simple techniques for a baby learning to swim. *Do not use floating devices. Baby will become reliant on the unnatural...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Environment

As mentioned in the Article, Preparing for Baby, my most coveted investment with all three of my children was the room-scaping we purchased from Community Playthings. This clever concept, expound...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Sleep

Without enough sleep we go completely nuts! So hang on to your sanity the next few months. Ask for help from family, friends, your partner. When Baby finally succumbs to a snooze, you do the same...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

First Outing

Staying home is best for as long as you can. This allows for Baby’s immune system to mature further, and for less distractions while bonding with you. When it is time to visit the pediatrician, o...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Pediatricians

Visiting the pediatrician is exciting. Not only are you both out of the house for a change of scenery, and perhaps an adult conversation or two, but you will see the fruit of your labors, officia...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Tears

Babies are often suffering from a plethora of minor health issues, due to various anatomical developmental factors. Their bodies continue to develop at a rapid rate post birth, and now they have ...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Illness

When Baby is indeed sick, it is the most stressful time. But we are still not as helpless as we might think. He will look to you to be his sustenance when he is weak, and it is your responsibilit...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Crying

The “Terrible Twos” can happen at any age. Most often your toddler grows frustrated with her limited control over her life. Imagine you want to get all the spaghetti on your spoon, but it keeps s...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Finding Nanny

Whether a full time live-in, or a periodic baby sitter, finding the right woman (or sometimes man), can be a herculean task. It may take trial and error to settle on the ideal substitute Mama, wh...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Travel

The day will come when you will be one of those unfortunate parents on the airplane with a fussy baby. And the days of reading magazines, watching movies and enjoying a nice glass of wine will be...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Animals

There is something magical about Baby curling up with your fluffy cat or shaggy dog for a nap, both parties seem utterly blissful as they warm each other. In most instances this is a wonderful bl...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Teething

Just when you’ve established a routine, and Baby is sleeping for multiple hours through the night, his teeth begin to break through and the whole formula is turned on its head. The constant drool...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Tummy

Tummy Time is not part of the Pikler® Approach. Placing your baby in an unnatural position can be detrimental to her natural development. When she is ready to roll onto her tummy she will do so...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Rolling Over

Like Tummy Time, Baby will be sure to let you know when she is capable of rolling from her back to her side and then to her tummy. This is a major milestone, and one that should not be interrupte...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Sitting Up

Like Tummy Time and Rolling Over sitting up is another significant milestone in your baby’s development. Not only is his spine not mature enough to be upright, until he naturally assumes this pos...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Crawling

She is finally mobile! Life as you know it will be forever changed! This time is far easier if you have invested in a roomscape, so she cannot wiggle her way outside the safety of her own realm. ...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Standing

This may be the most significant milestones our babies can make. To deprive Baby of standing on their own, unassisted is a huge misdemeanor. The transition from all fours to standing is a human r...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Walking

As we have discovered in the articles, refraining from “helping” our babies is the key to their blossoming self-esteem. This could not be more true than with “walking” with Baby. When she is read...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Ouchies

When Baby falls, or bangs themselves, it is normal to rush to their aid in a panic, scooping them up, telling them they’re OK, they’re not hurt, don’t cry, etc. But the truth is, they’re not OK, ...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Solids

Baby will let you know when he is ready for solids. The first clue is when he attempts to eat whatever you’re munching on. Stealing from you is his way of saying, “The milk is nice and all, but b...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Potty Time

Every toddler is ready for the potty at different stages in their development. There is much trial and error at this juncture. Be prepared for mishaps and misses. Your toddler’s system is still d...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Siblings

Our beloved pediatrician, Dr. Jay Gordon recommended 2½ to 3 years between siblings. Allowing the first born to individuate a little and become more autonomous, before he loses his...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

What Do You Need?

The most wonderful sentence for peacemaking… “What do you need?” These simple few words are effective even when the conversation is with a very young child. The more you know your baby, the more...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Returning to Work

At some point the all-encompassing baby bubble at home is burst with the desire and or need to make a living. Unless you are part of the slight percentage of stay-at-home- mums in this day and ag...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Bullying

Sadly, some children have witnessed cruelty in the home. Sensitive as they are, even toddlers can reenact what they have learned behind closed doors in a social environment. Abuse come...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar

Always a Mother

What is Microchimerism? It is a cluster of cells transferred from the unborn baby to the pregnant mother. These cells remain inside the mother’s blood after baby’s birth and for the rest of her l...
READ MORE

Gabrielle Anwar