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; IVF, surrogacy, artificial insemination, frozen embryos, PGD, donor, cytoplasmic transfer, nuclear transfer, we’re even close to offering personal cloning!

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, it is quite easy to lose sight of what is actually occurring in the little universe growing at a remarkable rate right in...

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 natural childbirth and the physical, emotional recovery of labor and birth.

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 call it merchandising. Most of the advertised baby equipment just isn’t necessary and can in fact be...

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 waste that takes 500 years to decompose.

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 pulling Baby out, while baby daddy frantically records all the drama.This, however is a fallacy.

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 early delivery or c-section. Once you are in the safety of the prenatal unit, you should feel rest assured that the experts have...

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 40 years, multiple births have multiplied considerably. The question of how many fertilized eggs to implant is brandished...

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.

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 feels like there is no comfort substantial enough to support a grieving mother. No arms, no words, no deity. While you mourn the loss of...

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 once Baby is born can be disconcerting, but it takes time for your organs to return to their pre-pregnancy positioning, even your bones need to...

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, depression is in my opinion correlated to hormonal dips and dives within our complex endocrine system. For years, struggling with depression...

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 time to start a brand new life, like you’ve never known before. Even if you have three children already, number four will inevitably bring...

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 becoming a mother – unlike pregnancy which doesn’t always require such a steadfast demonstration. Some adoptions are a wager in the...

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 organically know, as mother’s how to automatically feed our baby from our breast, but it’s rarely simple and pain free. The results, once mastered, greatly outweigh the...

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 their baby’s sobs, or sleeplessness, the pacifier can become an external crutch that could potentially enforce an oral fixation in later years. A...

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 a baby. Baby’s do not get bored.

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 the night, to allow you to sleep, or you need to leave Baby with a caregiver for an outing. Regardless,...

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 and of course, his face above the water. This introduces his comfortability submerged, and you can actually begin to...

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 example. Baby seems to want to be exclusively with mummy at first so that all her needs can be met. And daddy may start...

I was a single Mama, and though I missed the exquisite connection between Baby Daddy and Baby, I relished the autonomy this afforded me!

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 yet old family patterns may well resurface when you are exhausted and vulnerable with newborn Baby. Watching your...

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 feeling of staying afloat without the skill to do so naturally.

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, expounding on the playpen idea, makes life so much easier once Baby is mobile, and even before if there are pets and other children in the...

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. The dishes can wait. There are numerous sleep techniques to establish a pattern during the day and night, some...

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, or get some fresh air, or maybe visit Grammy, getting ready can be quite an ordeal. Try to schedule your...

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, officially in growth charts and percentiles. Your pediatrician should be a major support system for you at this time. No...

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 the ability to complain. The only way they can express discomfort and pain is with their tears. When the cries increase and continue,...

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 responsibility to be patient and calm and keep a good head on your shoulders to be...

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 sliding off, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot get the pasta from your plate into your hungry...

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, while you take time off from mothering.

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 a thing of the past. Surrendering your old habits is the first step in a successful flight. You...

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 blossoming relationship, that can be nurtured through childhood. But occasionally a jealous pup or irate cat can harm your baby...

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 is the first sign that Baby’s first tooth is about to appear, his fingers constantly in his mouth, and then the...

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 herself.

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 interrupted, but acknowledged with encouraging love.

Like Tummy Time and Rolling Over sitting up is another significant milestone in your baby’s development.

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.

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 rite of passage. And the tremendous sense of accomplishment belongs to Baby.

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 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, and they are hurt and they should cry in pain. By trying to sooth ourselves we are not...

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 boy that banana looks good!” There is no need to strap your baby into a highchair,...

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 developing and bladder and bowel control is not entirely reliable yet.

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 mother’s full attention, and yet the age gap between siblings would remain synonymous with their closeness.

The most wonderful sentence for peacemaking… “What do you need?”

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 age, you will need to find care-giving for your baby that you trust so you might alleviate some of...

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 comes in all shapes and sizes, and inevitably the abuser has also been the abused. Your toddler will pick up all sorts of nuances from his...

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 life. Your child is pumping around your heart for a lifetime, long after they have gone to school, gone to college,...