Cuddles to Go

Any inventory for expectant parents will include a pram or pushchair.... unless you’re a Wheelie Momma, in which case another set of wheels to negotiate is the last thing you need! Even less so for my other half who already has arms like Popeye from pushing my growing mass around in my wheelchair while I was pregnant. Similar to Mark Darcy telling the pregnant Bridget Jones she was "immense" as he carries her to hospital; just nowhere nearly as romantic (but every bit as funny).

In true Wheelie Momma style I began to research alternatives to prams for carrying Starfish before he was born and I was introduced to the amazing, cuddly world of baby slings and carriers. I've since lost count of the many hours I've spent drooling over the vast array of different types of carrier, not to mention the exquisite fabrics and stunning designs and patterns.

We were fortunate in that there is an amazing lady, Beth; who is a baby carrying consultant and has a shop near us. I made an appointment with her during my pregnancy and she was superb in going through all the different types of carrier with us to find options that would suit both our needs and our budget.

We opted for a "stretchy sling" and a "ring sling" both have different benefits and distinct characteristics but essentially they both allow you to "wear" your baby acting as a type of kangaroo style pouch.

The slings have been such a revelation for us. I can put one on (especially the stretchy wrap) in the morning when I'm getting dressed and can keep it on all day if necessary. It's not bulky or awkward and just looks like a shawl or scarf. There's a bit of a knack to wrapping it at first but under the consultant's expert guidance we got some practice in advance and we soon got the hang of it.

The slings mean that even as a newborn, when we went out and about in my chair, Starfish was safe, secure and snug in on my chest and I had full use of both my hands for other tasks. Starfish loves them as he is close to me at all times and can enjoy skin to skin contact and hear my heartbeat similar to in the womb. This helps him sleep when out, he's less windy in that upright position and the skin to skin helps keep his temperature and heart rate regulated. As well as this, my arms don't get tired, I can shop, eat or drink and all while getting squishy cuddles on the move. What's not to love? I can even feed Starfish in the carriers and they act as a cover too so we don't feel too exposed..

Starfish loves sling cuddles with his Daddy too and it's been a great conversation piece with people stopping them in coffee shops to ask more about the sling and how it works etc. This of course opens the way for the proud Dad to show off his first born at the same time.

So far we have 3 carriers in our collection and I already have my eye on a few more when Starfish outgrows the stretchy. (or when I find the best pattern to match my favourite outfit, whichever is sooner!) Best of all, even if I was to buy a different carrier for every week of the year, I'd still spend considerably less than the cost of the average pram, some of which are more expensive than a decent second hand car!

The perks of being a Wheelie Momma

For information on the different carriers available, to purchase your own or book a consultation visit http://www.lovetobenatural.co.uk/ If you speak to Beth, tell her Wheelie Momma sent you and she will look after you very well x

From The Hands of Babes

Have you ever wondered what’s going on in your little one’s head? Or said to yourself when they were crying “I only wish they could talk and tell me what’s wrong”? So have we... that’s why we were delighted to hear about Sign 2 Music.

Sign 2 Music is a fascinating concept based around British Sign Language (BSL) which teaches your baby basic signs through song and rhyme. When we first mentioned to family and friends that we were doing Sign 2 Music with Starfish and we described it as Baby sign language; the first response was usually “But he’s not deaf” and next came “Won’t that delay his speech”.

I’d done my research however (as I have painstakingly before every parenting decision we’ve made so far) and I was confident that it was something that would improve and encourage Starfish’s communication skills rather than delay them.

A number of doctors in USA began research as far back as 1970 when they found that children of hearing impaired parents could communicate their needs and desires at a much younger age than children of hearing parents. The difference here was the exposure to signing so they began to explore the impact of signing to hearing babies of hearing parents. Studies showed that babies exposed to signs at 6-7 months old began to communicate at 8-9 months old but at this point they lack the physical ability to speak, tongue, mouth and jaw muscle control. Signing improves this and has also been proven to give babies a more sophisticated grasp of language than their peers.

Another study showed that on average signing babies had a higher I.Q (as much as 12 points) and a greater interest in books. Signing children are also proven to have a wider vocabulary than non signers; this is thought to be because words are presented verbally and visually at the same time.

I’ve seen so many babies and toddlers have tantrums and get frustrated trying to communicate when adults don’t have a clue what they are trying to say, I’ve actually been the clueless adult on more than one occasion! This can be heart wrenching for both the child and the adult.

We didn’t need any further convincing; we made enquiries about classes straight away!

So that’s the science, how does it work in practice?

As Starfish was still quite young, I was delighted when we contacted Roberta and she said we could have a private course in our own home.

Roberta arrived with her trusty assistants Signing Sandy and Daisy Doggy (signing puppets), shakers and Sandy’s little bag of sign cards.

The first lesson we learned essential signs like Baby, Milk, Food, Drink Change Nappy, Change, Help, More and Bath. Next we learned family signs, Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Granny etc

All this learning happened to songs (and yes we did have to sing along) while Starfish looked at us like we had lost the plot. 

Daisy Doggy was a huge hit `however and he even had a brief go at one of the shakers.

The key to success with signing, as with all child development; is consistency and routine. From day 1 of the course, we started using the signs for milk, help and nappy change.  We say “let me help you” while signing help. Then “nappy time” with the sign for change nappy and “milk time” with the sign before each feed.

Starfish watched our hands move with interest and waited for what came next. Within just a few days he obviously started to recognise what the signs meant along with the words we said. For example, if he needed a feed and I said “milk time” or “food time” with the signs he would be calm while I prepared us both for the feed.

Over the next few sessions we learned meal time signs including “more” “full up” and various different food signs, signs for emotions, sad, happy, worried, angry, morning and night time routine signs such as “sleep”, “bed” “get dressed” “bath” etc. We also learned animal signs and many more such as “which”, “where”, “hot” and “cold”

All this happened through song, most of which were popular nursery rhymes or to the same tune as popular children’s songs. Starfish’s favourites are Baa Baa Black Sheep and Miss Polly had a Dolly.

After the second session, not only was Starfish watching our hands intently when we signed but he had started wiggling his own little fingers as if he was trying to copy us! He hasn’t yet managed his first sign himself but I’ve no doubt it’s not far away. He definitely understands the basic signs now and knows what to expect when he sees them.

Now that we are embarking on our weaning journey we have plenty of opportunity to introduce more signs and words to Starfish which I know he will enjoy.

Santa even brought Starfish his very own Daisy Doggy and Sign 2 Music CD which he absolutely loves

Daisy Doggy

The Sign 2 music classes are great fun for parent and baby alike and can be taken in a group setting or on a one to one basis. They are a great value for money and a very worthwhile investment in your family’s future. Not least for the time you could save by mot having to ask your child to repeat themselves 20 times before you finally figure out what they’re trying to say or the money spent on hair dye to cover the grey of sheer frustration.

If you want to know more about Sign 2 Music or to enrol in a class in your area visit http://www.sign2music.co.uk/ or find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sign2music1 or Twitter https://twitter.com/sign2music