Matrescence

If a full night’s sleep for anyone in your household is starting to feel like a long-lost luxury, Sleepy Planet’s Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack are the ladies of your (ahem) dreams. Their Sleepeasy Solution program and one-on-one consultations give parents strategies and tools to help kids sleep better and longer. Ergobaby caught up with them for some pillow talk. What inspired you to start Sleepy Planet? Jill: I was a practicing family therapist when I had my first baby 16 years ago, and he had a very nasty sleep problem. My son was waking every two hours at night, I was nursing every couple of hours and when I wasn’t, my husband was pacing the floors, bouncing and rocking the baby. This went on for eight months until we reached out to a parenting center in New York City where we were living; the center was doing a micro-version of the program we have now fleshed out in Sleepy Planet. Once I had resolved my sleep issues with my son, I was inspired to do this

Creator of the hugely popular Girl’s Gone Child blog, mom of four (son Archer, 7, daughter Fable, 3, and twin girls Boheme and Reverie, 1), published author—yup, Rebecca Woolf pretty much epitomizes inspiring. And after having breakfast with her one recent morning in L.A., I’m adding “thoughtful,” “wise,” and “hilarious” to the list.   What inspired Girl’s Gone Child (GGC)? I was 23 when Archer was born. I didn’t have any friends who had kids, no mom groups. I had no way to process the parenting experience other than writing about it. And people slowly started reading. I honestly feel like I really got lucky. There were, like, 10 bloggers that I knew of writing about this stuff at the time (2005), and we were all doing it because we loved it and had something to

Lunchtime.Sweet baby Apple was sound asleep and my two "big" kids were eating at the table. I was sitting between them and after a few moments Ainsleigh creeped over and climbed up on my lap. She was facing towards me and grabbed my cheeks, looked me straight in the eyes and smiled....over and over again in between kisses on my cheeks.Something about the way the sun was shining behind her, something about those sweet dimples that she has.Something about the way her tiny fingers were stroking my hair and clinging to me.Something about the way she clenches on when she thinks I am about to get up.She, too, wants it to last.I desperately wanted to jump up and grab my camera but I didn't. I held her tight. Soaked it in. And am doing the best job that I can right now to repaint it as a memory. The weather here in Texas is changing. It nudges at my soul. Today I was thinking. Recently I had to take a personality test for some "work" related things. We wanted to see where we fit best

Christy Turlington Burns is a pretty incredible example of just how much one mom can do: International supermodel, check. Designer, check. Mother of two, check. And in 2010, Christy founded the organization Every Mother Counts (EMC), which helps fund programs that allow mothers around the world to get prenatal care and medical support to safely give birth. This month, Every Mother Counts and Ergobaby are launching the Ergobaby Guest Designer Series. A portion of the Series’ proceeds will benefit EMC; Christy is the first guest designer. Here, she shares a little more about motherhood, managing it all, and what makes her so passionate about this project.   The Ergobaby

When I read the first Mamas Who Inspire post by (and about) Rachel Coleman, I was awe-struck at the challenges this mama has risen to meet. Two special needs children, one deaf, one with spina bifida/cerebral palsy. Nobody would blame her if she had given up; instead, she carried herself (and her children, literally!) gracefully above the obstacles! I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with her about life and motherhood – here’s more about this inspirational mama!   Motherhood is so all-consuming at times, it’s easy to forget the person we were before we had children – what was life like for you before kids? I was

  Babywearing is a topic that comes up when I go on interviews with potential clients.  It is a topic that came up when I first met Lindsay Price from 90210 and Lipstick Jungle fame. I assured her that I would help her get established with babywearing if she decided to have me as her postpartum doula. Mutually, we agreed that we were a good match and the day Lindsay brought her newborn son, Hudson, home from the hospital, I was there to support her in her new role as a mother. I encourage babywearing from early newborn days to toddlerhood and beyond if possible. The benefits to both parents and babies are priceless.  Early babywearing is beneficial to foster bonding between parent and baby.  Hugging baby close in a carrier is a wonderful way to get to know

When my daughter Leah was born in 1996 I knew that I would wear her. Baby wearing was new to Salt Lake City, Utah and people always stopped and stared as I passed by. Even more people stopped to look when my husband Aaron carried little Leah in the sling. We loved slinging her! I could nurse her privately in public. I could take her anywhere, keeping her close, and still having my hands free. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="209"] Marthas Vineyard 1997[/caption] We didn’t own a stroller and we had no interest in getting one. Leah was comfortable living out of her “pouch” and experiencing the world closer to our eye-level rather than from the compartment-like stroller. We wore her through the streets of Boston, on a ferry to and from Martha’s Vineyard, and on the subway in New York City. She snuggled up against us in Los Angeles,