Postpartum

Jump to a Section: That New Baby Smell Delayed Bathing Mother/Infant Bond Babywearing and Smell We have all heard about new car smells, but what about new baby smells? You know, that earthy, new baby smell, that one that causes dopamine to release in your brain and makes you feel so good - what is it?  Smell can be the most potent sense to strike up an emotional response.  So, what exactly is that new baby smell? The smell of a newborn is likely thought to be a combination of chemicals secreted through sweat glands, lingering amniotic fluid and vernix caseosa, the white cheese-like cream that covers babies at birth; all this combined, is thought to create a combination of intoxicating medley aroma that nature designed to pull you in.  Whatever it is, that distinct smell provides a pathway to our brains and to ultimately our hearts and binds us to that little life in front of us. Although the newborn scent eventually fades (usually around six weeks of age) many parents

Please tell us a little about yourself and what you do for work. I'm mama to two young children living in Austin, Texas where I host a birth stories podcast called The Birth Hour. My mission with The Birth Hour is to encourage women to be informed about pregnancy and childbirth and know their options while creating a community for moms to support one another through pregnancy and motherhood. The podcast has grown rapidly since its launch in 2015 with over 4 million downloads and a supportive Instagram community. This year The Birth Hour launched it's first online course that prepares couples for everything from childbirth through newborn care and even going back to work after baby! How did you get the idea to start The Birth Hour? When I was pregnant with my eldest, my love of (OK obsession with) birth stories began. I would google birth stories and watch youtube videos of birth until 3AM many nights, which is not exactly the healthiest practice when you are growing a human in

This post is from our Ergobaby Brand Ambassador Clara Aquino: A little list of must haves for parents of newborns (click the image above to view all of the item sources!): 1) Swaddlers They help to recreate that feeling of being snug in mama's belly; while also eliminating the need for blankets, which can be a risk for suffocation. Ergobaby swaddles are designed with a pocket at the bottom so you can easily change diapers while your little babe is still asleep. Genius. 2) A nursing pillow If you will be nursing your newborn, you'll find that you will officially become a walking, talking, milk machine.. I'm serious. It's pretty crazy how often you could be nursing your babe, so it's nice to have something that can support you and keep you + baby comfy during those long nights. Ergobaby has designed an amazing, supportive, nursing pillow that is firm and allows parents to be hands free (you don't need to rest your arm under baby like with other pillows) while nursing. It is two

In the hospital you have lots of help—nurses, lactation consultants and doctors—all at your beck and call. Then comes the time to take your little one home. You’ve read the “must-have” books, subscribed to on-line baby websites and parenting blogs and spent many evenings on the phone with your own mom. Think you’re prepared? Think again. Here are a few important tips parents tell me they wish they had been told about the first few weeks at home with their newborn. Sleep Everyone tells you that you won’t get much sleep, but it’s worse than you imagine. Realistically, you won’t get any in the first few weeks. In addition to needing to feed every few hours, babies don’t know the difference between day and night. So no matter what time he rests, you need to take advantage and nap too. You can also try to help him get on track by keeping nighttime feeds and changing as calm as possible and wake him after 3 hours of daytime sleep to feed. But as soon as your doctor says he’s gaining weight