Birth and Babies

While visiting a friend today, she showed me how to use a baby wrap.  I’m used to slings, mei tai’s and baby carriers. My favorite for a young baby is the Maya Wrap (it’s a ring sling) because it’s so versatile and supportive for those squirmy and weak babies.  My favorite for older babies and toddlers is my Ellaroo mei tai. 

Anyway, a wrap is just a loooong peice of fabric.  My friend mentioned that if you buy 5 yards of fabric and cut it in half down the length, you’ll have two wraps.  Find a fabric that doesn’t unravel and you wont’ have to sew a bit.  Or you can use other fabrics and serge or hem the edges.  Fleece is great for a winter wrap, a stretchy fabric is nice for young, light weight babies and a less stretchy fabric is better for older babies.  You essentially ’strap’ your baby to your body by wrapping the wrap in different ways to be supportive and safe for your baby, and comfortable for yourself.

She showed me how to tie my 5 month old and mentioned there are a TON of ways you can tie your baby on.  When I got home, I googled it and found this site that illustrates many more ways to wrap your baby.

Are you a mom of closely spaced children?  Closely spaced is considered three years and younger.  I have created a new resource for moms of closely spaced children, due to a lack of resources I’ve been able to find on my own.  By 2008 I hope to have the website, www.closely-spaced.com a informational resource with not only the newsletter, but a discussion forum and many articles written by those who have been there done that.  What have you found to be the biggest challenges?  How did you handle the early years?  Care to share?

As a mom of three children closely spaced (19 and 23 months apart between the three of them) I’m learning day by day and have come up with many successful ideas I hope to share with everyone.  Please consider adding your thoughts, submitting an article or a question.

As a natural-minded, homesteading mom of three closely spaced children I find each day to be quite exhausting.  But I’ve also found each day leads to new memories, laughter and bonding as I watch my three youngsters intereact with each other.  Yes, interaction also includes fighting!  I guess it’s a part of life. 

One of the biggest suggestions I have found helpful for when things are getting stressful in the house: take the kids outside for playtime or a walk.  The change in scenery, fresh air and new things to do often makes the kids forget what they were fighting about or stressing about inside.  Then when the air has cleared, bring them back inside if it’s time to eat or things have to get done.

Another thing: keep the kids engaged.  This is the exhausting part.  Try to keep plenty of activities out and in the open for the kids to get into and play, so they aren’t left with “nothing to do” and end up getting in trouble.  I have one of those clear plastic 5-drawer organizers and have put all of my kids multiple-parts toys such as puzzles, shape sorters, arts/crafts supplies, threading and beading things, etc. so the kids can see them, request them, and I get them out so they can play with them (I did take the wheels off and turn the organizer around so the drawers can’t be opened (the opening end is against the wall).  This prevents big, big messes :-)  I keep this in my living room, where we spend most of our day, and when one activity is no longer enchanting I can have the kids clean it up and pull something else out.  *I* personally don’t interact with them every second of the day (it’s important for them to play together and also have solo play time), but I do make sure they are engaged in something.  Of course, I do interact with them, just not every second of the day.

Also, activities such as reading keeps all of the kids in one spot for any length of time, and we’re all sitting and comfortable.  I like reading time - no chasing, no cleaning, no moving… Just sitting, reading and cuddling with all of my kids!

Share your tips!  I’d love to hear them!