Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #56: Surviving the First Year of Motherhood with Becky Viera, Author of Enough About the Baby Surviving the first year of motherhood can be an incredibly challenging experience, yet many of the struggles that new...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #55: 5 Myths about Newborns with Deborah McNelis It's easy to feel lost and overwhelmed when it comes to caring for your newborn, but don't worry! Let me introduce you to Deborah McNelis, who's here to help guide...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #43: Attachment Parenting Explained with Diane Goyette and Gabrielle Holt There's a lively conversation on social media about attachment parenting and sometimes it feels like just one more thing to get right, or...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #41: 5 Ways to Soothe a Crying Newborn with Dympna Kennedy The sound of a crying newborn... oh my goodness. It sends shivers up our spine, creates emotional tension and we just want to do all we can to help them....
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #38: What to Expect in the Fourth Trimester with Meg & Carly of Fourth Trimester Foundations The "fourth trimester" is the term coined for the first 3 months after birth. Those first weeks are beautiful, memorable and...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #35: Postpartum Mental Health: Are These Feelings Normal? with Sherry Duson Postpartum mental health is often a not-talked-about-enough topic. Most new parents experience up and down emotions in the first weeks and months...
It's one of the first things people ask, "Is he keeping you awake at night?" (Um, yes he's awake at night, he's a newborn) This week I sat down with Joanna Clark of Blissful Baby Sleep Coaching to talk about sleep patterns for newborns. I asked her what you should...
Oh my goodness... I don’t know about you but it feels to me like unknowns of COVID are lasting a lot longer than I expected. As this all unfolds, new parents are faced with questions that weren’t even in our grid 8 months ago! Pregnancy can be filled with a lot of...
A 10-day old baby will present many different changes from when it was brought into the world. Here are some of the changes that you may want to watch out for…
While infant attachment is sometimes overlooked by some parents and caretakers, it matters to the baby’s communication development a lot. Here’s how the process usually begins and the reasons why it’s vital for the baby’s progress…
Having baby feeding essentials with you before the baby comes is important. For that reason, here’s a list of items you may want to get before the big day.
Every baby is unique, and you are the expert on your own child. I do everything based on a career in early childhood education, coaching early childhood teachers and parents.
How do you know if your little baby is taking in enough formula in order to get what they need nutritionally to grow? In this article, I will talk about some guidelines to follow that will help you decide on how much to feed your baby.
I love labor and delivery stories. Every story has the features of an exciting docu-drama — the inklings of early labor, the wondering of “should I call the doctor?”, “should we just wait or go ahead and go?” The thrill of the birth and the flood of emotion that follows. Then the calm after the storm as everyone, including baby, begins the process of healing and resting up from the experience of labor/delivery and settles into the new life of being a family. One of my favorite labor stories comes from my friends, Glen and Laura.
For many new parents, the first time they hold their tiny bundle of joy triggers an instant bonding. In the early years, a baby’s brain grows rapidly making millions of neural connections, so a variety of experiences and exposure aids physical, cognitive, social and language development. Read about a few ways in which bonding and baby development in the early years can go hand-in-hand.
You are really, really important to your child. You see it in the way your baby gazes at you, prefers you over others and cries when you leave. We know we’re important in our child’s life but do we truly understand this? Attachment researchers tell us that we become...
Love on your baby. Then they'll be really smart. Love is in the air. Even though Valentine's day focuses on romantic love, it’s a great time to hone in on the love connection between you and your child. It’s amazing to realize that your child’s brain...
5 tips for new parents Anytime you begin a new job there’s a period of orientation. And depending on the complexity of the work you’ll be doing, you might have months of training before you’re on your own with full responsibility. When you become a parent, while...
We really can't help ourselves. Something inside us kind of melts. Have you ever noticed the feeling you get when you see little tiny puppies or kittens, or even a baby elephant at the zoo? Or had complete strangers stop to talk to you as you walk your puppy? We...
Holiday shopping can be one of the most stressful parts of the year as we look for ways to stretch budgets a little further to buy the gifts we really want to give. If you need to save money but have a long list of people to buy for, it’s a good idea to check online...
That little person is very tuned in to you. From the moment they're born, babies are ready to listen, respond and try to figure out how to be in relationship with you. Research gives us really interesting insight into how equipped newborns are to do this. Let's take a...
I was surprised at the amount of downtime I had with a new baby. I remember the first few months of staying home with my first baby. I assumed I’d be swamped with my new tasks of parenthood: nursing around the clock, diaper changes, rocking baby to sleep, etc....
Even people who say they have "no clue what to do with babies" will instinctively do exactly what's necessary to enhance development as they singsong talk, make faces and gaze at their face as they hold them. We act differently with infants than we do with adults or...
How does time go slow and fast at the same time? I love the Slow Food Fast recipe column in the Wall Street Journal. It features recipes from notable chefs across the country representing traditional and regional cuisines - recipes simple enough to cook at home...
All I ever really wanted to be when I grew up was a mom. Like many little girls, I played 'house' all the time as a kid, treating my baby dolls with love and care, teaching them and handing out discipline when they needed it. As a teenager, I did lots of...
Pregnancy is an amazing time. While there are definitely some discomforts along the way, let’s celebrate some really wonderful things that you can ONLY experience during pregnancy… Permission to focus on...
We all know 0-3 month olds pretty much eat, sleep, and poop. But what do we do with them when they’re awake? Learn 20 ways to play with your 0-3 month old.
I’m a child development specialist, parent coach and teacher trainer. I’ve cared for countless babies in child development programs, plus 3 kids, 3 grand babies and 5 foster babies! I LOVE babies and would come hold yours if I could. ❤️
