Tinyslings' Weblog

Second Trimester

tinyslings — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:51:33 +0000

I am now 6.5 months pregnant (or 26 weeks) and am feeling great physically. In the midst of my second trimester, I don’t feel nauseated as much and I’m actually sleeping fairly comfortably. The belly does pose a few obstacles, however. Who knew tying your shoes would be such a hassle? I’ve resorted to sandals and slip-ons as often as I can. And I think I’m starting to waddle. Ahhhh! I told myself I wouldn’t do it and it’s already happening! I just think it’s one of those things that just comes with being pregnant. I must admit that the hardest part of being pregnant is not being able to do all those active things I claim to do when I’m not pregnant–play sports, rock climb, etc. It’s funny how much you want to do things when you can’t and how often I don’t when I can. I mean, I would do anything if I could just sprint a mile…and I hate to run! But with all these little frustrations comes the peace of feeling our little boy kick inside me. I know this pregnancy is what I am supposed to be doing and I can put aside all my selfish desires for a few more months (or maybe forever?).

Rhiannon owns and operates a web retail store that sells baby slings.

Naming a baby

tinyslings — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:35:34 +0000

What’s in a name? Everything! Your child will not only be called by his name for years to come but also judged by countless numbers of people! My husband and I recently found out that we’re having a boy. We are so excited, but we can’t seem to agree on names. Of course, if the baby would have been a girl, we were already decided. But now, we have to somehow come to an agreement on a boy’s name. He likes some strange (and horrible) names. No, not unique, because I like unique names. I was named after a Fleetwood Mac name, for heaven’s sake. But strange names. Okay, okay, his top choice is Oliver. I’ll give you a moment to grimace. But that is nothing to Woodruff (Woody). He claims I have an immature mind, but tell me that kids will not make fun of our son! I’m not dirty, I’m realistic! And if you still don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re the only one. Anyway, I know I shouldn’t stress about it too much because I will not let these catastrophes happen. I am not exactly set on a name, but I like the name Reed as of right now. And you know, I think my husband does too, he just likes to get me riled up. So what I am trying to say is that if we are already having such a hard time deciding on a name for our baby, I can’t wait to see what else we won’t agree on. Good luck to us in raising this baby!

Rhiannon owns and operates a website that retails baby sling carrier.

It’s a BOY!!!

tinyslings — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:27:21 +0000

We just found out the sex of our baby and from the title of this post, I bet you can guess what it is. Yep, we’re having a boy! We were so excited and so surprised when they told us he was a boy. My husband and I both wanted a boy first, but we decided that we needed to change our way of thinking to be just as excited if the baby was a girl. And we really got to the point where we would be thrilled either way. In fact, because of this, we really thought we were having a girl…as did most everyone else. So yes, even though we found out the sex of our baby early, it was still a huge surprise! Naturally, we celebrated afterwards and called everyone we knew. My family has yet to have a baby girl in the mix (our baby will be boy #6), but everyone was still so excited to hear that it was going to be a boy. I am so happy and I look forward to baseball games, playing in the mud, and rough-housing.

Rhiannon owns and operates a website that retails baby sling carriers.

Worry Wart

tinyslings — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:54:01 +0000

I am a renowned worry wart. And now that I am pregnant, I heard that from now on, it will only get worse. I was certain that the first doctor’s appointment would be the most nerve-wracking…and it was nerve-wracking, believe me. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, what if I wasn’t really pregnant. Granted, I took the pregnancy test twice at home and then went to the doctor to take another test so the “professionals” could tell me. So the first appointment–questions, hoping to hear the heartbeat, and the dreaded blood test. I hate needles! Luckily, everything was normal and I didn’t pass out. But I thought the worry would subside! Now each time I go to the doctor, I’m just as nervous. I worry that our baby is still breathing and growing healthy and strong, I worry when I don’t have certain pregnancy symptoms or when I seem to have abnormal symptoms. When will the worrying stop?! Probably never. Once the baby is born, I’m sure it will only worsen. I’ve always been nervous holding newborns. But taking care of one! They’re so small and fragile. I worry about being a good mom, about doing things right. I feel like I know nothing! Someone please ease my worries.

Rhiannon owns and operates a website that sells baby sling carrier.

Finding out the baby’s gender

tinyslings — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:05:47 +0000

I am now almost 15 weeks into my first pregnancy. My husband and I are counting down the weeks until we find out the sex of our baby. When I told my parents that we were going to find out before the baby was born, they seemed sad or disappointed, like I was really missing out on a huge opportunity or something. Needless to say, I think that deep-down, they both are very curious and excited to find out early as well. They just can’t show their excitement yet (since it’s not what they did when they were new parents). I’ve heard it being described as “opening your presents before Christmas.” I am definitely an advocate in waiting until Christmas morning to open presents, but it seems to me that finding out the sex of our baby will be just as exciting and surprising at 20 weeks as it would be when I actually deliver the baby. So whether you are a fan of
finding out or waiting, I’m sure that special day will be a happy one for both you and your spouse.

Rhiannon owns and operates a website that sells baby sling carriers.

Pregnant and emotional

tinyslings — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:04:22 +0000

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have been going through a rollercoaster of emotions with my first pregnancy. Don’t get me wrong, I am so excited and grateful to be pregnant! In fact, I was already reading parenting books before I saw that
“positive” on the test. But now that the time is here and motherhood is nearing, it’s like I just don’t want to think about it at all. I guess the responsibility of it all just scares me to death! I mean, me, being in charge of a miniature person. It seems so weird. And my whole life will change: less sleep, less “me activities,” less dates with my husband, etc. Do I sound selfish yet? I know we will find so much joy in this new step in our lives, but I am scared. Okay, I said it. But why don’t I start preparing in overdrive? Am I just coasting through this pregnancy because I know it will be the last time I’ll be able to relax? Who knows. I guess I need to just take everything one thing at a time. Yes, I should prepare–I mean, this is only the most important thing I’ll ever do. But I also know that there are just some things I will have to learn as I go along. I have to trust myself and the decisions I make for our baby. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who will be a support to me and has every confidence in my abilities, even more than I do in my own.

Rhiannon owns and operates a website that retails baby sling carrier.

Conflicting Baby Advice

tinyslings — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:01:53 +0000

I am a first-time pregnant woman and I have mixed feelings about all the advice out there. I tend to overly prepare for big events in my life, so naturally I’ve read my fair share of books, articles, etc. Yes, some information is crucial to know, but when I compare advice with fellow pregnies, it’s almost as if I was reading from some mysterious and obscure location…Like did you know that some “professionals” say that you should refrain from eating deli meat unless it is heated up in order to kill a bacteria known as listeria? Yeah, I told this to my sister-in-law who was chowing down on a
delicious sandwich. She had never heard of it! And this is her third pregnancy! It wouldn’t be as big a deal if I wasn’t craving just that. Deli meat…mmmmmm. On top of that, I hear that you’re not supposed to sleep on your back after the first trimester. Conflicting information said that it doesn’t matter until later on, when it’s not comfortable to sleep on your back. Again, not a problem except the fact that I am a back sleeper and I’ve been struggling the past week to sleep on my side, and I wake up with really sore hips! I’m not even showing, so is it necessary this early? Anyway, I do know there is useful information out there, but there is also a lot of conflicting information too. I’ve decided to not read as much and to listen more to my instincts rather than those out there who claim to have all the answers. Good luck to the rest of you pregnies and I hope you know more than I do.

Rhiannon owns and operates a website that sells baby sling carrier.

A Case for Babying your Baby

tinyslings — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:08:47 +0000

Recently, I have noticed a resurgence of parents afraid of “spoiling” their kids, in particular their newborns and infants by carrying them too often in a baby sling carrier. This fear of spoiling children certainly isn’t anything new. In the early half of the 1900′s, the overwhelming majority of child care experts discouraged new parents from holding their babies “too much,” warning that by doing so, they would not prepare their children for the harsh and cruel world that awaited them.

However, in 1946 Dr. Benjamin Spock published “The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care.” Dr. Spock was one of the early advocates of mothers caring for their babies by using their own judgment to determine what was best for their baby. Today this concept seems like common sense, but at the time, it was revolutionary.

However, there are still many who warn new parents that excessively holding their baby will spoil the child. These people are known as “regulators.” Regulators believe that the child needs a disciplined routine to develop. The second group of people is referred to as “facilitators”. The facilitating parent acts reactively to the child’s physical or emotional cues of distress.

In 2001, A. Scher from the University of Haifa, Israel, conducted a study to determine which method of parenting created a stronger bond between the mother and child. Overwhelmingly, babies whose mothers used a facilitating approach to parenting displayed more “attachment” to their mothers than babies whose mothers used a more regulating approach.

So what does this mean for a new parent? It simply means that by holding your child and appropriately caring for your child when they begin to fuss, you build a relationship of trust and security with your baby. Building this sense of trust with your baby will actually foster your baby’s confidence to explore and interact with others. So relax, and worry more about what your baby wants and less about the what your peers and associates think.

Baby Slings are the Coolest!

tinyslings — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:55:04 +0000

Okay, I just wanted to check out this fun new blog we put on the site. We’ll be updating this blog with frequent updates regarding baby care, new trends in all things baby, and of course Baby Slings!