drmariablois

Babywearing Ambassador

November 3, 2008

“Is that a baby in your purse?” The question startles me as I check out of the grocery store with my newborn daughter tucked close to my body in a baby sling. I glance up at the woman ringing up my purchases, who is looking at me with nothing but friendly interest. “Well,” I stammer, [...]

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First Steps

September 22, 2008

So here it is. My eleven-month-old baby is taking her first steps. My fourth child and my last baby. Walking. She, of course is delighted and high steps it all over the house, pausing to teeter uncertainly where the carpet meets the floor. When our two year old imitates her, he bends his legs comically [...]

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Getting Dad into the Game

September 9, 2008

I often hear new moms tell me they are pumping so that dad can give the new baby a bottle. Over and over I hear that they want dad to feel involved and feeding an infant a bottle is just the way to do it. As the mother of four, this seems redundant to me. [...]

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Babywearing: The Next Generation

August 26, 2008

There is something so sweet about watching our older children mimic our parenting style with their younger siblings. When our second child was born, our oldest was only two years old and while she was very sweet with her new baby brother, she mostly just politely ignored him. I did catch her gently rocking and [...]

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Babywearing and Traveling: A Perfect Match

August 10, 2008

We are about to leave for our annual trek across the country to visit grandparents. I have been busy packing and trying to figure out how we plan to corral four children, including an infant and a young toddler, in the airport while we are on the go. I have been knee-deep considering borrowing friend’s [...]

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The Sling Fairy

July 14, 2008

I have often wished that I had a plentiful, varied, bottomless stash of soft baby carriers that I could give away to each and every parent or caregiver who wanted and needed one, a sort of a Sling Fairy, if you will. Here is who I would give them to: To the mama at the [...]

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Torso? Of Course-O!

July 7, 2008

Q: Can you teach me to wear my baby on my back in a Torso Carry? A: Sure can. Let me tell you why I love the Torso Carry. If you have never tried a torso carry (fabric is wrapped exclusively around your torso excluding the shoulders entirely) you are in for a treat. This [...]

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Permission to Parent?

June 22, 2008

Is it just me or is our society ridiculously quick to expect moms and babies to separate? It seems to me that our cultural norm dictates that mothers need “alone time” that can only be meaningful if they do not have a baby or small child along. In my experience with mainstream culture, even “mom [...]

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