The Grief No One Talks About: Parenting a Child with a SEN Diagnosis
Grief has many faces. We often associate it with death, with finality. But there is another kind of grief that is quieter, longer, and less acknowledged: the grief of parenting a…
Holding On and Letting Go: A Different Conversation About Miscarriage
There are stories we hold quietly in our hearts, not because they don’t matter, but because they matter too much to speak aloud. Miscarriage is one of those stories. We often…
Loss and Healing:Coping with Pregnancy and Baby Loss
Losing a baby through miscarriage, termination due to foetal anomalies, late pregnancy loss, stillbirth or death, will result in enormous emotional pain and suffering. If you are…
How to Dress a Newborn Baby Immediately After Birth?
How to dress a newborn baby might seem like a simple question to answer, but, for many new parents, it is a new skill and questions abound. As new parents, ensuring your little…
First Month Baby Essentials: Must-Haves for Your Newborn’s Early Days
The arrival of your newborn is a magical milestone filled with joy and wonder and having your first month baby essentials ready will help ease you into your newfound parenthood.…
The Ultimate Checklist for Post-Newborn Baby Essentials
The ultimate checklist for post-newborn baby essentials is for new parents whose baby has outgrown the newborn phase and they need guidance on what they need next. It’s the lesser…
Understanding Baby Growth Spurts during Pregnancy
Understanding baby growth spurts during pregnancy can really help expecting moms to make the most of this miraculous journey. Carrying a baby is incredible but is also marked by…
A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Foetal Development in the Womb
A comprehensive guide to understanding foetal development in the womb is an article you will come back to throughout your pregnancy. As you reach new stages in your pregnancy,…
Baby Swing Safety: Guidelines, Risks, and Best Practices
Baby swings can be a great source of entertainment and relaxation, but baby swing safety is of utmost importance to ensure your baby’s well being. Not everyone will agree, but I’m…
The Importance of Finger Food Snacks for Development
The importance of finger food snacks is not just nutritional. It’s part of a developmental journey for babies aged 6-12 months. As a Clinical Paediatric Dietician, author and…
Nurturing Your Premature Baby’s Suck Reflex: The Importance of Soothers in the NICU
Nurturing your premature baby’s suck reflex is a crucial way you can help your baby to develop the skills they need to thrive. In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), caring…
Reading Your Premature Baby’s Feeding Cues
Feeding a premature baby can be a unique and sometimes challenging experience for parents. Premature infants often have different feeding needs and cues compared to full-term…
How to Navigate Home Feeds for Premature Babies
Bringing your premature baby home from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is an exciting and sometimes unnerving experience. One of the questions that come up for almost all…
Feeding your premature baby in NICU: A guide for new parents
Feeding your premature baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is an extraordinary journey that requires some patience, persistence, and a lot of gentle guidance.…
Establishing a Blissful Baby Nap Schedule by Infant Age in Months
A healthy baby nap schedule is essential to ensuring your baby gets the sleep they need is essential for their growth, development, and overall well-being. But as adults, we’re…
What to expect when weaning: Common challenges and how to overcome them
I wish someone had shared with me information about what to expect when weaning and how to overcome common challenges. In a previous article, I’ve talked about the stressful…
How to Wean Your Baby: A Guide for New Parents
The question of how to wean your baby can have lots of new parents riddled with anxiety. A big reason for that is that there’s so much contradictory information out there about…
Baby development and the impact of milk allergies
Milk allergies can potentially impact certain aspects of baby development. Especially in relation to growth, nutrition, and overall well-being. Whether it’s breastmilk or formula,…
Colic baby symptoms and tips for parents
Colic baby symptoms and tips for parents is a must read if you’re struggling to settle your baby to sleep, particularly in the evenings. Colic is both frustrating and largely…
Lactose Intolerance in Babies: Common Misconceptions and What Every Parent Needs to Know
Can a baby develop lactose intolerance? As an OT specialising in fussy babies with sleep and feeding problems, this question comes up a lot. Lactose intolerance is a common…
Are Baby Seats Bad for Development?
Are baby seats bad for development? It’s a controversial topic that can confuse and worry parents who don’t have the right information. The short answer is that, yes, baby seats…
The Essential Checklist For Baby Development
What do babies need for development? As parents, we all want to give our baby the best start in life. As an Occupational Therapist, I was fortunate enough to have my training and…
All About Baby Growth Spurts: A Parent’s Guide
What are baby growth spurts? As a new parent, you will probably have heard the term “growth spurt” thrown around by other parents, pediatricians, or even in parenting books. But…
The two-year-old sleep regression
How to manage the 2 year old sleep regression – I bet you didn’t expect to be asking that question. As a parent, you may think that once your child reaches the age of 2, their…
The 4 Month Sleep Regression: What it is & how to manage it
The 4 month sleep regression is a phase of that lots of parents dread. Like all moms, I suffered from sleep deprivation too, and especially with my first born. Three babies and…
Back to basics: 15 ways to shed toxic parenting
Have you ever felt the urge to get back to basics? I find that so many aspects of our lives are becoming artificial, tech-based and addictive. From food to social media to the…
Understanding Night Feeds
Understanding night feeds is something all new parents want to know. How long do they last? How many times a night is enough? When will they end? The truth is that night feeds are…
The Breastfeeding-Bonding Connection
The breastfeeding-bonding connection is one of those unique experiences between a mother and her baby. While most of us have experienced the love of a parent or the passion for a…
When Sleep Patterns Change
Nothing is more frustrating then when sleep patterns change. Just as you get it right and think you are on the track to having a baby who sleeps through the night, you get one…
Your Premature Baby’s Development
Your premature baby’s development follows their ‘adjusted age.’ In other words, the age they would be if they had been born on their due date. This is calculated as follows:…
Your Baby’s Sleep Space
Your baby’s sleep space impacts your little one’s sleep schedule. What should moms keep in mind when trying to create the right sleeping environment for their babies in the…
Your Baby’s Growth and Nutrition
Your baby’s growth and nutrition are inextricably linked. Each stage of feeding your baby, from breast to bottle and solids, will bring new and unique concerns about whether your…
What You Need to Know about Your Baby’s Health
The start of school or a change of seasons generally brings with it colds and flu. All children, babies and toddlers in particular, are more likely to suffer from common illnesses…
What you Need to Know about Worms
In this article, Meg Faure outlines what you need to know about worms. Once your baby becomes mobile and is exploring your home and garden more freely, she is susceptible to…
What Toys does My Baby Need?
What toys does my baby need? It’s a question all parents ask themselves when it comes to birthdays or holidays or just a fun treat. OT and baby specialist, Meg Faure, offers her…
Your Prem Baby’s State and Signals
Your premature baby’s state and signals are similar to your full-term baby: she can be in deep sleep, light sleep, a drowsy state, calm alert state or active alert state or she…
Can teething be the cause of sleep problems?
Can teething be the cause of sleep problems? It’s safe to say that teething and sleep typically do not go hand in hand. As a mum of 3, it was a case of Murphy’s Law that just as…
What is the Best Toy?
What is the best toy? A ball! Aside from keeping teenagers fit and school kids busy, a good old ball turns out to be the best toy of all for any age! Your new baby It is well…
The Importance of Play for Newborns
The importance of play for newborns is easy to forget. Newborns have such a short awake time, it can feel tricky to catch them alert enough to stimulate their cognitive function.…
The Importance of Play: 3 – 6 Months
You will probably have heard the saying: Play is the occupation of children – a child’s work. In your baby’s first three years they have a few goals: To master the world through…
What is Croup?
What is croup? you may be asking yourself if your Doctor has just made a diagnosis. So what is it and how does it affect your little one? Croup is a viral infection that causes…
What about Baby-Led Weaning?
What about baby-led weaning (BLW)? What is it and how do you go about it? Weaning your baby onto solid foods is a milestone that parents may dread. For many, it goes smoothly and…
How to Use Toys Optimally for Stimulation
Using toys for optimal stimulation is a smart and practical way to encourage important milestones in your little one. In this article, OT and play-to-learn advocate, Meg Faure,…
Neonatal Unit: Making Sense of a New World
The neonatal unit can make even the most experienced parents feel out of their depth. The the sounds of the monitors and alarms and all the technical terms the staff use when…
TV and your Baby
TV and your baby is probably something you thought about when you were expecting. In fact, most of us well-meaning parents swore we would never allow excessive TV time for our…
Two Feeding Tips
Feeding your baby, whether breast, bottle or solids can be fraught with anxiety. Concerns over your baby’s weight gain, what and how to feed, whether your milk supply is adequate…
Top 5 Stimulating Activities for Newborns
Pregnancy provides the greenhouse for the formation of 100 billion brain cells. These brain cells are largely unconnected at birth. What can you do to stimulate your newborn to…
Top 5 Sleep Problems from 6-12 Months of Age
Whether your little one has always been a good sleeper or you are just getting your baby to sleep through the night or sleep has always been a problem and still is, you will find…
The Sensory Experience of Feeding
There are sensory implications to both breast and bottle-feeding. Feeding is a very sense-heavy experience, no matter how old your baby is, or how he is fed. From the moment you…
The Importance of Creating Memories and Rituals
The importance of creating memories and rituals is something that many of us miss while navigating the busy-ness of parenting and life in general. But there’s so much value to be…
The B of COLLAB Weaning
COLLAB is an approach to weaning we speak about in the Weaning Sense book. The last letter of COLLAB weaning stands for “Baby-friendly.” Baby-friendly weaning recognises that as…
Tech Savvy Parents and Toys
Tech savvy parents and toys – it’s the modern day norm. As parents, we use tech to manage just about every aspect of our lives – from booking holidays to ordering take out to…
Supporting your Toddler through Illness
When your toddler is ill she will feel more needy, eat less and may regress in her development. Understanding the reasons and how to support her will help her healing process.…
Stimulation Ideas for the Toddler at Home
Stimulation ideas for the toddler at home is a great, practical guide for ways to keep your busy little one occupied and learning about the world around them. OT and parenting…
Understanding the 4 Different Baby Personalities: A Guide for New Parents
Understanding the 4 different baby personalities is what I refer to as the secret to successful parenting. As an OT and mother of 3, I have first-hand experience of what it is to…
The Sensory World of the Neonatal Unit
The sensory world of the neonatal unit is very different from the womb. The womb was the ideal sensory environment for your baby but if your little one is born prematurely, it’s…
Premature Birth: Q&A
Almost no one expects a premature birth. In fact, most of us who had a very considered and detailed birth plan. We all want birth to be safe, calm and to some extent, predictable…
Sore Throat – Is it Tonsillitis?
Sore throat, fussy baby not wanting to eat – is it Tonsillitis? Meg Faure explains what symptoms to look out for and when to call the doctor. Laryngitis This is a viral infection…
Solids from 6 – 12 Months. Is my Baby Eating Enough?
The guiding principle when it comes to starting solids and weaning is to let your baby take the lead with eating. Whilst it is hard to do at times, remember, it is your job to…
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is hard to manage as a parent. It’s valuable to understand why it happens as this helps us to know how to manage it. Normal milestones There are specific ages…
Self Regulation
Self-regulation is the ability to recognise and manage your emotions without intervention from an external person. In little ones, this means learning not to smack, or push or…
Selecting Foods for your Baby
When selecting first foods for weaning your baby onto solids, there are three factors you need to consider: texture, flavour and nutrients. Home cooked food Preparing food at home…
Seasoning vs Salt
It may seem logical that all food given to baby should taste exactly as is, with no flavour or seasoning added to it and that bland food is best for babies. You may worry that…
The Benefits of Reading to your Baby
The benefits of reading to your baby are remarkable. Are you concerned about your baby’s verbal ability? Do you want to ensure that his or her verbal skills develop to the fullest…
Playing with your Baby
Playing with your baby is such a wonderful experience. And the second half of your baby’s first year is just the best time with your baby. It’s the first time that her play skills…
Play Date Tips
Play date tips will give you the structure you need to make the most of social occasions with your little one and friends. Human babies are wired to be social and as parents, we…
Feeding Expectations: One Year and Beyond
As your baby approaches one year of age, you may be wondering how his nutritional needs and dietary preferences will change – here is what you need to know about this stage of the…
Night Feeds for Prem Babies
Night feeds are simply a part of early parenting. All babies need them in the early days and all babies outgrow them in time. If your baby is born with higher needs than most…
Nappy Norms
Nappy changes in the early days can be confusing for a new parent – let’s take a look at what you can expect: Meconium Meconium is the first poo that your baby will pass and is…
Myths about Co-Sleeping
Let’s separate the facts from the myths about co-sleeping. Co-sleeping with your baby Attachment parenting promotes co-sleeping with your baby as a method to enhance attachment…
Milk Feeds – When to Switch to Cows Milk
Milk feeds – when to switch to cows milk? You might be wondering as our little one grows. Cows milk is a natural choice for most parents who consume it, although there are…
Sinusitis and Hayfever
Sinusitis and hay fever aren’t nice at any age, but especially for your infant or toddler. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about these two common ailments.…
Picky Eating in Toddlers
Picky eating in toddlers is not uncommon but ask any parent, it can be frustrating and worrying when your little one refuses point blank to eat what is in front of them (or in the…
Optimizing your Baby’s Development
As parents, we all want to optimize our baby’s development. Research has shown us that what we do to enhance development in the early days, holds the key to raising a happy,…
Nutrient and Calorie-Rich Finger Foods
When it comes to finger food for toddlers, you want to choose a variety of nutrient and calorie rich foods that meet your little one’s nutritional needs. This article is an…
Solving Baby Sleep Issues
Every week I hear from Moms seeking help to solve their baby sleep issues. Today was no different, an 11 month old little chap, lets call him Nicholas who was not sleeping longer…
Managing Separation
It is not unusual for parents to have to return to work at some stage in their child’s first year. As hard as it is for your little one to separate from you, it is sometimes…
Avoiding Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency can have a devastating impact on your baby’s health. Iron is a vital component of haemoglobin, which is found in our body’s red blood cells. It is these red blood…
Introducing Allergens
It is very important to introduce a wide variety of tastes and textures during the first 6 months of weaning. Introducing protein foods will be a large part of this phase of solid…
Information for Parents of Premature Babies
Everyone hopes their pregnancy will be uncomplicated and free from emergency. Few people consider the possibility that their baby could be born many weeks before the due date and…
7 Ways to Boost Your Baby’s Immunity
There are 7 ways to boost your baby’s immunity in infancy. In the first few months, your baby’s immune system is immature. Fortunately, your baby was born with a natural immunity…
Helping your Prem Baby Sleep
Helping your prem baby sleep is one of the most important keys to their health and wellness. It’s true that your prem baby will sleep for much of the day while in the neonatal…
Help your Baby Sleep in a Strange Environment
Helping your baby sleep in a strange environment is sometimes easier said than done. But it happens to all of us – we go away on holiday or business or we move houses. Whatever…
Healthy Snacks
Healthy snack ideas come in all shapes and sizes but when it comes to toddlers – it has to be tasty too. From 6 months onwards, little ones need three meals a day and two snacks.…
Gross Motor Milestones – When to be Concerned
A delay in one gross motor milestone is generally not a cause for great concern. You must take into account that your baby is an individual and will progress in life at his own…
Tips for Feeding Your Older Baby
Feeding your older baby or toddler becomes easier as your little one will start to give very clear signals and even use language at this stage. As he develops s stronger sense of…
Back Lying Activities
There are many benefits of back lying for your baby, as well as fun activities that you can do to offer stimulation and development. Back lying encourages midline control of your…
Foods and Ingredients to Avoid
When it comes to your little one’s health and wellbeing, there are some foods and ingredients to avoid, Meg Faure explains. The greater the variety of foods you offer your baby in…
Feeding your Premature Baby
Feeding your premature baby well is one of the indicators that your little one is ready to be discharged. The road to feeding your premature baby effectively starts early. Early…
Feeding your 3 – 6 Month Old Baby
Feeding your 3-6 month old baby comes with a new set of changes (and challenges). By the time your baby is 3 months of age, you will have gained confidence in your parenting…
Feeding Sense for your 0-3 Month Old Baby
In the first three months your focus to a great extent is on the basic necessities of life, like feeds, nappies and sleep!! Feeding your 0-3 month old baby may be challenging at…
Effects of Medication or Hospitalization on Sleep
The effects of medication on sleep Medication your baby is taking may have a disruptive effect on her sleep. All medication has the potential to cause side effects. These side…
Ear Infections
Ear infections are common in babies and young children. What do you need to know about preventing them and managing infection? The ears are connected to the nose by little tubes,…
Diarrhea and Vomiting
Diarrhea and Vomiting excerpt is taken from Baby Sense , by Meg Faure & Ann Richardson, [Metz Press]. Gastroenteritis Gastroenteritis (gastro) is a viral infection of the stomach…
Bathing your Newborn Baby
Bathing your newborn baby for the first time can leave you drowning in anxiety. It’s possibly one of the first times that you will imagine everything that can go wrong as a…
Benefits of Dad Play
Most of us instinctively know the benefits of dad play. From a scientific point of view, there is no shortage of research on the benefits that dads bring to their little ones’…
Ask Meg: Balancing Stimulation and Sleep
Ask Meg: Balancing stimulation to get my baby to settle & sleep Dear Meg, I have a four-month-old baby boy who seems to be very fussy during the day and does not sleep through at…
Developmental Benefits of Physical Activity for your Tot
The day Jimmy was born, the doctor shouted “It’s a boy!” and dad instantly said, “Oh wow – a rugby player!” Mom immediately thought: “Over my dead body will my little treasure get…
Development: When to be Concerned?
Like most new parents you probably have certain anxieties and expectations for your baby. From feeding to sleep to health, the concerns will raise their heads at different times…
Development Activity Ideas: 9 – 12 Months
This is the stage where babies begin to develop independence through mobility. General: On outings talk about what you see, about moving things which will help with tracking. Also…
Development Activity Ideas: 6 – 9 Months
Between 6 and 9 months, the focus of development activities is now on motor acquisitions. At this stage, your baby will move towards sitting and crawling. Here are some activity…
Dermatitis and Eczema
Dermatitis and eczema means that your child’s skin is irritated because it is dry and itchy. It may also be red and scaly, sometimes with little blisters or thickened skin. It’s…
Coughs and Colds
Coughs and colds are common childhood illnesses but there are few things as stressful as having a sick child. A baby who is battling a cough or cold can’t tell you how they’re…
Calm with Stimulation
Calming with stimulation – is it possible to have a calm baby amidst all the busy-ness and sensory overload? Your newborn has emerged from the most calming sensory environment –…
Be Bored – it’s the Best!
Be bored – it’s the best!, said no little one ever. The modern world is littered with overscheduling and over stimulating our babies. We need to remember to leave time aside that…
Reconsidering Baby Rice and Cereal as a First Food: New Insights and Recommendations
Baby rice and cereal as a first food is pretty normal, right? Yes, up until a few years ago, baby rice and cereal was the obvious choice for a baby’s first taste of solids. This…
Babies Birthdays
Babies birthday are supposed to be memorable and fun! But parenting can be a competitive sport and planning your baby’s birthday parties (especially their first birthday) is in a…
Adjusting to a Different Reality: When your baby is born prematurely
Adjusting to a different reality as a new parent starts during pregnancy. This is when you begin the process of bonding with your little one. You envisage your baby, who they will…
Activities to Encourage Tummy Time
Activities to encourage tummy time are so useful in developing this important skill in your little one. Tummy time is the basis of a number of gross motor skills – including…
What Age Do Babies Start Rolling Over? (Here’s the Average)
What age do babies start rolling over? It’s a question all new parents want to know. Like with all developmental milestones, there is a window that’s considered normal, instead of…
9-12 Months Independence through Mobility
At 9 -12 months independence through mobility is high on your baby’s list of things to explore and master. This age is the stage where babies begin to develop new gross motor…
Being an Active Parent on the Neonatal Unit
Being an active parent on the neonatal unit can be daunting. On the one hand, it can feel like you are at the mercy of the nursing staff. After all, they have the skill, knowledge…
Breastfeeding and Returning to Work
Returning to work need not be cause for anxiety or a reason to abandon breastfeeding. If carefully managed, you can make the transition seamlessly. Here are 4 tips to make…
5 Bad baby sleep habits and what to do about them
Bad sleep habits for babies often creep in as a result of sheer desperation. You really want to get some sleep and will do just about anything to get your baby to comply. I…
20 Sleep Fixes that Work
20 sleep fixes that work – sound too good to be true? If you’re reading this 20 sleep fixes, it’s safe to assume that you are tired. Too tired to read a tome on how to get more…
20 Rainy Day Activities
Wherever you are in the world, it can be a battle to think of things to do with your tots when the weather isn’t great. We’ve put together a list of 20 fun and easy activities to…
10 Ultimate Baby Sleep Tips
Meg Faure, co-author of Baby Sense and Sleep Sense, summarises the top 10 ultimate baby sleep tips to help your baby sleep through the night. Helping your baby to sleep through…
How to Get an Overtired Baby to Sleep
How to get an overtired baby to sleep – this question has come up thousands of times in my private practice. As a mum of 3 and an Occupational Therapist specialising in fussy…
10 Baby Self-Soothing Behaviours
Sharing these 10 baby self-soothing behaviours with you is a joy for me. Like most new mums, I struggled with sleep deprivation when my first born was an infant. I wanted what…
The Path to a Good Night’s Sleep
The path to a good night’s sleep – “show us the way!” you might be thinking. The sometimes harsh reality is that when a baby is born, so is a mother and a new relationship. In the…
Feeding Sense for Sleep
Feeding Sense for sleep outlines how you can encourage sleep in your little one based on the foods they (and you) consume, Meg Faure explains. The old Afrikaans adage “Magies vol,…
Health and Sleep
Sleep and health are inextricably linked. When your baby wakes at night and cannot settle to sleep, one of the thoughts that will go through your head is whether they are ill. If…
Toys and Games
One of the tasks of early parenting is to stimulate your baby to ensure optimal development of your baby. In the book Baby Sense, I outline four elements to keep in mind, using…
The Development of Speech
The development of speech is an exciting stage in your baby’s life. From their first word to their first full sentences explaining the world as they see it – speech development in…
A Quick Guide to Baby Stimulation Classes
Every well-meaning parent wants to do the best for their baby. We tend to focus heavily on our baby’s milestones and create expectations for ourselves to have the best, brightest…
Gross Motor Development & Your Baby
Gross motor development relates to the functioning and development of the large muscles in the arms, legs and torso. We use these muscles as part of basic mobility such as…
Modulating Stimulation
Modulating stimulation is a fancy way of saying that as a parent, you need to control the quality and amount of stimulation your baby gets. We know that parenting comes with a lot…
Your Baby’s Social Development
Your baby’s social development will set the tone for the relationships they will have throughout their life. You will hear me say that often in my talks, podcasts, courses and…
Stimulation 101
Stimulation 101 – what is it, why do we do it and how do our little one’s benefit from it? I think it’s fair to say that the range of toys available for babies is absolutely…
Preventing Overstimulation
Preventing overstimulation is a fine balance. There is no question that stimulation is important for brain development. Sensory experiences are said to be the ‘architect of…
The Benefits of Carrying your Baby
One of the most expensive purchases you are likely to make for your baby is a pram. While prams or strollers are useful for travel, carrying your baby in your arms, a sling or…
What Is Bonding?
What is bonding, really? You might be asking yourself as a new parent. Bonding is the attachment and feelings of love between a parent and their baby. It is more than a warm fuzzy…
Language Development
Language development is an important and sometimes worrying development in little ones. The human baby is typically hard wired to be a social being. Naturally, the development of…
The Fourth Trimester
The fourth trimester is a time in our lives as new parents to a brand new baby that we often underestimate. We believe we will be so in tune with our baby’s needs (and that they…
Crying: Preventing and Managing Colic
Crying: preventing and managing colic is a must read for new parents who are experiencing crying, crying and more crying. There are few things in life as hard as trying to soothe…
Caring for your Prem Baby
Caring for your prem baby can be daunting. They are so small and fragile that it can be overwhelming for new parents. Author of Baby Sense, Meg Faure, talks about some practical…
Baby Awake Times by Age (Chart Included)
Baby Awake Times is one article that I know will save you a lot of confusion and frustration as a parent. In my clinical practice as an Occupational Therapist specialising in…
Swaddling 101
Swaddling is as ancient as parenting itself. For centuries mothers have swaddled their babies. It is only in recent years that some western cultures have stopped swaddling their…
Keeping your baby healthy
Keeping your baby healthy is so important to keeping a healthy routine. Sure, germs will come and go and build up their little immune systems but there are things we should do to…
Preparing to breastfeed
Preparing to breastfeed sounds very serious. But in reality, our bodies are magically designed to produce milk. Regardless of how you prepare or don’t prepare to breastfeed, your…
Managing a Fussy Baby
Managing a fussy baby is every mom’s worst fear. There are few challenges that can throw a new mom out more than colic and reflux. Having a fussy baby who simply won’t settle is…
Confident Parenting
Confident parenting – we all want to say with certainty that what we’re doing for our little one’s is best. I don’t know about you, but with my first baby, I was a bundle of…
Sensory Care for your prem baby
Sensory care for your prem baby or sensory development care as it’s sometimes called is practiced in neonatal units (NICU) all over the world. For the 40 weeks of pregnancy, the…
Your body for your baby
Your body for your baby…here’s my story of how the basics became a priority during my pregnancies. I am sitting on an airplane – about to take off. I’m managing to tune out the…
Foods that feed the body well
Foods that feed the body well have so many benefits. Obviously, they keep our little one’s growing bodies healthy and strong, but they also have a huge benefit on mental health –…
How to Drop a Day Sleep
How to drop a day sleep is a question that comes up for lots of parents. Just as you think you have got on top of your baby’s sleep routine, suddenly you will find that they…
Packing your nappy bag
Packing your nappy bag or diaper bag with your first baby comes the awareness that you will never ‘travel light’ again! The reason is that there is nothing worse than being caught…
Baby Essentials – what can’t you do without?
Baby essentials can grow into an enormous collection of ‘stuff’ if you don’t know the basics of what you’ll need. You’ll soon learn that becoming a new parent is an expensive…
5 Health Tips for your Baby & Toddler
As a parent, your baby’s health is your priority but keeping your baby healthy through the year is a challenge. Your little one is likely to have 14 minor illnesses before they…
First aid while travelling
First aid while travelling can go a long way to putting your mind at ease. Leaving home with a baby for the first time on a quick errand can bring on anxiety. But going on holiday…
Prepared to be a parent
Are you prepared to be a parent? It’s a question that runs through every expecting parent’s mind at some point. Let’s face it, birth is the biggest single transition of your life.…
Is my baby getting enough milk?
Is my baby getting enough milk? It’s a question I’ve had from lots of parents and understandably so. One of the hardest parts of breastfeeding is not knowing if you are producing…
Engaging Play through Toys
Engaging play through toys is a great way to encourage your little one’s development. If I had to classify toys into three categories according to simplicity, I would do so as…
Newborn sleep
Newborn sleep might not seem like a big deal at first. Your newborn baby (under 6 weeks) is wired to sleep a lot in the early days. In fact, most newborns are generally good…
Crying: 5 step colic solution
Crying: 5 step colic solution – as a new parent you probably didn’t hesitate to click on an article about what plagues so many newborns (and new parents) in the early days…colic.…
Day Sleep
To day sleep or not to day sleep? One of the biggest myths about your child’s sleep is that if you keep a baby or toddler awake in the day they will be so tired that they will…
Sleep Safety
Sleep safety is something you will definitely be aware of once you have a baby. More than any other time in your life. That is in part, because sleep marks the very first…
Teething
Teething is the eruption of teeth from the gums. In other words, the actual appearance of a tooth. Your baby’s first tooth will most likely appear at around 7 months of age,…
Ditching the Mommy Guilt
Ditching the mommy guilt…easier said then done, right? There is a saying that “Maternal guilt comes with the placenta” and it is so true! From the moment of conception you will…
3 Feeding Challenges and How to Manage Them
There are 3 feeding challenges you are likely to face at different stages in your baby’s couple of years. You’ll probably know by now that feeding is one of the most emotive of…
Nurturing your unborn baby
Nurturing your unborn baby during pregnancy has a direct effect on your baby’s brain and their longer term development and success. Your job is to create the right environment and…
Baby bonding & attachment
Baby bonding and attachment is a precious process where you develop strong emotional ties with your infant. These emotional ties will develop and be enriched throughout the early…
Understanding Fussy Eating in Your Toddler
It has been said that ‘Toddlers exist on Fresh air and Love’ – and if you ask any mom of a toddler who is a picky eater and she will agree! There are few things more frustrating…
Understanding Fussy Eating in Your Baby
Understanding fussy eating in your baby can save you a lot of heartache. For some reason, as moms we tend to measure our success as mothers on how well our baby eats. So when your…
Sensory Comforts for Sleep
Sensory comforts for sleep – what are some of your favourites? I love a cool room, with a feather comforter and a memory foam pillow. Talking about this reminds me of a previous…
Catnapping Baby: What is it and How to Stop it?
A catnapping baby can throw even the calmest of parents off. Before children, catnaps are wonderful little pockets of R&R tucked away between all the busy-ness of everyday life.…
Decoding your baby’s cries
Decoding your baby’s cries is a skill that most new parents wish they knew straight off the bat. Not knowing what an unhappy baby needs can be stressful and frustrating. The good…
Infant Reflux: A sense-able approach
Infant reflux affected around half of the babies I would see in my private practice. Admittedly, I specialised in more fussy of babies so it stands to reason that half of my…
Preparing for Birth
Preparing for birth is all you’ll be able to think about as your baby’s due date approaches. You will be wondering how best to prepare for the birth you’ve chosen. To ease your…
Dummies/Pacifiers for Babies: Pros, Cons and How to Properly Use Them
Dummies/pacifiers for babies are one of the lighter controversial subjects when it comes to infant care. When to use them? Why? Are you creating a habit that will be hard to…
Baby care in the early days
Baby care in the early days can be overwhelming. Most complicated items in your home come with an instruction manual. These items generally perform one complicated function and…
Ask Meg: Battling Reflux & Colic
Are you battling with reflux and colic? A new mom whose baby is struggling with reflux and colic asks me how she can help her little one to establish a better sleep day and night…
My Breastfeeding Journey
My breastfeeding journey…this is a bit of a different blog for me. It’s a very personal look at breastfeeding – not so much the science but the physical and emotional side of…
Mastering the Art of Calming Your Baby: The Seven ‘S’s Every Parent Should Know
The seven ‘S’s for calming your baby are techniques most new parents will need. At some point or another, you might find themselves at a loss when it comes to calming their crying…
5 Good Sleep Habits to Encourage
Good sleep habits is something you want your little one to have from early on. In my previous article, we looked at the top 5 BAD sleep habits and how to break them. Today, we are…
Coping with Sleep Deprivation
Coping with sleep deprivation is one of the biggest challenges of parenting. It’s something nothing can prepare you for. So how do you cope? Meg Faure offers her insights. In…
5 Developmental Milestones in Your Baby’s First Year
Milestones like sitting, walking and talking are extraordinary moments signaling that your baby is entering a new stage in their growth and development. But in this blog, I want…
Gentle Sleep Training
Gentle sleep training is exactly what it sounds like – a gradual method of teaching your baby to settle and sleep through the night. I battled with extreme sleep deprivation when…
Understanding your baby’s signals
Do you know how to read your baby’s cries? Can you predict when she is about to start crying and interpret her gaze? Although every baby is different, babies share a universal…
Why is my baby crying?
Crying is a primitive and piercing sound that is bound to get any mom or dad’s attention. When our baby cries, we naturally react to stop the crying and then try to find the cause…
When Will my Baby Sleep Through?
The golden question: “When should my baby sleep through?” is one that needs answering as it determines what is reasonable to expect from your baby. Sleeping through is not just a…
Myths Blog 3: Co Sleeping
This is the third of my blogs taken from the fabulous new book called Great Myths of Child Development (Hupp & Jewell, 2015). Hupp & Jewel weigh up the research available about…
Baby-Centric Routines
Baby specialist, Meg Faure, talks about the benefit of “baby-centric routines” for both moms and little ones. Routine makes our lives as mums much easier but not all types of…
Adjusting to Motherhood
Adjusting to motherhood arguably does come naturally, but not necessarily easily. Here’s my story of becoming a mother for the first time. I recall the weeks after my first baby…
SIDS: reducing the risk
As a mom of three, I know that the weight of responsibility of being a parent is immense. Since becoming a mum, not a day has gone by that I haven’t had concerns over my children.…
Information overload
Information overload – especially for new parents – is real It’s hard being a parent. Each day you make millions of small and some very big decisions about your baby’s health,…
Bedtime Routine – The Secret to a Good Night’s Sleep
If asked for only one tip on how to get a baby or toddler sleeping well, it would probably be to get a good calming bedtime routine established. A perfect bedtime routine has 5…
The gentle art of Baby Massage
The gentle art of baby massage is a fantastic technique for calming and bonding with your baby. In fact, if there’s one activity that should form part of your ideal routine with…
Attachment Objects
Attachment objects – did you have one as a little one? I have a picture in my head of Snoopy’s friend Linus and his beloved blanky. This scrap of blue, well-loved material follows…
Temperature Control
Temperature control isn’t something you baby can do on their own in the first few months of life. Let’s look at what you can do to regulate temperature for your baby’s comfort and…
Separation anxiety in babies at night
Separation anxiety in babies at night is something almost all parents grapple with. As an Occupational Therapist specialising in fussy babies with sleep and feeding problems, I’ve…
Device-Driven Parenting
Device-driven parenting has made life a whole lot easier than 100 years ago. Disposable nappies, microwaves, prams and parenting apps all make life as a parent much easier. These…
When Reflux affects your baby’s sleep
When reflux affects your baby’s sleep you can be sure that no one in your household will be very rested or happy. Sister Ann Richardson discusses the side effects of…
Is this obsession healthy?
Is this obsession healthy? that was the question running through my mind back in 1998 when I developed a case of Primary Maternal Preoccupation (PMP). I got another dose in 2000…
Life Hacks for Busy Moms
Life hacks for busy moms – how else do we survive all the busy-ness, chaos, changes and more? I know that hacks saved me many times from disaster. As the mom of three very busy…
Developing Healthy Sleep Habits
When asked about developing healthy sleep habits, Meg Faure says: “ Sleep is vital for our physical and emotional well-being…The secret to ensuring that your baby develops good…
Play and ‘Just Be’
Connecting with your little one is essential on so many levels. Sleep, behaviour, potty training, feeding and long term behaviour issues are very strongly influenced by your…
Choosing the Best Child Care for Mom and Baby
Choosing the best child care for mom and baby is a decision that you can’t take lightly. There are a number of factors to consider and in this article, Meg Faure weighs up the…
Wear that baby!
Wear that baby! For some, the thought of baby wearing is out dated or even unheard of. But it was only until 200 years ago that all babies were carried in slings and carriers by…
Sensory Defensiveness
Sensory defensiveness is probably not something most parents have heard about. With the exception if those who work with young children, sensory defensiveness in babies can make…
5 Steps to a Peaceful Bedtime
Following the 5 steps to a peaceful bedtime is a practical way to encourage healthy sleeping habits in your baby. Bedtime is typically one of the battles that parents choose when…
An intimate look at Post Natal Depression
An intimate look at Post Natal Depression is an honest account from one mom who found herself drowning in the pressures of caring for her baby. Being a new mom is tough for…
Post Natal Depression: An in-depth look
Post Natal Depression: An in-depth look will give you the insights you need to recognise and deal with Post Natal Depression (PND), also known as Postpartum Depression. There is a…
Understanding and Managing Baby Day-Night Sleep Reversal: Expert Tips and Advice
Baby day-night sleep reversal, also known as day-night confusion, is a common in infants during their early weeks of life. You would think that after carrying your baby for 9…
Reading your baby’s signals
Reading your baby’s signals is something all new parents need to learn. It feels especially urgent in the early days when most parents are feeling anxious and uncertain of what to…
Breastfeeding and Sleep
Breastfeeding and sleep – two of the biggest challenges many moms will face in the first year of their baby’s life. In this article, author and baby specialist, Meg Faure, answers…
Top calming tips for newborns
Your newborn baby arrives in our busy world from the most soothing sensory environment – the womb. Over the course of the first three months of life, your baby takes time to…
Womb to world – the secrets of your baby’s new life
Womb to world – the secrets of your baby’s new life will open up a whole new way of caring for your baby with calm, confidence and a knowing that is (understandably) lacking in…
When Breast Feeding does not come naturally
Many people may argue the fact that breast feeding should be the most natural thing in the world. So, what’s wrong with you if you find the whole breast feeding thing really hard?…
Advice for new moms
Advice for new moms…where do I start? As a seasoned mom of three, I often wonder what I wish I had known before my little one’s were born. What advice would I give myself, if I…