pregnancy books

- aviva jill romm’s the natural pregnacy book. she also wrote two more books: vaccinations and naturally healthy babies and children.

- sears & sears: the pregnancy book

most of the other books i know of, especially birth books, are geared toward homebirth.

- ina may gaskin’s guide to childbirth (also, spiritual midwifery)

- henci goer: the thinking woman’s guide to a better birth

- sheila kitzinger: the complete book of pregnancy & childbirth

baby and parenting books

- sears & sears: the baby book, attachment parenting

- huggins: the nursing mother’s companion (vital! i’ve also heard good things about the breastfeeding book from LLL)

- karp: happiest baby on the block (great for those early months/4^th trimester)

- vimala schneider mcclure: infant massage

- davis and keyser: becoming the parent you want to be

- faber and mazlish: how to talk so kids will listen & listen so kids will talk

- kohn, unconditional parenting

- liedloff, continuum concept

- superoods

- aldort: raising our children, raising ourselves

ec (elimination communication)

- bauer: diaper free

- boucke: infant potty basics

- baby bjorn little potty is good for little ones.

- for supplies: theecstore.com

slings/carriers

- we loved having a few slings around for the first 4-5 months. we had a padded over-the-shoulder baby holder, a fleece pouch by kangaroo korner (good for cold months), a cotton pouch, and a light-weight ring sling by rockin’ baby sling.

- we had two wraps but both were too stretchy. they are wonderful and versatile carriers but be sure to get fabric that’s not overly stretchy.

- starting around month 5, we switched to the ergo which allows you to front, side and back carrier easily. we also used a mei tai. the beco carrier is a lot like the ergo and is becoming popular too.

we’ve gotten a lot of use of the hyland kit of homeopathics for kids

http://www.hylands.com/products/kidskit.php

favorite resources

- mothering (the magazine) and mothering.com discussion boards

- kellymom.com

- bpn: berkeley parents network

we’re not big on gear but did enjoy having a:

- yoga/exercise ball: we used it for calming a fussy baby, getting him to sleep, and play

- playgym

- bouncy seat: a good place to set down your infant while cooking, answering the phone, whatever. it’s also good for eye-to-eye contact when play begins.

- (for later) highchair: we have a wooden highchair from svan. it’s very adjustable, doesn’t take up too much space and fits well with the aesthetic of our home.

wool

we’re fans of wool and used small sheep skin rugs for early nakey time. we also used wool diaper covers (over cotton chinese prefolds) and woolens under clothing. wool is naturally antibacterial and very easy to care for.

diaper covers: it completely depends on your babe’s body, so we had to try several brands. what worked best for us were the imse vimse covers. we also found some great covers on ebay, especially hand knit wool soakers.

that said, there are so many options when it comes to diapering: cotton with cover, all-in-ones, pocket diapers, etc. it may take some experimenting to discover what works best for you.

woolens: we usual bought ours online from nova naturals. woolens under clothing are wonderful for keeping your babe nice and warm.

favorite nighttime books to read to babies/young toddlers

- tumble bumble

- i know a rhino

- goodnight moon

- the very hungry caterpillar

- goodnight gorilla

- counting kisses

- 10 minutes til bedtime

- time for bed

- harold and the purple crayon

favorite toy companies/sites

- we prefer wood toys: haba, plan toys, melissa & doug, selecta

- oompa.com, moolka.com, nova natural toys & crafts, three sister toys, willow trees toys, the playstore, the wooden wagon

random bits:

we bought a bunch of fleece baby booties from zutano. they actually stay on babies’ feet unlike most socks. shoes we liked for later: robeez (there are tons of brands just like them too) for crawlers and early walkers and see kai run for once they start walking more outdoors. they are one of the only brands who make hip shoes for boys.

glamourmom nursing tanks were pretty important. while establishing a nursing relationship, there’s more breast exposure. tanks allow for more discretion. also, they’re great for colder months since your belly can stay warm while you lift your sweater/top.

water filters: our midwife mentioned that drinking good, clean water is very important for pregnant women. plus, it’s great to have clean water for your babe once they start eating solids. we also put a filter in the shower.

Baths

Doula

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