breastfeeding – Carol Gray

The Safe to Sleep Program, SIDS and SUID

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness August 3, 2024August 18, 2024accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, ASSB, babies, back to sleep, breastfeeding, carol gray, cot death, crib death, death certificates, infant care, infant sleep, parenting, safe to sleep, science, sids, sleep apnea, sudden infant death syndrome, sudden unexpected infant death, suid, unexpected infant death

Why are We Putting Babies to Sleep on Their Backs?

The Hong Kong Studies

In 1985 after retrospectively investigating only 15 deaths, researchers concluded that that Hong Kong had a much lower rate of unexplained infant deaths than that of Western countries. They cited a low incidence of preterm birth in Hong Kong (a known risk factor for unexplained infant death) and two significant differences in infant sleep environments — crowded living conditions and the traditional Chinese practice of putting babies to sleep on their backs. Given the absurdity of recommending crowded living conditions and the unlikelihood of reducing preterm birth, they went with the supine sleep recommendation in their conclusions. Read more

Eat

Carol Gray Babies, Infants, Wellness September 14, 2021August 5, 2024babies, baby food purees, baby led weaning, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, infant care, infant sleep, parenting, science, self-feeding, sleep apnea, spoon feeding, squeeze tubes, umbilical cord clamping

Parents ask me about solid food introduction all the time. Here’s my take on it.

Babies Need Iron

Babies store iron in their bodies while they gestate. Milk has next to no iron in it. At some point after birth, babies’ iron stores begin to diminish. This is often when they show signs of interest in iron-rich solid food. Hopefully, this occurs around the time they are developmentally ready in other ways. Unfortunately, some babies have their cords clamped and cut too soon after birth and don’t get all of their own iron-rich blood – some of which remains in the placenta or umbilical cord. This can lead to anemia down the road or a premature necessity for solids or supplements before the baby is otherwise ready. Read more

The Developmental Derby

Carol Gray Babies, Bodywork, Infants, Wellness August 18, 2021August 5, 2024attachment parenting, babies, babies rolling over, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, climbing, crawling, emmi pikler, evolutionary parenting, gratitude, infant seat, infant seats, johnny jump up, loczy, magda gerber, making room for babies, natural motor skill acquisition, our own school, parenting, resources for infant educarers, respectful caregiving, RIE, sitting babies, standing babies, the developmental derby, tom forrest, tummy time, tummy time controversy, walkers, walking babies

In 1975 I moved back to LA. My first husband and I had spent three years away while he fulfilled his military obligation. Army life was hard on me. We lived in officer’s housing on an Air Force base in an isolated desert location. My husband was a research engineer assigned to NASA. He never wore a uniform. I was a misfit among the officer’s wives in my neighborhood. I was glad to be done with it and so happy to be home. The first person I met in my new LA neighborhood was a woman named Susan. She had a two year old daughter. I had a two year old son. Read more

Things We Do (After Birth) to Prevent Babies From Moving

Carol Gray Babies, Bodywork, Infants, Wellness August 10, 2021August 5, 2024babies, baby swings, bodywork, bottle nursing, brachycephaly, breastfeeding, bumbo seats, carol gray, cradleboards, craniosacral therapy, developmental delay, fetal constraint, hip dysplagia, infant car seats, infant care, infant constraint, infant furniture, infant seats, infant sleep, johnny jump up, jolly jumper, jumperoo, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, motor skill acquisition, parenting, plagiocephaly, play mats, primitive, primitive reflexes, science, sleep, strollers, stuck babies, swaddling, walkers

I can’t leave The Stuck Baby Series without describing baby immobilization and container lifestyle. In this article I outline the most significant ways in which we prevent our babies from moving after they are born. It seems like the perfect preparation for a sedentary life in a recliner in front of a screen. Read more

How Fetal Constraint Affects Babies: Things We Notice After Birth

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Infants, Pregnancy, Wellness August 3, 2021August 5, 2024autonomic nervous system, babies, birth outcomes, birth preparation, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, club foot, colic, cranial nerves, craniosacral therapy, fetal constraint, hip dysplasia, infant sleep, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, optimal fetal positioning, parenting, prenatal care, primitive reflexes, reflex integration, rooting reflex, science, scoliosis, stuck babies, torticollis

This is part six of the six-part Stuck Baby Series. In part one, My Baby Dropped!, I explain why engagement is pathology. In part two, Why Did My Baby Get Stuck?, I describe the maternal factors that cause babies to get stuck. Part three is Fetal Factors: How Babies Get Themselves Stuck. Part four explores Fetal Constraint: How Culture Immobilizes Babies. Last week, in part five, I looked at How Fetal Constraint Affects Labor and Birth. Today I’m going to describe how fetal constraint or lack of Optimal Fetal Positioning adversely affects the babies themselves — the things we notice at birth and beyond. Read more

How Fetal Constraint Affects Labor and Birth

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness July 27, 2021August 5, 2024asynclitic, babies, birth outcomes, birth plans, birth preparation, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, cervix, craniosacral therapy, epidurals, fetal constraint, fetus ejection reflex, intrapartum care, labor, late babies, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, military presentation, occiput posterior, OP, optimal fetal positioning, overdue, overdue babies, oxytocin, pitocin, post dates, prenatal care, science, self care, stuck babies, uterus, yoga

This is part five of a six-part series. In part one, My Baby Dropped!, I explain why engagement is pathology. In part two, Why Did My Baby Get Stuck?, I explore the maternal factors that cause babies to get stuck. Part three is called Fetal Factors: How Babies Get Themselves Stuck. Last week I wrote Fetal Constraint: How Culture Immobilizes Babies. Today’s post is about the fetal constraint downsides for labor and birth. Next week I’ll write about how fetal constraint adversely affects the babies themselves — the things we notice after birth. Read more

Fetal Factors: How Babies Get Themselves Stuck

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Pregnancy, Wellness July 13, 2021August 5, 2024amniotic fluid, babies, birth outcomes, birth preparation, breastfeeding, breathe, cardinal movements, carol gray, cesarean birth, cord around the neck, craniosacral therapy, fertility drugs, fetal constraint, identical twins, intrapartum care, IVF, making room for babies, non-identical twins, nuchal cord, optimal fetal positioning, pregnant, prenatal care, primitive reflexes, science, stuck babies, twins, umbilical cords, VBAC

There are many things that contribute to fetal constraint (stuck babies). Any one of them can operate independently, but usually there are multiple causes for less than optimal fetal positioning that have synergistic or additive effects. As I continue to explore the multiple causes, I will provide examples of how these things can work in concert to prevent babies from moving into more ideal positions for their continued gestation, birth and a comfortable, functional life in their bodies outside the womb. Read more

My Baby Dropped!

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness June 29, 2021August 5, 2024asynclitic, babies, birth outcomes, birth preparation, breastfeeding, carol gray, craniosacral therapy, engagement, fetal constraint, fixation, intrapartum care, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, my baby dropped, optimal fetal positioning, pathology, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, pregnant exercise, prenatal yoga, self care, stuck babies, yoga

“My baby dropped!!” People usually say this with great enthusiasm when it happens. I’ve never really understood why people rejoice about their babies dropping. Read more

Flat Spots

Carol Gray Babies, Bodywork, Infants, Wellness June 22, 2021August 5, 2024babies, back to sleep, birth outcomes, birth preparation, bodywork, brachycephaly, breastfeeding, carol gray, container culture, craniosacral therapy, fetal constraint, flat heads, infant care, infant sleep, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, optimal fetal positioning, parenting, pinhead, plagiocephaly, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, self care, sids, suid, synostosis, torticollis, yoga

I see lots of babies who have flat spots on their heads (plagiocephaly) in my Craniosacral Therapy practice.

Container-Baby Culture and Flat Heads

The most common variety is the broad flat spot on the back of the head – an artifact of the Back to Sleep Program, swaddling for sleep and time spent in car seats, baby seats and swings that have a flat, firm surface. My mantra is: Back to sleep, tummy for play, car seats only for car rides and in arms or slings the rest of the time. Of course, this doesn’t mesh well with what most Americans actually do with their babies – especially the car seat and “infant furniture:”part. Read more

I Hate Podcasts

Carol Gray Babies, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness September 22, 2020August 5, 2024back to sleep, birth outcomes, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, co-sleeping, craniosacral therapy, infant sleep, parenting, physiology, postpartum care, postpartum preparation, pregnant, science, self care, sleep

I guess I’m not an auditory type. However, I LOVED this podcast – every minute of it. I listened to ALL of it! I love James McKenna! I really do! I LOVED his books – especially his most recent one: Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions by James J. McKenna. Ph.D. Dr. McKenna hit another home run with this book. It’s geared toward a general audience – including families and health professionals working with families. Read more