Holistic Babies London

14. Jan, 2021

Welcome to the Baby Blog!

Welcome to the Holistic Babies Blog, where I will share evidence-based information and holistic ways of caring for your baby.

Why science?

In a way, it is said that, when it comes to motherhood, fatherhood, family, pregnancy, and birth, we need science to back up most of our ancestors' knowledge.

I recently visited a new mother who was meeting some breastfeeding challenges. Supporting her at home was this wonderful Maternity Nurse from Ghana. A mother herself, she breastfed her 4 children until they were toddlers, carried them around as she went on by her day and bed shared. Those babies had ideal babyhood, filled with love, care, responsive parenting, and nurturing. However, when she became a Maternity Nurse, she was "trained" and told that babies would need formula, strict routines, and schedules from birth. As a Western society, we robbed her of her confidence that how she raised her babies was the right way in terms of nurturing and responsive parenting. Sadly, I met her too late; she had already told this new mother to top up her baby with formula, to put her to bed in her own cot, to leave her to cry to sleep. I am not saying this mother is not a good mother! I am saying that she could have been shown a better way to mother, a way where she would get the support she needed to recover and rest yet continue to exclusively breastfeed and respond to her baby's needs. Interstingly, it was what her instincts told her, hence why she reached out for breastfeeding support.

(I will talk more about formula versus breastfeeding and sleep in the posts to come.)

For me, this is the perfect example that we know deep down what our babies need but need science and experts to confirm that! Therefore, as healthcare professionals, we need to use "recent, evidence-based advice" to guide you through your journey as a mother, father, carer.

Why Holistic?

One of the things I love the most about my role is meeting you and getting to know you and your baby. I know you called me because I know babies, but let me reassure you: you know your baby better than anyone in this world, no matter how many letters and awards come after their names.

Like us, all babies have common denominators, but our babies and we are unique in our own way. Why? First, our babies (and us) all have our own genetics; even though our babies inherit genetics from their parents, they are their own person. Additionally, everyone's environment is different. Even if we all live in the same city,on the same street, immediate environment is different.

Additionally, we are the results of our experiences. When do the first experiences start? We can now ask ourselves if it is at conception, in the first trimester, second or third, or at birth? As this is quite a philosophical question, I let you meditate on this and decide for yourself.

Therefore, if all our babies are different, how can we treat them all the same? Many factors will influence their behavior and growth, and rather than pleading the argument of nature versus nature, let's see our babies as nature AND nurture. Whilst we cannot and shouldn't try to change or control their nature, we can work on how we nurture our babies according to their nature.

How does this translate in terms of parenting and "parenting advice": we must look at the baby in its entirety, from genetics to gender to gestation to age to environment. In the words of Dr. Gabor Mate, "we are bio-psycho- socio-spiritual, and those needs should not be ignored."

I know it may sound contradictory to write this yet share tips to care for your baby. But whilst you will work with your child's nature, I am here to input tips on how to nurture your child, help you identify what you see, give you an explanation behind the behaviours, the milestones, offer reassurance, and empower you on your journey.

Stephanie is the founder of Holistic Babies in London. She has a background in midwifery and infant feeding. After working for over seven years in the NHS, she set up Holistic Babies London postnatal services, offering a different kind of support to new parents that offered much-needed rest and promoted breastfeeding, attachment, and nurturing. She is also a Reiki Master Teacher, a Meditation Teacher, a perinatal and child mental health advocate, and currently studying towards her Masters in Child Health and Psychology.