Introducing a new sibling can be a challenge for your older child or children. Positive Parenting expert Kelly Bartlett shares strategies to make the transition smooth. Adding a new baby to the family is an exciting time for families. Children especially feel that eagerness as they hold their new baby brother or sister for the…
pregnancy
Parenting With a Disability: How to Prepare for Your New Baby
Becoming a new parent can feel like you’re walking a tightrope walk of emotions. And when it involves parenting with a disability, this new adventure can seem even more daunting. The latest research shows there are more than 4.1 million disabled parents in the U.S. That means that one in 10 children has a parent who, like…
Midwife-Led Care for Pregnancy & Birth: Dispelling the Myths of Midwifery
Of the many topics to research, and the numerous decisions to make when expecting a baby, perhaps one of the most important is whether to go with obstetric or midwife-led care. Indeed, this decision can drastically impact how the pregnancy and birth are viewed and handled. As Sheila Stubbs of Birthing the Easy Way writes,…
New Mama Natural Postpartum Recovery Kit + Padsicle DIY
After having our third baby, I still look back on my first baby shower with a good chuckle. We got three pack ‘n plays (by some strange registry mix-up), gender specific outfits galore (we didn’t find out the gender and requested neutral pieces), and zero of the cloth diapers we had requested. By no means…
Restorative Soups for the Postpartum Mama
Soup is a wonderful expression of love. Handcrafted with the intention of serving up a little homespun goodness, it is a nurturing expression of care and kindness. Restorative soups for the postpartum period are the ideal expression of this care. After a woman gives birth, her body is in desperate need for restorative foods to…
Feeding Your Preemie in the NICU: What You May Not Know
The learning curve of feeding your preemie in the NICU can be steep, but with the right information you can advocate for the best nutrition for your baby. When your baby is in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), so much of what is happening both to and around your preemie can feel out of…
Postpartum Recovery: The Benefits of a Natural Postpartum Sitz Bath
We’d like to tell you that a postpartum sitz bath is a natural, deeply relaxing, healing, spa-like experience. And for first-time mothers with plenty of help on hand, it actually can be. But if you’re on your second or subsequent baby, there’s a very good chance you’ll be singing to a toddler while you breastfeed…
The Best Eco-Friendly Baby Gear of 2019
Looking for the best eco-friendly baby gear of 2019? Each year, our annual Eco Baby Gear Guide appears in Green Child’s digital magazine. You can always find our newest picks for safe, non-toxic baby gear items. We search high and low for the safest, most convenient and eco-friendly baby items… so you don’t have to do…
Keto Chocolate Fudge
Curb your sugar cravings with this keto chocolate fudge complete with healthy fat, protein, and the tart punch (plus antioxidant boost) of goji berries. Last spring during my second pregnancy, I developed gestational diabetes. I’ve suffered from PCOS for most of my adult life, so I wasn’t super shocked when my doctor delivered that bundle…
The Best Subscription Boxes for Women with All Natural Products
The advent of online shopping was a major life-changer for busy moms. Now, convenience and selection are hitting new heights through subscription boxes. Here are our pics for the best natural subscription boxes for women. Sifting through the hundreds of options out there is quite the task. Quarterly and Monthly Subscription Boxes for Women Finding…
The Natural Baby: A gentle guide to active birth
Our bodies know exactly what to do during birth. All we need to do is tap into our instincts. The most important preparation for labor is mental. If you are calm and confident, your birth should be smooth. In the majority of cases, midwives will encourage women to have an active birth. In the Western…
A Mindful Approach to Naming Your Baby
Naming stories are the best. Ask your closest friends about where their names came from, and you’re sure to get a good story or two. You could find out that Lindsay’s parents named her after their favorite bank teller. Lewis was named for his great-grandfather who brought the family to the US. Or Maddy was…
The Spring 2017 Issue of Green Child Magazine is Here!
The Spring 2017 issue of Green Child is here! You’ll find natural parenting advice for all ages & stages… from handling baby’s first fever to creating a safe environment for your preschooler’s roughhousing to helping set rules for your teen’s first cell phone. You’ll also find healthy recipes, a peek at our favorite books…
Empowered Birth: The Trouble With Interventions (And When They May Be A Good Thing)
Over the years, the definition of “medical necessity” has become interchangeable with “medical convenience.” And there’s no better example of this than birth, and its tedious list of interventions. The issues around interventions aren’t surprising when you realize that they were originally devised, prescribed, and pushed by male “experts.” Many believed that new medical instruments and processes…
Creating Meaningful Rituals for the Fourth Trimester
Every new parent goes through something of an initiation during the monumental transition of the fourth trimester. Changes happen on a profoundly spiritual and psychological level right after having a baby, and many cultures around the world recognize this with some sort of rite of passage. These rites of passage are important for several different…
What’s Your Score? How to find out if your personal care products are truly safe
When our friends at Earth Mama Angel Baby asked their followers to check the toxicity scores of their personal care products, they quickly realized how much work is still needed to raise awareness of what we’re putting on our kids and ourselves. “I felt a little bit duped!” shares Mikki Bell, mother of one and…
Postnatal Care: How To Truly Blossom as a Woman and Mother
Motherhood. An amazing, gorgeous, exhausting, empowering, emotional, and beautiful journey. A journey that we, as women, have been called to embrace and enjoy. A journey that is unique and personal. A journey that lasts a lifetime. In order to truly tap into your full being as a mother, you must understand the importance of practicing…
Gentle Parenting: Nesting Without a Nursery
Pregnancy reconnects us with some of nature’s most primal instincts. Just hearing the term nesting might bring the image to your mind of a beautiful round mama robin tirelessly building her nest in just the right spot. Most (but not all) pregnant women experience the nesting instinct, too. Even fathers-to-be aren’t immune to the uncontrollable urge…
Postpartum depression is real. It’s okay to call it what it is.
Postpartum depression……shhhhhh. We don’t talk about that here, that’s for other people. Even the acronym PPD feels safer to say: contained, sweet, easy. The truth is, I knew I was at risk, I knew all too well, but knowing doesn’t equate preventing. I mean, one can know they are about to be in a car…
What are the Health Risks of Using Drugs During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a special period in a woman’s life when she not only has to take care of herself but, also the baby growing inside of her; What activities you undertake and what you put into your body is key to the wellbeing of the mother and child. Exercise, enough sleep, eating healthy and avoiding…
Ask The Herbalist: Natural Remedies for Hemorrhoids
Q: Are there any natural remedies for hemorrhoids? I am really having issues with them, but I prefer to avoid over the counter treatments and I don’t want to resort to surgery. A: Hemorrhoids can be an unpleasant – but not uncommon – side effect of pregnancy or giving birth. There are several natural remedies…
The Healing Power of Rest: Postpartum Lying-In With Your New Baby
Have you considered a postpartum lying-in with your new baby? It’s the ultimate bonding experience for baby, and the ultimate act of self-care for you. When we talk about bringing baby home in America these days, it’s often discussed in a glossy magazine format. We need to have the Pinterest-perfect nursery ready (even if baby…
The Secrets of a Blissful Birth
Giving birth is beautiful. The result of your nine-month journey has come down to this: Getting to meet your child, and being gifted life’s greatest present: motherhood. With that being said, birthing a baby can be stressful to your mind and body. However, there are practices you can learn to better improve your mental state…
The Best of Both Worlds: Natural Birth in a Private Suite
…Featuring the Karmanos Center for Natural Birth “Your body knows how to do this… your baby knows how to do this…” These are the words I find myself hypnotically saying at almost every birth, as I watch a mama dive deep into herself to bring her child into the world. Your body, when left alone…
