Welcome to Alternative Baby!
Welcome to Alternative Baby-Attachment, Gentle & Informed Parenting information and support.
Alternative Baby is an Australian community dedicated to providing information about Attachment Parenting and other gentle,alternative, instinctive and natural parenting philosophies. We aim to provide articles, support, discussions and links to like-minded sites and support groups. We support breastfeeding, extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping and other gentle sleep methods, baby wearing, gentle birth, home birth, gentle discipline, natural healing, cloth nappies, alternative & mainstream education choices, informed vaccination choices and any other practises which involve bonding with your child and responding appropriately to their needs.
We welcome all interested persons to this site, no matter what your parenting style. AP is a philosophy, rather than a set of rules or strict dogma & we support informed choice & parents' right to do what works best for their families and themselves.
Please note: The views expressed by authors of articles and forum posts, do not neccessarily represent those of the site owner/admin.
Gentle Sleep Techniques
Annual (or so) mass deletion spree
Shaolin Webmonkey gone crazy again and is having at everything (unpublished and blocked only) dual-wielding Chinese broadswords. Apologies if there is collateral damage, she did check for recent humans trapped in the spam filter.
Post Natal Depression
by Jayne Garrod
This article first appeared in Essence magazine
Post Natal Depression can range on a spectrum from the very normal “baby blues” experienced a few days after birth, to puerperal or post natal psychosis on the other end-a serious condition which requires a hospital stay. In the middle lies post natal depression. This occurs in all cultures and all socio-economic classes and can happen to childbearing women of all ages. PND .has many contributing factors which can include, (but are not restricted to) chemical imbalances in the brain, hormonal problems or imbalance, biological predisposition to depressive disorders, difficult or traumatic birth, lack of family or community support, previous experience of PND, an abusive childhood....among many other factors[1]
The forums have vanished!
They are now invisible to the naked eye 
If you're an existing member, I might have missed you. Post in the Introduce Yourself forum and slap me. If you're a new member, post in the Introduce Yourself forum, tell us a bit about yourself and someone will be along to let you into the rest of the forum 
Birth Week Wed 27th - Sun 31st May
Birth Week is a five-day annual event promoting conscious and empowered birth, the sharing of stories and wisdom, creating support networks for families and fostering community.
Recovering From Caesarean: Physical and Emotional Healing
Copyright Samantha Cambray 2009
Creating a Healing Ritual for Couples after Birth Trauma
By Samantha Cambray © 2008
Birth
trauma can have far reaching and often unexpected effects. Often the
relationship between the parents of the baby can flail, not only due to
the new pressures of caring for a child, but the myriad of feelings
towards each other that may ensue after a traumatic labour and birth.
Maternity Services review Submission-Birth Healing
Introduction
Breastfeeding after a Traumatic Birth
First Feeds
What is Natural Birth?
By Janet Fraser
Just Sling it Baby!
Catherine Miller considers the importance of carrying our babies and discovers a great way to ease the load.
The Sounds of Home Birth
By Janet Fraser
Siblings attending Homebirths
By Janet Fraser
Co Sleeping & SIDS
By Hayley Quach
Baby Sleep.
By Jayne Garrod
Baby Sleep
One of the most challenging aspects of life with a new baby is the matter of sleep: how to get baby to sleep, to stay asleep, and the ability of the new parents to get a good night's sleep themselves. Parents are often given conflicting advice on how to settle their new and older babies, and how to get their toddlers and older children to go to bed and to sleep through the night. You may be advised by well intentioned older relatives, or health professionals to leave your baby to cry, and such advice is often accompanied by statements such as "it won't hurt them" or "crying is good exercise for their lungs! This advice is outdated, and most often counterproductive. To understand how babies sleep best, there a few factors to consider.
The Art of Baby Wearing
Baby Wearing-the practice of wearing your baby in a sling is rapidly gaining in popularity as more and more parents discover the many benefits it has to offer both parents and babies. It is a convenient, portable, hands free method of transporting your baby with ease, and gives babies a sense of calm, security and trust when they are carried.
SEWING DESIGNER CLOTHES FOR KIDS---THE FRUGAL WAY!
By Lisa of Crafty Mamas
I have been sewing clothing for my children for the fifteen years. Yet, I can count on one hand the number of commercial paper patterns I have purchased. What's my secret? Am I master pattern drafter? Not quite. For fifteen years I have been buying sewing pattern magazines. These magazines provide you with anything up to 60 patterns per issue- from newborn size to plus size ladies. Equipped with my collection of sewing pattern magazines and a current children's fashion magazine, I can be sure that I will have a pattern for any child's garment I care to create.
The Making of Ice Cream
Ahh.. ice-cream. Is there anything better on a hot day? Yep, HOMEMADE ice-cream. No way, you say; too difficult and time consuming. Read on.
Tips for spending quality time with your child
By Melissa Khalinsky, Business Mums Network
When working from home, it is often a struggle to balance being a business person with being a parent. Children often prefer regular 15 minute spots of quality time than the occasional day with you.
Here are a few ideas of how you can spend quality time with your children during the day.