Baby Sense Seminar Recap

Saturday morning saw this little family waking up at a shockingly early, 05:30am. Scratch that, we usually are up at that time, but we actually had to get up in order to get me to the beach front for the morning session of the Baby Sense seminars. Hardly anything happens in Port Elizabeth, so when something is on - it is nice to be able to attend.

I had the lovely opportunity of meeting with incredible brands, hearing from professionals and all while enjoying the company of fellow moms. Admittedly, I was quite surprised by the great turn out, it is no secret that there is never anything on, partially because no one ever shows up!

We were welcomed by smiling faces who handed us huge, heavy goodie bags! The goodie bags contained loads of vouchers, 3 magazines, goodies for mom and babe and an invaluable Baby Sense Seminar booklet, which covers all the topics, from the session. A little tip to moms who are attending the Jo'burg and Cape Town seminars: instead of trying to take down notes during the entire session, pull out your booklet and just add whatever you may feel is necessary as I found that you get so caught up trying to write everything down, you miss out on a lot of vital information. There was a pregnant mom next to me, who never lifted her head because she needed to write down everything!

The speakers covered a broad spectrum of topics which I don't want to go into too much detail as there are still two remaining seminars. However, I did especially take a lot from Meg Faure, who covered stimulating your baby and toddler, and Sr Ann Richardson who covered sleep solutions. 

In the Q&A, I asked about Axl who constantly needs to know what is going on. When we put him to sleep, whether he has been sleeping for 5 minutes or 1 hour, the slightest little noise (or even moving into a light-sleep cycle) will wake him up. He doesn't niggle or wiggle, he sits right up with bright green eyes, ready to face the world. The panel gave me a reassuring smile before agreeing that who I am describing is a social-butterfly. Meg went on to describe familiar characteristics like him waking from that 'falling' sensation we get, when entering a deep sleep. Since chatting to the panel, I have been firm in putting him to sleep in one place and creating routine, so that we can hopefully fool him into believing that the rest of the world is asleep while he takes a nap, and that he won't miss out on anything.

What stood out the most at the seminar is how accommodating the team were, towards moms with babies. Breastfeeding moms who aren't comfortable with feeding out in the open don't have to worry about missing out on anything, as there is a little sitting area, covered from the main seating area but still within the facility to hear everything that is going on. I didn't take Axl with me (eeek! It was the first time that we left him with daddy for 5 whole hours!) At one stage, it seemed like all the babies decided to wake up at the same time and were miserable, but the speaker just laughed it off and continued. There is an au-pair on duty, if you're comfortable with leaving your bambino, so there is always the options to take 5 minutes to yourself! 

I also liked that the speakers didn't force their 'way' on you. For instance, Sr Ann Richardson, spoke about sleep training and spoke about not allowing your little one to fall asleep whilst feeding. I have no problem doing this and believe that if Axl finds comfort in breastfeeding, than I am here, for him. She kept reassuring the crowd with words like, "that is only if you want to make the change." Some professionals stress that your child must be in his own room by x months, but she kept saying that is all up to you.

I feel that each mom is different just as each child is different and although you may not necessarily agree with the way one does something, it doesn't make your way any more right or wrong, than the next. I have no problem with Axl waking through the night for feeds, where other moms seemed bothered by it, it's just all handled differently to suit you and make you and your baby feel comfortable. The whole point of the the Baby Sense Seminars are there to provide you with the information to make informed decision!

Remember that if you're in Cape Town or Jo'burg, you can still book!

Book now online or call (021) 671 3245

Facebook | Twitter | #baby101

Disclosure: 1

All pictures were taken by Liezel Barrow from Pro Design