mags.salton (2024)

09/12/2022

That is exactly how I felt, when I brought my first baby home from hospital.
"Right, what do we do with you now??", was literally my first thought (followed by "gosh, she’s so cute!!").

Truth is, it takes at least 3 months to get used to this new reality, both for the mum and baby - and it is no coincidence we refer to this period as the 4th trimester.
It is a time of adapting, bonding and learning.

The more you know about it, the more prepared you are, the calmer and more empowered this period will be.
Yes, you will still have to heal after giving birth.
Yes, the hormones will be all over the place and you will likely be crying tears of joy, followed by tears of frustration, intermixed with tears of exhaustion...
Yes, your baby will still be crying and sleeping and requesting skin-to-skin time more often than not.

But the more you know, the more you can trust the process and the calmer & more empowered you will be in this time.

You’re doing great! And your little Martian is slowly adapting to life on this planet - soon they will be off exploring, discovering and blossoming into their full potential!

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

08/12/2022

So when you bring your newborn home, do not start tip-toeing around them, when they are asleep. In fact, any repetitive noise (like the sound of a vacuum cleaner, dishwasher or the radio, or even older siblings!) will have a soothing and calming impact on baby.
"Why is that?", you ask! It is because of all the constant noise they were exposed to, when they were in the belly!

How loud was it in there? As loud as listening to a lawn-mower mowing your grass, whilst youre sitting in your garden, sipping away on lemonade!

How fascinating, dont you think?

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

07/12/2022

There is no such thing as spoiling baby - especially when it comes to skin-to-skin time.
Time spent cuddling and bonding is the best investment in baby’s well-being.

It teaches baby to find points of reference in this new world, helps them learn to regulate and gives them the reassurance they need that you are there for them.

Take the time to lay back, bond and enjoy this wonderful new creature that has just entered into your life!

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

06/12/2022

Ever wondered why we can go on about our days, without having to eat every couple of hours? Whereas baby’s DEMAND a feed approx every 3 hours?

The size of the stomach is responsible for this. Anything baby eats gets absorbed and digested within this window of approx 3hrs.

And do not worry. You might be asking yourself "is my baby getting enough..?" (especially if you are breastfeeding). The answer is: baby’s are not able to starve themselves or over-eat. If they need more food, they will make this abundantly clear.... and they will simply not accept anything more than they need.

Trust your baby and trust yourself.

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

05/12/2022

A newborn baby can only eat so much. Their tummies are so tiny at the beginning that no "extra" food actually manages to get stored in them.
Anything they eat gets absorbed and digested within (more or less) 3hrs. And that is when they feel hunger again - and communicate it by crying.

That is why the beginnings for both baby and mama are so tough...
In the womb, baby received the perfect nutrition without having to ask for it.
Now, baby is learning what it means to "feel" hungry and how to communicate it. Also mum is learning. She is learning to understand baby’s need and how she can satisfy it.

It is such a process, isnt it?
By when did you understand the "type of cry" that communicated hunger? I remember, it took me a while to figure it out.

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

04/12/2022

I remember when I became a first time new mum. The excitement and exhilaration was palatable! ...with time, the adrenaline wore off I felt pretty overwhelmed and frankly, quite clueless on what to do with my new baby.

I felt I didnt understand her:
❓Why is she crying so much?
❓Why is her sleep so haphazard?
❓Should I be feeding her more or less and can I "top her up" so that she stays full for longer?
❓Am I spoiling her by holding her so much?
❓How should I entertain her?
❓When and why is she over-tired?
❓How much can she actually see?..the list goes on.

Have you also been asking yourself these questions?

That’s why I trained as a Montessori teacher: to better understand my child and better support her in adapting to this world, gaining confidence and independence and supporting her in developing into who she is meant to be!

With knowledge about my newborn came the confidence that I was in fact being the best possible mum for my child.

My goal is to share this knowledge with other new-mums, to empower you and help you raise the most incredible and thriving humans, who will go on to change the world!

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

03/12/2022

Gym balls are not only great to aid pelvic floor recovery.
When you gently bounce on a gym ball, with baby in your arms, you help soothe baby when they are going through a crying spell.
The rhythmic bouncing reminds baby of the bouncing they experienced in the womb, gives them a sense of familiarity and communicates to them that they are safe.

Have you given it a try yet?

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

02/12/2022

REMINDER: After giving birth, make sure you have as much skin on skin time with baby as possible. It helps you connect with your new baby. It helps baby feel reassured and calm in this wild and wonderful world.

By allowing baby to hear your heart beat and voice, smell & touch your skin, feel your warmth and closeness, you are giving your baby the best start to their new life.

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

01/12/2022

Newborn baby’s hands have already had so many experiences. In the womb they were touching baby’s body, mum’s ribs, the umbilical cord....

Now, in the outside world, they are the main tool for learning and developing an understanding of where they are. Allowing baby to reach, grab & hold freely will also help their primitive reflexes integrate and help develop voluntary movement faster (which in turn will allow baby to adapt to the new world faster:)

Keep baby’s hands uncovered as much as possible to allow for that wonderful learning. You will also notice that when they are able to feel their own hands they also become calmer and more reassured (as this is something they know for the womb!)

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

30/11/2022

The newborns feet have SO MANY neurological connections in them. In fact, it is through the feet (one of the 3 main sensory windows to the child’s brain) that they get most of their sensory input.

Therefore, try to keep the feet uncovered as much as possible, to allow baby to take in as much information through the souls of the feet as they can.
Massaging baby’s feet is also a great way to stimulate that brain developmen;)

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

29/11/2022

Just think about it: for 9 months, when they were in the womb, baby could move around, when and how they wanted!
Now, suddenly, in the outside world we put them into clothes, swaddles and sleeping bags, and take away the ability to stretch, touch, flex and develop that muscle strength.
Also, did you know, newborn babies NEED to touch their faces and bodies to stay calm and reassured? It is one of the few things that helps them feel as though they have something familiar from the time they spent in the womb.

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👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

28/11/2022

The only way a newborn can communicate is through crying.
There are only a couple of things they are truly communicating. And that is: their absolute basic needs.
When we meet those needs, satisfy the need to be fed, changed, put to sleep or touched, baby will calm down and be that content tiny human they were designed to be.

If you are a new parent, remember to breathe, respond and understand that baby isnt actually trying to antagonise you:)

❤❤❤Like, save and share with a new-mama that needs to know this!

👋Hi, I’m Mags. A Montessori trained teacher, early childhood educator and mama myself. I help new mums understand & bond with newborn baby by sharing knowledge, tools & a sprinkle of Montessori Magic, to empower you on your way through the 4th trimester!

27/11/2022

As for trimester nr. 3 - it started off pretty well, full of inspiration, creativity and drive (and yes, energy too!), I had orgainsed my priorities, figured out my plan of action...and then the contractions started.

It was week 34 when the full blown birthing surges kicked in - and we still hadnt set up the house for babe nor done any birth-prep at this point. GAH!
5 weeks later, I am still in a state of alert, expecting baby "any day now".
But somehow, babe - ever the joker - is still in there baking.

The thing that saved me, my sanity, my health and my body from not birthing baby prematurely? Being vulnerable and asking for help.
Yes we women - we mothers - are SUPERhumans. But even superheroes sometimes need help. Both my mum (in Poland) and mum-in-law (in the UK) were able to literally drop every thing and come to Zurich to help...and for that I will be forever grateful. I understood that I needed to have a village around to help in times of need. And that village can look different to each of us: it could be friends, day-care solutions for older siblings, nannies. Whatever it is to regain peace of mind.
Oh, and meditating and breathing - having the time for that also really helped to get back to my center.

I still dont have a sense of closure - I feel there is still so much to be done before babe arrives. Then again that could just be the dreamer in me, constantly on the move, wanting to start new projects, improve current projects, bring existing projects up to the next level....
I also know that whenever that moment comes, that babe does decide to finally come, I will be ready.

What a journey it has been. And to think this is only the start of it all!

How has your pregnancy been so far? I’d love to know! X

26/11/2022

As time went by and the baby was growing, so was the belly. The second trimester, busy as it was with keeping up with my toddler and running activities at Academicus, was also summer-time. We had a brief moment, when we could step back and embrace life, love and the sunshine down in bella Italia - when we could literally smell the flowers....and then jump right back into running camps, classes and starting the new school year all over again! Absolute mayhem!

This was also the time we had to do the internal organ screening for babe and we discovered that babe had some kind of a heart defect... That shook my world completely, but about that another time...

Throughout this entire time, my gynecologist was telling me "slow down", learn to take a step back, delegate, take more time for yourself... But the advice fell on my deaf ears. I felt I had to keep on going, I felt I needed to make a point to myself, that yes I am a mum, but I am also an entrepreneur, a working mum, who still has her own goals and ambitions - plus its not in my nature to slow down (with the exception of 2 weeks for holidays;).

Ever felt like that? Ever felt like you wanted to prove to yourself and the world that you were more than "just a mum" ? ...and you were willing to even run on empty, in order to be everything to everyone: the best possible mum, the best possible teacher, the best possible life-partner, the best possible business partner...?

The second trimester health-wise was amazing. Emotionally, I was all over the place. The time had come for something to change...

25/11/2022

We have come a looong way!
Each trimester has had its ups and downs. Some days I felt so incredibly pregnant, other days I felt like there was no belly at all and that the world was my oyster!

The first 3 months were marked by colds, flues, crazy fatigue, the onset of pregnancy congestion which stopped me from breathing and sleeping properly and an incurable "morning sickness" that lasted from morning to night *Fun*.
But you know, you just keep on going: working, juggling business, being a full time mum, running the home...I did feel tho, I was running on empty at times....
The most wonderful part of the 1st trimester? When I felt baby moving in the womb as of week 12 (they say, you feel the second and consecutive children move much earlier - and this time I didnt confuse it for indigestion or gas...).

How is your 1st trimester going? Is it everything you expected it to be?
Or perhaps you are already past those first crazy 3 months? Did you love it...or not so much?

24/11/2022

That is why, when baby is born, to help them adapt to this wild and wonderful world, it is a good idea to speak or sing to baby.
When baby hears your voice, they hear something that has been so familiar to them for the last 9 months of their life inside of the womb.

Baby has also been hearing dad’s voice, the dog’s barking and the older sibling talking - and these too will become a source of comfort to baby:) Isnt that reassuring?

Did you have a favourite song, you would sing during pregnancy?
I must admit, most of my pregnancy, I was running classes for babies and toddlers, so I have a couple of favourites I will be happy to sing to baby, to help calm them down.
"The wheels on the bus" is just one of the songs from an extensive repertoire or nursery rhymes... :D

23/11/2022

According to ALL the calculations, we have officially started week 39 today! Which means, babe’s due date is 30th November.

How likely is it that baby will arrive EXACTLY on that date? Not very.
Did you know that only about 5 per cent of women actually give birth on the exact date they are due. Most babies arrive between 37 weeks and 41 weeks of pregnancy, but usually within a week either side of their expected due date.

What does this depend on?
- When you got pregnant during the cycle (lets face it, not every woman ovulates on the 14th day of a 28 day cycle...)
- Lifestyle & the stress the woman was exposed to during pregnancy, including exposure to pathogens
- The age of mum: older women delivered later on average
- Whether or not baby is ready to come out through the birth canal - it is baby who releases a hormone into the placenta that jump-starts the birthing process, after all!

This pregnancy has been a tough one, physically and emotionally. The exhaustion, the illnesses (especially in the first 2 trimesters), a fair amount of stress related to well, you know, life: keeping up with a very active toddler, running a business and we had a bit of a surprise related to baby’s health along the way...

Baby, any day now would be great;)

When did you deliver your baby?
Exactly on the due date? Before? After?

mags.salton