Caring for baby: a view through the lens of ecology

Caring for a baby can be overwhelming

Are you finding a lot of baby care advice conflicting?

• “Sleep train at 5 months” but “never leave your baby to cry”;
• “Start with purees” but “skip purees entirely”;
• “Babywear as much as possible” but “don't restrict free movement”...

Did you hope to rely on your instincts, but discover that you don't naturally know what to do?

You are not alone.

When I was a new mom 12 years ago, I found myself in a sea of ​​opinions. Many came with a sense of pressure: "Do this or else your baby will not thrive".

This was overwhelming and certainly not helpful.

So I did something different.

A unique lens of ecology

I am a mom of 3 and a scientist. I study ecology, a branch of biology that examines how living things relate to one another and interact with their environment. More specifically, I work on habitats: spaces and environments that support life.

(more about Anya)

I began to think about caring for baby from an ecological perspective. Despite technological progress, baby ecology — what our babies truly need from the physical spaces they live in, the care they receive, and their interactions with people in their life — has remained largely constant and universal.

Here, I use my research training to critically analyze scientific studies on baby sleep, feeding, care, and play through the lens of ecology to answer the following questions:

1. What do all human babies need to thrive?
2. What elements in babies' environments - physical spaces and experiences - help meet these needs?

And then I use my parent perspective to help you create these spaces and experiences in your home in ways that work best for your baby.

What you will find here

I write about everything that forms baby’s day-to-day experiences: sleep, feeding, playing, and being cared for.

•  You will find evidence-based knowledge and support, whether you are formula-feeding or breastfeeding, using purees or baby-led weaning, bed-share with your baby or your baby sleeps alone. You will not come across parenting wars or strict “do's” and “don'ts” in this space. 
• You will also find ideas for planning, creating, and organizing play spaces, cooking and making things for your baby.

References to all studies I mention are always listed at the end of each article, in case you want to dig deeper or use them as a jumping off point for further reading.

I started working on this space in 2022 after I wrote and published my award-winning book, Baby Ecology - the book I wish I had when I was a new parent. See what the book is about, browse through reader reviews, and learn about awards Baby Ecology received.