Our recommended resources
There is no shortage of information online for parents. However knowing what to trust can be a challenge.
So we have gathered our trusted sources of information on the aspects of parenting that are important to us. You can rely on them for evidence-based resources inline with our five core practices and other elements of gentle parenting.
Carrying Matters
It is important to support caregivers as they build a happy brain for their children. Soft touch and loving connections play a vital role in this. There are so many benefits of babywearing, which can be explored in this site. Babywearing safety matters; our guide to slings and our commitment to sling education will help parents and those who support them feel confident with sling use at every age.
BASIS Baby Sleep Information Source
Basis is a project of the Durham Infancy and Sleep Centre (DISC), in the Department of Anthropology at Durham University, UK.
The aim of Basis (the Baby Sleep Information Source) is to provide online access to up-to-date research based evidence about biologically normal infant sleep. We conceptualise ‘biologically normal infant sleep’ as being the sleep of babies who are exclusively or predominantly breastfed to at least 6 months of age and cared for in a responsive manner. We do not consider sleep training methods that require leaving babies alone for sleep in the first year of life to be biologically normal.
Gil Rapley
This website sets out to be a point of contact, with suggestions for where you can learn more and a means for you to contact me direct, rather than being THE place to find out everything you ever wanted to know about parenting and BLW. Having said that, the books and leaflets Tracey Murkett and I have written are a great place to start! The best source of information about what BLW is and why it makes sense is the original Baby-led Weaning.
Dr James McKenna
This website is intended to give scientifically –based information … about my work on mother-infant cosleeping and breastfeeding. Throughout these various outlets I explain the basis of the “cosleeping debate” and to answer FAQs as regards western infant sleep and feeding issues, with an emphasis on mother-infant cosleeping, breastfeeding, SIDS/SUDI risk factors, and prevention, all in relationship to sleeping arrangements including separate- surface-cosleeping and bedsharing.
Evolutionary Parenting
Tracy Cassels, PhD is the director of Evolutionary Parenting, a resource she founded in 2011 after the birth of her daughter Maddy. It began whilst she was in graduate school and has continued and grown as she completed her PhD and moved towards more direct work with parents and families. She has a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, also from the University of British Columbia. The focus of her dissertation work was on empathy and theory of mind in young children.
Pinky McKay
Pinky McKay is one of Australia’s most recognised and respected breastfeeding experts. She’s an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and best-selling author of 4 titles including Parenting By Heart and Sleeping Like a Baby, (Penguin Random House). Pinky specializes in gentle parenting styles that honour mothers’ natural instincts to respond to their babies.
Maureen Minchin
A consultant to international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Medical historian and health educator Maureen Minchin has been involved in global efforts to promote evidence-based infant feeding for decades, and is internationally recognised for her pivotal role in creating the lactation consultant profession. She has been a consultant to international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). She has educated health professionals, including through creating university-based courses in the UK and Australia. And she is an Editorial Board member for the open-access online International Breastfeeding Journal and Breastfeeding Review.
Sarah Ockwell-Smith
Sarah Ockwell-Smith is a well known parenting expert and a highly regarded popular childcare author who specialises in the psychology and science of parenting, ‘gentle parenting’ and attachment theory, with a particular interest in child sleep. She has authored eleven parenting books, translated into over thirty languages, including the bestselling ‘The Gentle Sleep Book’ which has sold over 100,000 copies in the UK alone.
Australian Cloth Nappy Association
As the peak industry body the Australian Nappy Association (ANA) works towards markedly increasing reusable nappy use in Australia by supporting and educating key members of the cloth nappy industry and potential users. The ANA is the preeminent source of information on reusable nappies and their numerous benefits for parents, caregivers and government agencies.
Australian Breastfeeding Association
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is Australia's largest breastfeeding information and support service. Breastfeeding is a practical, learned skill and ABA helps more than 80,000 mothers each year. ABA also provides up-to-date information and continuing education for thousands of health professionals working with mothers and babies.
KellyMom
KellyMom is owned and operated by Kelly Bonyata, who is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. The site provides evidence-based tips, articles, and information on breastfeeding and parenting. It includes free handouts for individual use and professional handouts for purchase. This site includes a forum, blog, and much more
Parenting Science
Founded by an evolutionary anthropologist, this parenting resource is for critical thinkers -- people who want to understand child development from the perspectives of psychology, anthropology, evolution, and cognitive neuroscience.
I’ve got opinions. But who cares? You might be a scientist, physician, or teacher. Maybe you're an educated, skeptical layperson who loves science. Whatever the case, you don't need a sermon. You need evidence. You can draw your own conclusions.
So here it is: No folk theories. No preachy advice. No authoritarian pronouncements or pseudoscientific political dogma. Instead, you’ll find my analysis of the research, fully-referenced so you know where to go if you want to dig deeper yourself.
Clean Cloth Nappies
Our mission is to encourage people to try cloth nappies and make the journey as easy and successful as possible. We are an education resource and encourage best practise based on our advice.
The Clean Cloth Nappies website has all our information and research.
We provide extensively tested general cloth use advice, from those who have been using cloth nappies successfully for years and years.
Our laundry and environmental information is developed by scientists who are experts in their fields, based on the fundamentals of Chemistry, Microbiology and other relevant disciplines.
Beyond Sleep Training Project
The Beyond Sleep Training Project was founded by Carly Grubb, aka ‘Grubby Mummy and the Grubby Bubbies’ in 2017.
It all started after Carly had tried and tried to ‘fix’ the ‘problems’ she kept being told her firstborn had with sleep. After repeatedly being told Sleep Training was the only option, and trying every method in all the books, including a stint in sleep school, the industry that is Sleep Training washed their hands of her.
At a loss for what to do about her baby’s ‘broken sleep’, she finally was given the advice she needed from a beautiful and nurturing midwife: ‘What does he need you to do? what helps? You can just do that!’ After finding Pinky McKay, Sarah Ockwell-Smith and Evolutionary Parenting, she did just that, gave in to her baby and met him at his point of need. She’s never looked back. Now on her third, she is so glad her little sparkler never gave up on telling her what he needed.
The Milk Meg
Meg is the mother of three active boys. In between blogging, writing, giving talks, researching and occasionally sleeping …Meg works with women across the world to help them reach their breastfeeding goals!
Her background is in counselling and sexual health. She was also a La Leche League Leader (breastfeeding counsellor) for seven years before becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Needless to say, she is passionate about helping women reach their breastfeeding goals and loves helping to get the word out about how women can do this!!
She is able to help with all things breastfeeding during a consultation. Things she has helped women with include: sore nipples, tongue and lip ties, breastfeeding during the early weeks, over-supply, under-supply, plugged ducts, mastitis, weaning, pumping, returning to work, nursing toddlers and night time challenges, premature babies and breastfeeding multiples.
Prof. Amy Brown
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Amy and I'm a professor of maternal and child public health at Swansea University. I'm based in the department of public health, policy and social sciences where I am director of our research centre 'LIFT' which stands for Lactation, Infant Feeding and Translation and I also lead our MSc in Child Public Health.
I research everything to do with becoming and being a new parent, with a particular focus on infant feeding, mental health and normal baby behaviour. The ultimate aim of my research is to change society and culture, which turns out not to be an overnight job. I want to see a future where women and families are respected, valued and supported in growing, birthing and caring for their babies.
The Gentle Counsellor
Registered Counsellor specialising in Perinatal Mental Health and Gentle Parenting.
MEdC, GDPsych, & Registered Circle of Security Parenting (COSP) Facillitator.
I am a mother of two and married to my best friend. I’m a registered Counsellor in Australia, providing individual, couple, and child counselling services online and in-person, with a background in Child Development, Education and Psychology. I nerd out over Attachment Theory and specialise in Perinatal Mental Health and Gentle Parenting.
Solid Starts
As you will see, at Solid Starts, we advocate for an approach that we named #FingerFoodFirst. Based on a method called “baby-led weaning,” FingerFoodFirst involves letting go. Letting go of the impulse to control every spoonful and letting go of the expectation that you should make one meal for your baby and another for everyone else.
While I believe that letting babies feed themselves with their fingers can yield immeasurable health, psychological, and developmental benefits, every baby is different. Adapt as you see fit for your family’s needs and your family food culture.
Happy eating,
–Jenny Best, founder, Solid Starts
Solid Starts #babyledweaning