Putting a Scootababy Through its Paces

My daughter is now 5 1/2! Can you believe it? I've been babywearing for close to ten years. I guess you can't call it babywearing any more with a five year old! And I can only get away with it because she is a peanut. My older daughter was out of the weight limits for comfortable carrying by around 4 1/2.

A few days ago, she asked for a ride in a pink baby carrier.

Yep, we have some of those! She chose the Scootababy. On the way to our first errand, she requested a true hip carry.

On the way to our second errand (the grocery store), she requested a front carry. I think it's funny that she still knows her way around each baby carrier well enough to be able to make selections like this.

While shopping, she surprised me, requesting a back carry. This is actually the most convenient for me and it's super easy to do with the Scootababy. In fact, a back carry with the Scootababy is arguably one of the easiest ways for a novice babywearer to do a back carry. You just put baby in properly and then slide them around (or bounce them around). There is perhaps a bit of untangling of limbs but most anyone can manage without coaching.

I rarely get to wear my daughter any more, but each time, I savor it. It is always at her request and it means she needs to be close to me. For the same reasons I've always loved babywearing, I am grateful. I get to nurture my daughter while being able to get on with my life.

How shallow should I be?

My youngest is going to be 5 in about 2 weeks. And for the last few months, she is requesting to go in a "carrier" every morning. Before bed, she often reminds me that she wants me to scoop her up and pop her in a baby carrier first thing in the morning. I usually oblige (so long as I haven't twisted an ankle or anything like that).

She likes pink. I do too. But my absolute favorite baby carrier is my Ergo and it's a few years old.

Should I get myself a pink Ergo, now that there is one available? Is that totally nuts?

On the other hand, if I'm going to get a new Ergo, why not try out the Ergo Sport that everyone is raving about? I'm super curious about the fit and extended padding and all the nifty new features.

Oh but this is so silly! She's going to be five! I don't need any new baby carriers!

Babywearing, again, after all these years

My second daughter was early (by my standards) to quit babywearing. She was just three.

I know many people think their babywearing careers are over at 6-9 months when the baby starts crawling and walking, but not so! Once they get over the driving need to be on the floor and master these skills, babies are right back up on your hip, and your babywearing career is back on target for years to come.

With my first daughter, it was me who ended the relationship. She was 4. I was hugely pregnant. She was huge. I just could not manage to pick up a 45 pound child any more. It was awful and if I could have, I would have. But I couldn't. I didn't know about back carries in those days. If I had it to do over again, she'd have been on my back right the way through because it's clearly what she needed. Now I know better.

My second daughter has always been an independent soul. I wasn't ready for her to stop because it's just easier to keep a child out of trouble if they are attached! She certainly challenged me as I chased her through stores if I couldn't get her to stay in the stroller.

She moved into her big sister's room recently. And with this move to further independence came some regressions. Specifically, she needs a lot more contact to make up for being away from me at night. When she wakes up in the morning, she wants to go into a "carrier". I only have a few left in my stash. I have a Beco Butterfly, a super old denim Ergo, and a Scootababy.

She prefers the Scootababy and Beco because they're pink. I still love the Ergo the most. I don't always get to say. It's almost worth getting myself the new pink Ergo. Almost, but not quite justifiable for just about 15 minutes babywearing in the morning.

She's going to be 5 soon, by the way.

If you know me on FaceBook, I've been posting horrible photos (horrible because my hair is a mess).

Peekaru on Ellen

Sorry for long hiatus!

I'm just bursting with babywearing stories! But I managed to lock myself out of my account for a few months. I'm back now and catching up!

CPSIA Impacts on Children's Apparel Industry

I don't like to post about stuff that I don't fully understand, but something has to be done. So I am sharing what I currently understand the situation to be and I urge you to do your own research, come back and comment, and spread the word.

I just signed this petition mentioned below. It is all very confusing but it looks like there was legislation enacted that baby carrier manufacturers in the USA all missed but that could affect all manufacturers and perhaps put them out of business if they are found out as not having done the required expensive testing. The deadline is either November or Feb. The intentions are obviously good, but something seems misguided about it all. It seems it would require every single type and color of fabric or other material to be individually tested. And there seems to be an underlying assumption that baby carriers are more like a toy, than, say, a mom's coat, if you see what I mean; the latter would not be subject to the same requirements. Many things around the house get mouthed by babies. This legislature seems designed (intentionally or not) to put the industry out of business.

Here is the petition link:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA?e

More information: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/national-bankruptcy-day/

Babywearing in "For Better or For Worse" Comic

Lovely to see babywearing show up as more ordinary!

Why I Know Babywearing is Right

An article on CNN health concludes that strollers where baby faces away cause the baby stress. Too true. My first baby was one of those that was going to make it instantly clear when she was unhappy. I must have tried 7 or 8 strollers and the only one that ever worked was a monstrosity I got at a second hand shop that allowed her to face me. It didn't work all that well though and I wound up getting rid of it like all the others.

Not only does having the baby facing away cause the baby stress, it also caused me, the mom, to be stressed! Having a child that could go into an exhausting spiral at any point meant it was helpful to either be in contact with her or have her facing me. She could be working up to a fit in that stroller and I would not know it until it was too late.

Obviously, every baby is different. I am not against strollers. In fact, my second baby adored the stroller and sometimes preferred it to being worn.

Pain Free Babywearing!

I find babywearing nearly pain-free. I say nearly, because sometimes, there is pain. But good pain, not bad pain. By good pain, I mean the kind of pain you might feel after a workout. After all, babywearing does involve toting gradually larger amounts of weight on your upper body.

Some examples of good pain are sore thighs, tired tush, maybe even a bit of pain in the hip flexor. Noticing a pattern here? None of the pain is in the neck, back or shoulders.

A good baby carrier, properly worn, should never cause pain in the upper body. If you have pain, you are either doing something wrong, or it is not the baby carrier for you; keep looking! For example, slings, pouches and mei tais are all excellent baby carriers but they are not comfortable for me, due to either back issues or just the way my body is constructed. I only find wraps and soft structured baby carriers comfortable, so that is what I use.

Find what works for you. Don't be afraid to sell of what's not working well. You should not need to reach for a pain killer after babywearing. Perhaps a bit of stretching might be in order!

The BWI Winners are being announced!

I was blessed to have been chosen as a judge for the Babywearing International 2008 Internationational Babywearing Week Awards. The award candidates were all amazing and judging was not at all easy.

My business, SoBeBabies is also a sponsor for the The Vijay Owens Babywearing Advocacy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Promoting Babywearing. I love Vijay and am thrilled to be associated with her in this way. I can't wait to find out who the lucky winner is!

Babywearing causes pain, according to Motrin

By now, you have probably seen the ad that Motrin came out with over the weekend. If not, you can view it here:


One of the things that offended me about this ad is the assumption that babywearing has to be painful. Do shoes have to be painful? I have spent untold hours educating parents on more comfortable baby carriers and how to use baby carriers properly. Not all baby carriers are comfortable for all people but there are much better options out there in the last few years. Check out thebabywearer.com and babywearinginternational.com and get educated! Babywearing is not going to go away, just like shoes are not going to go away. Both just get better and better! I for one do not take a pain killer when I mistakenly buy a pair of poor fitting shoes.

Babywearing International Awards

International Babywearing Week Awards Sponsors are giving away $2,000 worth of merchandise to honor groups, businesses and individuals who promote the timeless and beautiful practice of babywearing. Nominations for General Awards will be accepted through November 7, 2008. Go start nominating!!!!! TOP LEVEL AWARDS: The Best International Babywearing Week 2008 Publicity Campaign is sponsored by Posh Papoose. The prize for this award is $500 worth of merchandise from Posh Papoose. The “Vijay Owens Babywearing Advocacy Award for Lifetime Achievement in Promoting Babywearing”is sponsored by SoBeBabies. The prize for this award is $250 worth of merchandise from SoBeBabies. The “Jennifer Rosenberg Babywearing Advocate of the Year Award” is sponsored by Happy Bambino. The prize for this award is $250 worth of merchandise from Happy Bambino. GENERAL AWARDS: The “Best babywearing outreach program by a non-vendor” award is sponsored by Bambino To Go. The “Best babywearing outreach program to women in need” award is sponsored by Sleeping Baby Productions. The prize for this award is $250 worth of merchandise from Sleeping Baby Productions. The “Best babywearing advocate in the healing professions” award is sponsored by Lemon Balm Essentials. The prize for this award is $250 worth of merchandise from Lemon Balm Essentials. The “Best charitable program by a babywearing vendor” is sponsored by TheBabywearer.com. The prize for this award is a “Spotlight On” advertising feature on TheBabywearer.com. The Children’s Coloring Contest is sponsored by Calin Bleu. Each of 10 winners will receive a doll sling.

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Beloved Ergo!

People definitely get attached to their baby carriers. I have seen some very tattered baby carriers over the years, but have learned to be very gentle about making any comment about safety as most parents are of the mind that it has cradled their special little ones and will continue to do so for as long as needed.

This sweet guy is someone I met at a local BOLD performance. His table was near mine. He and his wife still use this, a Classic Ergo. He was mildly curious about some of the new design features but perhaps not enough so that he'd be willing to part with this sweet carrier.

Have an old ratty tatty beloved baby carrier? Share your photos! I'd love to post more!

But do remember to be safe! Clearly, the exposed padding is not structurally dangerous. I have seen slings with holes in them that give me pause!

Soft Structured Baby Carrier Comparison/Review

People are always asking lots of questions about which is the best baby carrier or the best of a certain style of baby carrier.

That question has no answer, only personal opinion, largely because we're all built differently.

Here is a great article about Soft Structured Carriers by Slingdad (who I was really looking forward to meeting at the Babywearing Conference but unfortunately, he couldn't make it).

Here is an SSC comparison chart with features at a glance of the most popular buckle carriers.

The best place to go chat about the subtle nuances is The Baby Wearer's forum on Choosing & Using an Asian Inspired or Soft Structured Carrier.

Adventures in Babywearing: Carrying The Future

Great post from Stephanie of Adventures in Babywearing. She got to hear the keynote at the Babywearing Conference. I am so grateful for this writeup; I could only hear parts of it because my little one was not allowing me to focus! You know how that goes!

Here is her blog post:
Adventures in Babywearing: Carrying The Future

I do remember Jen Norton (the keynote speaker and founder of TBW) speaking about her feelings a lot about becoming a parent. I can identify with some of what she was talking about. I very intentionally became a mom and I love being a mom, but I am not one of those fuzzy wuzzy women who adores all children and babies. I think Jen and I could definitely chat about some aspects of being a mom and of being around kids. In this regard, babywearing helped all the more with establishing the close ties needed to be the mom I want to be. I hope that makes sense. I don't want to say too much more because I am not sure if I'm correctly remembering what Jen said and unfortunately, it seems that the keynote speech is not written down anywhere. Correct me if I'm wrong! But I recall a thread on TheBabyWearer right after the conference where people were asking for it.

Peruvian Babywearing Dolls

I've come to a point in my babywearing career that I have long dreaded. After nearly 9 years (I've had a good run), it looks very unlikely that I'll have more than a few more opportunities. The last time I did babywearing (and boy did I ever!) was the Babywearing Conference in Chicago. The upcoming La Leche League Conference is my next chance to do some babywearing. I'll be using my Versaille Scootababy. I'm looking forward to that. After that, who knows. Like weaning and so many natural transitions, you're often not sure when the last time will be or was.

Meanwhile, how to keep this important focus front and center? One way is through the use of child size baby carriers so my little ones can wear their dolls. We've got one of everything! Another way is through the use of babywearing dolls.

The Natural Child Project, a cause near and dear to my heart, has these awesome Peruvian Dolls for sale.

Bonding with your pets - alternative use for baby carriers

I am not really sure why everyone laughs when I share that I sometimes put one of my cats in a baby carrier. I've tried it with all my cats and it has usually gone over well. The first time, I did it for a lark just to see if it would work, not really expecting the cats to like it, but they did!

Then I found it a useful way to protect a new kitten from an older cat who was really out to get him. It was just like having a new baby and needing to both bond and protect him from a jealous older sibling.

And recently, I'm back into wearing my "kitten", now a 9 month old huge Maine Coon cat who is too proud to sit on my lap but loves to be held. Putting him into a baby carrier is a great way to get some together time on his terms which dictate that I have to be standing the whole time. Today, I had him for about an hour and then needed to get on with things so my daughter took over and they enjoyed another hour of closeness before he'd had enough.

There really aren't any pet carriers suitable for cats and most of the ones I've seen that are designed for dogs are pretty horrifyingly uncomfortable for both pooch and person. I have had good luck with pouches like the Karma Baby Pouch and buckle carriers such as the Ergo Baby Carrier. I just grab something out of my stash and pop kitty in.

If you have a story about wearing a pet, please share it!

New Scootababy Coming Soon!

As far as I am concerned, the Scootababy is one of the best kept secrets of babywearing. I have waxed on about it before, and probably will again!

At last month's Babywearing Conference, Audra, the owner of Scootababy, had a booth across from mine with the newly redesigned offerings. I got a sneak peek the night before before anyone when I stopped by her room. Even though I was bleary-eyed from all day travel, the new design, barely visible in the dimly lit dorm room, woke me right up!

I loved the old design. It's super comfy and easy to use; anyone can figure this baby carrier out and everyone, even people who have never used a baby sling before, can relate to a hip carrier. But the all black denim didn't exactly appeal to my dressy side.

I was most excited to see the prints in person. I had of course seen photos but 2 inch swatches on my screen are not the same as full size and touching. The fabric is wonderful. And the details totally wowed me! There is piping that gives such a polished look. I am no designer so I never would have realized what a difference a detail like that could make.

Another feature that jumped out at me is the quilted lining. It looks and feels luxurious and, well, expensive!

Scootababy has managed to strike upon a lineup of prints that are not overly trendy and that have nearly universal appeal. Most are suitable for both men and women.

For those of you that aren't just interested in prettiness, there are some important design improvements. The most important ones are that the body of the carrier is higher and the seat has contoured. What this means is that it is easier to get the baby to sit more deeply in the body of the carrier (in other words, it is easier to get correct positioning). People complained that their baby was too long but Audra and I feel that in reality, the baby was probably not all the way in. I wore my four year old and never found the body too short. Read more Scootababy updates here.

Of course I took home a pink Scootababy for myself and have long since sold off my old black one.

Beco Butterfly - Breaking the Rules

With any baby carrier, there are good rules that really should be followed and there are rules that can be bent.

Recently, a rule that should not be broken was most definitely broken in a big and not okay way. Ever since the Baby Bjorn popularized facing out, people have come to assume this is the normal way of carrying babies.

Any good baby carrier will simply help you carry your baby in a way you'd hold them. Very few people walk around while holding their baby facing out. I know what some of you are thinking. You think your baby just has to face out. There is a time and place for facing out and I maintain that the time that is sitting on your lap. It is simply awkward to hold a baby with your hands in the facing out position, and therefore, it is not natural to walk around with a baby facing out for extended periods of time.

So when a popular magazine recently put up a photo of a baby facing out in a Beco Butterfly, they misrepresented the product. I can appreciate why they did this but it is a real shame that they did not take the time to read the instructions. This unfortunate incident means that even more people are going to demand this position and use baby carriers, like the Beco Butterfly, incorrectly. That is a shame.

Now for rules that can be bent. The video instructions explain how to use the Beco Butterfly. Unlike other buckle carriers, the baby is put in the Butterfly and then you put the Butterfly on (front or back). Many people, myself included, find this method awkward. I have come up with an alternative that might prove easier. So here it goes.

1. Put your Beco Butterfly on your front (even if you are planning to do a back carry) and close the chest strap behind you
2. Adjust the waist, shoulder straps and chest straps for comfort
3. Adjust the length of the straps for where the baby will go; there is a separate pouch area where your baby must fit. Eyeball it.
   
4. Unbuckle the straps that you just adjusted - the ones that set the distance for where baby will go
5. Get your baby
6. Lift baby higher on your chest and to one side and slide one leg into one side of the carrier
7. Shift baby to your other shoulder and put her other leg in
8. Be sure to guide baby's feet from the bottom to the correct leg openings (use a mirror and/or partner as you are learning)
   
9. Ease Baby down and pull up on the body of the carrier until baby is deeply seated
   
10. Buckle the two straps that hold baby's little pouch area and adjust if necessary so baby is secure
11. For a front carry, you're done!
12. For a back carry, open the chest strap behind you
13. Hip scoot baby and carrier around to your back, being sure to bend at the waist as you get your baby on your back
14. Put the shoulder strap on first on the side you scooted baby around
15. Put on other shoulder strap
16. Close the chest strap

Enjoy! If these instructions are helpful, please leave a comment!

Chicago Babywearing Conference 2008

Sneak Peek of New Ergo Baby Carrier design! This is behind the scenes during the fashion show. Total mayhem behind the scenes but up front, all went smoothly! There are two more photos coming up; another of the blue and one of the black. Gorgeous! Also, I heard tell of a pink! I am so excited! And all these new gorgeous Ergos are organic!
My booth - check out the new Oopa Baby slings! Most of these are as yet not even on any website! The slings on the left are EllaRoo. Yummy too! The mannequin is wearing the SoBeBabies exclusive Pretty in Pink Action Baby Carrier.
This is a total tease. Sorry, I didn't get a good photo of the new Scootababy. I guess we're all just meant to wait. Another peek of the Pretty in Pink Action Baby Carrier on the chair.
This was after the conference ended. Poor girl just fell asleep on the floor! But check out that gorgeous Oopa Baby skirt!
Ah, there it is! The gorgeous embroidered organic Ergo Baby Carrier. I've heard people complain that Ergo is un-hip. Not anymore! I can't wait to see how these will be received!
Detail of the New Organic Blue Ergo Baby Carrier with embroidery.
This is me one morning in my room. I must admit that after a few days, I switched to wearing the Ergo Baby Carrier exclusively. My little one is four and she just didn't walk anywhere. And having the Haiku Grab bag around my waist helped a lot; no extra strain on my shoulders. Normally, I use it as a shoulder bag but the Babywearing Conference was extreme babywearing for a suburb girl. Just the walk from the dorms to breakfast and then the conference pretty much did me in each day! Oh! Loving those shoes? They are indeed Doc Martins! They belonged to my older daughter and are one of the many reasons I just had to have another girl. Yup. I'll admit it. I was not over her gorgeous clothing and baby toys. Two girls was right for us. All that yummy pink girl energy! Love it!
This is a photo of the booth mostly set up. That was a lot of work!
This was the booth before setup got underway. My little angel was amazing! The most natural of shopkeeper's daughters! Amazing!
I hope I get this right! This is a sneak peek of a prototype buckle carrier by MotheringTao. It is called the Lotus, I believe. She also has a cross carrier in the works, and I believe that is called the Baby Zen. I do hope I am not messing up the names. This carrier was in the fashion show. What is so cool about it is it goes around the torso, covering the perhaps less than slim middle of the new mom. It's so much easier to put on than a traditional Asian torso carrier. I was able to do it without any advice or coaching; you can't go wrong! It can be worn front or back. There were still some kinks that needed to be worked out. When the conference DVDs come out, you can see it being modeled. This is a very interesting modern take on a traditional baby carrier.

A behind the scenes fashion show peek. I was modeling two carriers. This is a Lemon Balm Essentials german woven wrap. It was short for me (I'm tall) so I did a hip cross carry. Did I mention that my little one wound up napping every day? She hasn't napped in ages. So during the fashion show, I was actually changed. We did a rehearsal and then straight into the real thing. I did two changes and she stayed asleep until waking up on stage during my second walk. Thank goodness she didn't fuss! I can imagine that is a strange way to wake up. I am just so relieved; I'd been apprehensive about the fashion show for months because I just could not be sure I could count on her to allow me to wear her.

Sneak Peek of My Course

Here is a sample page from my Saturday Course, Soft Pack Basics. Send me good vibes on Friday and Saturday so my presentations go well! Oh and that gorgeous baby carrier? It is one of the ones I mentioned in my last post. It is an Action Baby Carrier in a gorgeous SoBeBabies exclusive print! My little girl has quit her babywearing strike, but that doesn't mean she'll get in just anything! I know this one is a safe bet as she helped me pick out the fabric!

Babywearing Conference Preparation

Starbucks Near Babywearing Conference

First things first. Just checking out that there are lots of Starbucks nearby. It looks like there is one in every direction so that's all right.

No seriously, that's not all I've been up to. I've been having packages shipped to IL for ages and have finished writing, printing, colating and stapling my 2 courses. I've just been by the airport to check that this strange part of my display part that wouldn't fit in a box is okay to take as carry on. The TSA dude was pretty amused but as I was so earnest, he did go check with his supervisor to be certain all was well. No idea if I'll need to check it on the way back but that's okay. I just don't want any extra delays on the way there since checkin is just one hour. Plus waiting for checked bags to appear is a huge anxiety issue for me. I haven't checked bags in years and last time I did, sure enough, they didn't appear. Thank goodness they found them and delivered them to our hotel the next day.

Laundry is up to date and most of the packing is done. Lots of last minute errands tomorrow. A friend returned a borrowed Yamo today, freshly laundered. That will be one of many from my personal SSC stash that I use for my classes. After my classes, I am going to finally let go of my stash of demos.

The thing I'm most looking forward to is meeting so many friends. Seeing some of Chicago will be nice but I am not sure how much I'll get to see. I have decided to skip the stroller and I don't know how much my little one is going to want to get dragged around the city but we'll see. I am not even sure I'll have much extra time to explore. Really, I'm more of a relax and chat kind of person.

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is: Travel Time

With the Babywearing Conference a few days away, I really need to decide whether or not to have a stroller with me. This is not an easy decision. I will be traveling with my four year old daughter. Originally, when I planned to go, my husband was on board and we were all going to go as a family. But we moved after I agreed to teach and didn't realize that airfare prices from our now town would be prohibitive. So I could only afford two tickets. I'd love to have left my little one at home, but she's never spent one night away from me, much less six! Plus, my husband works and who would take care of her all day? I am able to nip out for a few minutes because he works from home, but not all day, for days on end!

So, to try to find my way through the airport with a stroller and two carry on bags plus a child that does not walk when we're trying to get some place? If she is in the stroller, um, where does the luggage go?

I have done that trick before and it's not that bad. I have hooked the luggage handles on to the stroller handles. But my wrists have been hurting and it just seems too much. Plus the thought of getting through security with more stuff just overwhelms me.

So, I'll probably live to regret this, but the stroller stays home.

2008 Babywearing Conference is Nearly Here!!!!

The 2008 Babywearing Conference in Chicago starts in just a few days! I am so excited and look forward to meeting people from around the country and even around the world. We all feel like we're going to meet celebrities and dear old friends we've never met!

I don't know what to be more nervous about. I have a booth, so of course a lot of planning and investment have gone into that. I've never done anything like this before so I hope I'm doing it all correctly!

And the whole reason I'm going in the first place is because I am teaching two classes! On Friday, I'm teaching Advanced Soft Structured Carriers. I look forward to this because I'm so passionate about SSCs more than any other baby carrier. There are going to be some exciting new SSCs debuted at the conference. That is all I can say about that right now! I sure hope the Fashion Show gets put up on YouTube during the conference so you can all see what I mean! I will try to post some photos if time, battery life and technology allow!

On Saturday, I am teaching Soft Pack Basics. Saturday is the open day and people from the greater Chicago day will be attending by the thousands to check out what is new and exciting in Babywearing! The volunteer committee has done an extraordinary job; everyone in a 100 mile radius is aware of the time and date! I am thrilled to teach this class and help these lovely families get an introduction to a style of baby carrier that they probably were not aware of and that they are going to totally fall in love with!

Stay tuned!!!

When strollers just won't work and child must be carried

Last weekend, my family got invited aboard the USS Truman, a Naval ship which had just returned from a long deployment. This was no cruise ship. The aisles were narrow and the stairways steep and precarious. My eight year old had quite a time getting around so imagine a four year old trying to keep up. Any parent, in a situation like this, would wind up carrying their little one.

That photo is of my four year old on my back, which was by far the safest place for her! There were no other children that age aboard! Probably it was quick to see that it was impossible to get around carrying a little one and a stroller would have been completely impossible as there were knee knockers in every doorway (you had to step quite high to get through the doorways.)

I got a lovely workout that day! And my little one got to feel safe; again, this was no cruise ship. It is, um, not exactly, well, pretty. Let's leave it at that.

Listen to your baby

My daughter is now four and so it's super easy for her to tell me she'd like to be in the baby carrier or switch to front or hip. Actually, she rarely requests a hip carry. She did today, and I was so glad I had a baby carrier that allowed for that position.

It was super hot and muggy at the cow factory we were touring. She started out on my back but decided she'd be able to see more easily and be cooler on my hip, which is true. I quite enjoyed the break from the sweaty back. Then she wanted to do a front carry. It's hard for me to see around her head now that she's so big, but you won't catch me complaining; there were two other parents there lugging children the same size.

So we have two things to learn from children. They don't want to be put down, even at age four, even in places where strollers are ridiculously inconvenient. And they might like to try different positions, not just always be worn exactly the same way. However you wear them, remember that a bit of fussing might be a reminder for you to turn so your little one can see the action. Sure enough, my little started swinging her legs and I asked what she wanted. She just wanted to see; she was bored!

Baby Sling Safety

Finally! M'Liss' work has been published in a new baby sling safety blog! M'Liss, I appreciate all your hard work and dedication in this important project.

Oh, but I have a boy!

So often, I hear people lament the "fact" that they can't wear certain colors or prints because they have a boy. This thebabywearer.com forum posting shows all the gorgeous boys being worn by moms who chose the fabric they loved with no regard to the gender of their little one.

Enjoy!

Babywearing 2nd honeymoon

Babywearing is going swimmingly here! Check out my little one on her dad's back (for all of you who have always wondered why she looks nothing like me, now you can see where she gets her looks!) He went out briefly and she fell asleep! She hasn't taken a nap in months but I guess she was enjoying the ride!

To recap my last post, my daughter is four years old. She absolutely quit babywearing a year ago when we were on vacation without a stroller, but we still had to carry her everywhere! We have not been able to wear her for a year. Recently, I was able to reintroduce babywearing and it has helped with some behavioral challenges we were struggling with. The simple act of touch seems to have helped us all reconnect. We also added some Bach Flower Remedies. So who knows which facilitated which but things are going more smoothly now!

The baby carrier in the photo is the Active Mom Carrier, but I think I am going to call it something else, seeing as dad's wearing it too! Any suggestions?

A year after being fired, we are babywearing again!

A year ago at this time, we were on vacation in San Francisco and my little girl was turning three. She chose that time to quit babywearing. We were out and about in the city and she simply quit. She consistently refused to go into any baby carrier. We didn't even have a stroller with us as we tend to travel as light as possible so this was a real hardship.

Our final day there, after walking all over the city and carrying her for hours, we got back to the car and my husband had locked the keys in there somewhere. Well, we hoped that was the case, anyway. In the seediest of parking lots with bird poop everywhere and a compact car that fit into our back pocket (so no possible place to sit), we waited over an hour, standing and holding her - of course only mommy would do - hoping beyond hope that when the locksmith showed up, the keys would indeed be in the car and we would make our return flight.

Yes, the keys were there and we did manage to struggle through the airport with my husband having to handle all the bags because of the new No Babywearing Rule. And no, she would not walk. And yes of course, we had to switch flights at 3am.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Have you ever noticed that children undergo huge mental leaps on and around their birthdays? So last year, she was growing up and quitting babywearing. This year, she is getting language concepts so quickly but also driving us pretty batty with irrational requests. Like, at 11pm, insisting on having ice cream right now, even though we don't have any and the stores are all closed and even if they weren't, no way am I going to get up and buy ice cream at that hour. I know this is a common theme from talking to other parents, but it is still very difficult to go through these developmental transitions.

One day, I realized I'd better scale back and focus on her and really up my patience level. And I also realized I needed to reconnect with her through touch. And what better way to do that than babywearing? So I popped her straight into my trusty old Ergo one morning and out the door we went. It was just like old times; she was relaxed and there was lots of head kissing and smiles all around.

But as it started to dawn on me that we were back in babywearing business, it also started to dawn on me how I'd missed out on so much of the new and gorgeous options. So I sat down with my little one and dug through my inventory and we agreed upon a red Active Mom Carrier. She still prefers front carries so I have been wearing it with straps crossed.

I can not believe how her behavior has changed! This simple change has caused such a powerful shift. She is calmer and the irrational outbursts have nearly gone away. My husband jumped back on the babywearing bandwagon right away too. I am sure he would have preferred some color other than red but the thing is, with a child who is picky about the baby carrier, she is the first one that needs to be pleased!

The other day she woke up and asked to go onto my back. She chose a special tester baby carrier and out the door we went. I had been planning breakfast at home but no way after that request! I am so thrilled she is willing to do back carries again! I even wore her for an hour or so while house cleaning the other day! She was getting underfoot and being grumpy and this totally settled her down. A nap would also have done the trick but she quit those so being able to have her on my back and get on with it was such a blessing!

Beco Butterfly - a Whole Different Animal!

I am confident about a lot of things and especially about babywearing. I am confident enough to look foolish and to have fun making fun of myself. I had a grand old time this week laughing at myself because I walked into a consultation without too terribly much of a clue. And it was at Starbucks, no less, so people were looking on. What the heck!

I only watched the Beco Butterfly DVD once some 2 months ago and only tried the carrier once as my little one doesn't allow me to use any new carrier more than one time. And she's nearly four now, so pretty soon all I will have is weighted dolls. I sort of had the basic idea, but that was a while ago! Now I have no DVDs to review while my carriers are being repaired.

So when I peeked inside and showed her where her baby was going to go, I wasn't even sure! Too funny!

Because of the recall and the fact that the carrier we were using has not yet been repaired, I decided we'd use it in a way where the buckle issue couldn't come into play. So we just put the carrier on her first and slipped baby in from the top. I can't tell you which part her baby wound up in but it all made sense.

To look at this carrier being worn, you really can't see much of a difference from any other soft structured carrier out there. But believe me, it's totally different to use.

I'm glad I had this little experience and got to see it on someone else. There are a few adjustments. Like a frame backpack, baby goes in and gets fitted, and the other part of the carrier gets worn by the parent and adjusted. Other carriers just hold baby up against the wearer and are adjusted only in one part of the carrier. Well sort of. Broad sweeping generalization.

Let's just say that the Beco Butterfly is just like a frame backpack but without the frame part! I hope that clears it right up! I so wish I'd taken a few photos of mine while I had it!

Introduction to SSCs at Babywearing Conference

So I'm teaching a class at the Babywearing Conference in Chicago in June. The class is Introduction to Soft Structured Baby Carriers. I was thinking I could get a little advanced but then I realized that my class is during the open day so beginning babywearers may be there. That is totally cool; babywearing advocacy is so important to me and I do believe that buckle carriers are more palatable to mainstream parents.

So I am totally open to what to cover. I was going to do as much of the material on The Ergo Lady's Tips and Tricks as I could. And I want people to get to try at least one carrier. I haven't started planning so I am open to suggestions!

Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier Voluntary Recall

Yesterday, Beco Baby Carrier announced a voluntary recall of the Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier. You can read the full text here:

Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier Recall

Amanda Peet wears her Ergo Baby Carrier

I was so happy to see these gorgeous photos of Amanda Peet wearing her baby in an Ergo Baby Carrier. (Click on the link to see the rest of the photos.) Behind the scenes of the babywearing vendor scene, I often see the disappointment when celebrities are gifted baby carriers and then either don't use them, or use them poorly, in obviously uncomfortable ways. Amanda obviously got it; babywearing makes airport travel and, well, life, easier!

It's a funny thing about celebrities. They are of course people just like the rest of us, but we can see them so much more than they can see us. So a simple thing like hanging out at a babywearing meeting and finding out about the rejuvenated art of babywearing is something that isn't generally going to be an option for a well-recognized celebrity. I have long asserted that just as there are fitness trainers who make it their business to train celebrities, there should also be babywearing consultants who specialize in this area. Any celebrity is absolutely welcome to fly me out and get lessons but of course, they'd have to pay airfare for my little one too. Or just come visit! I'll hook you up! Gee, perhaps I'll put this as an item in my shopping cart. You never know! (Edited to add - Here it is! Babywearing Consulting!)

More and more often, we are seeing celebrities babywearing and doing it well! We all look to celebrities to learn about fashion and trends. Babywearing is one trend that is not going to go away. Yes, it can be a fashion statement, and there is nothing wrong with that! But it's also something that has taken many countries by storm because of how it enhances our life. Believe me, I would not willingly carry around an extra 30 pounds strapped to my body if there were not some advantage to it. The sad irony is that countries where babywearing has been done out of necessity are now making economic advances and consider babywearing beneath them. So while they are rushing out getting expensive strollers, celebrities here are ditching the stroller as often as possible. *

*Just to be clear, I am not anti-stroller. But there are so many times where it is easier and more convenient to not have a stroller and to simply babywear. I still love my stroller! I just don't use it that often.

Babywearing Safety: "Bag" Slings

M'Liss Stelzer, author of Mothering Magazine's Babywearing Bliss how-to primer, has recently posted the results of some research she's been working on regarding safety in so-called "bag" slings*. For the full research, please create a free membership at The Baby Wearer and read "Concerns About Bag Slings".

M'Liss is a former NICU nurse, mom to two, and an avid babywearing advocate and teacher. She's married these specialties and has been doing research on oxygenation levels in newborn babies. Part of this
research is mentioned about in the Babywearing Bliss primer, but she has continued to collect data, focusing more on what she is calling "bag" slings*.

Here is an excerpt from "Concerns About Bag Slings", taken with permission from the author.

With the majority of fabric carriers it takes only a few minor adjustments to get baby safely and comfortably positioned (see the "Correct Positioning article")". However, unlike most other types of carriers, it appears the Infantino SlingRider baby carrier has several significant design flaws that could place an infant at risk of respiratory distress, oxygen deprivation or even suffocation.

First, the design of the SlingRider causes baby to naturally curl chin to chest, larger babies more so because their heads are positioned further up in the carrier. This position kinks baby’s airway causing the baby to work harder to breathe. (For more information on the importance of maintaining an infant's head and neck in an aligned position see the articles “Baby car seat ‘cot death’ concerns” and “Simple Car Seat Insert to Prevent Upper Airway Narrowing”.)
Now, the instructions for every Infantino front pack emphasize that baby should not be chin to chest (“Baby's chin should not point down toward baby's chest") and there are even diagrams of correct positioning. However, the SlingRider instructions omit this important detail and, not only that, but the product shots of the SlingRider contradict the information in the front pack instructions. Photos on Infantino’s website.
www.infantino.com/Carriers/151-534.html
www.infantino.com/Carriers/151-520.html

Second, it is very difficult to keep a newborn’s face away from the pouch fabric. The SlingRider is roughly triangle shaped; flat bottom and two sides that slant upwards toward the elastic top. This “triangle” means that the pouch fabric is always angled very close to the sides of baby’s face. If baby rotates even slightly he ends up with his nose within a ¼” of the side, or even pressed against the side of the pouch. Once baby has his head pressed against the side of the carrier and/or against the parent's body there is a risk of the baby suffocating or becoming oxygen deprived. (See SlingRider #1)




Third, it is very difficult for the parent to monitor their infant unless they pull
open the top of the sling. The SlingRider is deep, plus it sags when baby is placed in it, further increasing the depth of the carrier. The gathered top and the fact that the sling hangs so low obstructs the parent’s view of baby. If a newborn were to have difficulty breathing, and/or rotate until his nose and mouth was pressed against the side of the carrier, the parent may not be aware of the baby’s respiratory distress for some time. Compounding this problem is the impossibility of feeling the baby's distress through the thick fabric of the sling.

Sling tightened as far as possible. 5'3" mother.


6 pound newborn



8 pound newborn


Compare the SlingRider with a shallow fabric pouch or adjustable open-tailed sling (or mei tai or wrap). In these types of carriers an infant is easily monitored and visualized. Also, a newborn's head is effectively sandwiched between the sides of these carriers, preventing the infant from rotating his/her head into the sides of the carrier.

Disclaimer: Although M'Liss has only been able to test babies in the SlingRider (because that's the only bag sling she has in her possession) she want parents to know that other bag slings probably present similar dangers.

*bag slings
"I believe there are two significant features that distinguish the dangerous "bag sling" from a typical pouch.

First: The bag sling has a padded, structured bottom (in the area where the baby's body rests). Therefore the fabric that supports the baby cannot conform to the baby's body and it is almost impossible to position the baby diagonally across the fabric, for proper back and
head support. (Also, if the "safety harness" is used, it forces the baby into an improper parallel-to-rails position.) The padding also makes it nearly impossible to carry the baby snug against the wearer's body, because it creates a flat surface that resists being adjusted and tightened.

Second: The rails are padded and elasticized, so -- esp. in combination with the depth of the pouch -- the sides of the sling tend to "close up" over the baby, restricting the flow of fresh air, and preventing the wearer from being able to easily see and monitor her baby. (This is less of a problem with an older baby who is sitting more upright in the sling, of course.)

The third big difference between a "bag sling" and a regular pouch is one more of wearing comfort than of the baby's safety, and has to do with the difficult-to-adjust heavily padded strap that goes over the wearer's shoulder and back. By itself I don't think this is a major
safety issue, but in combination with the above features, it adds to the tendency of these slings to be too large and very difficult, if not impossible, to wear snugly and with the baby well positioned.

So, the problem is more or less a function of the way you put the baby in the sling, but the
issue with these bag slings is that, by their design, they encourage poor positioning."
-Holly McCroskey Lewis, co-leader of Bay Area Babywearers,mom-of-two (hollyml)

Babywearing may be over but the baby carriers are still needed!

My beautiful Maine Coon cat died in late December after a long and wonderful life. A perfect 17 year friendship! I guess I moped a fair bit because my family is thrilled to see me smiling again.

Why?

We got a new kitten! We are all in love.

Oh.

Oops. Not all of us are in love, actually.

Our two year old kitty is purty darned pissed, actually. We brought the new kitten home yesterday and she was, ah, rather rude. I have never seen her make such distasteful faces, and the things she said? Well I am not going to put them up and risk offending you. Most unbecoming! Well anyway, we are all taking turns to try to keep the little guy safe and help our old grouch to remember we still love her.

I found myself holding the adorable little baby in one hand while lifting storage bins with the other. He was being stalked. She's already clocked him good a few times and left his head spinning.

It dawned on me that there was something familiar about this situation. I was needing both hands but one hand was busy holding this sweet little kitten. What to do? What to do? Oh yeah! That's right! A baby carrier! Well, okay, Stacey of Karma Baby did ask me to take some photos of my new baby in a pouch but I didn't realized it would be a safety thing to have him in there!

He loved it! Looking down from on high while safe and warm was a relief for a little while, anyway. Of course, he's still a cat, and a little one at that. So curiosity got the better of him and down into the fray he went. Quick! Off to give some huge cuddles to our old grump!

Using a Sling as a Sling

I lost the use of my left arm recently. I guess the good news is that I am right-handed. The sudden loss of use was accompanied by excruciating pain.

This wasn't completely out of the blue but it was certainly unexpected; I've been ignoring low level pain in my left shoulder for who knows how long and also managing to forget that I woke up pretty much every night in pain. Somehow, during the day, the problem was just out of mind.

But when the arm wouldn't move and touching the shoulder caused me to actually cry and scream, well, it was time to take action.

It didn't take long to find out what was wrong. Two seconds internet surfing brought me to bursitis. Textbook case. My chiropractor suggested immobilizing, which I was already doing.

So I went and looked at the medical supply store slings and ugh! After all the babywearing experience I've had, there was no way I was going to put that thin nasty strap on my back and shoulder. Intuition told me that would not be comfortable. Plus the part that cradles your forearm looked all scratchy and nasty. So I continued right along using what I'd been using: baby carriers as slings!

My absolute favorite turned out to be the sash from a Loopi baby carrier. How I wish I could still carry these baby carriers! The fabric is so soft and nice. Very luxurious feeling. Each day my husband would tie a knot at the right height and get my arm positioned correctly. I wish I'd realized sooner that it was actually more comfortable to have my elbow at my side. I was at first mimicking the positioning of arm slings; elbow in front. It turns out that this is very uncomfortable because it's not natural. So my home grown solution was actually better and more natural for supporting the arm in a completely rested position!

The good news is after the recommended three days, I didn't need a sling anymore. What a relief! Each day, I get a bit more mobility back. I can't do ordinary things like lift with both hands yet or put my hair in a pony tail, but I'm getting there!

Online Yardsale!

I have accumulated quite a stash of barely used baby carriers. Mostly, it's new inventory that got tried at a babywearing meeting or two. Well my inventory is taking over so it's time to clear out things that can go. My littlest is 3 1/2 and I just don't need the stash I have acquired so it's time to start letting go. My fingers and arms hurt from editing photos and typing all day. Go check out the sale and spread the word!

A few stragglers will eventually get listed but I need a break from this! And it won't just be baby carriers!

Active Mom Carriers

I love testing new baby carriers. These days, I only test Structured Baby Carriers. I have a few in the queue. Right now, I have an Active Mom Mei Tai and an Active Mom II, which is a still Top Secret Structured Baby Carrier.

If it weren't for the fact that there is an AMC Structured Baby Carrier, I probably wouldn't have considered testing the AMC mei tai! I've said it before and will probably say it again. Mei tais and me don't get along. Well, not usually. The design of the Active Mom Mei Tai is significantly different and I must admit, I found the darned thing comfortable.

The AMC I and II have a lot of commonality, so even though I can't post any photos of the AMC II, you can figure out what it is from what I am about to say and from photos of the AMC I on the website.

The AMC I is the first mei tai, at least as far as I know, to have some kind of thick foam insert in the body of the carrier. I am not quite sure why, but this makes the carrier super comfy. Yes, even for me who can never quite get comfy in a mei tai. The AMC II is pretty much the same thing as the AMC I except with buckles instead of straps you tie. Both have the foam padding and also the body has nifty snaps so you can fold it down for a smaller baby or leave it up for an older baby or to support a sleeping baby's head.

Now let's talk colors and material. Seriously, how wonderful when I get to the part where I kick back and get all shallow. The AMC II got has a minky (or minkee) lining. I didn't even try mine on at first; I kept petting it. It turns out a lot of people had the same reaction. It comes in awesome colors. There are bright, bold solids for people like me who like to have fun with color, and also rich, traditional textured solids for a dressier or more conservative look. I imagine the AMC II will have similar choices. The look and feel is of a high quality product with attention to detail.

With the AMC II, the shoulder straps are rather long so you can easily cross them or not. They are not so bulky that crossing them is awkward. My only issue is that the AMC II chest strap is not attached. I do not know if this is a real problem or not. I find it much easier to use SSCs that have the chest strap attached; otherwise, it's just as complicated for a new babywearer as a mei tai and this could prove a bit of a turnoff.(This is grayed out because it's been fixed!)

I did have a few moms try them at my last babywearing meeting. They totally ignored the mei tai and went straight for the AMC II. Both thought it would be too big and bulky but once on, it looked perfect and they found it super comfy. And they were caught petting the minky fabric as well. So there you have it.

I can't wait for the final versions! It's been a great pleasure to try these in the testing phase.

Hip Carry in a Soft Structured Baby Carrier and other ramblings

Finally! A photo of my improved method for using an SSC for a hip carry! I've been meaning to take a photo of this for freaking ever but until you guys nag, I don't tend to get to things. (More on what I got nagged - oops I mean I offered - to do today later!)

This hip carrry method is described on The Ergo Lady's Tips & Tricks section but I never had a photo before. Someone said they couldn't understand my ramblings so voila! A long-overdue photo! Now that I've learned a thing or two about PhotoShop, like, how to extract the background (which in my place is comprised of a whole mess of kid stuff that basically looks like clutter but isn't to me), I can just have my older daughter stand on a chair and do the honors.

For those of you that are keeping track, the Ergo pictured here is doubly new. Not only is it the very latest style of New Generation Ergo Baby carrier - so it can't lose its chest strap (among other enhancements), it's also Brown (chocolate)! And organic! I just got these in today and they were so worth the wait.

The other thing I did today was try my older daughter, who is over 70 pounds, in an Ergo and a Beco XO. Field research for someone who has a special needs child who is over 40 pounds and she's trying to figure what would work best. The Ergo was definitively more comfy for us both. No, Ergo doesn't recommend wearing 70 pounds, but they used to recommend the carriers up to 65 pounds, so you know they are tested higher. When a child is in a baby carrier, there are extra stresses that must be accounted for, so the carrier is not suddenly going to break at 66 pounds.

I suspect that the reason they backed off that recommendation was twofold. First, you just are not going to enjoy lugging much more than 40 pounds or so so unless you have to, it's really time for a stroller if your child won't walk. Second, their limbs are so long that wearing them is just awkward. But have I done it? Guilty. For example, this spring, my older daughter got a splinter during a hike. She absolutely needed carrying and it is still easier with a baby carrier.

The Ergo Lady Gets a Facelift!

I've been working on and off over the past few months on a facelift for The Ergo Lady. Then I had some nasty computer issues and nearly lost everything. I am slowly recovering. Tonight is the initial version of the renovated Ergo Lady website. The focus is more on information and more will be coming soon. All the information will be generic to most or all Structured Baby Carriers.

Feedback is welcome! Gorgeous Ergo Baby Carrier photos are also welcome!

Baby Carrier and Bra Fittings

The first time I got fitted for a bra, I thought the process was bizarre. Didn't you just measure in two places and grab a bra off the shelf? No, apparently. It's much more complex than that. The first time I had a bra fitted to me, there was lots of measuring and startlingly invasive poking and prodding. It was reminiscent of the book scene where Harry Potter gets his first wand; the size she originally calculated had little to do with what I wound up walking out wearing.

I was mortified to learn there was a proper way to place the girls in the bra! There is a whole technique to it to get optimal placement. Who knew? And yes, I can see it does make a difference under clothing.

It's funny that women take so much time with "the girls" and yet often so little consideration goes into choosing a baby carrier. It turns out that the process of getting a baby carrier to fit properly is both a process of trial and error to find one that works well for your specific body type, and a process of learning how best to use it; it might be necessary to reposition your baby within the baby carrier.

And if you aren't "feeling it", don't feel pressured to make a decision. It could just be a bad babywearing day where nothing feels quite right, or it could be that the choices you were able to try weren't appropriate. Real babies, unlike "the girls", get fussy so it might take more than one visit if everything doesn't line up just right. Before making a final decision, give a baby carrier at least 5 to 10 minutes to make sure it's still comfortable. It's a shame you don't get the same option with a bra!

Maya Wrap - The Real Story

Just in case you are getting in a panic having heard tidbits from various sources about a Maya Wrap Sling, please read the actual story. No one has been hurt. Testing is ongoing. More news will be available within a week.

Connecta Baby Carrier

I got a Connecta Baby Carrier today! Until very recently, these were absolutely not available in the USA. But now Hannah is able to send them over here so I got one of them for my very own!

I am going to be honest here. I am surprised. I loved it!

You know me by now; I am the structured baby carrier lover. And true, this can kinda sorta fall into that category. But I'm forever going on about how mei tais don't work for me. And the Connecta, like a mei tai, doesn't have any padding at the waist, so I assumed I'd run into the same issues.

But curiosity got the better of me.

Before I tell you more, I must say that the quality of this carrier is perfect. It just doesn't get any nicer. Ever seam detail is pleasing. The straps are made of nice nylon. It's very simple but very nice.

I had a quick scan of the instructions, which I don't normally do, but this was a bit different from what I'm used to and I wanted to get familiar with it. I noticed that it's suitable for newborns so I am going to have to take it to a babywearing meeting so I can see that in action. Luckily, the next meeting is in a few days so I won't have to wait long! I wish my camera charger could be found so I could take pictures - perhaps I will unearth it in time.

So anyway, my little one allowed me to do a back carry right off the bat, even though she is pretty much only into front carries these days. For a back carry, there is no need to cross the straps in front like you would with a Sutemi. There is an optional strap that you can use as a chest strap but I didn't need it. I really thought the shoulder straps would fall right off. I guess the baby's low center of gravity holds the straps down and back. Not sure. I have heard that some people use the Sutemi without crossing the straps and I never had the guts to try it but now I am going to have to give it a shot. I am about to loan most of my SSC stash to someone who's going to do an article but I keep finding reasons to hold off one more day before shipping them off. I guess the moral of that is that research is never done so I should just quit for now!

Later, I tried a front carry and it is a bit trickier to do than in an SSC with the straps already buckled. I didn't love that I was back to dragging on the ground. I always find that so icky and it's part of why I feel the SSC love so deeply. I suppose it's possible to close the buckles and put the child in from the top. I might give that a whirl at some point if my daughter will allow me any more attempts.

It took a bit of fiddling to get the buckles closed and tightening the straps seemed backwards; it would have been much easier to pull forward rather than backwards. But once I got it adjusted well, it was, well, super! I just don't get it. I didn't feel it dragging on my shoulders the way a mei tai does.

My husband tried it this evening and he wasn't feeling the love. It totally did not work on him. I tried a few adjustments but he just grumbled. I think he has found his love in the Ergo and now he is simply not willing to try anything that is at all uncomfortable. Not to say a baby carrier should be uncomfortable but for so many years, we both struggled along in varying degrees of pain and discomfort so once we both got the SSC bug and realized how good it could be, there didn't seem any point in ever suffering again. So if it's not 100% amazingly luxury comfortable, he just won't bother at all.

Baby Won't Be Put Down

Well I was just peeking at what search strings people use to come to my website and I noticed someone searched yahoo on "baby won't be put down". My website comes up first for that term. That is well-earned!

I write from the heart because babywearing is not just some passing fancy. My older daughter absolutely would not be put down. Nor passed to anyone else. She was my little girl and when other people wanted to hold her, I couldn't imagine what they were thinking; it was just not going to work so why bother torturing my baby? It absolutely amazed me that people didn't hear or respect that as they reached for her and she screamed and cringed. And it was a total shocker to me for a while that other babies could be passed around.

She was also a...um...rather plump little girl. She was around 27 pounds at a year and probably 35 by two and not overly tall. To put that in perspective, my second daughter finally hit 25 pounds sometime after her third birthday.

My older daughter also very likely had undignosed poor muscle tone. She carried like a sack of potatoes. She just didn't help out in any way at all. She went totally limp forced me to hold her up, even to the point of supporting her back. Just having her sit in my lap took a whole lot of energy. This is a photo I just found of her at around age three. You can see I am totally holding her up.

So yeah, when I have on my website that you might consider babywearing if you have a baby that won't be put down, I sure know where I'm coming from! Babywearing was a total life-saver for us.

I didn't really think my second daughter would want to be worn as much but in the end, I did wear her just as much until she retired. She got worn for some very different reasons. As a strong, fit, independent little person, she felt it her birthright to run off and got a real giggle out of being chased. Having seen that sort of behavior in others' kids, I was able to totally nip it in the bud. If we were going across a parking lot, I simply never let her walk. Ever. And if she was tired or hungry, into the carrier she went. She loved the snuggle time and instantly relaxed when I did this. Through babywearing, we were able to avoid a whole lot of dangerous running into traffic stage stuff.

Sadly, her independent streak won out and at around her third birthday, she retired from babywearing. Thankfully, she had enough sense by that age to walk along next to me or hop in the stroller. (Yes, we use strollers. True, mostly for groceries, but I am most definitely not anti-stroller.) She'll still let me use a new, never before seen baby carrier just one time, and if I wake her from a nap when we have to leave, she'll often allow me to pop her into a snuggly front carry, but other than that, she's just on my hip, in her stroller, or walking. When she first "retired" from babywearing, I could barely hold her with one arm; my muscle strength just wasn't there. But now I can carry her on my hip with one hand no problem! And it's all good; it's nice to get a bit of upper body strength back.

If you can't see, close your eyes!

Today I was buckling my daughter into her booster seat. It's so hard leaning in and trying to get that strap to buckle when you can't see what you're doing. I have learned to close my eyes. In fact, whenever I am trying to do something fiddly and I can't quite see, I close my eyes.

Lots of people can't get the chest strap of their soft structured baby carrier to close behind them when doing a front carry. Again, close your eyes and it will be so much easier.

I guess it's because with your eyes open, there is too much input and it's too distracting for the poor brain. Try it and tell me if it works!

Babywearing in the news!

Check out a lovely story about a Seattle area babywearing group. Great information and modeling of a pouch, sling, mei tai, Moshi (soft structured carrier with buckles), wraps (both stretchy and woven).

Excellent questions and information.

Nice job!

Mr. Chocco

Haven't you heard of Mr. Chocco? No? Mr. Chocco is a wrap owned by Paulus, AKA Sling_Dad on The Baby Wearer. He got the idea to send this wrap on a trip around the world. Everyone who has it is blogging about it and putting up pictures on The Baby Wearer forums. Great fun!

Babywearing and Learning Styles

My daughter was just trying to wear a towel - you know - when you wrap it around yourself after you come out of the shower or pool. She's having some trouble getting it to stay up and even after I did it for her, it still didn't stay very long. "How do you make it stay?" she asked me. "I don't know," I responded, "I'd have to do it."

That tells you something about my learning style.

A few months ago I was at a playgroup with a group of local mama friends I've known for years. One mom asked how to put her baby on her back with the Ergo. Her baby was 8 months old. I couldn't tell her! I was pretty much totally confusing her within a few mintes. I haven't used the technique I used then in years and I could no longer explain it! I am so glad I wrote it all down before I forgot how to explain it! Up walks another friend and she says, "This is how Ellen taught me to do it." And she proceeds to redeem me (somewhat) with a flawless explaination and demonstration of the hip scoot.

Blushing, I plop down and wonder where my skills have gone. I've known for some time that my skills were slipping away with disuse, especially little baby skills. But why is that?

I guess it must be due to my learning style. I believe I am auditory, kinesthetic, visual, in that order. Everyone has all three learning styles and an order of preference. All three definitely come into play, but trying to teach a visual person with words is not going to work. Trying to show me is also not going to work. In fact, my learning style has made me a very slow learner for physical skills. I'm not exactly a natural athlete. But once I get something, I'm told I am graceful.

Some people show up at babywearing meetings and are doing advanced maneuvers after having seen it done once. This freaked me out at first but now I know that this is how visual learners do things. My younger daughter is visual or kinesthetic first, auditory last. She sees and does, speaks little. A true natural athlete. My older daughter needs things explained more and holds back a lot. She's more like me. Some people come to babywearing meetings and feel very flummoxed and embarrassed that they can't do it. They require more patience, more words, and more doing. Obviously, they are not visual, so we need to try reaching them via their other learning styles to see which one clicks.

It's helpful to know your learning style to know how difficult this is going to be for you. If you are like me, and you are just not all that natural with physical stuff, don't give up! I can do some super advanced babywearing maneuvers but they took time and perseverence. I used to sit at the computer and watch the videos on mamatoto.org over and over and over! And I'd go practice, all the while playing back the words in my head. I had memorized the scripts! (So did my older daughter, by they way; we'd both say, "Get your baby" in the same intonation as Tracy on mamatoto did - it turns out Tracy is imitating someone else!) So don't give up if it is not coming naturally. It's so worth hanging in there.

Did this article help you? Post a comment! It's nice to know someone is reading!

Babywearing in the heat

I am going to pontificate and speculate. I have absolutely no scientific evidence for what I am about to say. It's just conjecture and theory based on my limited experience of having babies, being a mom, speaking to hoardes of new parents and seeing their babies at babywearing meetings, AP meetings and La Leche League meetings.

Babies are hot. And further, moms who have just had babies are hotter than they normally are; their hormones don't regulate until, oh, I don't know, 6 months after birth. Perhaps, just perhaps, this is as it is supposed to be.

Both of my little girls would sweat up the spot around their heads when sleeping so much that the sheet would be wet a good 6 inches away. It didn't even matter if they were underdressed and it was chilly; they still sweated. And I've peeked at many blogs and see others thinking they have the only sweaty little baby. So I'm gonna guess that babies are just sweaty little things.

Okay, so how does this relate to babywearing? Well, babywearing, especially with a newborn, especially for the already overheated mom with hormones still settling after pregnancy, is hot. It just is. And while this is uncomfortable for the adult, perhaps it is not uncomfortable for the baby.

Some people give up on babywearing very early on because it is too hot and they worry it's going to hurt the baby. But if that little baby is sweating up a storm anyway, I can't see that babywearing is going to make that much of a difference. Sure, do what you can to make it cooler and make sure your baby isn't going to get heat stroke or anything like that. But if your baby is sweating, peeing, and taking in liquids, it doesn't seem dangerous to me.

That is not to say you shouldn't try to find the coolest way to wear your baby. Instead of tummy to tummy, on a hot day, try positioning your baby so that there is minimal body contact. One way to do this is with baby's arm and hip towards you. For example, a sling or a pouch used in the cradle position is cooler because it minimizes contact. If using the Ergo Baby Carrier or a mei tai, try positioning baby seated or slightly reclined with both legs out to the side, with or without the infant insert. If at all possible, do a back carry. Back carries with newborns aren't for everyone but if you are inclined to learn, it's definitely much cooler. Suitable baby carriers for back carrying a newborn are wraps, mei tais, and perhaps a pouch in the football position with baby slid around to the back.

The Ergo Lady needs incoming links!

I just did a little poking around and it's just as I'd hoped; people love the hard work I put into creating the Tips & Tricks on http://www.the-ergo-lady.com.
but when people get an Ergo Baby Carrier and blog about it, they always link to the manufacturer's website.

I'm asking you to spread the love! Send some links my way! Blog about your Ergo and the great experiences you had with it. And if you got any benefit from http://www.the-ergo-lady.com, then blog about that!

Thanks!
Ellen

New and Improved Ergo Baby Carrier

I've been sitting on some Ergo Baby Carrier news for a few weeks now but it's safe to spill the beans now. I didn't want to say anything while I still had inventory that wasn't affected. And in fact, some of my inventory is not affected. But first let me share the news!

The Ergo Baby Carrier has had some great improvements.

1. The chest straps are now permanently attached to the shoulder straps with a runner and will keep the chest strap in its desired location so it won't need readjusting each time the carrier is taken off or put on. These straps are dyed to match the carrier for a cohesive look.
2. The hood straps are shorter and snap directly on to the shoudler straps.
   
3. The hood has elastic to provide more length due to the shorter straps and will cup around the baby's head.
4. The D-ring is now just for personal use. It's great to hook a Haba toy clip.

These changes are not yet in the instructional DVD so don't get confused.

What does this mean? Well first of all, no more worring about losing your chest strap. If you want to do a hip carry, you will not have to take the chest strap off for fear of dropping it somewhere when you unbuckle the chest straps.

The sleep hood is going to be so much easier to use. It's now easier to find the runners and much easier to exactly match because you just snap the sleep hood right onto the shoulder strap right where you can easily reach. And when the sleep hood is not in use, you don't have to "put it in park"; I was forever running around behind Ergo wearers and running their sleep hood runners through the D-rings and snapping the runner back to itself. I call this position "park" and it means that the runners are not dangling around and getting in the way. These days will be behind us soon!

Has anything else changed? No, not as far as I can tell. It's still the same high quality baby carrier we've grown to know.

So, the colors that are not affected are the organic denim and the blue with cranberry lining. Everything else is the new version. If you received your Ergo in a box, you can rest assured that it's the latest and greatest version. Enjoy!

I sell a lot of Yamos!

Here is the irony. I have not been able to get my hands on a Yamo since the beginning of this year. I only ever imported a few orders. At some point, Yamo in Israel was not able to fulfil my order and they have not been able to ever since. That has not slowed the demand one bit!

There is only one other company that sold Yamos in the USA; slingzilla.com, and Bianca's in the same boat. (By the way, for those of you in the NYC area, Bianca just opened up an actual babywearing shop, Metrominis. There are not a lot of actual stores with good baby carriers and even fewer staffed by babywearing experts. Everything Bianca touches turns to gold, so I expect great things of this store. I will be stopping by next time I'm in the city.)

Yesterday, I had a conversation that I have had many times. I spent about 30 minutes on the phone chatting with a babywearer. She surfed around, discovered the Yamo and fell in love. Yep, yep, it's the one for her and none other will do. I am apparently at least partially responsible for this match making; it's due to my incessant babywearing babbling that people get so attached to the Yamo. I have found all sorts of creative ways for people to hook up with a Yamo of their very own; eBay, thebabywearer.com's For Sale or Trade forum, and buying directly from a European vendor. This mama yesterday had done her homework! The eBay seller had closed up shop, there were absolutely none available on TBW FSOT, and she just wasn't sure about ordering from overseas.

It was a nice conversation anyway. In the end, she told me to keep on blogging!

Try and stop me!

Oh. And Yamo? If you're listening? Please let me get my hands on some Yamos!

Beco BWD

Rarely do I get all excited about a baby carrier I haven't even tried. Not that I have tried everything that is out there. That is far from the truth. But I have tried a variety of carriers and I love to try something innovative.

So I am very excited about the Beco BWD. I had a lovely chat with Gabby (the designer) about it and it really does seem very clever. I have some coming in not soon enough! My babywearing meeting is next Monday and I so hope my shipment comes before then so I can see it on some moms sooner rather than later!

Wow! Another babywearing fashion show!

Fashion show tapes by Jessica from BWI, in three parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTHGFiuxzLw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcCq7CECaSw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDG8uOuGPx8


Pictures taken by May from BWI:

First hours of the Expo Pics
Sloppy Remix of pics

Babywearing Fashion Show

Not everyone gets to see what babywearing looks like. Have a look at this two part fashion show so you can really get a feel for lots and lots of baby carriers, worn correctly and modeled beautifully!

Part 1 of the babywearing fashion show
Part 2 of the babywearing fashion show

These are all the baby carriers that are modeled in the babywearing fashion show.

Hysterical babywearing mama

Just saw this listing. Too fun!

Baby Sling Raffle!!!

We just donated a sling to support a member of TheBabyWearer.com who is in a very difficult situation. Here is a great opportunity to snag a sling for very little money, while helping a friend in need.

Shallow Beco Babywearing Love

Okay, this is totally ridiculous. Every single time I get a new shipment of Becos in, I fret over which one to take for myself and I sell off the previous one. It's a luxury for sure, but it is fun to see something new and fresh.

I have been without a Beco for over a month now. I went to visit my sister-in-law a few months ago. She had a baby recently and was going back to work. I brought her a variety of baby carriers to try and she fell in love with my Beco. I was happy to give it to her! She looked so happy and comfortable. It's so funny because I am 5'11" tall and she's just 5' tall but that didn't make any difference.

So, this was goodbye! This is the last shot of my wearing my beloved Carnival Beco. I have missed it and the bright colors. Usually, I am okay with moving on to a new print. But this time, I really was sorry to let go of the colors and concerned that I'd never be able to get the same print again. I was so relieved that the Carnival print is still available.

Here is my sister-in-law wearing her new Beco and loving it. She left me a message recently telling me how great it's working out for her when she drops her baby off with her mom and goes to work. I am so glad that the transitions are easier.

I wondered when the Becos arrived if I'd choose a different print like I normally do. Was I done with the Carnival? While examining the pictures, I totally fell in love with the Cocoa Butterfly. I have learned that it's not just my opinion that matters. I once made the mistake of not asking my daughter which one she liked. She absolutely refused to get in that Beco. I think it was brown swirls. She had been cool with green swirls but brown swirls were a no go. Weird! Stubborn little thing! (The photo of her in brown swirls Beco is a trick; it's actually the green swirls and I tweaked the color in PhotoShop. You can tell because the hood design changed by the time the brown swirls came out. Okay this is total Beco geekery but someone somewhere is nodding now, saying, "Mmm, hmm, yup, I remember that. ") The concensus in the house was to stick with the Carnival Beco so now I have a brand new one.

Well, almost. I haven't actually taken it out of the packaging. I want to sit with my decision a few days and make absolutely sure it is the one!

July NINO Meeting

Here is a quick rundown on the July Meeting. This is the first meeting I've lead alone for a bit as Amanda was out of town.

I managed to get there nice and early even though I had my girls with me! I am so proud of myself! Here are my girls "helping" to set up the pillows.
They love the space where we meet. It has such great energy and also all those mirrors!

Finally someone came and was wearing her gorgeous sling perfectly. (I wish I could remember the name.) It is always great to see that. Isn't her little one gorgeous? She didn't babywear with her older. It's impressive to see someone this good after just 4 months of babywearing. She actually came to try the Angel Pack LX, which I have because I'm writing up a comparison of Structured Baby Carriers for TheBabyWearer.com. I think she loved the APLX! She's got the straps crossed in the back.
I have a Scootababy (not yet available, but soon) and two mamas tried it and loved it! One has been using a different hip carrier but preferred the SB. The other doesn't like structured baby carriers at all and was surprised to really like this one! (Oh and sorry for the blurred photo. I actually do have permission to post a not blurred one so that will be coming soon.)


I love when pregnant mamas come to the NINO meetings. They can't try much but it's still so worth it! This gorgeous mama (37 weeks pregnant) is wearing her water bottle in a sling! At least she got to play around with the adjustments a bit.

My aunt's husband brought back some Mantas on a recent trip to Peru. Here are a few pictures of one of them. I wish I could have worn my 3 year old but she was super busy playing with the big girls and there was just no way! I did put her in there a few times with him looking on and offering advice! I took the triangle that hangs down in the back and stuffed it up under her tush while still bending at the waist. I think she's pretty big for it but it did work!

Scootababy Hip Carrier

Finally! I feel like I've been holding my breath for months now! And I still am, to some degree, because still no pictures. But my big fat trap can't handle it no mo' so here goes. I'm gonna spill the beans on this one (with permission).

I got to try a hip carrier that is awesome! I seriously think this thang is gonna change the face of babywearing. Many baby carriers have already achieved that goal but so far, there is not a baby carrier out there with mainstream appeal that totally sits well with the more serious babywearing crowd. The mainstreamers really want hip carriers. And there are lots of hip carriers on the market but they all hurt and cause the babywearer to be out of alignment. The serious babywearing crowd wants a baby carrier that is comfy and safe for both baby and mama. Mainstreamers want ease of use.

The Scootababy has managed to marry all these babywearing wants for the first time. It is an easy to use hip carrier that is comfortable for long periods of wear. The main things it has that the hip carriers that are out there don't have are a structured waist and a shoulder that spreads out. The EllaRoo Mei Hip has the latter, but it has just a strap on the waist and that isn't comfortable for some of us for longer babywearing sessions. I am starting to think that this is height related; I have heard many people rave about the Mei Hip but for me, it's only good for so long. I'm tall so it just doesn't quite know where to sit on my waist. I have the same issues with mei tais.

A good baby carrier should allow your spine to be straight; you should not have a hip out to one side or the other. That can lead to back strain and alignment issues. Properly adjusted, the Scootababy is the best hip carrier by far in this regard. When I look in the mirror, my spine is absolutely straight. Even though there is only one shoulder strap, so much of the weight is supported on the hips, I don't feel knocked out of alignment. As with any asymmetrical activity, I still recommend switching sides.

Pictures tell a thousand words but I am only allowed words and no pictures for now so here come my thousand!

You take the Scootababy and buckle it on to your waist. Push it down to your hips just as you would any structured baby carrier. Now there are a few ways to get it on so here is one way. Duck your head under the shoulder strap and make sure it's fairly loose. Pick up your baby and slide those long legs into the carrier. Pull the body of the carrier up baby's back. The body of this carrier is so cool! It is shaped to fit a baby's tush, instead of being a simple piece of flat fabric. Sorry to all you sewers. I don't know the terminology. I just know what makes a good structured baby carrier and shaping the body of the baby carrier is high on the list. Now just tighten down the shoulder strap and make sure the cloth is spread well on your shoulder, not riding up your neck and you are good to go! Very fast! Very comfy. You can wear your baby front, hip or back from the first time you try this. You should make sure it's adjusted so your spine is straight.

And that's it! From the first time I tried it, I was able to nurse in it and my little one fell asleep. I was able to keep her in it and sit and enjoy a meal in a restaurant. Most baby carriers don't really work if you sit. I can't wait to share pictures of the Scootababy!

Beco hate, Beco love, AKA, a lesson in listening my girls

When my last batch of Beco Baby Carriers came in, a few months ago, I was, as usual, very excited. You'd think opening packages would get old having been in business for as long as I have, but no. As long as it isn't marked "RETURN", I'm jazzed about opening packages and examining new inventory.

But still, the Becos have a special place in my heart.

Last time around, I studied all the photos of the prints and ordered an extra of the one that I wanted for my personal use. But while I was putting them away, both my girls chose a different one over the one I had chosen. I couldn't imagine it mattered all that much so I went ahead with my choice.

Well that was a pretty stupid idea. A few days later, I got home and had a lot of stuff to carry in, and not only would my toddler not get into the Beco, no way, no how, she insisted that I take it off my waist. That's right, I could not even have that thing strapped on. I had to carry her up just with my not at all free hands. I had no backup baby carrier so I was pretty irritated. A few days later, the same thing happened. It got to the point where she simply refused to get into that baby carrier. I was starting to worry that it was uncomfortable.

So when the new shipment came in last week, I gave her the choice of which baby carrier will be hers. She and my other daughter picked out the carnival. It is gorgeous and probably loads more appealing to children than the brown swirls I'd gone for. Oh heck, my husband even picked out the carnival print. Now, when she sees the Beco, she says, "I like that", and she is more than happy to get in.

Lesson learned!

Babywear and Bitch (in lieu of Stitch 'n Bitch)

This month, I walked into The Goddess Store for our monthly NINO Babywearing Meeting and said what I always say, "Is it hot in here or is it just me?" I'm usually rushing to get there and carrying a huge tote filled with baby carriers and cool off after a few minutes. This month it (finally) wasn't just me! I was getting ready to go turn up the AC when Maya walked in, informed me that the air conditioning was out, and kindly offered to host our meeting across the street at her store, The Yarn Tree! She didn't have to ask me twice!


I have a special place in my heart for this store. First off all, from what I can piece together, my friend Jennifer, who, sadly, has moved away, used to go to a regular Stitch 'n Bitch there. And I think I must have discovered this store when it first opened. I love little mom and pop stores. There is nothing better than a unique, relaxing, beautiful store with lots of affordable things to catch your eye.

I am very impressed by Maya. She runs this store and has a 5 week old newborn. The store is so organized and welcoming. In the back, there are chairs in a circle and a beautiful free standing old fashioned mirror. There were kids toys in variouos corners and for some reason, the kids did not proceed to pull down all the yarn from the shelves. Instead, they (mostly) played with the toys! And when my 2 1/2 year old did get into some stuff, no one gave me disapproving looks! It was actually relaxing to be there with kids (well, sort of; I have not completely been able to get go of the idea that it is possible for a toddler to stop messing with stuff so I probably will not go out of my way to have her there again but I do want to visit occasionally with my older daughter). Maya doesn't run the store alone - she hired a mom who was there with her son who was about 5 or 6 years old. Again, I am so impressed. There are not a lot of options for moms who want to earn some money and keep the kids with them. In a more traditional society, of course the children would go wherever the parents go, but in our culture, that is frowned upon or not possible.

I do need to bitch just a bit now. While I was there, I picked up some absolutely gorgeous yarn for my 7 year old, who, coincidentally (if you believe in such things) was getting a nifty little knitting machine in the mail that very day! But in order to get my toddler to leave the shop at the end of the meeting, I gave the her yarn to hold. She's almost 3. What could go wrong? I didn't even give it the over-thinking I normally do. I sure should have. That yarn cost me the better part of the next day. In about 5 minutes, she managed to turn it into such a state that it was really a major task to get it back into a usable form. I guess when there are littles about, it's best to ballify your yarn in the first place. Now I know! Okay, bitch session over.

The meeting was nice, although I was a bit distracted just trying to make sure my two were not getting into any trouble. Normally, I leave them home with my husband who is lucky enough to be able to work from home on Mondays. My older daughter insited on coming this time and my husband can't work with just the little one home. Perhaps she knew there would be a cute boy there? She did have a grand time. But I always feel more relaxed running a meeting without the responsibility of children underfoot. Or possibly running out doors.

A pregnant mama with twins came. She's expecting them within 3 months and I have zero experience with wearing two so perhaps my coleader is suddenly going to become an expert overnight! We have sent her to thebabywearer.com and the articles and forums on wearing multiples but it will sure be interesting to see this in person. I believe she's planning to pop them into one sling at the beginning. Her two older children were only about 5 pounds each at birth so she is not expecting these babies to be any larger. The way I saw them kicking her in two different directions at the AP meeting, I wonder if they'll even make it to term.

Another mom came with her husband on a mission! She whipped through baby carriers. She was good at everything! She just popped them on, used them perfectly, tried the next. I love seeing a natural.

I hope to plan a topic early for next month so I will be a little more relaxed when meeting day rolls around. My goal is to have everything packed up well in advance and in the car over the weekend! We shall see!

2nd International Babywearing Conference 2008: Carrying The Future

Hope to see some of you at the next babywearing conference!




I wasn't able to attend last year and I am not yet sure where we'll be in 2008. Will my younger daughter be old enough? Will my husband be able to get the time off so he can come too? These and other exciting answers will unfold over the next months. Meanwhile, I'm an armchair attendee for sure!

Oh and speaking of armchair conferences, last week was the BabyWearing Bonanaza in New York City and the press is pouring in! I already have gotten a few phone calls and emails from people who attended. One complaint was the crowds! What a great complaint! Seriously! How exciting that is that so many people are getting on board with this exciting new trend (ha ha ha ha I can't seriously say that! There isn't anything new about babywearing!)

Ergo Baby Carrier Video

I finally got a quick Ergo Baby Carrier video with front and back carries (including down) and nursing up on YouTube:

Awesome NINO meeting

Today's meeting was awesome! There were about 7 or 8 moms, a perfect size group, everyone was on time, and even though we only have the room for 1 1/2 hours, it ran very smoothly! I think it helped that there were no bigger kids running around. That's always tricky in an indoor space.

The topic was structured baby carriers and I have a very nice collection of these as this is my favorite type of baby carrier. For those that don't know, a structured baby carrier has some stiffness to the waist belt and padded shoulder straps and it closes with buckles instead of tying. It is also known as a soft pack.

I had my Beco, Yamo, Ergo, Classic Ergo (sounds like Coke, Coke Classic), Patapum, Toddler Patapum, and Sutemi. There was also a Trekker and repeats of some of what I brought. There are definitely a few additions I'd like to make to round out my collection, but when does it end?

With the new meeting format, we start out by viewing some video appropriate to the topic. With so much amazing babywearing video now available, this is a tough choice. I will make executive decisions for now (more on that later) and simply choose what I think is best. Today, I chose the section on using the Ergo with the newborn insert. There was a mom with a 5 week old in a pouch and I wanted her to see how the structured baby carriers were suitable to her even though her baby was still so little, and also I love the new technique Ergo has with sort of swaddling the infant insert around the baby and inserting the baby like that, so I was excited to share it with everyone. I just had no idea it could be done like that so it's great to spread the word. (Gee, sounds like gospel or something but to me, I guess that is how I feel about babywearing!)

I totally forgot my infant insert, so I had her cheating anyway! She tried the Ergo with her baby upright and facing in and also tried a bit cradled for nursing and it didn't work out for her. She also tried the Beco and it worked out beautifully! It turns out that the longer body in the Beco supported the baby's head so she could actually nurse hands free! She had large breasts and the baby's face was totally smushed when she tried the Ergo. There is a great argument for the longer body of the Beco.

I laughingly asked everyone to send me a written report of their findings after the meeting. I know a lot of people on thebabywearer are hoping for feedback after this meeting. I can only remember so much of what people said, and also, I was putting my Yamo through its paces during this meeting and less hands on for the first 40 minutes or so than I'd like to have been. My daughter fell asleep on the short ride over and I had a huge bin to carry in, so I put her on my back and tried the sleep hood on the back for the first time. I have to say, the Yamo has the best sleep hood out of any of the structured baby carriers. It is always a bit tricky to use a sleep hood when your baby is asleep on your back, and maybe I have just gotten good at it over time even though it's something we rarely do nowadays, but it worked very well. So we made a bit of an entrance with her nicely snoozing back there. Then during the video portion, she woke up a bit and I got to spin her around to the front and demonstrate nursing in the Yamo. The mom of the newborn actually noticed all this even though I was behind her! She'll make a great mom - she's got eyes on the back of her head!

Anyway, on to the chaos portion of the meeting. Only it wasn't chaotic! It seems that everyone got to try on quite a few different baby carriers. The Ergo definitely scored highest marks for comfort across the board. No surprises there. And the Beco definitely scored highest marks for looks. There were only two Becos but I tried to underscore that there are so many unique prints available. The Yamo was second to the Beco for comfort or even a tie. Amanda even forgot she was wearing it! I didn't notice anyone raving about the Patapum but I had the older models. Possibly, the new ones have vastly improved. I haven't actually taken a look at them yet!

There was lots of asking for my opinion, which is something like this: for the comfort of parent and baby, nothing beats the Ergo. The padding around the legs, the darts in the bottom are great features for baby. The cut fits a lot of people really well and it passes the "five minute test" - if a baby carrier is comfortable for 5 minutes, it's my opinion that it will be good for the long haul. That is not to say you won't get any muscle soreness if you are working muscles that have been ignored, but once those muscles come up to speed, it should stay comfortable for the long haul. So for maximum comfort, it is the Ergo for me. For aesthetics, I would say have a look and see what appeals to you, knowing you might possibly sacrifice a bit of comfort but not wind up miserable. I am not wearing my Ergo these days but my husband still prefers it. He won't be caught in the Beco but he will wear the Yamo if there is nothing else around. But he'll grumble about it. He does concede that perhaps he doesn't have it adjusted correctly. I find it wonderful for the long haul but I do concede that the Ergo is even more comfortable for a front carry.

The straps on the Sutemi seemed a bit wide for some women who had narrow shoulders and no one liked it for a back carry because of having to cross the straps across the boobs. I don't know too many women who are comfortable like that but it's a great look for men.

Okay, girls, I am awaiting those written reports I asked for so we can round out this section a bit better!

Going forward, I am hoping to get some of the regulars to join in as NINO leaders. Any takers? All it takes is getting onto the NINO Leaders forum on thebabywearer.com and helping to plan and run the meetings. So far, the meetings have been quite informal. Definitely taking care of anyone with pressing babywearing issues is always the top priority. Having a topic has really seemed to help keep things focused, and I am not sure what topic to go with next month so I am totally open to suggestions on that. Also, there is definitely a need for more NINO groups to spring up in this area, so it is possible someone might want to colead a few times with me and then start a group either in Miami or west Broward. Both of those areas have a lot of babywearers who don't always want to make the trek to Hollywood.

After the meeting, chatting amiably in the street, we sort of didn't notice some of us were getting parking tickets so that put a bit of a damper on a nice day. Mine was $20. Ugh. And I nearly broke my pinky toe this morning racing around trying to do too many things, so I was quite startled to see what a lovely shade of purple it had turned by the time I got home. I hope neither of those downers has affected my tone too much!

Thank goodness for my Yamo baby carrier!

Today I screwed up! I was supposed to have gone on this tour of an historic house with a local homeschool group yesterday but I, ah, showed up today. Oh well! So, rather than my kids having a grand time hanging with other kids, we got the undivided attention of the tour guide who felt it best to turn up the volume every time my kids had something to say, leaving me feeling torn. There he was asking questions of me, my 7 year old wanting to ask questions of him, and my little one rather bored and rambunctious.

Luckily, it was mostly that my little one was tired, and eventually, she was willing to climb up into the Yamo baby carrier and requested in our code to nurse. (For those of you who don't have a code word, I highly recommend it! My first daughter was highly verbal and there is nothing like standing in the checkout line with a toddler shouting, "I want to nurse!!!" to get your temperature up!)


Without breaking eye contact, I was able to continue answering his questions and listening to his loud spiel, continue telling my 7 year old, "Just a second," and get my little one latched on and nursing hands-free so we could get through the rest of our solo-tour.

Next time I show up on entirely the wrong day for something that really isn't that kid-oriented, I am not sure I will stay. It's a shame you can't really tell that in advance. Oh well, I enjoyed the tour! And I think my kids actually did too, thanks, in no small part, to babywearing.

Babywearing with no baby carrier

The other day, I was out to dinner with all my family in town. The parking lot was pretty close to the restaurant so I didn't bother with carrying my daughter in any baby carrier. But after we were mostly done eating, she got bored and took me outside to wander. It was pretty chilly so I had a light jacket on. She quickly tired of walking and I quickly tired of carrying her.

Ah hah! I remembered the wise teachings of Tracy of the mamatoto project!

I wrapped her leggies around me and zipped the jacket under her bottom and found it helped with her weight. This was just as well - we wound up going to the store and getting some water so I had her like this for quite a while.

Would I have preferred a baby carrier? You bet! But this was still better than nothing.

Yamo and Beco and Ergo! Oh my!

Well isn't it just fun to finally have some wonderful choices in the structured baby carrier game? I now own, well, let me see.... A sutemi, a regular and a toddler Patapum, an Ergo, a Beco, and now a Yamo. Do I get some sort of prize?

Each one is slightly different, some are more comfortable than others, but the variety is great as there is now something for everyone.

The Beco has you pull the straps up to tighten it - a great innovation. The Yamo lets you pull up or down! Great for those who can't decide! The Ergo, Beco and Yamo are all convertable to hip carriers. The Patapum doesn't allow that. The Sutemi does but I have never even tried it! The convertability to a hip carrier also gives you another option: to cross the straps. That can mean added comfort on long carries.

What am I missing from my collection? Next month the topic of our NINO Babywearing meeting is structured baby carriers. Is my collection complete?

Monthly NINO Babywearing Meeting

This week was my groups monthly NINO babywearing meeting. The focus this month was slings and pouches.

After doing an introduction to the features of various slings and pouches, we started playing around and helping one another.

One woman with a newborn was having trouble with her pouch. I showed her how to her turn her baby around so it would be easier to nurse him in the pouch, but it does appear her pouch is just a little too big for her. She would probably be more comfortable with one just a tad smaller.

Everyone had great fun chatting about the various brands of pouches and slings and trying on each others' baby carriers.

One woman had completely forgotton how to get her Ergo on her back so we did a quick refresher! That is so funny. For a few months, my daughter refused to go on my back and I felt like I had totally lost the skills but luckily, it's like riding a bike!


And another was ready to try the Ergo. She had borrowed an EllaRoo wrap from me to use while her baby was in a Pavlic harness to help correct hip dysplasia. First time in the Ergo baby carrier and she was nursing her baby! Of course, my daughter had to show her the ropes!

Now you can see what I see! Oopa videos!

What a treat I have for you! I have been lucky enough to have met Amy Abreu in real life (she's lovely - good looking and nice!) and to have studied her sling technique, but not to my heart's content.

Amy has put awesome sling instruction videos on her Oopa website. I have always been fascinated with how she puts the baby in the sling and keeps her arm in there while she makes the adjustments. I have tried it this way a few times but never quite gotten the hang of the technique. Now, I will be able to study it at my leisure, as will you, and hopefully master and share this technique with others.

Also a treat is just looking at the rich colors and simply gorgeous Oopa silk slings. Better still would be to own one myself but I'm still working on making that happen. Meanwhile, I can imagine touching them and hearing the rustle of the fabric helps!

Baby carriers are like shoes

People tend to get nervous when buying a baby carrier. They research and research and want to get it right! The thing is, it's totally cool to get multiple baby carriers.

Think of it like shoes.

You have to have sandals for breezy days. Maybe flip flops for days you just want quick in and out. You gotta have a nice structured shoe with good support for long walks. Maybe a hiking boot or shoe if you're into that. And of course you need some dressy shoes - you might have to compromise comfort. Everyone owns at least a few pairs of shoes and usually several of each kind of function to go with different outfits, weather and moods.

Let me ask you - how often to your feet change size? Not often, right? So when you pick out a shoe, you know that it will work for you until it wears out, you get tired of it, or styles change (if you care about that sort of thing). But babies, well, they change! Oh, and so do new mamas - they (usually) shrink (eventually).

So the baby carrier that was ideal for the first few months may be awful when your baby hits six months. Or you may have lost so much weight that it isn't a good fit.

Newsflash! There is no penalty for getting another! And another! Yes, okay, they do cost money, but you can easily come by used baby carriers on Ebay, craigslist, the babywearing swap group, or thebabywearer.com. The latter, by the way, is the definitive site for all things babywearing. You will need to create a login but it's well worth it.

So go ahead. Buy a second baby carrier. Or even a third. Know that you can sell it and recoup some of your investment when the time comes.

Question: Is it too late to start babywearing?

Very often, people ask me if it's too late to start babywearing. My generic answer is that if you are holding your child, you would probably be happier with a good baby carrier. As a related question, many people feel that their child is much too heavy to be worn because they have hit around 22 pounds. Let me address that concern first and then get back to thoughts on starting babywearing.

Most babies, especially breastfed babies, have a similar pattern to weight gain. You can see from the new World Health Organization Growth charts that at around 6 months, weight gain begins to taper, and it tapers more rapidly at around 12 months. So many parents watch their babies gain very rapidly in the first 3-5 months and immediately assume that they will have huge toddlers that will be impossible to clothe or pick up. Generally, this is not the case. And in the rare instances where it is the case, you pretty much have to deal with it because babies still need to be held, and a very good baby carrier such as the Ergo Baby Carrier or a Wrap will help you be more comfortable. I ask you, do you want to support 30 pounds with your arms, or strap the weight onto your body? And for you moms that say you are simply too petite to practice babywearing, again, I ask you, do you find yourself lugging your baby around and pushing the stroller with the other hand? You will be surprised how much easier it is to babywear with a proper baby carrier.

So, back to the original question, it's definitely not too late to start babywearing. If you're carrying your baby anyway, a well designed baby carrier, like the Ergo or the EllaRoo Mei Hip will support him just how you are holding him except hands free. Or on your back so he's out of the way.

If he's not used to being worn, the thing that is important to remember are that you can't stand still. So many people put the baby in the baby carrier and then stand there and say, "He doesn't like it," and conclude that it's not going to work for them. Um, babies aren't all that different. It does take a bit of work. My older daughter couldn't stand to be in a carseat if the car wasn't moving, so I planned my whole route around where I could go right on red! It's just the stuff we do to keep our littles happy. The same for babywearing; you have to at a minimum rock, bounce, or sway, and even better is to pace, or, best, go outside and walk! Once the baby gets used to it, they settle down, but even now, when I pick up my 2 year old, I bop pretty hard for a bit if she's fussing.

For babywearers, the party must go on!

I've just come from a first year birthday party. Of course, most of the guests were moms with babies. Most of the moms knew at least a few other moms, so it was a great opportunity to socialize.

After an hour, maybe a little more, the moms divided into two camps. Those that had to go because their baby had to take a nap, and those that stood up and put their baby in a baby carrier because their baby had to take a nap. The first camp said their goodbyes and was gone within a few minutes. The second camp continued their conversations standing, swaying, maybe bouncing a little. The party went on.

A few from the first camp noticed and were interested in the contraptions. I let one try my Ergo. I wonder if it will appeal to her. Her first thought was to wear the baby facing out. I let the other moms handle explaining that you can't do that. It does seem a shame that the popular Baby Bjorn got everyone thinking that was the way to wear a baby. She very quickly tried a baby carry and could see the wisdom in that so maybe she'll come around and find she gets to stay at parties in the future!

Not babywearing is so limiting!

Ergo Pet Carrier

I took some great photos of my daughter wearing one of our kitties in the Ergo Baby Carrier. And she also got some great shots of me wearing our larger cat, who's 14. Both cats thoroughly enjoyed modeling. I was actually surprised at how well they took to it. Later, I found the old guy napping on the Ergo.

This would work great for small dogs, too.

Angelina Jolie is babywearing!

Everyone saw [Angelina Jolie] wearing her 4-month-old daughter Eunice Mae in a Baby Björn in some magazine. Terrific! When the movie stars are seen babywearing, it suddenly appeals to more people and this is wonderful.

However this does not make a baby carrier of this sort a wise choice. Just because the stars haven't properly educated themselves as to all the options out there, doesn't mean the rest of us normal folk can't make a great decision on a baby carrier. An Ergo Baby Carrier, for example looks quite similar but you can continue wearing it for years!

If you want to pay pretty close to $100 and only use your baby carrier for a few months, then be stuck lugging a stroller, go for it! But I seriously recommend doing a bit more research. Babywearing is so lovely, not something you just want to do for 3-6 months. Strollers are heavy and awkward and they put a separation between you and your child. All babies are treated like little movie stars, not just those of the actual movie stars! Hey, this is probably why the movie stars are so drawn to babywearing. It's just safer to have your precious little movie star up close.

Check out the other baby carriers that are out there and don't think you have to limit yourself to just one baby carrier.

Ergo Baby Carrier Instructions

I am so proud of myself! I have a long way to go but I have made some great progress updating the Ergo Baby Carrier Instructions page. I've added some tips that come from all my experience with the Ergo and some tips that my customers have shared with me. If you've got a great tip, share it with me!

Babywearing and The Ergo Lady

They say to do what you love. It has taken me my whole adult life to get here but I have found my bliss. I teach babywearing and sell the best baby carriers.

What the heck is babywearing?

Babywearing is the best little secret of parenting. Babywearing means just what it sounds like: using a baby carrier, your little one is secured to you like part of your outfit.

Babies who are worn are right up with the action, seeing whatever mom or dad is doing, so there is no need to fuss or complain of boredom or discomfort. No need to run away to get some attention. Since little one is so close to mom or dad, she’s getting constant physical contact and is secure. Need to nurse? The snack bar is open! Tired of nursing? Baby goes on mama’s back or on daddy.

Babies can tend to get disorganized after too much stimulation or when they get tired. Babywearing gets them sorted right back out.

My favorite reasons wear baby

• I have 2 children and need to tend to the older
• Sometimes I like to eat. Babywearing enables me to have free hands so I can prepare food.
• Travel is so simple with a baby on your back and no stroller to check.
• Strollers can’t go on gravel, up stairs, on sand or in some places like museums.
• It is difficult to get strollers in and out of the car, especially if you are holding your baby.
• The baby fusses while you’re struggling with the stroller.
• The baby demands to be picked up anyway and then you only have one hand to use to push the big heavy stroller.
• When you are in someone’s house and it’s not child-proofed, having a baby carrier will save you.
• Sleepy babies want to be held.
  
• The bond is so much closer when you touch your little angels a lot.
• You really can nurse hands-free and get other things done. I did not believe this with my older daughter. Believe it.

Things to look for in a Baby Carrier

A well-designed baby carrier, such as the Ergo Baby Carrier, is comfortable for the parent and baby and ergonomically correct. Some of the baby’s weight is supported on the wearer’s hips and some on the shoulders. The baby’s legs should, in general, be together for the first few months. An exception to this is if the baby has hip dysplasia. At around three months, when baby naturally chooses this position on her own, her legs should be open. Some experts have expressed concern with the growing trend of baby carriers that have baby supported mainly by the crotch. There is concern that this can lead to hip dysplasia. Anyway, I am certain that I would not like to be suspending dangling by my crotch. Also, small babies should be worn facing the parent. They are simply too vulnerable to be facing out, soft belly to the world, as it were. When worn facing in, they can still see plenty of what is going on around them, but they can check in with mom or dad and connect whenever necessary and hide if required.

Where to learn more

You can learn all about the Ergo Baby Carrier from TheErgoLady. You can learn about babywearing either online at thebabywearer.com or find a group that meets you by looking up your area on the NINO website, ninenineout.org.
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By Ellen Sandoval, Babywearing Consultant and Babywearing Educator. Ellen owns and operates SoBeBabies.com, Inc and TheErgoLady.com and works at home with her two lovely girls underfoot.

Picky, picky!

My daughter just turned two! I know! Can you believe it? And lately, I've noticed she's so particular about her positioning when I wear her in the Ergo. If I try to put her on my back and she's not in the mood, she protests and wriggles. If I try to put her on my front, and she was in the mood to be on my back, same thing! She's even requested a hip carry a few times. Adorable!

The good news is she is once again more willing to be my model. For at least her first 16 months, I could use her to demonstrate any baby carrier and any position in my NINO babywearing meetings. Then she started having too much fun playing with the other kids and didn't want to be interrupted. Now, when she seems me playing around with my Reborn doll, she usually decides she'd rather be picked up.

The Ergo Lady

If you know me at all, you'll know I'm obsessed with the Ergo Baby Carrier. I use mine all the time and have since my 2nd daughter was around 7 months old. In fact, within a few weeks of getting mine, I incorporated and decided to sell them! It took me a few weeks because I didn't catch on to how to use my Ergo Baby Carrier immediately and was intimidated by it at first.

My daughter is turning 2 tomorrow and we're still going strong with the Ergo Baby Carrier. I continue to use it every single day as does my husband. I love it. That said, I have just launched a 2nd website dedicated to this wonderful product. Locally, I am known as "The Ergo Lady" (or maybe it's "That Crazy Lady" but I'm not choosing to hear that!) so guess what my website is called? You guessed it! Have a look at The Ergo Lady and watch it grow. There will be more photos, more information, more videos, more, more, MORE!

The Classic Ergo vs the New Generation Ergo Baby Carrier

Well I got my Classic Ergo back at long last from a friend who'd borrowed it and I can finally compare the Classic and New Generation Ergo Baby Carriers with authority.

First thing I'd like to say is WOW! The New Generation Ergo Baby Carrier got it right! My initial impression when it came out was that it was more comfortable but I was so new to the Ergo at that point that it was hard to quantify for sure all the ways in which it had improved. Now, after a year of using the New Generation Ergo Baby Carrier, I can honestly assess the Classic Ergo.

I realize there are comparisons all over the place and charts and such but this is important stuff because there are old reviews kicking around of the Classic Ergo that people will take as definitive and the product has improved so dramatically that it is well worth noting what's better about the New Generation Ergo Baby Carrier. And this is quite possibly a work in progress as I just used it for only an hour or two. As I learn more, I will add to this blog.

The first thing that bothered me is that the waist strap on the Classic Ergo has, for average waisted people like myself, 2 elastic bands that you have to run through if you don't want to have it flapping around in front of you and looking silly. The New Generation Ergo has one elastic near the buckle which is much simpler. Nothing dangles.

The second annoyance is that the chest strap is not fixed to the shoulder straps. So getting the chest strap closed involves holding baby with one hand and getting the chest strap to the correct height before fastening. I don't miss doing this maneuver, especially for back carries.

The next thing I noticed was that the buckles are actually not as good as they used to be. The Classic Ergo had some kind of tab on the buckles under the arms that allow you to loosen it much more quickly. If you are a fan of SoBeBabies, then you'll know all about my technique for closing the chest strap behind you when wearing the Ergo on the front. But I used a back carry to start off.

The next thing I noticed was that it wasn't as comfy for a back carry. Baby was in, everything was adjusted, but it just wasn't thta comfy. As I recalled, when I got the New Generation Ergo Baby Carrier, it was more comfy under the arms. This was not my imagination. The shoulder straps have most definitely improved and it feels better. With the Classic Ergo, I felt a bit choked and poked by the straps.

As I wore baby a few minutes, I felt myself getting tired back muscles in a way I am not accustomed to. As time wore on, I was definitely not feeling that comfortable.

I doubt my baby was as comfy as she is normally because the body of the Classic Ergo is narrower. When I felt behind me to see how it was supporting her tush, it wasn't coming nearly as far up her legs. She's a toddler now. It just can't feel comfy to have little legs dangling down instead of sitting in a nice deep pocket.

After my errands, I popped baby on the front. Yikes. This is definitely not comfy in the Classic Ergo. In fact, it felt awful immediately. I have gotten quite used to this position in the New Generation Ergo Baby Carrier and I was shocked at how horrible it was in the Classic Ergo because it's great in the New Generation! One reason for this is that the body of the New Generation Ergo Baby Carrier has darts which automatically create a pocket. On the Classic Ergo, the waist strap was not flush against my body so most of the weight of baby was dangling off my shoulders. Very tiring. But also, I felt quite constricted.

That's it for now. This post may get revised as time allows.

Babywearing in the news

It's great to see the growing trend of stories about babywearing in the news. I hate to be too terribly picky but in this story, the mom is pictured with the Maya Wrap sling and it's just not looking quite perfect to my uber critical eye. This is a perfect example of how most people wear their babies. Please don't take offence at my critique. This is meant not in a spirit of picking but rather in a spirit of helping people understand that babywearing isn't meant to be difficult. So let me preface my critique by saying that with our older daughter, my husband and I did not know how to babywear very comfortably so we suffered (with grace) for 18 months before we discovered wraps. With my second, I am loving the Ergo baby carrier for it's simplicity and consistent comfort.


The shoulder isn't quite spread enough to be comfortable and will have a tendency to ride up to her neck. And the part where the baby sits isn't quite right - ideally, the baby's knees should be higher then his tush so he can't straighten his legs and fall right out the bottom. Now, I bet what happened is that the camera crew rushed the mom a bit and she herself wasn't thrilled with how this photo turned out because she didn't want to look like it was too difficult to position baby correctly.

There is a learning curve to any baby carrier and at first, it can be intimidating to do in public because making adjustments to get it just right might make it seem like you don't know what you're doing. Many is the time I left baby in a painful position because it just seemed to be taking too long and people were staring. Nowadays, I know what I'm doing so this is no longer the case but if I do find something wrong, I take the time to fix it.

If this nice mama showed up at one of my NINO babywearing meetings, or oh heck, even a park near me, I might walk up to her, introduce myself, and ask permission to make a few adjustments. As I learned from Tracy of Mamatoto, wearing your baby is an art that will be lost of we don't take the time to help each other, one on one.

If you could design the perfect Ergo, what would you change?

Calling all New Generation Ergo Baby Carrier fans: If you could change anything about the Ergo, what would it be? Anything at all? Color? Measurements? Features? What would make it absolutely perfect?

So, what's a NINO babywearing meeting like, anyway?

Yesterday, I ran a NINO babywearing meeting at Delicious Organics. It was the first meeting I'd held there. I am trying something new: since I lost my previous meeting space, I would like to have the meeting some place that is convenient for me but where people will want to come. And it has to be a good space for the meeting. I am still figuring this all out. Next month, we're meeting at The Goddess Store (more on that later). So the meeting has been at a new location each month. It's a chance as well to promote a local business. I should have mentioned before the meeting that Delicious Organics has a wonderful selection of affordably priced wooden and classic toys.

As usual, uber-cool beautiful babywearing mamas showed up with their babies and young children to hang out, connect, snack, and hey, maybe even share tips about parenting and babywearing!

The meeting space was definitely tight, but by the next time we meet there, they will have a bigger space ready for us. It was still quite a good meeting there because there were a load of toys to keep the kids entertained and, well, delicious organic snacks available! A few moms took advantage and did their shopping after the meeting and I know at least one mom will be ordering her groceries delivered and telling friends about it. I love the synchronicity of that; we needed a space to meet, they offer the space and get a few new customers. All things in life should have that natural feeling. I never fully understood the naturalness of the win/win concept when I was a single pre-kids adult working in big offices. Funny how more things make more sense to me when the work is of my own choosing.

I was thrilled that Amy of Oopa Slings came. I had met her at one of my earliest babywearing meetings when my younger daughter was a tiny newborn and I was so impressed with her knowledge of slings that I was inspired to give them another shot and take more time learning how to use them. Yesterday I was not disappointed with her in any way even after 18 months of study!

Amy had a selection of her amazing slings with her, including a chocolate/pink number that I'm still thinking about though I only admired it from afar, as well as
a whisper of fushia that I tried on and loved the feel of. I didn't realize it would feel so freeing to wear such a thin fabric.

As always, everyone chatted and talked about lots of babywearing issues during the meeting. One mom of two, near and dear to my heart because she has a variety of baby carriers, was lamenting the fact that her 3 month old was getting to big to nurse in her New Native Pouch. Well, I was thrilled to have my new weighted Reborn doll. While her real baby peacefully napped, I asked her to show me with the doll how she was nursing. In the past, I would have described what to try and then she'd either have had to wake her baby or wait until baby woke up. Then when baby really just wanted to peacefully nurse, she'd have to be fumbling around trying to learn a new skill because of the limited time of the meeting. Baby would probably be frustrated and screaming. Since I had the doll, she was able to use that. So she put the doll in the pouch with the doll's head by her (mama's) shoulder where the pouch rested. You'd think that was a natural way to nurse in a pouch or sling (baby's head at the high end), and it is, but it will only get you so far, as she'd quickly realized. By showing her with the doll, there was no anxiety or urgency. I moved the doll's head to mama's other side, popped the doll's legs out at the bottom, and viola! Nursing on the other side. She (the mama) had a big ahah! moment! (Baby was still sleeping but maybe she had an ahah! moment as well.) A short time later, her real baby woke up and mama popped baby in the pouch to try it out but now had the muscle memory of what to do. Then we were able to troubleshoot. I find most babies don't like their head's constrained by a baby carrier unless they're asleep so I suggested just leaving baby's head out and supporting it with her hand or in the crook of her arm. Then, after nursing, the options are to pop baby's head in if she falls asleep, or put her vertical in tummy to tummy if she stays awake, or just reposition her as desired. I just bought her 3 more months in her New Native!

A pregnant mom came as well. Come to think of it, that's only the second time that a preggie has come to a babywearing meeting. She had met me at an Attachment Parenting meeting and wanted an overview of all the baby carriers. It did take a while but I was able to show her most of the options. She had surfed my website but there is nothing like seeing them in real life!

Kathy, the owner of BabysAbode.com, a cloth diaper company, was there as well with sleeping baby on her back in the Ergo Classic. She and I have started reaching out to pregnant moms a bit more by doing an intro to Attachment Parenting, babywearing, and cloth diapering talk at the Hollywood Birth Center. Again, the Reborn doll comes in handy as he can be used to demonstrate the diapers and babywearing.


Another friend I was thrilled to see was supermodel Enith and her two lovely girls! Enith did my website and runs her own online scrapbooking business. Enith is wearing her younger daughter in the cranberry Ergo Baby Carrier.

Amy and I got a chance to talk shop a bit. I often forget how isolated I am in my chosen field. While it's true that I can chat online with virtual friends who are babywearing aficionados like myself, I rarely get to talk with someone in the business. She tried out a prototype EllaRoo lightly padded sling and asked me my opinions on the pros and cons padded rails. And I watched her in action as she taught the finer points of sling wearing to a Maya Wrap wearing mama. I am looking forward to practicing her technique and using her tips.

Everyone was definitely curious about the new My Baby Nest Carrier. In fact, Annie, owner of Delicious Organics and mom of four, wears her newborn baby in one but she is camera shy!

Elizabeth, yoga teacher, who used a sling with her older daughter and now uses an Ergo Baby Carrier with her newborn, had fun trying out a few baby carriers including an EllaRoo Wrap. Wraps are definitely amazingly comfortable and versatile but I think she's sticking to her Ergo. By the way, Elizabeth prefers to use the Ergo without the newborn insert and has done since very early on.

In March, we'll be meeting at The Goddess Store. They have a really interesting calendar of events including belly dancing, drum circles, and classes for kids. This is one of my favorite stores on Harrison Street, with fun affordable items for Goddesses. I'm really looking forward to the meeting space. We're meeting in a spacious room with hardwood floors and a huge floor to ceiling mirror. It's great to be able to see what you're doing when you're trying to learn a new carry and the kids will love this space too. I hope Carmen is cool with us playing with the drums that are used for the drumming circles. And everyone can explore Downtown Hollywood afterward. There is a coffee shop with comfy couches around the corner which is probably where I'll be heading after the meeting.

Reborn Doll

Well, I never thought I'd be buying a doll and then saying my kids couldn't play with it. I never thought I'd be sitting at one Ebay auction after another, trying to snag a doll for $70 and more and thinking it was a bargain. I never thought I'd want a 6 pound doll or a doll with a birth certificate.

Let me explain.

I teach babywearing and I demo baby carriers to families who are soon to have a baby. Sure, I have a "baby" of my own, but in fact, she's a toddler of 21 months and it is pretty tricky to keep an eye on her while leading a discussion. Also, people don't relate to her as a "baby" anymore; when you're expecting something newborn to appear, a walking, talking persoon doesn't seem like someone who's going to fit into the same baby carrier you'll be using.

So, I had to have a doll. And it can't be just any doll. I tried, miserably, to demo a stretchy pouch with a doll at a birth center but the doll didn't weigh enough. The doll was closer to being up around my neck. Needless to say, that baby carrier wasn't gushed over that day.

The day the doll came, I ripped open the box. I get shipments all the time and I usually know what's in them but still, I love to open them. This doll sure is ugly. First of all, I wound up with a boy. He was a bargain as some of these auctions are going for $150 and some are well up over $200. I didn't dare to look at the closing prices of some of them. A doll gets sold about every half hour, it seems. Who is buying all these dolls? People gave feedback saying how lifelike and how thrilled they were with their dolls and all the marketing is about it being a real baby. Okay, I don't get that. I'll be doing an introduction to Attachment Parenting/babywearing/cloth diaper
meeting with a friend and she'll be using my doll for the cloth diaper part of the talk. This makes sense to me as another great use for these dolls.

Anyway...

The doll is just about what I figured he'd be. After I cut off the hospital wrist tag (which spooked me), tossed out the cut off pacifier (which also spooked me), crumpled the fill-in-the-blank birth certificate, read through the directions (don't get him wet or leave him in the sun, don't play with like a toy), I gave him a shot. First I tried a few newborn holds in the sling. Most of the moms I work with with newborns just would like a little help nursing baby in a sling. I've become a pro but it's nice to try it out again and try a few neat tricks I've learned since having had a real live newborn.

Next, I tried a few back carries. He laid nicely on my back.

After that, I had to break the rules and give him to my girls because there is no way they were going to allow mom to keep playing with this baby boy without sniffing him out a little. And by the way, he sure did stink. He smelled like a smoker had made him and then doused him with perfume to cover the stench. So, now he's airing out a bit before I go on to my next tasks. I'd like to add photos with him in the carrier to my gallery and babywearing video instructions. Unfortunately, it was rainy and miserable today so that never happened. Maybe tomorrow or maybe next weekend.