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!