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.