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!