October is Fundraising Month!

For the month of October, our parent organization is increasing our funds kept in chapter for all fundraising efforts.  Funds raised go towards filling the library, as the chapter grows we are now supporting SIX libraries!  On one hand, it's awesome that we are reaching so many families, but it increases substantially our library needs.  Only 2yrs ago we only had ONE library, so that is a substantial increase in carrier needs. (For the record, we're also happy to take carrier donations)  We also want to do a better job getting the word out about our chapter.  We need to invest in more literature to get into the hands of pregnant women and new mothers in the area.

The chapter leadership did a lot of discussion of various ways to raise funds, and at the end of the day, most of them involve trying to convince all of you to buy things you don't need to clutter space you don't have to get us a return of a couple bucks per person. 

SO, we were thinking, what if, instead of begging you to buy stuff you don't need, we instead said, "we'd love a donation.  Whatever the amount."  This way, if you were willing to buy $10 of random items, or $20, or $50, then instead of the chapter getting a couple bucks, we'd get the whole amount.  We also thought, what if it was like PBS.  You donate because you want to support the mission, BUT, there's a thank you gift (as long as supplies last) for certain amounts.

With that in mind, I bring you the, "We're Straight Up Asking for Donations, Fundraiser!"

You may donate any amount that is comfortable for you.  More, less, whatever.

However, if you donate

$10 - You will receive a BWI sticker.  This is NOT a car sticker, it's a for fun sticker.
$15 - You will receive a set of the Babywearing People Stickers.

$25 - You will receive a reusable grocery tote from International Babywearing Week 2013

 

And the FIRST donation of $50 will receive a $25 gift certificate to Comfy Joey.

 

 

Use the donate button below, or you can bring a cash or check to the meetings left in the month.  If you need to mail a check, please email us: dcmdva@babywearinginternational.org  Please indicate how we should get your thank you gift to you in the comments (ie at Burke, or will contact to make arrangements).

We appreciate ALL of your support.  You are helping us to help more families with this donation.

We won 2nd place!

We won second place in the video contest!  Our library will have a size 7 Oscha Night Stars joining it as our prize for the contest.  We also received a box with a MobyGo and an Earthy Bliss Mei Tai for the library. Rumor has it another box might arrive too, so we'll update you if that appears. Thank you so much to Babywearing International for hosting this wonderful week, and to Moby, Oscha, and Earthy Bliss for sponsoring the week's festivities. 

Despite a few of our activities getting cancelled due to govt and rain, it was great to see so many of you this week at meetings and playdates.  Next year we'll have to try to plan a bigger activity, some other chapters are making us look lazy. 

Now, on to our prize-winning video!

IBW2013: Sisterwearing!

 

 

 

 

 

This summer our household went from babywearing to sisterwearing! My three daughters, ages eight, six, and one, all got in on the action, leaving mom not only hands-free but sometimes carrier free.

My oldest wore her baby sister a few times and was not particularly gratified by the experience beyond the fact that she could sisterwear and the middle sister could not for awhile. Once this was no longer the case, she lost interest. However, my second absolutely adored wearing the third.

It started like this...
 

And then moved to this...
 

Funny, I used to pace the length of the house with the second child in a baby carrier while reading books too.

Then, the two sisters went on adventures, like cricket catching.
 

And hula hooping.
 

I'm not really sure how safe that was, but the next action item caused me to add to the safety rules, "No horseback riding."
 

Just as her sisters have done, the youngest will ask to be worn, pulling out the Mei Tai or wrap and dragging it over to someone, somehow winding herself up in it on the way, but now Mom or Dad or Sisters can and will carry her.

Editor's note: always use your best judgment on when your children are old enough, strong enough, and mature enough to safely wear siblings.

Posted by Maria

IBW2013: Workout Wednesday!

When you are a busy mom but want to fit in exercise, babywearing can help! Just doing some basic chores around your house can turn in to even more of a workout when wearing your baby. There are also some basic exercises you can do while wearing. When it comes down to it, just having that extra weight attached to you is going to amplify the fitness level of everyday activities.

Here are some things to keep in mind: As with any babywearing scenario, you should make sure your carrier is properly supportive for you and baby and that baby always has proper positioning. Avoid stretchy wraps when focusing on exercise as they may not provide enough support while you are doing some more strenuous activities. Baby can be on front or back for many of the activities.

 

One great way to get moving is to turn on some music and have a babywearing dance party! This is especially fun when you invite the whole family and other babywearing caregivers to the party! Most of the commercial in-home DVD dance workouts can be done with a baby in a sling. Or go for a hike or a brisk walk with baby in tow!

 

The nice thing about wearing your child is it puts you in a great position to squat. You and baby should always stay upright when squatting. When you squat to empty the dishwasher or pick things up off the floor, for example, you are getting a great lower body workout. You just want to be sure that you keep your hips back as you squat and don’t let your knees go over your toes. (When you squat, think of sitting back in a chair) Vacuuming and sweeping/moping the floor can allow you time to snuggle your babe while you get moving.

 

I think that bouncing my kids to sleep in a mini squat position really helped tone and shed the baby weight. We bounced all over, all hours. That was the preferred methods for getting my second child to sleep-to bounce him until he started to doze off and then transfer him to his bed. And the great thing for us was that anyone could easily put my little guy to sleep with the help of a sling!

Now if you really want to focus on some exercises while wearing, you can try the following exercises:

Squats (as seen above)

Leg lifts: front, side or back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plié

 

Lunges

 

So, get out there and enjoy a weight bearing workout with baby!

 

Editor's note:  Reminder that all activities should be low/no impact.  Baby heads are fragile and impact activities like running could result in shaken baby syndrome.  Always use good judgment when engaging in activities with baby. 

Posted by: Gwen
Photos by: Gwen and Kit

Celebrate IBW 2013 - Babywearing through the Seasons

This week we celebrate International Babywearing Week 2013.  This year's theme is "Get Carried Away!"  In today's post, Pamm tells us how you can Get Carried Away no matter the season.

 

Babywearing makes loads of sense in the mild climates of fall and spring, but some parents ask if it is too hot to wear baby during the summer, and the answer is no! Babywearing can actually help you stay in more tune with baby’s temperature and hydration needs than other methods.

 

This past summer, babywearing helped us brave the crowds during a busy 4th of July Parade, and made a cozy nap spot in the midst of a lot of stimulation.

 

Babywearing kept us hands-free everywhere from the public bus in Virginia Beach to flying kites on the Jockey Ridge dunes in North Carolina.

 

On the beach, the Wrapsody Water Carrier (borrowed from the BWI library) helped me get baby fed and napped without leaving the fun of the shore.

 

We wrapped up our summer adventures with a morning harvesting potatoes at Great Country Farm where, once again, the ability to get one or the other (or both) of the kids up saved the day and kept the fun going.

 

Now that fall is in full swing, we love wearing our boys on evening walks, to pumpkin patches, and during yard work.

 

When winter hits, there is no need to stop babywearing. Wearing is a great way to keep baby warm and cozy and to closely monitor baby's temperature and needs. 

 

When baby is in a front carry, a large winter coat or maternity coat can fit over both wearer and child.

 

 

In a back carry, each person can wear their own coat or you can share a special babywearing coat. (We have a Suse’s Kindecoat.) Such coats are even great for spring showers, when the seasons change yet again.

 

 

 

Posted by Pamm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IBW is Coming!

The start of school really cut into our focus on blogging.  Sorry about that!  We're ready to get back to it and we're going to kick it off with our events for International Babywearing Week!  Next week will be the celebration of the 6th International Babywearing Week.  This year's theme is "Get Carried Away!"  Join us for one of our celebratory events.  We have events planned almost every day!  Reminder to check our Facebook page for possible venue change thanks to the Govt. Shutdown.
Check in here next week for blog posts on a variety of topics!