Tutorial: Soft Structured Carriers

In this installment, we have videos for both front and back carries in a soft structured carrier.  Ann Marie apologizes if her hip scoot looks awkward, she doesn't hip scoot because it feels awkward to her, so it probably looks like it.  The sound is a little low, sorry, the videos were done in a park and there was enough ambient noise to make it hard to hear in some spots, but the methods are pretty clear even without the sound.  Hopefully they are useful to someone.

Ow, ow, OWW! Hair-raising Adventures in Babywearing

People often ask if babywearing hurts (or as is more often the case tell you it is hurting you, the baby, or both...).  I was stopped just yesterday and told that I wouldn't be able to carry my 6mo old much longer because it would hurt my back... I pointed to my 2.5yr old and pointed out that I regularly carry her, so I think the baby has some time.  What I didn't mention is that while my BACK doesn't usually hurt, my head on the other hand....

Finding a good choice for your hair can be an important part of successful wearing. I know one mama who said she allows hair pulling without reprimand while back wrapping because it keeps the baby laying flat and still.  However, once the wrapping, tying, or buckling is completed, how can we keep little fingers from pulling our hair out (we have to leave a little to pull out ourselves when they get to be teenagers).

We could go with the shaved head route, but honestly, while hot on dads, that isn't a good look for most moms (but if you can rock it, go for it!).

Another option is just a cute short cut.  Kim is totally stylish with this cute pixie look.  Her hair is up and away from wandering hands.  But some mamas (and dads) don't want to cut off hair just to be able to wear their little ones, some just don't have the bone structure to pull off short hair, and let's face it, some of us just never have time/money to get to the salon and have long hair by virtue of laziness.  So what options are there for the long-haired parents out there?

Ellen is showing a simple ponytail.  For many this is sufficient, especially if their hair is around shoulder length.  But notice if hers was any longer it would be right in baby's face.  This can be annoying for the little one.  My two year old is VERY put out if she tries to put her head down to sleep against me and encounters my hair... apparently it "ith-ez."

So, what other options do we have?  Meaghan is showing a simple twist to get that hair up and off the neck and contained.  This is both great for cooling mom in warm weather, AND has a babywearing bonus! Great potential here! A twist can be achieved quickly while also chasing your preschooler through the park apologizing to the people and dogs whose path he has barged across. 

 Some mamas have thinner hair that doesn't stay in a twist very well, for those mamas some braids like Angelique is demoing can work wonders for keeping hair out of hands and making mom look cute instead of like the crazy banshee screaming, "let go of my hair you adorable monster!"  Another bonus to this look is it immediately drops ten years, so for some of us we can stop being asked if we are enjoying being a grandparent.

  

Sometimes baby is just determined and will pull on your ponytail, braids, or even worse those tiny hairs on the back of your neck (ouch!).  To combat that, a groovy hat or headscarf might be the way to go.  Careful on the style you choose, you might find yourself firmly planted in the hippy category by on-lookers.  Then again, being firmly planted in the hippy category might have you dismissed as "un-convertible" by those who are desperate to tell you why you need a stroller.  Hmm, there might be something to that...  Anyway, Cynthia and her daughter are showing off their adorable matching hats.  Ann Marie is showing a Wrapsody headscarf (you can get these to match some of your favorite Wrapsody wraps!).

And, lest you get a surprise tug resulting in teaching your toddler some words not covered by Sesame Street, it might be a good idea to attach a toy to your carrier, or have a necklace they can play with to divert their attention from the diabolical hair pulling scheme that the kids all conspire about during "playdates," more commonly referred to as "strategic planning sessions."

Good luck and happy hairy wearing.

Tutorial: Ring Sling - Threading, hip carry, & nursing

In this video, Ellen demonstrates threading a ring sling and then doing a hip carry with a baby.  Ann Marie also  demonstrates nursing in a ring sling.  One thing Ellen never specifically mentions, but DOES during the video is that when adjusting the sling with a baby in it she lifts the baby's weight off of the sling before tightening.  This keeps the fabric from twisting in the rings.  Another tip to remember is that when you finish, baby's bottom should be lower than his/her knees and his/her bottom should be about level or slightly above your belly button. 

Finally, in the nursing portion, covering for modesty with the tail is mentioned.  I STRONGLY recommend not covering baby's head with the tail, only cover your body.  As you can see, even without using the tail, there is nothing showing when I'm nursing in the sling.  You would be amazed at how often someone comes and sticks their whole head in to see the baby without realizing I'm nursing, and I never cover her head.  Covering the baby's head makes it impossible for you to see if she is having breathing distress.  The few moments between you "checking on" the baby under cover might mean the difference between a baby having a moment of distress and a baby smothering accidentally.  I would never cover my baby's face out of a sling, I think the same should apply when baby is in the sling.  Like all nursery products, it is important to monitor your baby at all times.  Another note on nursing, most moms find a nursing top or a V-Neck t-shirt is easier to nurse in when using a carrier.  I have to fish the whole top up through the carrier which isn't as convenient. 

Washing and Wearing

One of the most common problems for new parents is how to keep up with housework when you have a sweet little bundle who wants to be no where more than in mom or dad's arms.  No one wants to leave baby crying while they do chores, but sometimes those chores just must be done.  Lots of household chores can be done while wearing a baby.  And choosing cleansers like vinegar can make things even safer for your little one.

Dishes are a task that can easily be done with baby in a back carry, if using a front carry, be careful of splashing hot water or soap onto baby.  And dads, this right here is enough to make a mom swoon... dishes getting done and baby getting a nap and mom isn't involved.  It's mom porn.

Other cleaning tasks like dusting or window washing can also be done while wearing.  Just be careful that chemicals don't get in baby's eyes, nose, or mouth.  Using safer products like baking soda or lemon can be a good choice, or you can make the kids do the cleaning.  Hey, they wanted to and thought it was a fun game! But really, the kids are demonstrating with doll wearing that they can clean with a little one in a hip or back carry.  Keep in mind while dusting the fine breakables that little hands are grabby... you don't want your little one getting a hold of a family heirloom.  Vacuuming can also be a great way to get a fussy baby to sleep.

So, there is no need to let all of the cleaning tasks get out of control just because you added a new member to the family.

Traditional Babywearing and the Babywearing Museum

This post is going to be mostly pictures.  Jen Wadleigh and Lindsay Ross of Babes in Arms taught about the various traditional carriers and demonstrated using them when appropriate.  The library also had displays of traditional carriers as well as a display of the evolution of modern carriers.  There were several pieces that were part of the collection of the Miao Baby Carrier collection.  Most of the others were loaned by Jen Wadleigh or Corrine Mahar-Sylvestre.


  Native American cradle boards and a carrying "net" from New Guinea.

The Miao Carriers:

Amauti:

Modern takes on traditional carriers:

A display of vintage modern carriers including the original Snugli, the HipSeat, etc:

The most remarkable thing about this is that we learned that all peoples have found a need to carry their young, and most have used a similar method to how they carry other items.  As a modern North American society, we lean towards things that resemble backpacks or bags.  Sadly, the bag-sling has been proven to be a dangerous design, but hopefully the backpack concept will prevail, and we can borrow from the traditions of other cultures to carry our young in safe, comfortable ways.

IBC 2010: Part 2

Day 3

I started the morning going for a walk with the other babywearing moms. This is Susie Spence (the founding president of Babywearing International) and I outside the Rigby Museum.

After the walk I went to my first class of the morning.  Babywearing Safety with Beate Fromme of the Babywearing Institute.  She discussed the German school ideas of spinal development and wearing as well as some of the other issues to be aware of when wearing a baby.  These include the obstructed airway concerns as well as simpler problems such as bumping baby on doorways, etc.  The German schools push the spread squat position from birth.  They feel that the spine best develops when it is in a J position, straight neck and then curved lower back.  They don't recommend the cradle carry or forward facing carries at all.  This class was an interesting perspective on safety issues in babywearing.  Beate has several children and my favorite moment was seeing her older daughter (I'd say she was about 10) wrap her little brother on her back without any help.

My second class of the day was Asian Baby Carriers and Soft Structured Carriers taught by Kelley Mason of Kozy and Melissa Radcliffe of TogetherBe.  They demonstrated some of the benefits of these types of carriers.  Then Kelley impressed us all with some tandem wearing.  She showed a handy trick of threading the straps of the back carried child through the straps of the front carried child.  I thought that was rather ingenious.  I wish you could see the Kozy on her back... it says "Nobody Pushes Me Around"  because of course the child isn't being pushed in a stroller. I loved that one.

Then came lunch at Me N' Stans.  The folks there were completely confused by the invasion of hippies, but they seemed to take it with grace.  The food was pretty good, although we had to recall the first rule of small towns which is that meals are anything but fast food.

After lunch I went to the Traditional Babywearing class.  Since it was in the museum and the museum and the class deserve a post of their own, I'm going to stop for now.

3rd International Babywearing Conference - Idaho 2010

This past week, I had the opportunity to attend the 3rd International Babywearing Conference. I'm going to try to cover the conference in detail, so it may take a few posts. :)

Day 1
The first day of the conference consisted of going to Yellowstone National Park.    It is amazing and gorgeous.  It definitely merits the hype.  And it's the perfect place to babywear.  There are signs warning about not wandering onto the thermal plain, and there is uneven ground to navigate.  Keeping a baby or toddler out of the dangerous parts is important!  That pool of water is stunning, but hot, definitely not a place for a loose baby or toddler.  I even caught Old Faithful erupting!  I went back on the last day, but I'll get to that later. 

 Day 2

The first day of actual conference classes!  My first class was Wrapping 3 with Kristi!  In this class, Kristi Hayes-Devlin of Wrapsody Baby taught a class that focused on the 3 basic styles of carries: rucksack, rebozo, and torso.  Then each named "wrap style" that we talk about is just a variation of those.  She pointed out that once you learn basic wrap carry safety, you can adjust carries in any way you want to suit your needs and comfort.  This class was a lot of fun, and it was very interesting to see an approach to wrapping that didn't obsess on when the wrap goes over or under baby's legs and instead focused on the flexibility of wrapping.  I also discovered a super cool way of tying off that I need to play with.  Kelly demoed tying each end into a slip knot on her ruck shoulders.  Another wearer demoed a pretty way of twisting the wrap across your chest to tie at the opposite shoulder. 

That afternoon I took another class with Kristi and Sam Tower of the Rigby Police Department.  We discussed the value of being able to use non-carrier items as carriers in emergency situations.  Those emergencies can be both real emergencies like floods, fires, or injuries; but they could also be minor emergencies like being a mile from the car when your toddler runs out of steam on the beach and you need to use a beach towel to torso carry him back.  We discussed using found items like blankets, towels, scarves, or clothing to carry baby in an emergency.  Then Officer Tower demonstrated the uses of a carrier in an emergency that aren't carrying a baby. As he pointed out, some of us often have a few carriers with us and they can be used for a variety of things.  Carrying an injured adult - while not the intended use, most good carriers could probably do it.  Making a tourniquet, making a splint, making an arm sling (like a triangle bandage), tying a child in place if needed (flood situations), creating a grip line to cross water, lowering child from a window in a fire situation, the uses go on!  This was a really great class.  I encourage everyone to master a torso carry and a shawl carry for use in emergencies.

That afternoon there was the keynote address by Kelley Davis Mason of Kozy.  Kelley talked about her journey into natural parenting choices.  She talked about how she always expected that she would parent like she was parented.  She expected she would spank, use time outs, diaper, stroller, use swings, exersaucers, etc.  Then after the birth of her oldest she found she slowly started to change based on his needs.  She told of the amazing story when she needed to get wood for the wood stove and kept trying to put her baby in the car seat on the porch.  But the baby kept crying, she didn't want to leave him cry, but she needed to get wood or the whole family would be cold.  She went searching online, saw some pictures of a traditional Asian style carrier and went to her fabric pile and made her first mei tai.  Kelley said at the time she didn't even know the term mei tai.  She made a few more, making changes along the way, until she decided it was perfect.  Thus the birth of the Kozy Mei Tai.