Back to the Beginning - Babywearing Basics

Happy Sunday, Midlands Babywearers!

BotM at the Midlands Baby and Kids Expo

As always, there's a ton of things to do in Columbia on the weekends in the summer, and I am honored that so many of you chose to stop by our booth at the Midlands Baby, Kid, and Family Expo on Saturday. I enjoyed seeing some familiar faces as well as meeting many new people - some of whom aren't even from Columbia - I only wish I had enough time to have spent a few minutes with everyone; alas I have no clone. I hope one of us leaders or a few of our awesome volunteers were able to help everyone that stopped by. It was a busy day and I'm thankful for the opportunity to have helped so many. My favorite moment was getting to wrap a mom-to-be and her mom with one of the lending library's new Wrapsody Hybrid Stretch wraps. They were both pleasantly surprised with how easy and supportive wrapping with a simple piece of cloth can be. Many moms, dads, and kids (yes, we even helped a big brother and sister pair wear their younger siblings!) enjoyed trying out the SSC/Buckle carriers in the lending library. The day was truly a success.

Our group has grown to nearly 350 members in a short time, and I thought, especially after the success of the Expo, that we might could use a re-introduction to our leaders (including the leadership team's newest addition!), and an overview of different carriers. 

A word about our leaders in general: these are women that have years of experience babywearing in all sorts of carriers, with all ages of babies and toddlers. Collectively, we know a lot, and each of us has her strengths and weaknesses (I, for one, have yet to master a rebozo knot) - and there is more out there each of could learn. We never stop learning! We don't consider ourselves experts in babywearing, but we are expert mamas with lots of experience and knowledge to share. That's true for most of our members, too. Each of you has experience and knowledge that is worth sharing and we love hearing and seeing you help each other at meetings and in our Facebook group. What separates the Leaders in the group from you members? A title. A desire and passion to help others learn and time to devote to that. A willingness and ability to work with others well - the leadership team is really that. We are a team of mamas that work well together and can support each other's strengths and bolster one another's weaknesses. We are so glad that the midlands has so many awesome parents out there that babywear! I hope my fellow leaders don't mind that I took the liberty of showing some outtakes from the Expo as introduction :) .

Minde - our newest leader - "I'm Minde, and I recently left a career in healthcare to be a SAHM to my 15 month old son. I came to babywearing out of necessity. Serious post partum complications and a colicky newborn left me feeling like I couldn't care for my son. Luckily my OB knew the value of wearing and directed me to a local group, part of which is now known as Babywearers of the Midlands. I love this area and look forward to raising my son in this wonderful community!"

Katrina - that's me, your weekly blogger -  I'm a Work at Home Mom of three, ages 4, 2, and 1.  I started with a Moby (stretchy wrap) and an Ergo, and now mostly use woven wraps and soft structured carriers. I also love ring slings, especially for newborns and nursing. I still wear my 2 year old almost daily for naps, and often need to wear two of my three at the same time. Babywearing is a skill I love having in my parenting toolbox - I believe it’s something valuable enough that every parent should have it in his or her toolbox. My husband uses Soft Structured Carriers also. I look forward to sharing my experiences, meeting new people, and learning even more about a topic dear to my heart.

Ashleigh- I am a special education teacher and mom to a spunky 2.5 year old daughter. My first carrier was a baby k'tan and I used it until my back couldn't take it anymore! I then branched out to Soft Structured Carriers and ring slings. Wrapping seemed so intimidating so I didn't try it for a long time. Now I encourage everyone to try it! Each carrier has a different purpose for me, and I have honed my stash down to one SSC, one ring sling, and one wrap. With an independent toddler, I have to make the most of my remaining babywearing days! I'd love to help you find what meets your needs the best!:)

Chris-I am a stay at home mom of 4, ranging in ages from 8 months to 11 yrs.  I love to read and I am a car seat safety nut!  I started my babywearing journey with a narrow seated carrier, added a Nojo padded ring sling and a frame style backpack carrier.  I eventually retired the padded ring sling (could never figure it out) and added a pouch and was gifted a Moby.  I really broke into the world of babywearing because I needed to travel with three kids by myself and needed something that could allow me to get through airports with a one year old runner and still have enough hands to hang onto my preschooler and drag luggage.  I now love my soft structured carriers for longer wearing stretches, a ring sling for quick up and downs and new baby snuggles, and wraps for sweet baby cuddles and wearing to sleep.  The Daddy in our house likes his Mei Tai and has started rocking Momma’s flowery SSC!   




 Jackie- I am a stay at home homeschooling mom of 5 between the ages of 12 and 1, 4 boys and a girl, and another girl on the way. I have been babywearing for almost 12 years. I started with a ringsling with my first. With my second I picked up a mei tai and soft structured carrier, my third I added a Moby and learned how to wear two babies at once. I really got into babywearing after I had my fourth. I met up with some awesome mamas who have become great friends and found a whole world of baby carriers. I now love and have a collection of medium and long woven wraps and some soft structured carriers. Babywearing is a necessity for me having so many children, as well as a fun hobby I love to share.

Emily- (who is deserting us for a move to Italy, but who we won't let leave our virtual admin/leader team) - I’m a stay at home mom to one active little dude - 2 years old. I love cooking, am a birth doula and a Prenatal Yoga Instructor. Before moving to Columbia in the last year, I was very active in the birthing community in Louisville, KY. Through a wonderfully helpful babywearing friend’s generous lending, I entered the SSC world and love it! Thanks to Jackie, Babywearing helped me with a very colicky baby who had a really hard time transitioning to sleep. It totally saved us. I’m still pretty new in this sometimes overwhelming babywearing world and love helping mamas navigate their way and discover their confidence in their own babywearing journey.

Now on to carriers:

Stretchy Wraps:

Amber in a DIY stretchy

A lot of families start with a stretchy wrap, like a Moby or Sleepy/Boba Wrap. These are really long pieces of jersey fabric that are knit (not woven). I'm sure ya'll buy clothes. Knit is like a t-shirt. It stretches, it's soft, but doesn't hold its shape well. Woven is like a blouse or button down shirt. A little stiffer, not as soft, but holds its shape and structure well. You can even make a DIY stretchy wrap from fabric you buy at Joann's or Hobby Lobby. A store bought stretchy will run you between $40 and $50 brand new. This a great option for small babies during the cooler months. It's honestly not an option I'd suggest for babies born in summer; these poly-blend jersey knits are on the thicker side and don't breathe well. In addition, when you wear it properly, you and your baby are covered in an additional 3 layers of thick fabric; not very comfortable in South Carolina heat.  We have both a Moby Wrap and a Sleepy Wrap in the Lending Library.

Nursing in a K'tan

Baby K'tan - it's like a Moby, only you don't have to tie it. It also comes in a lighter weight "breeze" option. You can also DIY using 3 snug fitting t-shirts. It's very important when buying a k-tan to buy one that fits you well. It needs to be snug like a very tight fitting t-shirt in order to be supportive of your baby.

Both a regular stretchy wrap and a K'tan are good for babies up to about 15 lbs. I know the box says they are supportive much longer, but in real life experience, not so much. As your baby gets heavier and bigger, the fabric sags more, pulling your baby's weight down and away from your center of gravity, and this is not comfortable for you, the wearer.

 

Woven Wraps:

the Linen LLwrap

A piece of cloth. That's all a woven wrap is. They range in size from 2-5 meters, and in price from about $70 for a budget friendly brand like Little Frog, to over $300 for handwoven or other limited edition varieties. Woven wraps offer the greatest versatility for wearing. They can be worn on the front, back, or hip, for all ages and weights of baby and toddler. They are made of various fiber blends, including cotton, linen, hemp, silk (both wild and cultivated), bamboo, modal, Repreve (a recycled plastic product), camel hair (I am so not kidding about that), and wool. Each fiber has its pro's and cons. Some fibers are easier to care for than others. There are new woven wrap brands popping on the market every day. Some brands worth Googling are: Didymos (the oldest wrap maker - Classic German design), Kokadi (also German, fun and fresh designs and colors), Girasol (known for stripes and rainbows, budget friendly), Natibaby (sturdy wraps, many unique desings), Ellevill (a Norwegian company, classic design and colors) , Little Frog (very budget friendly stripes), Ochsa (an Irish company known for beautiful limited edition designs), Tekni (a new American company with both budget friendly design and a modern twist), Lenny Lamb (Fun, Fresh designs) . . . Really, the list goes on, and on, and on. These are all excellent companies that strive to put forth an excellent quality product. Nearly all of their materials are organic and ethically sourced and produced, using baby-safe dyes and materials. That's why these simple pieces of cloth cost more than 5 yards of cotton at the local fabric store. That said, Yes, you can DIY a woven wrap using Osnaburg cotton or some commercially available linen and cotton fabric blends. In the Lending Library, we have Didymos cotton, a Natibaby wool and a linen, an Ellevill cotton, and Hoppediz cotton.

Brady and
LL Wrapsody GMBB

Gauze wraps - you'll find many of these on Etsy. Are they safe? Yes, they are. They are a good option for small babies and hot weather. If you are having a summer baby, gauze might be a better option than a stretchy wrap. They are not very soft, the fabric tends to be on the scratchy side, but it's very breathable and more comfortable than jersey. This is a sturdy, not stretchy fabric, so it's safe even for back carries. You'll find as your baby gets bigger you need to wrap more carefully as this lightweight, thin fabric can start to dig in your shoulders. My favorite brand of gauze wrap (both for it's beauty and it's sturdiness) is Wrapsody's Gypsy Mama Bali Breeze. Any gauze wrap should be very affordable, Wrapsody's are in the $70-$90 range, and you can try one from the lending library.



Hybrid Stretch - Also by Wrapsody - this is a soft knit fabric that's far more breathable than most jersey fabrics, but not as stretchy as a Moby, and much softer than gauze. It's even safe for back carriers, because it has enough structure to be supportive without too much give. We have two in the lending library available to try.

Ring Slings:

Emily and the LL SBP RS

This is by far my favorite carrier for a newborn, but they are not just for newborns! Ring slings are a one shouldered, easy to use carrier that are lightweight for summer and pack nicely in a diaper bag. They range in price from about $50, to a little over a $100 for ones made from a woven wrap. For more on Ring Slings in general (and in much more detail) check out the blog post HERE. I also like ring slings for toddlers that want up and down frequently, as it's quick, easy, and not a cumbersome thing to carry in your purse or diaper bag. We have two ring slings in our Lending Library available to try.

Mei Tai

one of the LL MT

A Mei Tai is an Asian style carrier that can also be worn newborn to toddler. Basically, it's a rectangular piece of fabric with four long straps - one at each corner - that tie around your waist and shoulders. A budget friendly option is the Infantino Sash, which runs about $30, but they can get high end as well, with custom carriers made from woven wraps that can cost upwards of $300. These are a popular option for parents that want something quick that can be worn on the front, back, or hip, that is buckle-free. Our Lending Library has a couple Mei Tai available to try, including the Infantino, a Babyhawk, a Kozy Mei Tai, and one by EllaRoo.

SSC (Soft Structured Carrier)/Buckle Carrier

the SSC display at the Expo

These are similar to a Mei Tai, in that it's a rectangular piece of fabric with straps at each corner, but instead of tying, buckles are used to fasten it. I have a more detailed blog post on this popular carrier option HERE. Our Lending Library now contains both a standard size and a toddler size Tula, an Ergobaby Original, and Ergobaby Sport, an Angelpack, and a Standard/Standard Kinderpack. While all SSC can be adapted for use with newborns, most parents find them to be most comfortable/useful starting around 4-5 months and continue to use them through toddler years and beyond into preschool.

Upcoming Events:

Want to get your hands on, and babies in, some of these carriers? We will help you find what works best for you at one of our meetings or play dates. Meetings are held twice a month - one on Thursday, one on Saturday.

Saturday, July 12th at 10:00 a.m. - Come join us for babywearing yoga. Our Thursday meeting was a great success and I can't wait to join the fun at the Saturday meeting. This short session is suitable for all fitness levels and ages. There will be ample time after for discussion and questions. You will find us at the LDS Institute of Religion, 610 Assembly St, Columbia, SC 29201

 

Thursday, July 24th at 10:00 a.m. - Intro to wrapping.  - We'll be leading the grown ups through basic front, hip, and back carries, and our Junior leaders (the daughters of Chris and Jackie) will be showing any children that want to learn how to wrap, too. Check out how to make, and where to buy, kid carriers HERE. You will find us at the LDS church on 7449 Broad River Rd, Columbia, SC

Every Wednesday night, at 8:30, is our live chat. We get online to catch up with each other and see what's going on - both babywearing and not-babywearing related.  

We also have play dates scheduled on an as requested basis, stay tuned in our Facebook Group for more details.