Yes, You Can! -Make Your Own Baby Carrier

Happy Blog Day!

Leader Chris, leading the invasion
of Isle of Palms

Yesterday, some of us headed to Isle of Palms in a Babywearing Beach Invasion; those of us who stayed here appeared to have invaded Soda City - I saw lots of fellow Babywearers there, some I knew and some were new faces. I love seeing people babywearing!

Today's post is a guest post written by Rachael, a local mom who has started making carriers for her own personal use. She's kind enough to write up a guest post detailing the ins and outs of DIY baby carriers.

Even if you don't plan on making your own carriers, I recommend reading this to get an idea of things to look for if you ever shop for carriers on Etsy. The next blog post will go into more detail on Etsy sellers, what to look for, and what it means to be a member of BCIA (which is optional, but open to all), and compliant with CPSIA regulations (which is NOT optional). It's important to pay attention to details like materials and construction when purchasing WAHM (work at home mom) made carriers. Many of the makers out there make quality, safe, products that we'd happily recommend. There are others, I think that perhaps just do not know better, or choose to not educate themselves, that are not worth buying. Educating yourself on DIY carriers gives any consumer at least a basic idea in what to look for in a carrier made by a WAHM/Etsy/Facebook only seller. In addition, it helps to research BCIA/CPSIA compliance and what to look for. These regulations are new, and many sellers are still working on full compliance.

DIY Babywearing

Caution: Continue on at your own risk, DIY babywearing is both fun and addictive.
People DIY for different reasons. It can be for fun, because it's more affordable, or just because you want to. DIY is what really got me into babywearing. I made my first osnaburg wrap and fell in love with wearing and have not stopped since. Helping people wear their babies is very important to me and many other members of Babywearers of the Midlands, so this blog post is here to help you on your journey of DIY babywearing and hopefully answers some frequently asked questions.

Regardless of your reason for wanting to DIY, we can all agree that the number one thing is safety. Always look over your carrier for wear and tear, especially in areas of frequent use like where the fabric slides through the rings on a ring sling. Also, check all seams and stitching for ripped or torn stitches before each use and after each wash. For each DIY category I will list acceptable and non acceptable materials because they can differ from carrier to carrier. You always want to use high quality thread like Gutterman, and a brand new needle appropriate for your fabric and sewing machine.

 

DIY stretchy wrap

Amber, using a DIY stretchy wrap

Materials: Any jersey knit fabric (think Moby wrap)
These are quite possibly the easiest DIY carrier to make. Buy the fabric, cut the fabric to 30 inches wide, hem or serge the edges, which is optional because this knit won't unravel. These wraps are not safe for back carries. I personally did not make one because I had a Moby, but I hear good things from those who have made!

 

 

 

 

DIY Woven Wrap

Materials: Jaquard woven tablecloths (Mahogany brand are popular for shorties), cotton gauze, 100% linen (not the thin stuff, the thick kind you use for making pants), or Osnaburg found in the muslin section of most craft stores.

Not acceptable: quilter's cotton, regular muslin, anything thin that can pull apart easily.

These are also extremely easy to make if you can sew a straight line. If it's a little crooked no one will notice, trust me. If you split a Mahogany or any other 60X120 tablecloth, you only have to make one hem and you're done. Any other material can be tricky because you have to buy more length than you'd like to end up with. It will shrink after the initial wash. I don't like to think too hard about it. If I want 5 yards (roughly a size 6 wrap) I buy 6 yards, or a little extra, because you can always cut it smaller.  Fabric generally comes 45-60 inches wide on the bolt so you will have to cut it down in width too. I prefer wider wraps so I shoot for around 30 inches, but anywhere from 26-30 inches is normal. I currently have three different DIY wraps. I have an osnaburg wrap dyed purple and pink, a 100% linen wrap in a size 5, and a Mahogany table cloth shorty.

Mahogany Table Cloth (TC) shorty

The top is a 100% linen wrap and the bottom is an osnaburg wrap.

Ring Slings

Materials: Jaquard woven fabric (Mahogany tablecloths), 100% linen or 100% cotton woven tablecloths (Target tablecloths are popular in the DIY babywearing world), osnaburg  fabric, 100% silk, or athletic mesh (water ring slings)

DON'T USE: quilters cotton, gauze, anything that rips or tears easily or is thin.

Tablecloth Ring Sling

When it comes to making ring slings, Jan's tutorial at Sleeping Baby Productions (http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/sling.html) is considered to be one of the best. She even includes video tutorials for those visual learners like me. Her website includes information on materials to use. In my opinion, you should only use rings from Slingrings.com as they are made specifically for babywearing ring slings. They are safety tested and made smooth so they won't snag and jeopardize the baby's safety. They are affordable, come in many sizes and colors, and will be delivered to your mailbox within a week. I prefer to use the steel rings for everything but athletic mesh, but that is mostly personal preference.

 

Here's where I admit my tablecloth addiction. I ADORE my tablecloth ring slings. I find myself buying tablecloths when I don't even have rings on hand to make a sling. If I know you and you're pregnant, don't ask me about babywearing because I will make you a ring sling. But really, ask me about it because I want to make you a ring sling.
 

 

Mei Tai's, SSCs, and more.

Rachael and her DIY mei-tai

These I am grouping into the same category because they use the same main material for support. You always want to use a heavy duty bottom weight fabric, like duck canvas, for the straps and body pieces of  mei tai's and SSCs. I have never ventured into the SSC creating realm because I am too lazy to find the proper buckles, but I absolutely adore my home made mei tais.

There are a handful of good tutorials out there. I picked two I liked and combined them together. I will list a few good ones below.

Aside from the materials, the next most important part of making a mei tair or SSC is understanding which parts are weight bearing and need reinforcement. The straps should be attached with x-box stitching and the bottom should include multiple rows of stitching.

 I really enjoy the mei tai because you can have fun with it and customize it how you want.

This is the first mei tai I made. It's duck canvas for the body and straps with a decorative quilters cotton panel on the front, with a fleece lining to make it soft and snuggly for baby. We rocked this thing all winter long.

 

Hobo Mama's mei tai tutorial http://www.hobomama.com/2012/03/how-to-sew-mei-tai-baby-carrier.html

You're Sew Crafty's mei tai tutorial. Shows a contoured waist, straight waist, and wrap straps. http://youre-sew-crafty.blogspot.com/2012/12/table-cloth-mei-tai-tcmt.html

 

Resources

If you have any questions about DIYing your own carrier please do not hesitate to ask us at Babywears of the Midlands, but you can also find valuable information at:

DIY babywearing facebook page for info about all things DIY.
 

Dyed baby carriers facebook page for info about dying your own carriers.  
 

Sleeping baby productions

 

Thanks for reading this blog post. Happy babywearing!

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

Tuesday, July 29th - Come play with us at the Clemson Children's Garden. This is a great play area with lots for kids to discover and plenty of shade.

 

 

Rachel - Ring Sling

Laura - Rebozo

Saturday August 9th - 10 a.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion on Assembly Street - we'll be demonstrating and trouble shooting how to do a rebozo knot and how to use ring slings - both great options for short carries that don't use much fabric and are therefore great carries/carriers in the summer heat.

 

Yes, You Can - Wear Two Children at One Time

Happy Blog Day!

Me, tandem my youngest 2 in 2 SSC

I've loved seeing so many of you in our Facebook group come out of hiding and getting the opportunity to meet you in real life - whether it is at the Zoo, at Target, or wherever. I love putting real faces to the Facebook names I see every day. I get ridiculously excited when I see someone out babywearing, and I don't know them from Adam, then post in the Facebook group a comment "Shout out to the wrapping mama at Target!" and discover that the mama is indeed a member of our group already. I can't wait to meet more of you soon, and see many of you again. This growing, local, babywearing community has become such a wealth of friendships and shared knowledge in my life since I've become a parent. I'm thankful for each of you and the role you play in my life, and I really enjoy watching other families gain friends and find common interests in our group. Ya'll are just awesome.



Those of you who know me - even if it's just in passing - probably know I have three young kids. My oldest is 4.5, his sister is 2.5, and the baby is 16 months. Since they are so close in age, quite often at least two of them want or need to be held at one time. If I did not have baby carriers, my arms would either be very strong, or be falling off, due to the strain. I often get asked: "how did you DO that?" or "can I do that?" and "does it hurt your back?" . . . The answers are, respectively: very carefully, of course, and no, not at all. In fact, they generally balance each other out and the weight is distributed over my whole upper body and hips, making it actually not that much of strain to wear 50+ lbs. of kiddo.

Me, with my 2 year old and squish
Didymos Waves Tramonto 7

When I started out tandem wearing, I wore 2 kids in a long woven wrap - a size 7 (which is 5.2 meters, roughly). It seemed pretty easy to go from wearing one to two with a few adjustments. As my kids got a little older, more mobile, and heavier, and I got more experienced and with a more diverse (though not larger) selection of carriers, my preferences for tandem wearing changed. These days, when I tandem, at least one of the carriers is a buckle carrier. I do either two buckle carriers, a buckle carrier and a short wrap, or a buckle carrier and a ring sling - depending on what I have handy at the moment.




The next common question I hear, "can I wear my two children with _______ carrier and _____ carrier?"  - the answer is yes. Honestly, if you have two carriers, you can wear two kids. The only combination that is not advisable is two stretchy wraps (although you can wear two small babies in one stretchy wrap) since stretchy wraps like a Moby or Boba wrap are not meant for back carries. 

You can do:
One long woven or stretchy wrap
One long woven and one short woven
One woven wrap of any size and a ring sling
One woven wrap and a buckle carrier
One woven wrap and a mei tai
Two woven wraps
Two Mei Tai
Two Buckle Carriers
Two Ring Slings
A Buckle Carrier and a Ring Sling
A Buckle Carrier and a Mei Tai
A Ring Sling and a Mei Tai
A Podegai and an Onbu (just had to throw these lesser known but great carriers in there for fun)

Amber, tandem 2 woven wraps

Heidi, using 2 SSC

Me, using a wrap and a RS.
Here you can see how I draped the ring sling over the
 baby on the back for added support

Kelly, wrap + ring sling. In this case, she did the ring sling first.
Either way is ok. Totally Personal preference.



Melissa, tandem in a wrap and a SSC

Victoria, tandem in one long woven wrap

Vilma, tandem in 2 SSC

Really, if you have two carriers, you can make it work, trust me.

There is a great group on Facebook just for Tandem Babywearing. Many of the mamas there have twins or multiples, others like me have closely spaced kids. Either way they are a great resource for tips, tricks, and ideas for wearing more than one baby.

The Nitty Gritty

Disclaimer: because. safety. - This post is meant to answer questions parents and caregivers frequently ask about tandem wearing. If you want to try tandem wearing, but are not confident yet in your wearing skills with ONE baby, please come to a meeting or playdate and we will be happy to help you with your questions and concerns. We will even gladly get you started tandem wearing. When you start, it's very helpful to have spotters that know what concerns to look for and to help you trouble shoot. And keep your wearees happy while you get things figured out.

First: before you head off attempting super-parenting tandem-wearing awesomeness, get comfortably proficient wearing one baby in any carriers you are going to try to use for tandeming. Moms of twins: you don't have as much time to do this, as I'm sure you want to wear both at once as soon as humanly possible. There are several carries you can do with two babies on front that are a great starting place. Front Wrap Cross Carry and Pocket Wrap Cross Carry can be done with two babies. Amanda's Hip Carry uses one wrap and a large sling ring (www.slingrings.com), just to name a few.

Now, which baby to wear where? If you are doing the more common tandem option of one baby on front, one baby on back, I'd plan on putting the baby on back that will not want to be up and down a lot. This often means the younger, less mobile baby. If you are wearing twins, you may want to put the one that is calmer back there (assuming you have babies of different temperaments). Parents of twins may discover one twin prefers to be on the back and the other prefers to be worn on her parent's front.

Depending on which combination of carriers you are using, the logistics of which carrier to put on next is the next step.  In nearly all cases if you are tandeming with two carriers, you want to get the front carrier situated as much as possible first.

If you are using a long woven wrap on the front, you will want to get it pre-tied as much as possible - that is, get it situated so it's ready for a baby. If you go to THIS pic-torial, you can get to step 6. wait to carry on with the "insert baby" until you have baby on your back situated. This works well with Front Wrap Cross Carry, Pocket Wrap Cross Carry, and Front Cross Carry. You may also want to do this with a ring sling, though often I unthread my ring sling and drape it and rethread it over the child in back for an extra layer of security and I find it easier to adjust. (but in the hot summer weather, you may not want to add a layer of fabric over the baby in back). If you are using a mei tai or a buckle carrier on the front, go ahead and fit the waist band where and as snug as you like it.

Next . . .

Get the baby (or toddler) on your back using your preferred method and type of carrier, however you typically use it. Once you and baby are good and comfortable, you can add the baby to the carrier on your front.

Why do you add the baby on the front last? Most of us bend over a bit to get and situate a baby on our back. I find it to be much less challenging to try to keep a hand on a baby on my front, one on my back, as I'm adjusting a carrier . . .  than to just focus on one baby at a time. That is why I do  my steps in that order: front carrier, back carrier+baby, front baby.

Once everyone is good and snug and happy, off you go! I tend to wear the child on front that might want up and down, or needs to be fed, etc. For that reason, I prefer to use carriers on my front that are easily put on and taken off, like buckles, ring slings, or short woven wraps threaded through the straps of a buckle carrier on my back.

How do you get everyone down?

Front baby first, then the baby on the back. If, for some reason the baby on back needs off before the baby on front, it's best to ask for help. An alternative would be to sit down on a couch or bed and undo the carrier on back. This works best if your child is sitting on their own.

This is a pretty inclusive file on Tandem Wearing, including links to great videos from Babywearing 102: HERE

Babywearing Blog showing double ring sling carriers and tandem with 1 long woven wrap

Tandem wearing has been a life saver for me, with 3 young children. It's saved my arms and sanity more than once. That said, it takes practice to do easily and well, much like anything that has to do with babywearing (or parenting, for that matter). It is of utmost importance that you get proficient with 1 baby + 1 carrier before complicating it with a second baby and carrier, but ultimately tandem wearing is very doable.

Upcoming Events:

 Thursday, July 24th - 10 a.m. at the LDS Church on Broad River Road - we'll be helping you with basic wrap carries, and there will be a demonstration for kids, by kids, for wearing their dolls.

 Saturday, July 26th - Join us as we take a road trip to the beach and meet up with the Charleston Babywearing group. We'll be splashing in at the fantastic Isle of Palms.

Tuesday, July 29th - Come play with us at the Clemson Children's Garden. This is a great play area with lots for kids to discover and plenty of shade.

Rachel - Ring Sling

Laura - Rebozo

Saturday August 9th - 10 a.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion on Assembly Street - we'll be demonstrating and trouble shooting how to do a rebozo knot and how to use ring slings - both great options for short carries that don't use much fabric and are therefore great carries/carriers in the summer heat.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - Traveling and Babywearing

It's Sunday, Midland's Babywearers!

Yesterday was Leader Emily's last meeting with us before she heads to Italy with her family, who is being stationed there. In the spirit of traveling, it made perfect sense to spend today talking about babywearing and travelling.  But before we get into that, I'd like to spend a few minutes reminiscing about our time with Emily.

For those that don't know her well, Emily is a woman of many talents. Doula, Yoga Instructor, wonderful mama to 2 year old Rhein, wife to Jesse, gracious hostess who has opened her home to us more than once, fantastic friend, and enthusiastic babywearer, just to name a few. It has been such a pleasure to co-lead with her, and the Midlands will be poorer for her absence. She will still maintain a virtual presence in the group, and I'm halfway serious about trying to figure out how to Skype some more babywearing yoga lessons. I'm not sure when I first met her, but I remember the first time that online Emily clicked with In Real Life Emily - we were at a park near the soccer fields and she had some amazing conversion carriers - including a Didymos Houndstooth buckle carrier (I later learned it was a Madame GooGoo). I was surprised that I didn't already know her well (because, obviously, I already know all the Babywearers in town, duh!) then I realized her husband is military, and that explained it. I hate that her time here was so short, but I know it is not the end of our friendship. I know, as a military brat myself, how difficult it is to maintain friendships from afar, but with Facebook and Skype, it's entirely possible to carry on lasting friendships with people you've never even met, and to continue friendships with people that move far, far away. Emily, my friend, you will be greatly missed by all of us.



 Now, as I wipe away a few tears, back to business.

It's come up in the Facebook group quite a bit lately, questions about travelling with littles, and babywearing, and how to combine the two. So today I'm going to talk about what to pack, what to wear and when, and tips for navigating the airport.

What to Pack

Whether you are travelling by car or plane, packing space is usually limited, so choosing which carriers to take can be quite a challenge, especially if you are like many of us and have a few to choose from. Things to consider:

Emily's son contemplates what to pack for Italy

How many carriers to bring? How many children are going to be worn? If you have more than one
child that likes to be carried occasionally, especially if you are going anywhere that involves a lot of walking, you probably should bring one carrier per child that might need to be worn. If you are going anyplace that one might get too dirty to use, bring an extra. My general rule of thumb is one carrier per child that will be worn plus one extra. Not counting special use carriers, like water carriers.

Which ones to bring? Unless your child/ren is especially attached to a particular carrier, I advise bringing your beater carriers. Ones you don't mind getting a bit dirty, as with travel in mind, they are going to see hard use, be tossed in floor boards of cars, floors of hotel rooms and restaurants and bathrooms . . . This isn't the time to use any carrier that needs special care. That said, if you are getting special pictures made, sure, bring the carrier you want to use for that. But bring the beaters, too. For me, travel is when buckle carriers really come in handy. They are comfortable for both you and baby for long periods, are made of durable, easy to clean materials that aren't fussy, and anybody can use them, even your husband, or relative or friend could wear your child if need be. If you will be going in or near water, a water sling is really a great thing to pack. They don't take much space up in your luggage, either. Made of quick drying mesh, these carriers are really a must-have if you go in or near the water often. If you don't own one, post in our Facebook group, there are many floating around that one of our generous members is usually happy to lend.

What if I only have one carrier? Bring that. You are an expert in using that carrier, be it ring sling, buckle carrier, wrap, or mei tai. What if you have an older child that might like to be worn, but don't have a second carrier? If you've been to a couple meetings, you could borrow something from the Lending Library, or you can post in the Facebook group, asking for a something to borrow. Seriously, among our 350+ members, you'll find some of the most amazing parents in the area, always happy to lend a hand (or a carrier).

When to Use Which Carriers:



Heidi tandem buckles at the airport

Buckle Carriers: Unless you have a newborn or are IN the water, buckle carriers are great everywhere. In the airport, at theme parks, hiking on a trail, at the mall, use them, use them, everywhere! Why: they are ergonomic, 2 shouldered carriers that will distribute your baby or toddler's weight on you comfortably, anyone can use them (so someone not familiar with babywearing can wear it easily), you don't have a lot of fabric dragging around in places that are less than clean, and they are fast to put on, especially in situations that might be time pressed, like the airport.






Amber using a water sling at Carowinds

Ring Slings: My choice for newborns who need to be worn and fed easily, and for toddlers that want up and down a lot. Ring slings are a front/hip carrier only, so if you want your toddler on your back, I'd advise using a different carrier, like a buckle carrier, mei tai, or woven wrap. Ring Slings also make a great secondary/back up carrier, because they don't take up much space in your luggage or diaper bag. Water Ring Slings are also a great thing to bring or borrow.

Mr. B using a Mei Tai at the fair

Mei Tai: Mei Tai are great for all the same reasons buckle carriers are, with the exception of being easy for people not familiar with wearing to use. Mei Tai are not difficult to use - but have a little more of a learning curve than a buckle carrier. This would also make a great back up carrier, especially as you can buy the Infantino Sash at most retailers for around $30.

Laura, Kangaroo Carry

Wraps: First, lets talk stretchy wraps. Unless your baby loves stretchy wraps or it is all you have, I'd leave this one at home. They are bulky, take up a lot of valuable storage space, are HOT, and it's a lot of fabric to be messing with as you are on the go. Now, Woven Wraps are another story. My babies sleep better in woven wraps than anything else. I love them for times I know my littles need a nap and might fight the buckle carrier. If you have them, and are proficient in using them, I'd bring a shorter woven wrap (sizes 2-4). It's less fabric to deal with, faster to put on, and useful for front (rebozo), hip (Robin's or Poppin's), and back (RRRR, Ruck, DHTAS - double hammock tied at shoulder, shepherd's . . . YouTube these if you are unfamiliar) carries. Downside to woven wraps: unless you are good at wrapping other people, if other people want or need to wear the baby, it's hard to pass your baby or toddler off with a woven wrap (I, personally, love when other people wear my kids. It's great bonding, gives me a break, and helps share the babywearing awesomeness). Also, Woven wraps can feel less secure on a wriggly baby or toddler, who might fight being worn if they are over-tired, over-stimulated, or just freaking out because they are in a strange place. If you are a new wrapper, wrapping in public in a strange place can be a little intimidating. In that kind of situation, it's really best to bring carriers you are confident and familiar with using.

Travelling in the Airport:

Which carrier to use for terminal navigation? Most of our local mamas have advised using buckle carriers.  Will you need to take baby off for security? That depends on the security guard/TSA agent. Some will make you take baby off to go through security, others will wave you through and do an alternate wand check. Based on local mamas experience, it seems most flights will allow you to wear a lap baby through take off and landing - though this isn't always true either (I really wish we could give you tried and true, consistent advice. Turns out there are just too many other variables. Like other humans. LOL).

To make it more comfortable while sitting, loosen the straps of your buckle carrier, or loosen the rings on your ring sling. Nursing or feeding the baby during landing and take off can help with ear discomfort and fussiness.  Leader Jackie likes ring slings for traveling by air:

"I like ring slings for on the plane. They make you take them off for take off and landing and it is easy to slip the ring sling off and put them back in while seated if necessary. They are also is good to use as a blanket and nursing cover".

The main take away from all of this? Babywearing makes travel easier. Whether you do it in a woven wrap, ring sling, or buckle carrier, it just makes sense to make use of what's in your parenting toolbox, and babywearing is the ultimate travel tool. Make room in the luggage for carriers!

Justin, rocking a
nursing cover cape, kinderpack,
and double stroller at the airport

Strollers. I love strollers. I have two in the back of my mini-van that see frequent and heavy use. They are very useful things to bring, handy for carrying snacks, drinks, diaper bags, and resting a sleeping child that might be too hot and heavy to carry long - that said, especially if you are travelling by air, I'd think really long and hard before checking a stroller. If you think that having one is a must at your destination, I'd see if you can borrow one from a friend there, rent one from a theme park or zoo that you'll be visiting, or just buy a cheap one at a consignment store or Wal-mart. Even if you are travelling by car, strollers take of valuable trunk space that might be better given over to more important things, like coolers, tents, luggage, etc.




Will you be travelling this summer? Maybe you are looking forward to this winter and travelling then. No matter what time of year or reason for travelling, babywearing is an essential part of navigating your destination easily and with as little fuss as possible.

Upcoming Events:

 

Thursday, July 24th - 10 a.m. at the LDS Church on Broad River Road - we'll be helping you with basic wrap carries, and there will be a demonstration for kids, by kids, for wearing their dolls.

 

Saturday August 9th - 10 a.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion on Assembly Street - we'll be demonstrating and trouble shooting how to do a rebozo knot and how to use ring slings - both great options for short carries that don't use much fabric and are therefore great carries/carriers in the summer heat.

We also have playdates scattered, including a Charleston Beach trip! Come over to the Facebook group to learn more.

Multitasking 101: Feeding Your Baby While Babywearing

It's Sunday, Midlands Babywearers!

What a long weekend it's been - I hope ya'll have enjoyed it as much as our family has. There has been a ton of things to do this week, and I hope you enjoyed some of them. We spent a day at the Lake Murray Dam beach park, went blueberry picking, walked around the zoo, and watched a lot of fireworks. With all of this time out of the house, you better believe we spend a good bit of it babywearing. At one point  I had a sleeping toddler on my back, a nursing one on my front, all while trying to shop for discount organic produce. It was one of those times I was so grateful for having babywearing in my parenting toolbox! *for those that do not know: 14 Carrot on 378 in Lexington puts all of their produce on sale every Thursday and Sunday afternoon from 1-5 p.m. Discount is 30%*



We get a lot of questions in our Facebook group about how to nurse in a baby carrier. We even partnered with La Leche League recently and had a meeting devoted to that topic, and most of the pictures I'm sharing are from that meeting. Nursing a baby (or bottle feeding for that matter) while wearing your baby is a skill that once learned, you will wonder how you ever managed without it. I truly believe anyone can nurse in a carrier, no matter how big or small your breasts are, the size of your baby, or what kind of carrier you have. That said, it is a skill; one you need to practice a bit to get the hang of and figure out what tips and trick work best for you and your baby.

 

 

*a note for bottle feeding moms and dads: this post is for you, too. While many of the positioning techniques are aimed at a nursing mother needing to find that sweet spot for feeding her nursling, most bottle fed babies prefer similar positions for eating and you will likely find those suggestions helpful.

Getting Started

You will notice when nursing in any carrier, lowering and loosening the carrier is usually one of the first things you do in order to bring baby into a better position with the breast. Even so, please keep TICKS in mind:

Tight (your carrier will likely be looser than normal while baby is feeding, but should still be snug enough to be secure)
In sight at all times
Close enough to kiss (this can be fudged a bit while baby is eating)
Keep chin off chest (take note while baby is eating that you can see/feel sucks, swallows and breathing)
Supported back

Once baby is done eating, it's best to bring baby back up to kissable level and snug up your carrier, so that baby doesn't slouch down in the loosened carrier. You want to ensure that baby is in a position from which you can easily monitor their airway and breathing, especially newborns and younger babies that don't communicate as loudly or as readily as their older counterparts.

A note on clothing: Most find it easiest to wear either lower cut tops or button downs and just pull boob over the top when nursing in a carrier. As I go through nursing in each type of carrier, I'll include tips to helping to stay discreet while nursing in a carrier, for those moms and situations that prefer to be more covered.

Before I begin, if you are a member of Babywearing 102 on Facebook, they have already done a handy file on this topic HERE.

Ring Slings

Emily demonstrating
nursing in cradle hold

Ring Slings are one of my favorite carriers to nurse in. They are relatively easy to wear, there is not a lot of fiddling and adjusting to do between nursing and not-nursing positions, and they are great for both newborns and toddlers. Cons: you can only easily nurse from one breast while wearing (in order to nurse from the other side, you need to take the carrier off, adjust the rings, put baby back in . . . ), and it isn't completely hands free, especially for newborns or women with large breasts (true for nursing in most carriers, unfortunately).

With a newborn: you can nurse in cradle hold or upright. In cradle hold, you will loosen the top rail enough (by lifting and separating the rings) to tilt baby to the breast opposite the rings. Baby should be laying perpendicular to your breast, just as he would as if he were in your arms for cradle hold. You may feel the need to support your baby's head with your hand or arm on the same side as the breast that is being nursed from. Now your hand that is on the ring side is free to help your baby latch, support your breast, or do other, non-nursing related things (like shop, or hold your coffee, or eat!). While this is not completely hands free, it is much easier than nursing with a babe in your arms while you walk  around or do other things that need doing. Nursing upright: if your baby has a big more head control, you can nurse baby upright while in a ring sling. Your baby is most likely already upright in the tummy-to-tummy position when you are using the ring sling. You want your baby to maintain that same position, just lower, and moved to the side a bit, for nursing.

With an older baby or toddler: If you are using a ring sling for your older baby or toddler, you are probably wearing them a little lower and more on your hip. Nursing from this position is fairly simple: just lower/loosen the sling until baby is at the right level to nurse, get baby latched, and then snug up the sling by tightening along the top rail and center of the sling to make things more secure.

Tip for discretion: use the tail of your sling as a nursing cover to hide the top part of your breast if desired.

Video HERE (sorry, embedded video isn't working for some reason. grrr)

Mei Tai and Buckle Carriers



Katrina nursing in a SSC

With either of these carriers, you want to buckle or tie the waistband lower than you normally wear. If this is your first time trying to nurse in a buckle carrier or mei tai, first hold your baby at nipple level, upright, without a carrier on. That will give you an idea how low you will be wearing your carrier. Now, I'm a very short person - 4 foot 11 inches - and I'm pretty big chested (38F) so trust me, I understand how challenging finding the sweet spot can be, and it will change as your baby grows.
Once the waist is secure, seat your baby and secure the shoulder straps, allowing enough slack to adjust your clothing and room for baby to lean to which ever side he is nursing from, but not too much that he is no longer secure. Once you are in a good position, allow baby access to the breast and you are pretty much hands free.

Jackie shows how
using a hood provides added coverage

*tip* - even with older babies and experienced nursing moms, you may find it helpful to use one hand to support/aim your breast for baby. Some well endowed mamas use a rolled up receiving blanket or burp cloth under their breast for more support.

As with any carrier, once baby is done nursing, bring him up to kissable level again by lifting him up and tightening first the waist band and then the shoulder straps.

*tip*  babywearing seems to work really well for babies to release gas - especially burping. You may want to keep a spare cloth handy for any spit up that might occur. And relax, all carriers are washable, and breastmilk and formula will definitely come out.

*tip* for discretion - sleeping hoods that come with most mei tai and buckle carriers make great nursing covers. They also support baby's head if he starts to drowse while eating.

Video HERE

Woven and Stretchy Wraps

nursing in FWCC

You will most likely be doing some variation of Front Wrap Cross Carry (or Pocket Wrap Cross Carry) if you are starting out trying to nurse in a wrap. Whether you are using a woven or stretchy wrap, the idea is the same. I like to start with baby at a kissable height, nice and snug, and then I untie the tails at my waist or back to let a little slack, and then bounce baby down until they are a good nipple height, and then tie the tails again.











Hip carries are also a great alternative in a shorter woven wrap (like Robins or Poppins) because baby is generally already at the perfect nursing height.

Laura nurses in a rebozo carry using a pink wrap

Video for nursing in a semi FWCC
Video for nursing in a stretchy wrap
Video for nursing in Robin's Hip Carry

*tip* for bottle feeding in any carrier: instead of angling baby in towards your body, angle them slightly out so that they can easily get the bottle.

Bottom line - you can do this! Keep practicing, and it will become second nature - it helps to get really comfortable with your carrier first, and with nursing in these positions before trying to combine the two skillsets.  The more you do it, the easier it is, before it just is part of what you do. I remember the first time I tried putting my baby in a 5 point harness. I fumbled so badly my hands were shaking and I was sure the nurse looking over my shoulder was judging me. Now, I can practically do and undo a 5 point harness one-handed with my eyes closed. Nursing in a carrier is no more challenging a skill to learn.

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.