Our Main Event was absolutely awesome! So many fabulous local people made it happen! Unfortunately I am limited on computer time since I injured myself while setting up for the event, but in the mean time, here are a few pictures to hold you over until I get back here and write up a real post! Thank you Julia Tarno for sharing these!
Stay tuned for our awesome pictures.
For our second installment from Teaching Thursday, Laura Darr, local babywearer and Independent Consultant for Go, Baby, Go! has shared her favorite links for Mei Tais, Ring Slings, Soft-Structured Carriers, and Pouches!
Mei Tai – Front Carry – Newborn
Mei Tai – Front Carry – Older Babies
Mei Tai – Back Carry – Over-the-Shoulder Method*
MeiTai – Back Carry – Hip-to-Back Method*
*I’m not sure if there are actual names for these “methods”, but that’s what made sense to me…
Ring Slings:
SSC – Front Carry – Newborn
Angelpack
Ergo Infant Insert
SSC – Front Carry – Older Baby
SSC – Back Carry
Beginner (seated)
Advanced (hip-to-back)
Pouches:
Are you interested in learning about wraps? Local wrapstar Julia Tarno breaks it down for you here in our first installment for Teaching Thursday!
Who knew that something so simple as a long piece of fabric, a simple piece of cloth, would be the one baby item I recommend no parent go with out? Wraps are endlessly versatile. The same wrap can be used for different carries, by different people and each will feel as though they have a perfectly custom fit.
The are three main types of wraps available for purchase; stretchy, gauze and woven. Stretchy wraps are made of cotton jersey knit fabric and are, as the name implies, stretchy. They are most commonly used with newborns and infants for front carries and occasionally hip carries. Stretchy wraps should not be used for back carries. The second type of wrap is cotton gauze. These wraps are lightweight and ideal for hot climates. Because of the thinness of the material, careful wrapping is required to prevent pressure points for mom or baby. Gauze wraps are best suited for mufti-layered carries on the front, back or hip. The final category is woven wraps, also known as German style wovens (GSWs). Woven wraps are made specifically for the purpose of carrying children. There are many lengths, fabrics, patterns and colors to choose from. Woven wraps are appropriate for single, or mulit-layered, front, back and hip carries.
My top tips for safely and successfully wrapping your little one:
• Practice with a doll or teddy first – It is once thing to read instructions and feel like you understand them, but actually performing the actions several times, and committing them to muscle memory, will significantly improve your chances of success when it comes time for the real thing
• It is best to try a new carry when you and your baby are relaxed, well rested, happy and not in a hurry – What you plan to be a quick wrap job can quickly turn in to a sweaty, frustrating, unsafe mess if the wrapper and wrappee are not in the appropriate mood to begin with.
• Always have a fed, dry baby before you get started – One of the most frustrating things for me as a new wrapper was to get “the perfect wrap job” only to realize that I forgot to change or feed baby before starting. If you plan ahead and use the right carry you will be able to nurse in the wrap
• Start low to the ground or use a spotter – Once you have progressed past using a teddy and are ready to practice with baby, find a soft surface you can sit on (such as a sofa or a bed) and do a few runs in this position before standing up. Another option is to find another responsible adult to spot you as you wrap, but this person must take the role seriously and understand the seriousness of the task
• Use a mirror – My full length bedroom mirror was the best tool I had when learning to wrap. Being able to see what you are doing and see that your baby is safe, comfy and content is wonderful
• Tighten, tighten, tighten…and then tighten again – This is the best wrapping tip I was ever given. Take the time to tighten your wrap often throughout the wrapping process. This will ensure moms comfort and reduce the need to re-tighten once baby settles (thank you, gravity).
• Close enough to kiss – When wrapped in the front, baby should always be close enough to kiss on the head. This ensures that baby can be monitored by the parent
Additional things to consider when wrapping a newborn or infant without head control
• Baby should not be curled in a tight chin to chest position because this partially closes baby’s airway. With correct positioning there should always be at least one to two finger’s width of space under baby’s chin.
• Wrap fabric should not be across baby’s face, nor should baby’s face be pressed tightly against the parent’s body
• Make sure your baby’s back is straight and supported.
• Be aware of baby at all times. Make sure nothing is covering their face.
• Think about how your movements affect the baby. Try to avoid bumping or jarring actions.
• Position baby’s face upward when he or she is not actively nursing. When nursing ensure that baby’s nose is not blocked.
• Baby should be repositioned if he is there are any signs of respiratory difficulty.
• Symptoms of respiratory difficulty include, rapid or labored breathing, grunting or sighing with every breath and/or restlessness.
Now, it is time to start practicing. Grab your wrap and a teddy (or a baby and a spotter), and get comfy in front of a mirror. Here are links to instructions for a few of my favorite carries.
I recommend that every new wrapper start with one of these front carries:
Pocket Wrap Cross Carry – This carry is commonly the first carry learned with a stretchy wrap
Front Wrap Cross Carry – This carry is most commonly the first carry learned with a woven wrap
Other Recommended Front Carries:
Rebozo (tummy to tummy or hip) – Can be pre-tied making it quick and easy to pop baby in and out.
Kangaroo – Great front carry to use with a mid-length wrap
Hip Carries:
Robin’s – an attractive, one shoulder hip carry
Hip Wrap Cross Carry – a two shoulder hip carry
Back Carries:
Double Hammock – Considered my many to be the most comfortable carry to use for extended periods
Jordan’s Back Carry – A great back carry using a mid-length wrap
Rucksack – Quick and easy back carry using a shorter wrap
Getting baby on and off your back:
Useful Links:
http://www.thebabywearer.com/index.php?page=WrapInstructionsChart
http://www.wrapsodybaby.com/booklet.pdf
http://site.peppermint.com/girasolcarry.htm
Resources:
http://babywearinginternational.org/pages/InfantSlingSafety.php
http://babywearinginternational.org/pages/safety.php
http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/HowTo/Positioning.pdf
http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/showthread.php?10263-Our-favorite-links-for-wrap-instruction
We’ll be celebrating International Babywearing Week at Midwives Rising on Saturday, October 15th from 10 am – 1 pm. It’s free! Local vendors will be displaying their goodies, games will be taking place for the kiddos, and snacks will be available! We are also selling raffle tickets for prizes provided by the vendors who will be at the event or other local babywearing supporters. Proceeds from the raffle will help our group buy carriers for our local lending library!
Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the event. Tickets are $1 each or $20 for 25 tickets. They can be dispersed among the prizes any way you wish. If you would like to participate in the raffle, but are not able to attend The Main Event, please send paypal without fees to phoenixbabywearers@gmail.com and specify how many tickets you would like to go to the prizes as numbered below. We will draw the winners at 12:45 p.m.
And here are the prizes! In no particular order….
(1) $30 off Bradley Method Childbirth Class Series
(2) Large Wool Shorties by Eevaleena
(3) Scentsy Candle Plug-in Warmer
(4) Proud Body Belly Cast Kit-AZ Birth Network
(5) $25 Gift Certificate towards session fee or print credit-Urban Life Photography
(6) Medium TaylorMade Batik Ring Sling
(7) Inspired By Finn Amber Necklace size 11.5-12.5
(8) Barefoot Books and Kangaroo Puppet by Folkmanis from Barefoot Books Phoenix
(9) Rump-a-rooz One Size Cloth Diaper by Laura Darr of Go, Baby, Go!
(10) Wee Designs Tutu
(11) Gift Certificate for 4 hours of Postpartum Doula Services- Kerri Flynn, Giving Hands Doula
(12) 31 Gifts Wristlet Key FOB and SGbum Cloth Diaper
(13) Gift Certificate for a Raw Bellycast done by Rose Day
(14) Boobee Hat by DoulaBooBees
(15) Hand-Dyed Velour Blanket by Katydid Creations
(16) $75 off the price of a birth tub from Baby Deliverease
(17) Mother’s Life Nursing Tea
(18) Mother’s Life Raspberry Tea (Pregnancy)
(19) Hypnobabies Peaceful Sleep Now for ALL and Toddler Sleepy Time CDs from Noelia Waldo
(20) Gift Basket from SwimKids, including One Month FREE swimming lessons
(21) Herbal bath salts, teas, healing salves by Natural Blessings Doula
(22) Hand-Dyed Playsilks in 3 sizes
(23) 2 Newborn Swaddlebees Cloth Diapers and an Organic Changing Pad made by Susan Chanse
(24) Pampered Chef Gift Basket from Candice Clark
(25) FREE One Hour Massage- Amy Hatch. LMT
(26) $50 off Placenta Encapsulation by Tree of Life Medicinals
(27) Bumkins Stuff-It Cloth Diaper, Stuffers, Flushable Liners, Wet Bag
(28) Gifts from Xtreme Air (Chandler), including 10 hours of FREE jump time
(29) $25 towards a Henna Tattoo-Henna By Shireen
(30) Small Heart Dish, Stroller Frame, and $50 Gift Certificate from Holland Boone (picture coming)
(31) Cloth Diaper Friendly Detergent by Abi Conliffe (picture coming)
(32) $25 SoZo Gift Certificate from Dr. Jenny Dubisar of Expressions of Life
We celebrated Walking Wednesday by staging a flash mob at Scottsdale Fashion Square. One of our local VBEs choreographed a routine to Baby Mamas (Put a Sling on ‘Em).
At around 11:00 am, moms started to congregate in the lower level by the food court:
We hung out and talked while our babies were happily worn and our big kids ran around:
Around 11:20, we placed our stereo in a stroller located in the center of a large open area right in front of the Concierge desk. The big kids hung out on the couch and chairs.
The staff at the Concierge desk looked a little baffled by the arrival of so many women with their babies in carriers, and even questioned a mama about what was up. They were in good spirits when the dancing started though! Victory for our babywearing flash mob! (Although one of the staff members, who accepted an International Babywearing Week pen, did say we scared the young guy working at the kiosk on the left of the picture below because he had never seen such a thing.)
We did experience a few technical difficulties, such as a not-loud-enough speaker and a skipping CD. That didn’t stop us though. And we’re already talking about doing more!
Here are a few videos of the Phoenix Babywearers in action:
On Tuesday, local babywearers were encouraged to take flyers about our group wherever they might have gone. We encouraged everyone to share their handing out experiences on our wall through posts or pictures. This is what we “heard”:
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Today kicks off our International Babywearing Week celebration! For Make It Monday, we encouraged local babywearers to post pictures of DIY carriers that they made, or someone made for them. Here’s a little peek at a few crafty ring slings, mei tais, and even a kanga in action:
Here are a few non-action shots of homemade mei tais:
Here are the vendors that will be at Midwives Rising for our Main Event on October 15th from 10 am-1 pm:
Laura Darr-Go, Baby, Go! Independent Consultant
A Sister’s Love Birth Services
Please show your support by visiting their pages and checking out what they have to offer. Many will be selling items at The Main Event so bring your checkbook, cash, or credit cards.
International Babywearing Week is coming up, and our group has a bunch of fun events planned to bring together babywearers around the valley and hopefully recruit a few new babywearers! Our care packet from Babywearing International has been received, and in it were two fabulous new carriers for our lending library from Wrapsody and Scootababy (you’ll be seeing more of those after our photo shoot)!
Here’s a few pointers to get you ready to celebrate with Babywearing International of Phoenix:
1. Watch this public service announcement.
2. Join our Facebook page to enter fun contests, learn more about the events for IBW, and to find out about our meetings around the valley.
3. Take a moment to review the awards and nominate any group or individual as you see fit.
4. Check out all of the details of our celebration below as we follow the suggested event ideas from Babywearing International.
5. JOIN US FOR SOME BABYWEARING!
Make it Monday–DIYers are encouraged to post photos of their creations on our Facebook page. Each person who posts their DIY carrier picture will be entered in a contest to win a Mei Tai Baby Carrier pattern from Sew Liberated. Our blog post from that day will feature links to our favorite DIY patterns as well as the pictures posted on our Facebook page.
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Babywearing International of Phoenix 
