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Best baby present ever!

17/12/2015

 
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My personal babywearing journey is pretty much over (hopefully just for now). Samuel will be three on Christmas eve and only very occasionally wants to be carried in the toddler tula and certainly doesn't want to be wrapped any more. I am very lucky though to be running the sling library now with some wonderful friends but recently I have become bogged down with the every day goings on of the “business” side of hiring and buying slings, sending emails and sorting out money and I think had forgotten a little bit how kind of magical babywearing can be.

I had a lovely reminder yesterday of how lovely babywearing really is. I popped over to my next door neighbours house (who just so happens to be a babywearing mummy too!) in the morning. She has a gorgeous newborn baby girl and I was getting to have lovely snuggles with her baby while she got on with making some chocolate brownies. Baby got a little bit unsettled and my poor back was sore (possibly because it's not used to holding a baby without a sling?!) so I asked to borrow her (oh so very stunning Oscha) ring sling and popped baby in. The privilege of being able to snuggle someones newborn in a sling brought back to me the memories of my babies when they were teeny tiny. How you mutter silly nothings about whatever you see and walk with a little bounce and gently rub baby's back to try and soothe.

My first “proper” sling was a Moby stretchy wrap which was given to me as a Christmas present. It literally changed my life. I realise that sounds extreme but it did. I remember the first time I wrapped with the Moby how really very comfortable it was and how snuggly it felt with my brand new newborn. It's got me thinking about the other parts of babywearing which have been really important to me. With all three of my babies I have never wanted to put them down or pass them around to other people when they have been tiny. Babywearing gave me and baby a sense of security of being with each other which was certainly reassuring for both of us. When we see mums who are expecting baby number 2,3 or 4 we sometimes joke how at least if you use a sling with a newborn you know where one child is at all times. For me there was an element of truth to that. It's chaos in my house most of the time so babywearing in the early days help enormously with staying in touch with and keeping an eye on the littlest one while still being with the older ones.

I was also amazed when I found out how baby being in a sling counts as “tummy time” and helps with muscle development and balance development from the very beginning. It also helps with their social and emotional development by being close to someone they love and being part of your world – clever stuff. In the early days of having Bethany, I struggled with what to do each day and how to have constructive activities (I know with a newborn I shouldn't have been worrying but the weight of responsibility to teach this tiny being everything she needed to know was over whelming at the time) so this knowledge that babywearing was actually “good” for her development was almost an excuse for me to do it more.
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Thanks to the power of facebook I found this, our local sling library and have made a whole bunch of brilliant mummy friends and now run the sling library with Carol, and we are now in the amazing position to share some babywearing love and I really do love it!



Winter Babywearing 

2/12/2015

 
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Winter baby wearing tips, from Chiara 


Babywearing seems to be tricky whenever we have more severe weather, such as hot summers or really grotty winters. I have had 3 winter babies who I have worn so here are my 5 top tips for winter babywearing... (some may seem super obvious, bear with me)


  1. Babywearing cover: My all time most favourite thing was the MAM babywearing cover. https://slumber-roo.co.uk/product/148/mam-multi-babywearing-cover-footmuff//babywearing-accessories It was water proof and windproof. Not too bulky but still lovely and warm. It is a like a half sleeping bag which tucks under baby's feet (which is elasticated so it doesn't slip off) and then has ties which go through the straps of buckles or ties onto the shoulder passes of a wrap. It can be worn in a front or back carry and is really simple to use. I liked it because I could wear what I wanted to wear and then add the sling over the top while still keeping baby warm, so I didn't need to use a babywearing coat. The downside is that if you want to wear a big coat things can get bulky!
  2. Babywearing coat/fleece/mac. There are some amazing choices of babywearing coats. https://slumber-roo.co.uk/type/7/babywearing-adult-clothes They work brilliantly for when you want something to cover both of you. You can both stay warm and dry and cosy while still being able to use a wrap or buckles underneath your coat. They have a hole for mum and a hole for baby. There is a knack to getting these on especially if you are back carrying. (try throwing it over baby and getting baby's head through first and then you second). They can be pricey but if you are planning long term babywearing these are a fantastic investment. Here are a couple of my favourites:
  3. Staying dry is more tricky than staying warm. I used a giant umberella to cover both of us if it was practical to be holding one, but it wasn't always possible if I had the other kiddos or if I was walking the dog. I got a brilliant hat for Samuel from next which was water proof and had fleecy inside with a popper under the chin to keep it on. (It's impossible to get a hat back on a child who is being carried on your back!!) My mum swore by matching sou'wester hats!
  4. Layers not baby snow suits. When babywearing it's important to remember that the sling is at least one extra layer over baby (and more if you are using a wrap and a multiple pass carry). It's a good idea to dress baby in different layers. There isn't any need to use a great big thick snow suit, for a few different reasons. Firstly, baby can over heat in them and young babies are not able to let you know they are too hot. Secondly, suits like this in combination with a sling can put pressure on baby's feet and ankles by causing too much tension around their feet. Third, you are not going to be able to get the wrap or carrier fitting well around a big bulky snow suit and you want the sling to be on well and tight to make sure it is comfortable and safe. You will also be hot water bottles to one another. (An aspect of babywearing I really appreciated as I'm a cold person). Your body heat will help keep baby lovely and warm.
  5. Little feet and legs need protecting in the winter. I love a pair of baby legs for that bit of leg that is sometimes exposed where trousers ride up a touch and a pair of something like moccons are brilliant for keeping feet warm in a sling and they stay on too!

I hope some of these tips help. Failing that, stay inside and buy a lovely babywearing style blanket to snuggle up to. 

The website I've linked to offer us a discount code if you would like to purchase from them, just get in touch for the code! 

Hope to see you at a sling meet soon, Chiara xx

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