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6/1/2015
Carry My Baby is 3! Three years ago I had an itch to do something different, learn new skills, find my vocation, start something fun and rewarding. Something that would be an inspiration to my children, while working from home, and most importantly, sharing my passion for carrying my children or 'babywearing'. I loaded herself with as much information as I could, brainstormed ideas, laboured over name ideas, business concept, went on a babywearing consultancy course with the School of Babywearing, taught myself as much as possible to fill in any gaps in my knowledge and skills. I slowly filled the sling library up with popular brands so we could familiarise ourselves with them, and to lend out to parents to try. And then we launched! I carefully chose a small range of slings and carriers to stock that we personally loved ourselves, and I started offering free sling consultations initially, and Mr Carry My Baby assisted me in sling library sessions while we looked after our first, who was one at the time. This week we celebrate our third birthday, since launching on June 6th 2012, with a giveaway in the pipeline on our Facebook page, 50% off a workshop with code 'birthday', and we want to hear more about how we can grow and adapt in the years to come to meet your needs as a parent in terms of the services and products we offer. And if you have any memories to share of how we inspired you! I've met so many lovely families and babies these last few years, many who have now grown into little boys and girls and have baby siblings since. We had our second son ourselves in July 2013, only a year into being established in Leicester as a sling library, consultancy and shop. At this week's Pop Up, for every sling hire you will receive a voucher for a free 2 week sling hire to pass to a friend or use yourself on your next visit, and the first visitor will receive a free gift! I also plan on their being cake, so this is certainly a good week to come to visit! Here's to three more years? :) Go to our Visit Us page to find out more, or browse our Shop   I've always known it, but today as I practice different carries and demonstrating baby carriers in preparation for consultations this week, I see so clearly how each type has it's place. Some may get more airtime than others, but then that one on the back of the shelf can really come into it's own when the situation calls. Each sling has it's moment to shine, and that's why I have so many types and brands of carrier. I keep up to date with trends and draw on my community for their wealth of experience when I encounter scenarios that require some out of the box thinking and tinkering.  I might get out a stretchy wrap for a newborn, a ring sling for hip carries or breastfeeding in, a mei dai if parents are looking to share a sling that fits them both well, or a buckle carrier for something quick, but these are just the initial suggestions that may fulfill the simplest requirements for most average parents. There is no typical parent though, and each I meet teaches me something new to add to my bank of experience. We are however all individual, with unique circumstances, preconceptions, preferences, different shaped and sized bodies, and that's before considering the parent's health, strengths, limitations, pre-existing conditions, and any health considerations in the baby. Amidst this tangle of wraps and straps it is my role to tease out what a parent really wants from a sling, what will best meet their most immediate needs, and as their baby grows into a toddler. We navigate the possibilities without overwhelming ourselves with everything. On all scales of ease, quickness, 'poppability', longer term comfort, adaptability and portability (and so on!) we weigh up what is top of the agenda. This role as baby carrying consultant is rewarding, exciting and my thirst for coming up with solutions for parents is insatiable. When we get it right it makes for delighted parents who can get on with their lives and taking care of their baby and keeping them happy too. How did you figure out which sling was the one out of all the slings?
5/15/2015
Friday Morning Pop Ups On Friday mornings Mr CarryMyBaby and our boys go off on breakfast and forest school adventures, and I transform our house ready to welcome visiting parents who are interested in trying out a baby carrier. This morning I made a display of our newly arrived accessories. I adore the bright colours of the pendants and my youngest loved twiddling with and chewing ours. The socks are new so I haven't tried these out myself yet. I especially chose the ladybirds and rainbow designs in the first few sizes to suit until age 2.   I am packing up one very awesome Hop-Tye in the Timbuktu design that a customer has ordered. I adore this quite retro striped wrap colourway that has been made into a Bondolino and Hop-Tye too for the fabric panel. They both are often the first to go. It must be a Hop-Tye kind of day as I just had a lovely mum drop in with her sleeping baby to my Pop Up who tried one on with a doll, and has promptly hired it to try with her baby at home. Then two mums came and fell in love with Connectas and are excited about choosing one of their own. A family returned their hire of a Hana Baby Wrap and went away with their very own Melkaj mei tai. I'm also busy considering my range on offer in the sling library, ensuring it is up to date and the carriers are in good condition. I've replaced a ring sling for a Storchenwiege Leo Ring Sling in cafe, to offer a plainer option.  I have a rare quiet moment just now to keep my bookkeeping up to date and checking messages and emails. I've just received a booking for a consultation on Monday afternoon, soon after my woven wrap workshop that I'm running that morning.
I'm also keeping fingers crossed that I get enough bookings for my Carry My Baby introductory workshop next Saturday 23rd May in order for it to ahead. It's tough getting something new off the ground but I feel spurred on by the positive feedback from the three I've held this year so far. I hope you have a good weekend! I have house viewings with Grandad CarryMyBaby and a wedding for Mr and Mrs CarryMyBaby to attend in the afternoon of an old University friend! Good times!
5/14/2015
We are Free - A babywearing Poem We are free.
My warmth, smell, chest rising and falling Are his home. Light flickering through the trees Mesmerizes him, compelling him to coo in wonder, Or stun him into awesome silence. His head rests, my heartbeat his lullaby As my steady strides, soothing sounds And swaying hips Rock him to sleep. We are one. www.carrymybaby.co.uk
4/17/2015
CARRY MY TODDLER Most often I have parents come to me looking to carry their baby from newborn, or at some point in their baby's first year, but at a year old your carrying journey need not come to an end. For some it is when it begins! Your baby might be beginning to walk but I do not know of any toddler who can walk very far before wanting to be held again, or could join you on a ramble, not get lost in a crowd in a busy place, or at least walk in the same direction as you! I sometimes get asked if I have anything suitable for a 13 month old, 18 month old, 2 year old, etc. Well the answer is that I do :) Slings are so useful for that transitional period where your toddler is starting to explore but still needs you, and the security of your arms/back. Carrying your toddler/preschooler can be practical, enjoyable, comfortable and fun for mums and dads (and whoever else!) and their child. Great for reconnecting after nursery or when there is a new sibling to ease the transition. Or if you need to get them off for a nap, or pop to the shop out the car. And other countless reasons. Here we believe in each family being able to make their own decisions regarding what works for them. We have many options at our disposal. Whether that's carrying in arms, using a pram or pushchair, occasionally using a carrier, or using one most days. Sometimes a sling is more convenient, other times a pushchair/pram, whatever age your child. There will come a time to stop. Don't do your body damage by carrying your child so that you suffer. It's the same for carrying two on you at once. There are no rewards for who can do it for longest. Stop whenever you want. Carry on as long as you like. I could carry my first for longer and older because we walked everywhere, I was fit, he was light for his age. My second I was not so fit or physically strong, he was heavier so I stopped way sooner for my comfort, and then only occasionally and for only five minutes. Leave judgement at the door. Carrying your baby or toddler or preschooler. Do or don't. It's just fine with me. I have several soft structured carriers with buckles in the sling library that are specifically in 'Toddler' size, suitable from 18-24 months, and I even have a 'Preschooler' size Connecta in the sling library. Many toddlers fit very well in 'Standard' size carriers like the JPMBB Physiocarrier, Manduca, Boba Carrier, and Beco Soleil. Alternatives to buckles are carriers that tie on, and a woven wrap can be used until your child outgrows being carried at all. Ring slings often become brilliant if you feel it would be more useful to have a hip carrier as opposed to front or back, when your child wants up and down a lot. The Scootababy is a buckle alternative hip carrier. Slings and carriers can be used at all different stages of development in your child's first few years, and you might find one that sees you all the way through, or you might change to something else as your carrying needs change. You might need something compact to pack in your bag easily, or something really quick, or a carrier with more padding, a more structured waist, or a sling or wrap that distributes the weight over a wider area. I have a lot of experience in carrying my own two boys, the oldest who is now four, who I can just about manage for a walk to the shops and back! I am here to offer you advice at whatever stage you are at, for as long as you both enjoy the convenience of carrying, and the relationship it nurtures.   I learned about babywearing long before I became pregnant with my son when I heard about The Continuum Concept and Attachment Parenting. I am a curious type who likes to plan things in advance and do a lot of research. This was especially the case when it came to pregnancy and parenting as I was broody to be a mother for a few years before my husband said YES! Early in pregnancy I asked in a forum something along the lines of 'What is the best first sling?' There were many opinions and experiences to be shared. I had heard about the Close baby carrier (now the Caboo) but I was repeatedly recommended a Gypsy Mama/Wrapsody hybrid stretchy wrap because they would have a longer life and can be used for heavier babies through to toddlerhood, and even for back carries.  I picked a colour that both my husband and I would like and swiftly bought a preloved Alyssa for £30 and got practicing with a teddy. We decided our son would be a carried baby and bought very little for him before his birth except for the sling, cloth nappies and clothes. When our son was two days old I decided it was time to try him in the sling for the first time and we went for a short walk to get some fresh air and reacquaint ourselves with the outside world after being cocooned in our blissed-out post-birth state. I very recently looked at my first babywearing photos again and was relieved to see that I had positioned his legs in the fetal tuck! I was dreading my first wrap job looking terrible and it wasn't too bad. Please excuse the birth pool in the background that we still hadn't emptied and I wasn't looking my best just two days after giving birth! I first tried a Front Wrap Cross Carry and he started at a good height but by the time I had finished he was asleep but his head wasn't quite close enough to kiss. It was generally tied a bit loose.  Being of a jersey cotton material with not so much stretch it took a bit of practice to tie it with just the right tension, but with a stretchier wrap you would tie it tighter.
In the sling library I have several stretchy wraps including Je Porte Mon Bebe Original and Basic wrap, and Lifft Slings wrap. Each is different so it can be worth trying a few out to see which you find easiest to use. In the early days in my role as an Infant Carrying Consultant I had already in the first few months guided many new parents in the art of tying a stretchy wrap and getting their baby well positioned, and it feels so long ago that I was doing the very same thing with my son. It can take practice getting the correct tension and positioning your baby with their knees drawn up and their back and head well supported and off their chest, and I learn more and more each time as I hone my teaching style and adapt it to each parent. There are many options for carrying from newborn including ring slings, mei dais and soft structured carriers but I recommend the stretchy wrap as a first option for new parents to try. Despite having a shorter life than other slings, meaning you might have to trade up to either a woven wrap or a tie on or buckle carrier as they get heavier, they have many advantages. Firstly they are very comfortable to wear for long periods of time and can be pre-tied so you can pop your baby in and out during the day. The three layers of tight fabric are fantastic at supporting your baby's back and drawing them in snugly to your body so they are not slumped and will be straight so their chin can be kept of their chest. Finally they offer the important head support before your baby can support their own head. My first sling was my tool for bonding with my baby in the early days, keeping him near as he slept so I could check he was safe, and he got me off the sofa and with no excuse for my lack of housework. It holds fond memories for both myself and my husband. Our Gypsy Mama wrap sat for some time at the bottom of our wrap pile waiting for another newborn to snuggle up in it. Which it very much did! |
CategoriesAuthorJo, Infant Carrying Consultant and mother of two boys and a girl, at Carry My Baby Archives
November 2018
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Need your sling tomorrow? Order before noon Monday-Friday and opt for Special Delivery or Click & Collect in Leicester
Need your sling tomorrow? Order before noon Monday-Friday and opt for Special Delivery or Click & Collect in Leicester
Why choose Carry My Baby?
Established in 2012 by a carrying family with 3 children of our own, we are a wife & husband team of trained Infant Carrying Consultants. We bring our creativity & passion for psychology, connection, wellbeing & simple living. We bring you the best ergonomic baby carriers with the honesty, care, knowledge & dedication you expect from an independent, specialist small business, with fast, efficient customer service & a warm welcome in person in Leicester at Carry My Baby HQ
Established in 2012 by a carrying family with 3 children of our own, we are a wife & husband team of trained Infant Carrying Consultants. We bring our creativity & passion for psychology, connection, wellbeing & simple living. We bring you the best ergonomic baby carriers with the honesty, care, knowledge & dedication you expect from an independent, specialist small business, with fast, efficient customer service & a warm welcome in person in Leicester at Carry My Baby HQ
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