New Zealand Babywearing Week Events, October 10 - 16

New Zealand Babywearing Week is about to start and we're very excited about it. We have a number of events planned and would love to see you at any or all of them.

Our first event is a free Babywearing Dance Class on Monday, October 10th, from 10:30am at the Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt.
In this 45min class you will learn the basics of Cha cha, how to Cha cha safely with your baby, a lovely choreography to dance with your baby at home and how to add in your partner to your Cha cha fun! All welcome, no previous experience or rhythmical talent required.
Check out the facebook event for more details.

Our second (and third) event will be a DIY stretchy wrap workshop.
This event will have two parts - the first is a fabric shopping trip to The Fabric Warehouse (126 Hutt Rd, next to Spotlight) at 10:30am on Tuesday, 11th October. The fabric Warehouse have offered us a very generous discount on fabric for the workshop. The discount is only available during this trip, so come along to take advantage. More details on the facebook event.
The second is an informal craft session at The Southern Cross, at 10:30am on Friday, 14th October. Bring your fabric and your creativity and we will be on hand to offer help in shaping and embellishing your wrap. Have a look at the facebook event for more details.
Come along to either or both events and make a wrap for yourself or share the wearing by making one for a new parent in your life. The only cost involved is for the fabric you purchase.

And to round off the week we have our main event: our annual Slingwalk through central Wellington. It should be a lot of fun and there are some great giveaways and amazing prizes to be won!
Check out the separate post about it here or have a look at the facebook event.

For events happening in other parts of the country you should have a look at the New Zealand Babywearing Week site.

Fit mums wear their babies!

Sometime ago a fellow babywearer was telling me about an online forum discussion about getting babies to settle in their prams. It appears to be a common conundrum. Some babies don't like prams - fair enough too, they've just spent 9 months curled up all cozy and snuggly inside their mummy then they go through the trauma of being born into this cold, bright world without the constant lulling of built-in rythmic sound and shock absorbent rocking motion. The obvious answer is WEAR YOUR BABY! The response to which often appears to be "but I want to exercise".

You can't wear your baby and get a decent workout can you? Well yes, actually, you can.

Although it wouldn't be safe to go for a run while wearing your baby, walking is a great aerobic workout and if you add weight (i.e. a carried child) and hills it's even better. You could even throw in some squats and lunges using your own and your baby's weights as resistence if you're keen.

This morning I spent an hour walking around the local hills wearing 1/4 of my body weight (aka my son) and burnt approx 2000kjs which is several hundred more than I would have burnt if I'd gone for a run. It was much easier on my joints too but the best part was that when Andrew woke up from his wee kip on my back he was in the prime position for us to interact, practice talking (him not me) and enjoy the scenery together.

So to all those mums that have issues getting their babies into their prams against their wills but really want to get out and exercise - WEAR YOUR BABY!!