May is for mei tais

For anyone who missed Isa's great mei tai talk at the May slingmeet, here it is (thanks Isa!):

Kozy carrier

Our road to babywearing was long and far from straight. I made a simple woven wrap when I worked as a nanny for an 11 month old, and loved it; it made life so much easier, and I was a babywearing convert. But when my little girl was born she couldn't stand the lovely Storchenwiege wrap we'd bought for her, and it took many months before I could get her into it (usually facing out, as anything else was unacceptable to her). She still didn't like it, and getting her into it was awful. Instead, we stuck to the Mountainbuggy, until she suddenly stopped sleeping in it at 8 months. Luckily, a friend lent me her Ergo, and my baby went straight to sleep! We bought the Ergo, and it made life so much easier. But I had loved wrapping, and found that so much more comfortable. By this time, it was obvious to us that our daughter hated being restrained (she always wanted to be held, but just loosely), and the wrap was too much for her. I'd joined a Swedish babywearing forum online, and found out about mei tais there, and there were mums there who made their own mei tais. I got the pattern from one of them (it is adapted from the FrankenKozy pattern), and I adapted it a bit more, as I liked the look of the BabyHawk mei tais, with panels. This way I could get a mei tai with spreadable bands, like a woven wrap. I love the mei tai, as it takes the weight much better than the Ergo, so I can wear my 3 year old without trouble. When she was younger I used to wear her for hours, for her sleep, and we went out at night (it can look really stylish with evening wear!), and I wore her sleeping at parties. It is a lot thinner (although made with double fabric, for strength), and is therefore much cooler, which we both prefer. I also like that it takes up very little space - nowadays it lives at the bottom of my bag, and it is just really practical to always have it with us when we need it.  

Oyako mei tai

In it's simplest form, a mei tai is a rectangle of woven fabric, with a waistband attached at the bottom (like an upside down apron), and with two long bands (around 2 m long) attached to the upper corners. They have been used for hundreds of years in Asia, and are sometimes called Asian baby carriers. The fabric can vary - there are mei tais made of various materials, including corduroy and canvas, but also softer cottons. They may or may not have a hood, which can be handy to support baby's head when asleep, or to shut out light. One big benefit is that your mei tai will fit mum, dad, grandma and the nanny or babysitter, without any need for adjustments. And they are very easy to learn to use.

There are two main types of mei tais, ones with spreadable shoulder bands, which you spread out over your shoulders like a wrap, and ones with padded shoulder bands, like a back pack. I really like the spreadable bands, because it gives the carrier the very best of a woven wrap, and an SSC, like an Ergo or Manduca. With no straps or buckles, a mei tai is very comfortable (some mei tais combine a buckled waist strap with the long shoulder straps. Sometimes referred to as a half buckle carrier, these can be good if you don't like having two knots to tie).

Mei tais can be used with a newborn, but also with a toddler or much older child (a friend of mine used to carry her newborn in a stretchy wrap on her front and her big 6 yo on her back to get him home from school).  

You can wear the baby on your front, back or side. It is very easy to use, just tie the waistband around your waist, and move the panel to where you like it, pick up the baby, pulle the panel up, and toss the shoulderbands over each shoulder. Hold baby with one hand, and cross the bands over your front, back or side, depending on how you want to carry. Then pull the bands around the baby. If the baby is quite light still, you can tie around the baby's back (we did this until my daughter was over 18 months, but she was quite light weight. It is more supportive with a heavier child to cross the bands again over the child's bottom, and pull each band under each leg, and tie on the opposite side to the baby.

Hop-tye mei tai with spreadable bands

If the mei tai is made out of a more light-weight material it may over time wear out, and this may happen quicker than with a harder material. As long as you check for wear and tear before using you should be fine. Ours is quite lightweight, and we've used it all the time for nearly two years, with no issues (and we've used it a lot, as I don't drive, and we haven't used a pushchair since my daughter was 8 months old).

For those of you with DIY skills, it is quite easy to make a mei tai. You need a waisband, about 1.70 m long, padded with fleece in the middle. And two shoulder bands around 2m long - if they're spreadable they need to be about 30 cm wide, but you taper them off at the ends to tie easier. The front panel, however designed, can vary in size and shape. You can make it a bit smaller to fit just a newborn really well, or quite a bit bigger to hold a toddler or preschooler really well, or something in between, to fit most (around 40 cm high, 30-40 cm wide, preferably tapered to 30 at the bottom). At the top it can be rounded, or have square ends in various ways. You can add a hood or head support. Most important is to sew on the shoulder bands and the waistband really securely (if you do a search on mei tai patterns there are loads to choose from to suit all tastes/crafting ability).

We have several mei tais available to hire from the Babywearing Wellington carrier library:

• Little Love
• Kozy carrier
• Little Tree Baby
• Little Ruby
• Oyako

Other mei tai brands available in NZ are:

• Babyhawk
• FunkeeBabee
• KeoniSlings (wrap to mei tai conversions)
• Snugglez

And even more available from overseas vendors if you search. Some vendors may even be able to sew you a customised mei tai to your specifications. 

Happy wearing!

Heart to Heart Stretchy Wrap Available in Our Library

The Heart to Heart wrap is one of the stretchy wrap carriers available to hire from the Babywearing Wellington library. The team at Heart to Heart generously donated this gorgeous wrap to the library last year. Check them out at www.babywrap.co.nz

I have one of these wraps myself, which was perfect for my little lass when she was a newborn. Being cotton, it was very easy to take care of. I just threw it in the wash after one of the many messy incidents involving a number two.

The features that I really like about the Heart to Heart wrap is that it is extra wide, allowing plenty of space for those larger or taller babies such as my bonnie wee lassie. It is truly 'one size fits all': wide, long, with tapered ends, which makes it easy to tie.

Heart to Heart wraps are made from 100% quality cotton milled in NZ (no imported fabric). I love made in NZ!

The advantage of being a stretchy wrap means you can put your baby in and out without taking it off or re-tying. I also found it rather supportive of the baby's weight, especially if you get a nice snug tie and tighten it up rail by rail (come to our March slingmeet on Friday the 3rd and I'll show you how - more details about the next slingmeet to follow shortly).

The Heart to Heart wrap comes with a pocket sized instructions, which is a useful thing to throw in the nappy bag and have on hand.

These lovely wraps are available in a gorgeous moss green, beautiful blue, white or black. The one in our library is blue.

This photo is one of my earliest outings with in the my wee lassie in the Heart to Heart (at just 8 days old). Fond memories of those newborn days!

Babywearing and breastfeeding

• Babywearing helps facilitate breastfeeding.

• Human milk is low in fat and protein and is easily digested meaning newborn babies require frequent feeding.

• Humans are classed as 'continuous feeders' – other animals in this category carry or are followed by their infants and so are in almost constant contact. It makes sense for humans to do the same by babywearing.

• Frequent feeding following your baby's cues is important for breastmilk supply, especially in the early weeks.

• Being close to their food source is comforting for babies and encourages the frequent feedings which stimulate supply. This is even more important for low weight gain babies as they don't need to waste energy by crying for their food.

• Having your baby close to you stimulates production of the breastfeeding hormones oxytocin and prolactin, also important for supply.

• Some babies need the movement of being worn to 'organise' their sucking. Babywearing can also soothe and relax babies who arch their backs when breastfeeding.

• If you're using a carrier but taking your baby out to feed it can feel exhausting having to keep popping them in and out, or retying, each time when they're feeding 8-12 times a day.

• Learning to feed in a carrier is very liberating – you can meet your baby's need for frequent feeds but not be tied to the sofa. This is especially great when you have older children to look after.

• Being able to feed in a carrier means you can feed while out and about without worrying about finding a place to sit down – I've fed in the carrier waiting for the bus, pushing my older child on the swing at the park, during a wedding reception, doing the supermarket shopping, and out walking.

• Breastfeeding in a carrier can also be very discreet – most people would have no idea that your baby is feeding.

• Breastfeeding can also be a good way to encourage babies who protest against being put into a carrier. Once they're in and latched on and you're moving around they'll more than likely settle and hopefully go to sleep.

Tips for breastfeeding in a carrier:

• It's a good idea to wait until you're confident about using your carrier and have successfully established breastfeeding. It's important to have your latch sorted out first as it can be harder to ensure a really good latch in the carrier especially when moving around.

• Wear something that can be pulled down from the top – it's a lot harder trying to pull up your top when your baby is in the way (and avoids flashing any wobbly bits while walking around!).

• It's easier to feed in a cradle position when your baby is little but as they get older and taller they'll probably prefer to be upright.

• To get your older baby into the right position, loosen the straps (or the knot in a wrap) and bounce the baby down till their head is at the breast height. You may have to manipulate your breast to get the right angle. However, older babies are usually pretty good at latching on by themselves!

• Once your baby has finished feeding, tighten the carrier so that your baby is at 'kiss height' again.

• Breast size can affect how easy you find it to feed in a carrier. A tip for more well-endowed mums is to prop your breast up with a muslin so it's in a better position. Hip carries might be more suitable if this is the case, too, as your baby is more to the side of the breast. It may just be a case of trying different things to see what works for you. No baby or mum is the same!

• All carrier types are suitable for feeding in but some are easier to get the hang of than others. Like all aspects of babywearing, practice makes perfect!

• TheBabyWearer has lots of good information and pictures of feeding in carriers http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/showthread.php?59295-Instructions-amp-Pictures-Links-for-BFing-while-BWing

• Dr Sears also has a good page on the benefits of babywearing for breastfeeding http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/fussy-baby/baby-wearing/babywearing-while-breastfeeding

New to our Library - Little Tree Baby Mei Tai

One of the beautiful new carriers to our library has been donated by the wonderful and generous Sita of Little Tree Baby - a stunning Mei Tai.

One of the things that struck me about this Mei Tai was the fabric selection. The colours and patterns are absolutely gorgeous. The photo doesn't do it justice - you'll just have to see it for yourself!

When purchasing a Mei Tai, I think the fabric selection is the hardest part - so many beautiful fabrics to choose from! I think by leaving it to the expert and letting Sita choose the fabrics for us, she came up with something really creative, unique and special.

There's also the option of a waist buckle or tie. This particular Mei Tai has a buckle. A buckle means you only have one knot, but it is entirely over to personal preference. You may feel a tie is better to get the right fit for you.

This is the first time I've tried a Mei Tai, and I was surprised just how easy and comfortable it is to wear my heavy toddler in it. It was really supportive, and I quickly got the knack of tightening the shoulder ties. I loved the fact that I could fold up the Mei Tai and fit it easily into Holly's nappy bag. And, did I mention I loved the fabric? I felt rather stylish strutting around with Holly in it on my back. :)

It was also supremely easily to adjust a front carry for Holly to breastfeed in it. This is the first time I've successfully breastfed Holly in a carrier!

Thank you to Sita from Little Tree Baby for this awesome donation. We love it! You can visit the Little Tree Baby facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/LittleTree-Baby/140239479243

If you'd like to hire this gorgeous carrier, simply email us at babywearingwellington@gmail.com with your contact details, and Emma will be in touch.

Much respect,
Sarah C

Sharing the Wearing - Our Mission Statement

You may have heard, we have an exciting new mission statement for Babywearing Wellington!

We wanted to share our journey to develop a mission statement that was really meaningful and resonated with all of us. We believe we’ve achieved that, and found the journey rather inspiring - we hope that you do to.

When I joined the BWW committee late last year, I was blown away by the passion that all the other committee members shared, and their willingness to put a lot of effort into something that they believed in, for no monetary reward. The satisfaction of a job well done was more than enough.

I wanted to harness that passion and help channel the energies of the group effectively. To start the process, I floated the idea of jointly developing a mission statement, which was received with great enthusiasm.

The process started with a questionnaire, which asked questions intended to ferret out what had ignited our passion for babywearing.

The questionnaire revealed that we had all come to babywearing through word-of-mouth or on-line research, and as such Babywearing Wellington filled a niche requirement for an organised group for people to come to for advice. Also, our passion for babywearing was very personal. For the most part, babywearing as a parenting choice had been a saviour in our hour of need. We had each experienced different challenges and had overcome them, largely due to support from friends and family. Because of the success we had had on a personal level, we were inspired and motivated to share our collective experience with others. In particular, we wanted to be in a position to provide support to those that needed it, just as we had received from others in our hour of need.

Something that was also very apparent was the diversity amongst our committee, in terms of background, skill sets, and often parenting choices. The thing that had brought us together was Babywearing. We really love the fact that we each bring something unique to the committee, and wanted to extend that vibe to our meetings and everything we do.

And as for the mission statement. It is:

___________________________________________________

Babywearing Wellington
- Sharing the wearing -

We are passionate about promoting the benefits of babywearing through knowledge sharing. Our mission is to see the safe use of baby carriers become a normal and mainstream parenting choice, and a priority for parents and carers.

Babywearing Wellington provides a haven of acceptance for all parents and carers. Babywearing meets a range of needs as unique as the relationship between baby and parent, and is the common thread that ties our diverse community together.

The values that we see in each other are the same values that underpin our mission: dedication and commitment, acceptance and diversity, generosity and integrity.

___________________________________________________


If you feel particularly inspired about sharing the wearing and would like to assist the committee in any way, please approach us with your details. It could be writing a post for our blog, hanging up posters in your neighbourhood, helping us organise an event, or even joining the committee. We would gratefully accept all offers of help.

Much respect,
Sarah C and the Babywearing Wellington Team

Be in to win a Heart to Heart Stretchy Wrap

At Babywearing Wellington we're running a competition for one lucky person to win a Heart to Heart stretchy wrap in natural colour. This is thanks to the generosity of Jackie from Baby Wrap, who has donated this beautiful and comfortable stretchy wrap. Check them out at www.babywrap.co.nz

All you need to do to be in the draw is send us a Babywearing story by 29 April: a short paragraph or few detailing why you think you (or a friend) should get the wrap. You can use email, or send us a message on Facebook. The BWW committee will collate all stories and select by vote which one speaks 'Heart to Heart' to us the most. I can tell already that we have our work cut out for us!

The winner will be announced at our May Slingmeet, so if you enter the comp please make sure you attend on Friday 6 May at 10am at the Southern Cross in Te Aro to be able to claim your prize.

We'd love to hear more stories from our Babywearing community, and this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.

Check out the fabulous specials that Jackie has going this month - only $50 for a beautiful wrap!



I have one of these beautiful wraps myself, which was perfect for Holly as a newborn. Being cotton, it was very easy to take care of. I just threw it in the wash after one of the many messy incidents involving a number two. As Holly grew into a very bonnie baby (aka chubba bubba :)), the extra width was very handy too.

This photo is one of my earliest outings with Holly in the Heart to Heart (at just 8 days old). Fond memories of those newborn days!

Tips for Successful Babywearing - The Early Days

You've done the research, bought the sling and are completely committed to wearing your baby. So what does a new sling mumma do if their baby doesn't seem to 'like' being worn?

We've all experienced some degree of difficulty in those early days of babywearing, so here's a few ideas for successfully working through those hard times, and wearing your beautiful newborn successfully and safely. These tips are based on our own experiences of those early days of babywearing, and what we did to overcome our own personal hurdles.

- Practice the different carries first with a teddy or doll. The doll won't wriggle or cry like a newborn baby might, but the practice will set you in good stead for when the baby comes along. This is particularly important with a wrap sling, so you can understand the body mechanics required for wrapping your baby.

- Practice putting your baby in the sling when she isn't too tired or hungry. Often people use slings as a last resort as a sleeping tool (I certainly did!), with first attempt when baby is completely overtired. This may mean that the experience of getting baby into the sling is traumatic both for the wearer and baby - it is no surprise that many people give up if this happens a lot.

- Have your partner, friend or relative be a support person when putting your baby in the sling. Your support person can assist hugely by boosting your confidence and keeping you calm while you put the baby in the sling. They can also assist with the more difficult wrapping techniques. However, you may find that once you get your wrapping mojo, an extra pair of hands can be more of a hindrance than help.

- Enlist the help of an expert, preferably in person. Babywearing Wellington committee members are available to give advice whenever you need it. We also hold monthly slingmeets, which are a brilliant place to get some help and practice the different carries.

- Don't be rushed. Take your time to get the carry right and don't be afraid to start again from scratch if you need to. 

- Try different carrier types. Sometimes a baby won't enjoy a wrap sling, but will love, love, love a mei tai! Sometimes the wearer will find a certain sling type or brand uncomfortable, but finds another type or brand to be the perfect fit. The Babywearing Wellington Sling Library gives you the opportunity to 'try before you buy'. We have a range of sling types and brands that might just be perfect for you.

- Be patient and keep trying if it doesn't work the first time. It may also help to have a break and come back to it again later (after a nice cup of tea and a well deserved piece of cake!).

The most important thing is to feel comfortable asking for help if you need it. We are a phone call or email away, and are ready and willing to help you with any aspect of Babywearing. Don't hesitate even for a second to reach out to us. :)

Kia Kaha,

The Babywearing Wellington Team

Babywearing Babies

We all know how babywearing allows parents and caregivers to get on with their everyday activities while comforting, interacting and bonding with their babies, but what about our kids? They're busy people, too. They have games to play and a whole world to explore, but they want to keep their favourite toys close. That's when they take a leaf out of our books and wear their babies.

I present Babywearing Wellington's younger generation demonstrating the latest in stylish and functional mini carriers.

14 month old Audrey is thrilled about the ease with which she can pop her "baby" in and out of her mini Moby.

2 year old railway tycoon, Leith, prefers a chic fringed woven wrap from his mother's wardrobe.

Very nearly 3 year old Lillan wears her doll in a beautiful mei tai made by her mum.

Gorgeous sisters Mia (6) and Evelyn (16 months) take their babies for a walk together in wraps coodinated with their outfits. Babywearing even leaves them free to hold hands.

19 month old Mika finds his short Storchenwiege Vicky wrap handy when he wants to take his teddy bear for a motorcycle ride. (Do not try this with a real baby, or a real motorbike!)

18 month old Natalie finds her linen blend woven wrap cool enough to carry a penguin in.

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!!

A year in the life of babywearing

Audrey recently turned one so I've been doing a bit of reflecting about the past year. She's growing up far too quickly (doesn't everyone say that!) and is being worn less and less. As she's going to be our last child, I thought I'd write a little piece about our babywearing journey over the last year.

In contrast to when Leith was born, I was well practised at wrapping by the time Audrey arrived. So less than 2 hours after her birth, she was snugly wrapped up in my Didymos shorty to come home from hospital.

The first couple of weeks after her birth she was worn for practically the whole day, only coming out for feeds and nappy changes. It was so lovely to have a snuffly, tiny newborn wrapped against my chest again. This time around I was also a lot more confident about back wrapping, so on day 6 after birth I put Audrey in her first secure high back carry in my silk Indio.

We flew to the West Coast for Christmas with my family when Audrey was 3 weeks, and wrapping proved to be indispensable during the trip. She could sleep anywhere, and having her asleep in the wrap in the evenings meant I could still spend time with my family.

I was also more confident about breastfeeding in a wrap this time, and fed Audrey in one for the first time walking around Thorndon Fair just after she was born. Since then, I've fed her while pushing Leith on the swings, while walking around the supermarket, while out shopping...basically anywhere, anytime.

Evenings for the first few months were relatively easy - I'd feed Audrey then put her in the wrap and bounce her to sleep on a swiss ball while Stu put Leith to bed. This way we could spend time together in the evenings without worrying about getting her to sleep or her waking up. From about 9 months or so, however, she was harder to settle like this and it's now easier to feed her to sleep in bed.

With only 19 1/2 months gap between Leith and Audrey, wrapping has been really important for letting me still do things with Leith. In the early months, Audrey would sleep in the wrap while I took Leith to playgroup or music group, or be content to look around while I took Leith to the playground. We didn't have any jealousy issues when she was born and I think a lot of this is down to this. Having her wrapped on me also meant I didn't have to worry about her brother accidentally hurting her or waking her up. Also having her on my back has meant I can pick Leith up if he wants a cuddle.

As she's got bigger, the amount of time she has spent in the wrap each day has steadily decreased. I still wear her once a day or so while out and about places but she hardly ever naps in a wrap these days. She's been walking since 10 1/2 months and when she wants down, she wants down! I've stopped obsessively trawling TheBabyWearer to drool over latest limited edition wraps and have even started thinking about selling part of my stash! That said, whenever she's sick, cranky or teething, I'm very grateful for wrapping. And big girl wrap snuggles are the best. Having seen people still carrying their much older children, I hope we've still got lots of wearing ahead of us!

Emotionally Attached to my Didy

This is the story of how I developed an emotional attachment, akin to that of a child to a blanky, to my Didymos Silk Indio woven wrap sling. I call her (yes, it's a she) “Didy” and she holds a special place in my heart.

Of all the slings I've tried, Didy is my absolute favourite. Aside from being beautiful, tactile, and totally practical for a warm baby in summer, Didy holds a lot of meaning for me as a solution to many of my baby Holly's initial sleeping problems.

Holly was a colicky newborn who found evening sleeping and feeding really difficult. Every evening from around 5 she would start crying, and it wouldn't stop until late (which I'm sure sounds familiar to many new parents). Most of the time she wouldn't take to the breast so feeding to sleep wasn't an option, much to my distress. More often than not we would rock her to sleep, singing while she cried in our arms until she tuckered herself out. It was really hard. Nothing we tried was working, and nothing had prepared me for the anguish I felt at being powerless to stop my baby crying.

Wrap slings had appealed to me since I had seen my dear friend Emma wearing her first born in one. What I liked most about them initially was the convenience and portability. Emma also looked stylish, relaxed and somewhat like a supermum, and baby Leith was snug and contented. So, with Emma's guidance, we invested in two lovely stretchy wrap slings before Holly was born.

We had of course heard about helping your baby to sleep using a sling, but for some reason in those early, sleep deprived weeks, we primarily used the slings we had for taking Holly out walking or shopping. Eventually the light went on, and tried them as a sleep solution, but when we did she was already overtired and would cry even louder as we put her in. We persisted despite those cries because, once she was snug in her sling, Holly would fall asleep much quicker than the rocking method, and would sleep soundly against either mummy or daddy for a reasonable length of time.

Once we made the conscious decision to use slings as a sleep tool, we were much better at putting Holly in the sling before she became really overtired, and eventually she stopped protesting altogether. Often it was only a 100m walk up the road and back that put Holly off to sleep.

We were determined to make a go of it, and the more we looked into slings, the more benefits we could see for Holly. She was such a spilly baby - before, after, in between and during feeds - and seemed most comfortable in an upright position. Of course it meant washing the sling quite often!

The reason why we went for stretchy wraps over woven ones was that we were reluctant to fork out the big bucks on a woven sling without trying the sling idea out first. The stretchy wraps were good for Holly as a newborn, but as she started to pack on the weight, the wraps would sag a little and constantly need retightening. She would also get way too hot, and seemed to need a much lighter fabric. For this reason, Didy was absolutely perfect for our needs.

We also tried a number of different carries before settling on the front wrap cross carry as a preference. All three of us preferred this carry because Holly was completely upright (as opposed to a cradle carry) which helped with the spilliness, and it was the most supportive of all carries for my back.

Once we'd bought Didy there was no turning back. I also stopped using the stroller, taking Holly out for walks in the sling instead. Having Holly sleep in the sling made it so easy to get out of the house, jump on a bus to town, catch up with friends, or do whatever I needed to at whatever time. It has meant that Holly is a completely portable baby – she'll sleep wherever as long as there's a sling handy. Even evening sleeps were blissful, with Daddy putting Holly to sleep in the sling until we adults were ready for bed (then a quick transfer and a dream time feed did the trick). Things really started to come together sleep-wise when Didy arrived. Like a beautiful, woven kind of magic.

Daddy still loves wearing his sleeping daughter. I know it has assisted in their bonding – each sleep is an extended hug. For myself, even when I'm having a bad day, and feel cranky with Holly for whatever reason, wearing her blissfully sleeping in the sling lets me reconnect with her every time.

While it is still completely usable for our bonnie baby, Didy's fabric blend and weave means that it isn't quite as supportive as a 100% cotton wrap sling or a soft structured carrier. So now we use the Manduca or the Neobulle sling. But Didy still remains our most precious sling, because she was a real life saver in our time of need. Didy helped with Holly's sleeping difficulties, her spilling, and I am totally convinced that wearing Holly so much in the first six months of her life helped strengthen that special bond between us. Didy has been fundamental in Holly's development from baby into toddler, and I give Didy much of the credit for the confident, smiley and happy little 12 month old that Holly is today.

Wgtn babywearers unite!!!

International Babywearing Week is from 6th - 12th October http://babywearinginternational.org/

To celebrate Babywearing Wellington are organising a special slingmeet for you and your families to attend.

Join us on Sunday 10th October 2010 from 2pm for a picnic followed by a slingwalk through the gardens, town and looping back up through the gardens again via the cable car.

The lovely Helen from My Natural Baby www.mynaturalbaby.co.nz has donated a Manducca for us to give away on the day. We're so excited!!

All are welcome; whether you're an experienced babywearer, a novice or someone wanting to find out about babywearing - join us! Bring your family and friends too.

If you'd like to RSVP for this event visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138345819544072&index=1 but there is no RSVP necessary, just turn up on the day - we'd love to see you there.