October Slingmeet

We hope you all can come to Babywearing Wellington's next slingmeet
from 10 a.m. on Friday 7 October, 2011
in the guest room at the Southern Cross
39 Abel Smith St, Te Aro, Wellington.

The topic of this month's meeting is "Babywearing around the world", which ties in with the theme of next month's International Babywearing Week - "A world of possibilities". And don't forget next month also marks the first ever New Zealand Babywearing Week. We hope you're looking forward to what we have planned as much as we do!

We're happy to answer any questions you may have about all aspects of Babywearing and about any type of baby carrier. Please feel free to bring any questions you have with you on Friday, or contact us at any time.

As always, we will have our carrier library available for browsing and borrowing.


Bring your friends!
Our meetings are open to the public, so please feel free to invite anyone you think might be interested, friends, family, other mums and dads... you don't have to have a baby to be a Babywearing supporter!

Unido pouch slings available from our library

It's high time we did a write up on one of our earliest library donations - two beautiful, 100% NZ made pouch slings from Sarah at Unido.

Our two Unido pouches - S on left, M on right

Like all pouch slings, Unido slings are great for quick and easy babywearing and fold up nice and small when you're not using them. They can be used for front, back and hip carries. What sets Unido apart, though, is the fact that their pouches are fully customisable. You can buy them direct from stockists around NZ but if you want one that is exactly tailored to your body size, all you need to do is go to their website, put in your diagonal shoulder to hip measurement, choose your coordinating fabrics and place your order. There's an extensive range of fashionable printed cotton fabric to choose from for the outside, and the solid coloured fabric on the inside is a diagonal weave for added strength and durability. Unido slings are fully reversible as well, so you can wear them with the print on the inside for a different look. Another nice touch is that you can order a matching mini pouch for your child to wear their 'baby' in as well. Unido also provide a comprehensive illustrated guide to using their slings.

Please check out Unido's blog or their Facebook page.

The Unido pouches in our library are a small (fits size 10-12 or 59-63cm) and a medium (fits size 12-14 or 63-68cm). We'd love you to come and try them out at one of our slingmeets and they're also available to hire at any time by contacting our librarian.

Thanks again, Sarah!

Natures Sway carriers now available from our library

The team at Natures Sway have kindly donated three carriers to our library. Natures Sway (NS) have recently added to their range - in addition to the NS sling which you probably already know about, they now also make a soft structured carrier (NS Pouch Pack) and a stretchy wrap (NS Carry Wrap).

Here's some information on each of the carriers:

NS sling


The NS sling is available in either 100% cotton or an organic blend of 55% hemp/45% cotton (which we have in the library). The design of the organic sling has been updated to make it easier to adjust and more comfortable for both you and your baby, especially in the hip carry position. The sling is designed to be used from birth till around 2 years old. The slings are easy to adjust between different wearers as they do up with an adjustable buckle, and they are also great for breastfeeding in, as shown below.

NS slings now come with a yellow safety loop which goes around the buckle for added safety. Also, in terms of safety, rest assured that the NS is not a 'bag sling' however it's very important that you place your baby in the sling correctly following the NS instructions. Your baby needs to be lying diagonally along the line of stitching (which indicates the placement of your baby's head and spine). Here's a video from NS showing exactly how to do this:

For more information on NS sling safety, see here.

NS Pouch Pack

The NS Pouch Pack is a soft structured carrier so is more comfortable for extended periods of wearing and can be used from birth to around 3 years of age. It can be used as a front or back carrier, as well as on your hip if desired. Like the organic NS sling, the main fabric of the body is 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton, with a front panel available in several different patterns (we have a fabric sample book available for you to look through). The front panel has a zip to extend the height as your child gets older. The wide shoulder pads are padded with wool for comfort on your shoulders, although, like all SSCs, the waist strap means the weight is largely distributed to your hips. There is also some padding around the the bit where your baby's legs go for added comfort. It's easy to use, and folds up relatively small to put in your bag if necessary.

NS Carry Wrap

The NS Carry Wrap is a stretchy wrap with a woven panel. The woven panel adds extra support around your baby's spine and helps prevent sagging, while the 100% organic cotton knit on the rest of the wrap is comfortable for your shoulders and back. The woven panel (available in the same range of patterns as the panel on the Pouch Pack) also means it's easy to find the centre of the wrap and tie it correctly. The wrap has a built in storage pocket so it's easy to fold up and put in your nappy bag. 

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NS have a great comparison chart available on their website comparing the features of each of these carriers to help you work out which one is right for you. If you'd like to check out any of these carriers, they'll be available to try and/or hire at our slingmeets or you can email our librarian anytime. 

Thanks again to Natures Sway for making these available to us!

September Slingmeet

We hope you all can come to Babywearing Wellington's next slingmeet
from 10 a.m. on Friday 2 September, 2011
in the guest room at the Southern Cross
39 Abel Smith St, Te Aro, Wellington.

After the success of our earlier "Babywearing 101" talk (which covered the basics of babywearing), this month's talk "Babywearing 201" goes further and focuses on the many health benefits of babywearing. It turns out that babywearing is not only convenient for mum, but also very good for baby! So do come along, hear our talk, check out the carrier library and mingle with other parents who "wear" their babies!

We're happy to answer any questions you may have about all aspects of babywearing and about any type of baby carrier. Please feel free to bring any questions you have with you on Friday, or contact us at any time.

Bring your friends!
Our meetings are open to the public, so please feel free to invite anyone you think might be interested, friends, family, other mums and dads... you don't have to have a baby to be a Babywearing supporter!

No August Slingmeet

There will be no Babywearing Wellington slingmeet on the 5th of August as the date coincides with the Big Latch On.

Our usual venue, The Southern Cross, will be the central Wellington venue for the Big Latch On. There will be Babywearing Wellington committee members attending there and others at the Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt. We invite you to join us with your children in carriers at either location.

Slingmeets will resume as usual on the 2nd of September.

Library update - Hoppediz woven wrap

I'm happy to announce that our carrier library now includes a woven wrap - a Hoppediz in the bright and beautiful Delhi colourway.

It was kindly donated by MayBaby who currently sell Hoppediz wraps through Trademe.

Hoppediz are very similar to Storchenwiege woven wraps and the Didymos stripes range of woven wraps. They have quite a dense, thick weave which makes them super supportive, especially as your child gets older and heavier. In addition, they're really wide (this one is about 4 cm wider than my Storchenwiege Inka which is already considered a wide wrap) so they are great for back carries for toddlers.

Like other European woven wraps, Hoppediz are made from high quality cotton free of pesticides and chemicals.

Hoppediz have a couple of extra handy features - firstly they have middle markers on both the top and bottom rails of the wrap. This is very helpful when doing back carries. In addition, they come with a little pocket at one end to put your keys, phone etc.

Hoppediz have lots and lots of different colourways, possibly more than any other manufacturer, so there is something for everyone. The Delhi colourway we have is very cheerful in shades of red and orange.

The wrap comes with an extensive instruction booklet so it doesn't matter if you've never used a woven wrap before.

All in all, a very good example of a woven wrap for you to try out. Please email our librarian if you'd like to try it (or ask at one of our slingmeets).

If you're thinking of buying one for yourself, let them know that you're a Babywearing Wellington member and you'll get a 10% discount.

Thanks again to Anna at MayBaby!

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