The Sling Lady

• Even the sleekest strollers are big & bulky compared to a baby carrier.  You can’t bring them on the train with you, they may not fit into a cab and they are very difficult to use on any form of public transportation.  And they certainly won’t fit in your diaper bag!
• Strollers are extremely difficult to use in crowded places.  If you’ve ever tried to go shopping with a stroller during the holidays, you know what we mean.  With a baby carrier, you can keep your child close and easily cope with the crowds.
• Surfaces in many places are unsuitable for strollers.  Beaches, dirt or gravel roads, cobblestoned paths, and stairs are all much easier to negotiate when it’s just you, the baby, and your baby carrier.
• Strollers are not allowed everywhere.  Airplanes and some muse historical sites, for example, will ask you to check your stroller before entering.  Baby carriers can go anywhere.
• Many babies and kids will not tolerate being in the stroller all day.  They want to cuddle and be close to you.  Or they get bored in the stroller.  If you’re on the move in a stroller, this can set you back in your plans.  Baby carrier to the rescue – you can cuddle with your child, entertain him or her, and still keep moving!
• As your children get older, they will want to walk more and ride less.  No one wants to deal with an empty stroller for hours on end.  A baby carrier can easily go in your bag and get pulled out only when your little one is tired and needs a break.

Coming soon: our recommendations for the best carriers for your next trip.

Wow, Jennifer Meyer (wife to Tobey McGuire and mama to Ruby Sweetheart) looks so happy carrying her 6-week-old son in this ring sling!   The sling itself is very pretty and looks just right for summer.  It also looks great with her comfy-looking outfit.

Many new parents wearing their newborns in a ring sling may choose to wear the rings on the back as she is doing in this picture.  That limits the adjustability of the sling (and adjustability is one of the main benefits to a ring sling, imo) but it does keep the baby’s head from knocking against the slings.

Helpful hint to Jennifer: this carrier will be much more comfortable and secure-feeling if she tightens it way up, so that baby is nestled on her chest rather than down around her tummy.  Then she won’t have to hold onto the baby the way she is doing in the picture.  If she’s not able to tighten the baby carrier so that baby is “close enough to kiss” then she needs to size down!

Now here’s a cool baby carrier sighting!   One of my fellow vendors (Anne from Calin Bleu wraps) brought this to my attention: a green organic ERGO baby carrier worn by a mama at the  demonstrations in Iran last week.   I bet being able to keep her baby close to her in a comfy carrier like the ERGO made participation in these history-making demonstrations all that much easier – I can’t imagine bringing a stroller to a protest rally!

You can see this and other photos from the Iran demonstrations here.

The SlingLady has to love a “rap” video with a babywearing Daddy in it. And I do! This video from Casual Mafia is well-made, funny, and reminds me of my husband. Okay, so the “dad” is wearing a doll (and don’t get me started on the position of that Bjorn – since it’s not real baby, I’m taking a break for Father’s Day).

Enjoy!

Babywearing Daddy on In My Prius

Yes, this tune will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.  Sorry about that.

Happy Father’s Day!

Now here’s a scene you don’t see too often: a celebrity wearing a mei tai baby carrier!  Here’s mom M.I.A. out shopping in Manhatten with 4-month-old Ikhyd Edgar Arular Bronfman.  

I love so much about this picture!  The mei tai carrier that M.I.A. is using is gorgeous.  And I can’t help but love the color coordination she has going on, from Ikhyd’s orange socks to their coordinated polka dot/striped pants.   Cuteness abounds.

The SlingLady’s constructive criticism:  If M.I.A. is nursing her son in this carrier, then way to go!  One way to nurse a child (with good head control) in a mei tai baby carrier is to loosen the straps of the carrier so that he is at breast level and voila, easy (even somwhat discreet) breastfeeding!

For a normal, non-nursing carry, I would recommend that M.I.A tighten the straps of the carrier.  This would bring baby Ikhyd up to rest on her chest and will be more comfortable for both of them.  Holding a baby more snugly in a mei tai means that he is dangling less, which is more comfy for him, and he can wrap his legs around mama, instead of having them hanging down.   It’s also ergonomically better for mom, as the way she is wearing this mei tai will eventually cause strain to her shoulders and upper back.

She might also want to consider tying the straps under Ikhyd’s legs instead of over.  This will provide more support for his bottom and will make him less likely to slip out of the carrier.  Again, it is best if a child legs are in a seated, rather than a dangling position, both for safey (keeps him in the carrier better) and comfort.

All in all, it’s great to see a celebrity like M.I.A wearing a traditional baby carrier like the mei tai.  Mei tais baby slings are super comfortable, come in fab patterns (like the one she’s wearing) and are a great value because you can use most of them from birth well into the todder years.

Mama Manifesto is one of my favorite mommy blogs, so I’m especially honored to be featured as their babywearing expert today.  Come join the discussion!

http://mamamanifesto.blogspot.com/2009/06/talk-back-your-baby-carrying-questions.html

And keep an eye out for our giveaway over at MM, coming next month!

It used to be on Father’s Day that I was frantically scrambling around trying to pull together a Father’s Day gift doesn’t suck, is creative and that my husband would actually appreciate. I think it was on the Baby Bargains forum that I got the idea to do Daddy pictures. The concept is simple.
1. Buy big letters (I got mine off Ebay, but have since seen options at Michaels, Target, Pottery Barn & even Babies R Us). To spell Daddy, you only need three letters, which cuts on costs, too.
2. Have your kids pose with the letters and take TONS of pictures. This works best with a digital camera.
3. Assemble the best pictures together to spell DADDY.
4. Put the pictures in a frame OR
5. Upload them to Shutterfly or another online photo service and get a card, t-shirt, mug, mousepad etc. sent right to your door!

In subsequent years, you can update the photos so that eventually you have pics from several years.

The top picture is the set I did a few years back. Aren’t they precious!

Hint: this gift idea works well for Grandma and Grandpa, too.

It may go without saying, but men can certainly wear any baby carrier on the market! There are no rules about certain types or styles of carriers that mark them Women Only. Men around the US and the world wear wraps, mei tais, buckle carriers, ring slings and pouches.

That being said, men often have different preferences for baby carriers than do women. As a rule, men highly value convenience and ease of use over other factors. The most popular baby carriers for men are buckle carriers and pouches, followed by mei tais and ring slings, with wraps bringing up the rear.

Our number one seller for men is the ERGO baby carrier followed closely by the Kangaroo Korner Adjustable Fleece Pouch.

Other popular options for men are:

• the Pikkolo baby carrier – can be used as a front carrier or a baby backpack as well as a hip carrier.
• the Scootababy hip carrier
• Kozy carrier mei tai carrier – can be used as a front, backpack and as a hip carrier.

Since father’s day is just around the corner, it seems like a good time to address a babywearing myth.  Contrary to what many believe, babywearing is not just for moms!  There are so many reasons why Dads should check out baby carriers for themselves.

Many Dads of young children get the feeling that Mom is the only one who can comfort the baby. This is particularly true in families where the baby is breastfeeding or where Mom is staying home with the children. Baby carriers, especially slings and wraps, are seen by many men as something that would only need if their arms got too tired to carry the baby. This is certainly a good time to use a carrier, but Dads shouldn’t overlook the benefits they, too, can reap from babywearing at other times.

Holding a baby in arms is fabulous, but cloth baby carriers (especially pouches, slings and wraps) mimic the warm and snug comfort of the womb. These carriers soothe a baby in way that carrying in-arms may not.

Other reasons for Dads (and other men) to wear babies:

• Hold the baby while getting stuff done around the house or town
• Get lots of positive attention while out and about with your baby
• Carry your child for as long as you like without the discomfort and immobility of carrying in-arms
• Bond with your baby!

Coming tomorrow: Baby Carriers Dads Love!