Tuesday, March 27, 2007

For Josee


(Did I spell it right?)
I told her I'd put up some babywearing links, so here they are!

www.thebabywearer.com the first place to look. Vendors from around the world, info on every type of baby carrier out there, how to's, Forums for questions....everything!
www.slingrings.com The BEST source for ring sling rings! I like the aluminum ones. These are medium turquoise rings on a rayon sling, extremely long tail. Might take it apart and make a dress after my surgery :)



www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/index.html she has great instructions for making any kind of sling. I used her fleece pouch instructions and was so impressed I could sew! Then I made a ring sling with a pleated shoulder. Me! Making pleats! I've also made several of the FrankenKozy's.




We went to the Ontario Science Center in June for Huey's birthday, and did not take a stroller! I wore her all day, a few different positions, but at nursing time, we needed a chair, LOL. Many people nurse in their slings, especially if they learn earlier than we did. The red RS is my 'workhorse' sling. Dependable, short tail, not fussy.

www.upmama.com is a sling maker from Belleville

www.kiddiecradles.com is a good site, the instructions on using a RS are good, but hard to find.
www.hotslings.com has good instructions for using a pouch.
www.mobywrap.com is a great wrap carrier for newborns, up to about 18lbs. You can also make your own, very easily! Aren't we cute? She loved to kick Huey in the head while caried like this!
http://www.continuum-concept.org/reading/spinalStress.html is a good site about the dangers of Bjorn baby bucket type carriers.
www.storchenwiege.com makers of great woven wraps
www.didymos.com also woven wraps (one of these two sites also has info on why babies shouldn't face out).
www.nineinnineout.org is "Nine In, Nine Out" organization, dedicated to making the transition from womb to world a little easier. Listings for Babywearing groups.
www.askdrsears.com The grandfather of attachment parenting
www.hipbundles.com is from North Bay, carries babywearing coats/ponchos too.


An absolutely terrible picture of me! Just trying out the first FK to see if it would hold Lucy!

www.mayawrap.com is the 'traditional' RS, Guatemalan fabric. But some new products too!
www.heart2heart.on.ca is a Canadian, heavily padded RS. You either love it, or hate it.
www.slingbaby.com is home of the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder, one of the older RS on the market, heavily padded as well.
www.handsfreebaby.com is a great shopping site (American)
www.attachedtobaby.com all round good site
www.kozykarrier.com makers of great MTs
www.babyhawk.com more great MTs
www.kangarookorner.com a good educational site, as well, their adjustable flece pouches are very popular.


I could go on and on. Here's how I would go about selecting a carrier. For a newborn, a fleece pouch, or other stretchy pouch is wonderful. Perhaps not for the summer, although some people say they are still okay. Not too easy for bustier ladies to nurse in though (that's why the KKAFP is popular). I don't like the idea of a twill pouch for a newborn (Hotslings style). The one above is a two layer jersey knit pouch. It took a bit of work to get it sized right because of the stretch. I should dig it out again and see if it'll fit still.

I didn't use a RS with a newborn, but many really like it, especially for nursing. I REALLY wish I had given a stretchy wrap a try for a newborn! It is so cuddly, so cozy, so easy to make. Perhaps not the greatest for someone learning to nurse, but no sling really is. Nursing takes practice and patience, and so does learning to babywear, although a pouch is really easy to use. However, a pouch is not something you can make as a surprise for someone else, as it has to fit well. A wrap or RS or MT is more 'forgiving'. I LOVE my FrankenKozies that I've made (I need to make another animal print one--that one is lined with fleece and the print is flannel, so it's too warm for in the house), I wish I had had one earlier. I could not figure out back carries with a wrap very well (not recommended with a Moby, so I made a cotton gauze one, and a linen/rayon (maybe) one). Some people love a MT right from the start, but I think I would prefer a pouch or a wrap.

Any questions? If I can sew these things, ANYONE can!!!

Phew. Now back to American Idol and some knitting (and yes, I did try a knitted pouch!)

2 comments:

CatBookMom said...

The babywear pictures are fascinating. When you carry the baby facing front in the front, don't older babies tend to hit you in the chin when they tilt their heads back? I ask because my middle sister used to do that when she was sitting on laps, sometimes painfully hard.

On a knitting note, how do you knit socks on a knitting machine? Do you knit them flat and then seam them? Be gentle with me; I've never even seen a knitting machine, so I speak from total ignorance.

Drea said...

WOW! lots of info lol. I own a moby wrap, slingcarriers.com sling (its my fav sling ever, and Ive used expensive ones like Zolowear slings... but this ones better).. I also have a dreamcarriers.com Mei Tai wrap style... and I made my own ring sling w/ slingrings.com aluminum rings. THEY ROCKED. Gave it to a friend.