Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Journey to Wear: 32 Months of Babywearing and still going strong

1. About four months old and in a phase where he ONLY wanted to face forward
It all started with a Moby wrap....I just wanted to keep my new precious baby close, I wanted to be able to nurse hands free, I wanted my hands free for other things without having to leave him sitting or laying in some sort of baby holding device that didn't include me. I also had very limited knowledge about baby wearing and did not know about the different baby wearing groups that are around.
2. Six months old and on a mom and baby train trip

He eventually got too heavy for the Moby for me to be comfortable and I was sad that I might not be able to wear him any more. At this point we did not have internet at home and money was REALLY tight. I went to the library, used the internet to find instructions to make a ring sling and printed them off. I went to the fabric store and got craft rings and some table cloth fabric. Remember at this point I didn't have the internet access and did not have a wearing support group or lovely Baby Wearing International(BWI) Volunteer Babywearing Educators(VBE). Using craft rings is NOT how to make a ring sling, they are not strong enough to hold the weight of a baby. The ones that I used broke when I was wearing my son and he could have been hurt if I didn't already have an arm around him. I  don't want to share a picture of that ring sling I made for that very reason. Once I met up with BWI Chicagoland and learned about the proper rings I took the stitching out of that sling and replaced the rings with proper Slingrings.

As my son grew I decided that I needed to be able to carry him on my back. Off to the library I went again and found the DuPage Slingers that just happened to be meeting on a day that I was free in an area that I was familiar with(at this point I had no GPS and am directionally challenged). When I went to the Slinger's meeting I was introduced to woven wraps but knew I had no hope of affording one and was REALLY intimidated by them. I was able to try on both and Ergo and a Boba carrier and determined with the help of one of the leaders that the Boba was a better fit so I went off to a local vendor to purchase one.
3. IBW 2011 Farmer's market event with BWI Chicagoland (15 months)

 4. IBW 2011 Walk with the Dupage Slingers (15 months)

The two events during International Babywearing Week 2011 were really key in my baby wearing journey. It was around this time that I found the BWI Chicagoland Facebook page and began to participate in the group online. I was still somewhat limited in range due to finances but I started going to meetings when I could. I learned so much about ALL the different types of carriers and as a side bonus I began to learn the layout of the suburbs surrounding Chicago along with Chicago itself.

5. Climbing through the hatches on a WWII submarine with toddler in the Boba
We went every where with the Boba...including exploring on the U.S.S Silversides a WWII submarine docked in Muskegon MI...no taking a stroller through there nor is it safe to let a toddler walk on his own.

6. About 28 months
By going to BWI meetings I learned how to use woven wraps and after making an Osnaburg wrap and checking out a Didymos wrap from the lending library I ended up purchasing a few wovens. The wrap shown in picture #6 is a Girasol Heaven's Love and it is one of my favorites. Even now at 32 months there are times when I will wrap him in a front cross carry and "wear him down" for a nap.
7. 29 months old
Being able to wear my son has allowed me to do many activities that I would have otherwise been unable to do. In picture #7 I am wearing him in a Kinderpack as I am clearing brush as part of a service project that my family did.
8. My teenager wearing my toddler in a buckle carrier

9. Teenager wearing toddler in a ring sling
 Wearing my son has also become a family activity. Picture #8 is a picture of my 16 year old daughter wearing my 2 year old son in a buckle carrier (soft structured carrier) at the Lincoln Park Zoo. And picture #9 is my daughter wearing him in a ring sling that was made from a woven wrap by one of the mamas in the BWI Chicagoland group (and yes she used slingrings)
I am fairly certain that my daughter has also learned the benefits of babywearing as I have learned and if she chooses to have children she will probably wear them as well.
10. 32 Months at IBW Celebration event Oct 2012
 Baby wearing has been a learning process over the last 32 months...I admit that I don't know everything and am still learning but I am very thankful to have access to such a wonderful community of baby wearers. I am also very glad to share what I do know with other caregivers that want to keep their baby close.

1 comment:

  1. wow good job. Imagine the bonding that goes along with this. It is important to be able ot bond with children at all ages. THis is one way to do it. Imagine all the extra calories u are burning too. Keep it up

    ReplyDelete