Today was the most wonderful day!  Bright sunshine, cuddles with my baby and a lot of positive comments from random strangers in South Molton! 

I hadn't been babywearing for a couple of weeks and really missed the special snuggles.  As soon as I picked my pink wrap up this morning though Layla held her arms up for a cuddle!  I lifted her legs in and tucked the fabric around her and we were good to go!  We went to get her weighed (I love knowing how chubby she is now) and caught up with the other mummies.  We saw a beautiful baby all snuggled up in a ringsling and it reminded me of those early days with Layla when she seemed to be constantly feeding!  We had a stretchy wrap at the time which was brilliant skin-to-skin contact and allowed me to have hands free to eat cake and drink lots of cold tea!  (Also to hoover but I didn't tell my other half that)!

After we'd been to the clinic we went to the library where we were complimented by a lady who said that it was lovely to see a baby all snuggled up as she was!  Layla actually went to sleep whilst I was choosing our books, she must have been very comfortable!  I was able to do a quick shop around the supermarket before she woke - although I chatted to her out of habit on my way through the aisles!  I asked her opinion on which were the best bananas and sang a song, I'm so used to the constant interaction that I forgot she was asleep until I got to the checkout! 


On our way home a teenage boy looked at Layla and said to his friend: 'that is soooo cool' and it made my day.  Maybe when he grows up he might carry his baby too and appreciate all the lovely cuddles firsthand x

So, I made a fatal error- left the house without my sling. Arrive at the beach, it's glorious weather. Realise I have two options 1)take buggy into beach....dry soft sand, never going to work! 2) carry my 20lb 7 month old in my arms....never going to work! (This is the beauty of slings, people with babes in arms often say, but doesn't he get heavy after a short period of time? And the answer is 'no', he really doesn't, I can carry him in a sling for hours whereas in my arms I get the lactic acid burning arms after 15 minutes!) Anyway I digress, so I opted for option 3) make a sling a la Blue Peter! I searched the car for scarves, sarongs, clothing etc and opted for my giant muslin. Followed it into a triangle, pulled the point up under his bum to his belly button, and voila a hip carry! Yes it was a bit uncomfy on my shoulder, but it meant we strolled on the beach for an hour, him watching the world go by and me hands free for a blackberry ice cream!

We've been really lucky to be able to purchase new slings for North Devon Sling Library recently.
One of our purchases was Ergobaby Baby Carrier and Infant insert from The Natural Nursery
http://www.naturalnursery.co.uk/ergo-baby-carriers/ergo-baby-carrier-bundle-of-joy.html
It can be used from birth thanks to the infant insert and used for front & then back carries once baby is around 6 months.
My husband finished work early today so road tested the new Ergo when taking the dogs out. He declared this buckle carrier is both comfortable and 'daddy friendly' :-)

Today was a bit of a lazy day. It has been raining in Barnstaple and as it was a bank holiday Monday and my hubby was home we decided to just have a day sorting out the house and doing shopping.

By about 5pm my 17 month old was getting a bit fractious and was desperate to have a sleep, however, I am a mean sensible mummy and if she hasn't napped before 3pm then I make sure she stays awake until bedtime as otherwise she is likely to be awake until 2am...

So we had tea and she perked up but was fidgety and fractious. She normally falls asleep whilst feeding but not tonight, she was extremely overtired and would not give in. 

I needed to get some stuff done so decided I would us my double rainbow size 2 and pop Freya on to my back using a carry called a ruck-tied-under-bum (RUB). She was a little annoyed about this so pulled her best 'whatever' face for this photo ;)

So I went and did the washing up and it all went quiet.....
















.....and that was because she was fast asleep snuggled into my neck xx

...and I even managed to put her down without waking her up in the cot which is really cool as sleeping on a wrap helps to break them in* so win-win :) 




*however, I did remove this wrap shortly after the photo was taken as I am not sure how safe this would be to leave a baby wrapped in a sling unattended x

Meet Okinami Kai. This is a 20% Linen 80% cotton blend woven wrap by the company Oscha. It measures a little under 5m so is a size 6.

It is a very pretty wrap but like most new wraps is quite stiff straight from the bag so my mission today is to 'break' the wrap which basically means I am going to do things to it to make it all soft and floppy :)








 So first of all with the help of my three year old we scrunch the wrap into the washing basket and use it as something for her to sit on.











 Next we put the wrap in for a wash on a short cycle with an extra rinse and spin. Not all wraps can be machine washed so always check the manufactures instructions. After it was washed we hung it on the line for an hour and thanks to the sun & breeze it was fairly dry so we just gave it a short tumble dry to really soften it. Again, you have to be careful when tumble drying wraps, its not something I would usually do unless to break them in. Some may then have given the wrap a steam iron after but not me, the iron and I are civil to each other but try to avoid each other ;)


So once the wrap was clean and dry we decided to have a little fun...

Firstly I ran the wrap between these sling rings a few times. This is a really good thing to do if you have had a bad day and want to get some tension out but a bit boring for preschool children.
 Then we braided the wrap and scrunched it up into a ball and played with it like that. We then unbraided it and braided it again as my three year old wanted to try and braid it (but got bored so I did it).












The she had a fab idea that the wrap could be used as a bridge to run away from the crocodile so we walked up and down the braided wrap a few times. I did unbraid then braid again because every time you braid it there will be different threads put under more tension than others helping to soften it.









 
Then we tied the wrap onto the cot bars and made a hammock. Which was really fun!















I did untie the hammock a few times  and re adjust where it was tied so that again we could put different parts of it under stress :)
It was even fun to swing in but Freya wasn't too impressed when her big sister tried to give her a kiss!













Then my big girl wanted 'up' so we could see if it was any softer and yes it was loads softer already so we went for a little walk with her in a Double Hammock back carry which also helps to break the wrap in especially given that she is 2.5 stone!












Then we took a family walk on the beach with the youngest in the wrap and it was definitely loads softer! Even in a windy car park with a load of onlookers I managed to get toddler into a double hammock and I think Okinami Kai seemed right at home in the surroundings :)










 Then when we got home Amelia tested its softness once again and declared that the wrap was far softer and 'like the best softness sling in ever and ever and ever'

Mission complete :) x

So everyone always talks about how to break a wrap in (basically using it so it gets softer and easier to use). This is my most novel and most fun way ever (the dog and the cat even got involved)!! This is also my stash shot...I think I have too many- 3 are now up for sale on various facebook pages :) Pending decision on the rainbow rings ling, we took photos to put it up for sale and I wore it to the fish and chip shop, it was too comfy and gorgeous for its own good. Hubbie is not too impressed :/
We were making a teepee anyway as a sensory space for Elsie, then it can change and grow as she gets older. Before we put the sewn cover on we thought it would be cool to try wrapping it in wraps! Complete with ring sling doors. Amazing outcome! Would have been even better with fairy lights.

This is what the teepee actually looks like with it's cover made of our tablecloths from our wedding. It's not finished yet, just got to kit the inside of it with fun baby things for Elsie to play with and look at.

Tamsin x

So today we are poorly and full of cold, nanny took out the biggest little girl and I was left with the little one to rest play with.

 Meet Freya. Freya is a 17 month old monkey baby (not ready to call her a toddler despite the fact she has been toddling for 5 months) who loves to be carried around and watch the world from a sling. She is a very lucky baby as she has a Mum (and a Dad and a big brother) who like to carry her. 









These are our library stretch wraps.

We have (from top to bottom):

• Victoria Sling Lady (VSL)
• Joy and Joe (J&J)
• Moby wrap

There are lots of other makes of stretchy wraps out there including Karime, Hana baby, Lennylamb, Boba, Bali stretch (to name a few) but these are the ones we have in the library.



I used a Moby with Freya until she was 9 months old & approx 16lb. I moved on to woven wraps as I found that Freya could wriggle into different positions and I had to keep tightening it. I could still wear her in it now but it is not as comfy as a woven wrap as the material is not as supportive.


Here we have the VSL stretchy as modelled by the gorgeous Oana. Of the three wraps this one was the thinnest, lightest and narrowest. I put (now 18lb 8oz) Freya in this wrap but it hurt my back after 5 minutes, she really felt like she was bouncing in it and she was able to lean backwards and 'flip' out onto the bed very easily. It was however, very cool so I feel this would be best suited to a newborn baby and would ideal in hot weather thanks to the thin cotton fabric. These wraps start from just £20 to buy.


 Next up we have the Joy & Joe stretch wrap. This wrap was thicker and heavier than the VSL and thanks to its wideness I was able to get a much more secure wrap with Freya. I had this on for 15 minutes but Freya did manage to wriggle her arms out and wriggle the wrap quite far down. After 15 minutes I was ready to take it off as I did have to tighten it a few times. It was not making me ache (unlike the VSL) but it was not supportive enough to wear for much longer. Freya was also able to her back flip on the bed trick but not as easily and she had to wriggle the wrap quite far down. These start from £18.99.


Last but not least we have the Moby. This is not the one that is in the sling library (the one in the library is a charcoal grey colour). I wore the moby on for over half an hour and only took it off as Freya was bored and wanted to play. It was very comfortable but I did have to tighten it after about 20 minutes. The fabric is thicker, heavier and wide than the other two so it was more supportive and Freya found it harder to wriggle the wrap down. She was unable to do her bed back flip with the moby (much to her frustration) which to me highlighted that it was a safer option for a wriggly baby. However, it was very hot, the combination of the weight of the material an the thickness of the wrap made me feel very warm and I cannot imagine that it would that convenient in the height of the summer (yes I know, what summer?). Moby wraps start from around £38 so are more expensive than the other two.

Conclusion

I really liked all three for different reasons! I think if I was due a baby from April to - August I would be tempted to go for the VSL just for the early days and then move on to something more supportive when needed. Probably not the most cost effective way but definitely the coolest in warm weather. I think I would go for the Moby over the Joy & Joe purely as I feel it would last longer & is safer for older babies. I do prefer the patterns of the Joy and Joe wraps, they have all sorts of floral prints, spots, stars and stripes so I would be tempted to go for that over a VSL for heavier babies and it is slightly cheaper than both.

All three of these can be hired from the library for £3 for one week, £5 for 2 weeks & £8 for a month.

Important info: Never, ever carry your baby on your back in a stretchy wrap & do not attempt to encourage your baby to flip out of a stretchy yourself. I have a monkey-child with no fear and made sure she did this over a bed x

Just out and about in Torrington today with our new girasol rainbow dream. So many lovely comments from people I met. One lady even claimed she wishes she could do it all again so she could carry! Another said how snuggly she looked and that babies are happier being carried. Elsie loves it, she smiles at everyone we pass...including dogs and cars, looks at tasty things on offer, has a chat to anyone that will listen, twiddles my necklace, has a feed and finally takes a nap, all in the comfort and security of a cuddle :)

So, the teeth are on the way, Grayson is not happy and is choosing to let me know about it by shouting....very loudly. Poor little boy:( 

There are some lovely people in the babywearing community, who generously lend they're wraps out to others.. just to try, to help out or to have them help soften it with use!
I'm lucky to have one such friend right here, in north Devon..

Hannah often lets me look through her 'stash' to try out something new,
and currently we are borrowing this one from her...
< elleville aubergine size 6

There are also friends I have on the web... never met them..
We're just in a few groups on Facebook... and they kindly have sent me their wraps traveling!
It's one way to try a wrap before you buy it!
I'm always amazed at the generosity if others, but when it comes to expensive wraps and strangers, even more so. Lovely though :)













Above are:
(pics 1 & 2) oscha starry night forget me not.
(pic 3) elleville paisley
(Pic 4) elleville zara lemongrass.

In Sainsburys today, Edward was in the connecta, happily looking around at what I was doing and listening to my running commentary of all the shopping. Just as we were finishing off in the lettuce isle, a lady came up to me and said "I just have to say how lovely and happy your baby is in there." I think she had perhaps seen us a few times, I tend to wander up and down in a most disorganised way as I still seem to suffer from baby brain. I thanked her and Edward gave her a happy little smile. Lovely. 

So today we went to sling meet and took the car seat on the buggy wheels (long story, car had to go to garage, yes the new one, to be valeted as they hasn't done it for when I went to pick it up!) as I didn't want to leave the car seat in the car. Anyway, i realises it was the first time in several months that I had actually used the buggy. Edward was looking at me strangely as if to say 'what am I doing all the way down here mummy?'. But he was happy. I've forgotten how cumbersome the thing is. On narrow pavements kind people would wait aside to let us pass, or step into the road. Very kind of them but a bit of an inconvenience! I'm so used to marching along with Edward in a wrap or the connecta that it felt really strange. I felt held up in a way. Then we came across this:

Sick mama and baby here, so we're missing all the cake, mama's, babies and slings!
My not happy baba didn't want to sit in high chair or play... so out came the sling...

So now I've managed to do the dishes, clean the kitchen, do the bathroom oh and yes clean the loo :/
But one happy snuggley baby :D


I'd still like cake though.........

We have a lovely Labrador who has to have a walk every day and especially likes to run on the beach chasing a ball…..beaches and buggies do not go well together!! 
Anyway, when my little baby girl was born in January 2012 and weighed 6lb 3oz when we got her home, she wasn’t really big enough for the Mothercare carrier (in my opinion) – it seemed huge compared to her scrunched up squidgy little body! 




Because of the retail cost of my Close Baby Carrier I was a little reluctant to look at any other carriers – seeing it as being an expensive luxury but I so desperately wanted to be able to carry my baby girl still and felt so sad at the thought of not being able to. 



I had seen these Mei tai’s which Hannah spoke of and had admired them from afar as Hannah and two other ladies I knew through a baby massage course each had beautifully made Mei Tai’s which were crafted by the fantastically talented Josie (Birthwise) Holt. 

It felt so strange to have her sat comfortably on my front, facing me and for her to feel as light as a feather!!  It made me realise just how uncomfortable it had become carrying her in the stretchy sling (and forward facing)!  That was it – I was sold on these….I just needed to choose the fabric!!!

We have now moved onto back carries – and thanks to the wonderful support of the sling library and group have worked out a way to carry her comfortably on my back that doesn’t aggravate the pacemaker I have fitted in my chest/shoulder.



Babywearing enables me and my little girl to do things together that we wouldn’t be able to if we didn’t use our wonderful spotty sling and I will always be grateful to Hannah and Josie for pointing me in the right direction!! 

I used to look at wraps and think eek! How do they do that??
even my friend using a simple pretied stretchy, looked hard to me... (it wasn't!!)
I was happy with my simple Ergo.

Well... last year (2012) for international babywearing week, a few of us from a Facebook selling group, realised as we were all in the same area, we should meet up....
And so North Devon Sling Meet was reborn...
I watched someone easily demonstrating a wrap carry.... and went away thinking...
By the next meet, I had two... and was hooked!!
I'm still learning, but like to practice most days :)
Though I have now reverted back to my first love... buckles (soft structured carrier with buckles) though it's a bit jazzier than our first one!!