Does anyone else think it is about time to get a dedicated Babywearing topic list?

[kiskidee]

sigh. or do I have to keep hunting around for people to talk to me about slings.

bump

I'll talk to you

Actually I was going to track you down anyway so since you are here.....

I have always used a back cross carry if I have ds on my back in the wrap because it keeps him nice and close but have been experimenting with just a rucksack as it is so much easier to do. The other day I was about town and all people kept saying was 'oh he's leaning so far back love' 'he's going to fall out dear' etc etc (not to mention the seriously annoying woman in vennels who leapt up to help me put him on thus hindering the process and making it look like a huge faff while the staff looked on and giggles=d as they are quite used to us and know ds very well!). He felt fine to me, he was squirming lots but hey it was snowing and he wanted to look at the sky! How do you get them that bit tighter in a rucksack or shall I just tell everybody to sod off?

a) feel free to tell people yo sod off. i recommend you being quite smug about it and say 'actually, it works better if no one helps me.' and then show 'em how it's done.

plus as you know, people always feel important if they think they can give you parenting advice. you're prob doing fine.

b) if you have enough tails left over, you can do a chest strap with them

or do a lexie twist before tying off.

will have a look for what i am on about later on youtube

how long is the wrap you are using?

Thank you!

I shall indeed attempt to look smugly at them.

It is an ellaroo, not sure how long though, whichever one Rebecca sold me

I thought after seeing the 'Bringing Up Baby' program "baby wearing? What a load of tosh" but I have to say...

I LOVE MY HUG A BUB!!!

It's comfy, I can get LOADS done and he sleeps if he's fractious.

We went to London before Christmas and didn't even take the pram. We went in Taxis, up/down escalators the underground it was fab. I wore it for 5 hrs and it didn't hurt at all.

I'll talk about them slings all day if need be

Oh yes navigating London would be a nightmare with a pushchair! We were down there for a wedding in August and just took a sling. Def the best way to do it. (plus then ds fell asleep in the sling and we danced the night away )

I went to Manchester the week later to meet a fellow mnetter and went on the train, wandered about (got lost as don't know Manchester) managed the pre Christmas crowds absolutely fine. I just need to learn how to bf with it on. Also, it did take a while to find out what to wear as we both got a bit hot. MIL did frown a bit when I went out with lo in just a babygrow and JUmper and I had a large cardi on -wool/cashmere so VERY warm. It was freezing (literally) but we were still a little warm.

if you are doing a bwcc you'll have lots of tails to do a chest strap.

ruck with chest straps 1
there is another ruck video I have seen when the straps are neater across the front. if I find it, I will give you a shout.

tibetan ruck 2 I like this one because he is up higher and can see over your shoulders which helps with the nosiness so less back leaning maybe?

lexie twist 1

lexie twist 2

you may already know this but pay attention to tightening the top and bottom rails, and make sure the bottom rail is tucked under his bum and down to knees which should be pretty parallell to bum.

Thank you! I already tend to do a twist. I like the chest strap ones, will have to have a play!

I know why the woman wanted to help as I do faff a bit, am useless at the whole smooth toss over the shoulder and somehow get the wrap over too bit. I always end up with the wrap between the baby and my back and have to faff aropund straightening it out. Must look a bit daft at times! Though I think that is probably to do with the length of my wrap.

"It was freezing (literally) but we were still a little warm." skin to skin and all that [broody] what do MILs know.

for august, you can get an ellaroo which are quite thin, or look out for girasols. they are 100% cotton, fairly traded and woven in Guatemala (a place close to my heart). www.bitsforbairns.co.uk sells them. They are thin enough for summer, wash up flannelly soft and perfect for newborns IMO but will last for a lot longer than a stretchy cotton. though stretch cottons have distinct advantages for a complete newbie.

or even sweeter, when you get geeky about wraps like me, you will want a Katiwrap: they are in essence girasols but Kati in Finland gets them done in 'her' colours. all of them are fantastic. this is her site a bit wierd to navigate but boy have i spent a lot of time drooling on my keboard on there.

thin people can do this wrap with a 3.7m ish wrap which is a size 4 in a Didymos. I think also it is the lenght of the ellaroo.

I need to have words with you about linking to pretty things on threads that I'm on.....Such pretty colours!

I need to get pg again, I mean what if I wanted to wrap both children? I would need 2 wraps

rofl. i did feel norty when I linked it but a girl has to dream about something, no? I so want one but dd still runs away so I can't justify it.

they are gorgeous, aren't they? I have the Kiwi which i bought pre-loved. you are welcome to have a try. It is supposed to be 3.7 but measures 4.1, i think.

oh, another idea, if you are feeling a bit embarrassed about wrapping in public, a quick and effective tibetan back carry is to hold the wrap like a strap, pass under and around baby's armpits instead of spreading it across their back, I then shoulder toss and tye of like a normal rucksack.

DD allows this one still because she doesn't feel confined in it.

I am amazed at the tibetan rucksack video!!! That looks fab. DH was impressed also. I think we'll try that in the summer when he can hold his head. (He's 9 weeks)

I do get a few looks whilst wearing Henry but a pregnant woman asked me in Harrods all about the sling -was it comfortable, where did I get it etc.

...Henry is 9 weeks not DH lol!

harrumph. it looks like MNHQ is ignoring me.

Hi there, I'll mention this at tomorrow's meeting, but have to say that I think it unlikely that it will actually make it as an individual topic.

Awww but Ebay gets a topic...and there is a whole topic devoted to jokes!

muppet I definitel found that when I started on back carries a back cross carry was better, especially when ds was younger and fell asleep in the sling lots as with a bit of practice you can leave enough slack to be able to reach over your shoulder and pull the cross over his head to support it exactly the same way you do in a front cross carry.

Indith - It's the type of thing I would probably only do with Dh on hand. The hugabub is just fine for me atm but I was amazed at the little girl in the video being able to 'help' her mum!

Yes it takes 2 at first but once you are confident with the initial act of getting him onto your back another set of hands just gets in the way. Basically as long as you have the wrap tight over his back then you can mess around a fair bit no problems. Trying above a sofa or bed is good at first!

I have to say, I never thought I'd be a sling person but they're great!

I think a thread dedicated to slings would be good as they are becoming ever popular and people (me!) don't/didn't know how many different types there are and also the different ways they can be tied.

If a topic for slings alone wouldn't go down well what about baby transporting devices in general? There are always people asking about prams and those threads end up scattered too....you find sling or pushchair and pram threads under products, pregnancy, chat, other subjects, parenting.......at least then we would know which broad heading to look for threads under

That's a good idea Indith especially as people have different needs out of prams/puchairs/slings and to ask other's advice in a central place would be ideal. People do say 'Oh we always discuss this, go and search for an old thread' but you're right they are under many different topics. Also newcommers still need this type of indormation.