May Meeting

WOW! We had approximately 80 adults and children at our meeting on May 17, 2013!!! Thankfully, the Indian River Library has a space large enough to accommodate all of us!!!
 

Jilliane, the BWI of HR chair, welcomed everyone to the meeting, followed by Dana, the Outreach Chair, discussing membership to Babywearing International, Inc. Dana also mentioned that, due to increased need, we will be setting up a Hampton Roads Babywearing Swap group on Facebook so that we can keep our chatter group flowing smoothly. It should be up & running shortly after this post is published. You can find it linked within our local chatter group. The swap page will only be for members within the Hampton Roads region & immediate surrounding area.

This meeting marked the first time we were able to open our lending library to our members and Caitlyn was excited to share it with everyone. We have numerous carriers that will eventually be catalogued on this blog. More information will be discussed if/when you borrow a carrier, but there is a small fee for non-Babywearing International members and carriers can be borrowed from one meeting to the next.  The lending library was very popular and Babywearing International gained two more members!

Some carriers in our lending library

Soft Structured Carriers (SSCs) have been the theme for May's "Carry of the Month", so Ginger took a different approach by using more than just one post to cover these types of carriers. Be on the lookout for a couple more posts this month.

There were a ton of SSCs at this months meeting, including the most prominent SSC brand in our local area - the Kinderpack, in its various styles.

Kinderpack Madness

Due to the rapidly growing number of babywearers attending our meetings, the BWI of HR board is discussing options to better serve our region with meetings & babywearing education in the future. Hopefully, we will be able to announce some exciting changes this summer.  Additionally, we want to increase the number of Volunteer Babywearing Educators(VBE) in Hampton Roads. To be a VBE, you must exhibit a proficiency in a variety of carriers and carries. Caitlyn will be hosting VBE Interest meetings in the near future. Please email our Education Chair if you are interested.

Meeting Etiquette

Our scheduled meeting for May is expected to be BWI of HR's largest meeting. With that said, we want to make sure that everyone is able to prepare in advance so the meeting can be enjoyed to the fullest! May will also include our first check outs from the lending library so we're also taking this opportunity to give you an idea of how the new system will work.

General Meeting Info

• Meetings are quite laid back. About 30 minutes into the meeting, we begin with some updates from  board members, introduce VBEs so you are able to recognize them, and then we go around the room and introduce ourselves. 
• Name tags are very beneficial! We will provide them as often as possible.
• Meetings are generally warm. We typically meet at a library and the temperatures and attendance always vary. It's best to dress in layers for this reason. 
• Most rooms allow snacks but there are few things to keep in mind when bringing snacks. Please bring snacks that are easy to clean up. For the sake of allergies, please keep snacks out of the reach of other children. We generally have access to extra tables and can set them up as needed. Water or clear liquids are recommended for meetings.
• Sharing carriers is highly recommended at meetings! If you are uncomfortable doing so, please speak up. If you share something such as a soft structured carrier, prepare for the settings to be adjusted. 
• The board members will provide a community toy bag. You may bring toys for your own child but it might be best to label these toys or keep a close eye on them. 
• Pictures are taken by multiple people during meetings. You will be asked to sign a photo release and hold harmless agreement at the door. These photos will be used for social media purposes and/or advertisement for BWI of HR. If you do not consent to the photo release, make sure to let photographers know and do not stand for the group photo toward the end of the meeting. 
• Some people will have multiple carriers and some will have one. It's best not to make any comments regarding the quantity or quality of carriers someone owns. Everyone's needs and desires are different. 
• Babywearers are all different kinds of people and BWI of HR accepts and welcomes all walks of life.

Lending Library

The lending library will consist of carriers that belong to BWI of HR with the sole purpose of lending to our members and participants to try on for a month at a time.

• It is one carrier per check out. Carrier check outs will be available at meetings. 
• Check out time is approximately one month and carriers are to be returned at the next meeting. 
• The checkout fee is a non-refundable $15 for non-members due at the time of checkout. This fee is waived for our members. (If you have questions about becoming a member or membership, please ask!).
• There is a $1 per day late fee for any carrier returned late. 
• Check out simply consists of payment (if applicable,) going over a contract with a leader and signing the contract.  As part of the contract, you agree that the carrier is your responsibility until the next meeting. 

Carry of the Month: Soft Structured Carrier (SSC) - Part II (Front Carry)

Front Carry in an SSC

Last week we introduced soft structured carriers and this week we'll talk about how to use them in a front carry and while nursing. First, you'll want to buckle the waist belt.  Go ahead and adjust the length so it's nice and snug, but not too tight that it's uncomfortable.  

Next, get your baby and position them in the seat.  While holding their body (usually you'll use your hand and forearm to support their back and/or head/neck if they're small), reach down and place one strap over your shoulder.  Support your baby while reaching for the second strap as well. 

We briefly discussed infant inserts last week.  If you have specific questions, please be sure to ask.

Finally, reach behind you and clip the support strap/chest clip.

Baby should be positioned such that her legs are in a nice 'M' shape, her head and face is visible, and her back and neck are supported.  Young babies will normally be arms in while an older baby or toddler may be large enough to have their arms out.  Also, a young baby in an infant insert would most likely be 'froggied' in the carrier so their feet may not be hanging down as our demo baby's are in the photos.

A few things to note: 

It's important that baby's feet never be tucked in the waist strap.  This is considered incorrect and unsafe.  

Most ergonomic carriers do not have a front facing option.  Always read your manual for safe babywearing options.  A carrier that does not specifically state that it can be used for front facing out should never be used for such.

Nursing in an SSC

Nursing in an SSC is best for babies who have head control and/or are around 4-5 months.  Nursing will be upright most of the time, unless you're sitting - in which case you can make more adjustments with the straps.  You will want to loosen the waist buckle just a bit so it sits slightly lower on the hip area.  Be sure to keep both hands on the buckle as you do this to prevent loosening too much too quickly.  You just want to slightly loosen so it falls a bit lower and baby is positioned at the breast.

It may be necessary to loosen the shoulder straps and chest clip, but most times simply loosening the waist buckle drops baby low enough to reach the breast and the carrier and baby's weight still be comfortable for you.

Nursing a toddler in done in the same manner.  The waist buckle will likely need to be adjusted slightly more as toddler are taller.  Since they're toddlers, they can also use their hands to be sure they can reach the breast.  This is of course if they haven't already latched themselves on without your help! (wink, wink)

The image above shows the waist buckle loosened quite a bit, and lowered on the wearer's hips to allow a nursing toddler to reach the breast for nursing.