Baby Wearing 101

Baby wearing is said to make babies smarter, calmer, more attentive, less colicky and more likely to develop healthy sleep habits than their counterparts in strollers.  

My son and I using a ring sling at 3 weeks.

Babies are carried in wraps and other types of carriers throughout the world from birth until when they start walking, and this is known as the "in-arms phase."  


Anecdotally, parents agree it makes life easier to always know where the baby is, and they are able to use both hands to meet life's other demands.  It has also been said to lessen postpartum depression and improve infant heath and mortality.

My son asleep in the Moby at 3 months.

To wear your baby, first you need to choose a carrier.  There has been a glut of carriers on the market lately, and they fall into a few categories.  I have tried many types of carriers, looking for the perfect fit.  This "perfection" has changed many times, with a pouch being perfect from Day 2 (6 pounds) to 10 pounds, then a Moby Wrap through six months, then an Ergo and Mei Tai on the front and back through 2 years, and now my son will only go into the hip carrier or Ergo  (he will be 3 in August).

At 8 months and snug in the Ergo at a family holiday gathering (the Ergo suck pads are homemade).

Pouch and Ring Slings

Pouch slings are a fixed size.  They fold in half, fit over one shoulder, and the baby sits in the pouch.  These accommodate newborns nicely, and babies can often nurse in them.  As babies grow, how the baby is worn changes but many caregivers find them useful.  Toddlers straddle the body from the opposite hip.  These come in fabrics like hard cotton and fleece, and some have padding on one side.  Popular brands include New Native and Seven Slings.  The advantage of these is that they are small enough to tuck into a diaper bag, and can be used in a variety of positions as baby grows.  The disadvantage is that they come in different sizes, so it is difficult to share a carrier between caregivers or when a Mama changes size, the carrier may not fit any more.

Ring slings are used the same, but the rings allow the user to change the size  The Dr. Sears' Balboa Baby adjustable sling is a popular brand, as is the Maya Wrap.  

When shopping for these, keep in mind how thick the fabric is when not in use.  This translates into how much space it will take up in a diaper bag and how heavy it will be during different seasons.

In my experience, both were useful, but the ring sling was even more useful than the standard pouch, although the standard pouch carrier was useful as I got used to baby wearing, since I didn't need to adjust it every time.  It was nice to slip the pouch on and pop the baby in, especially when we went anywhere where I thought people would ask to hold the baby and I wanted to keep him close.  I preferred the other, and liked being able to share the ring sling with my partner and use it as I got smaller.  Having the weight on one shoulder got a bit heavy after carrying the baby for a while, and I stopped using it almost entirely after about the baby hit about 10 pounds and I discovered the wrap carrier.

At 2 months and at a work function, my son could sleep through anything when snuggled in the Moby.  I wore him for hours in the Moby, since it distributed the weight evenly and let me pay attention to him without really stopping to pay attention to him.

Wraps

Wrap carriers are a bit daunting at first, since they are made from yards and yards of material and you have to tie it on yourself then tuck the baby inside.  But watching the video and reading the instructions is worth it, because once you get it on the right way, the baby is attached in such a way that the weight just falls off.  It is evenly distributed between both shoulders and both hips, and the baby feels snugly swaddled in close to the caregiver.  A fussy baby quiets once inside, and, like all the carriers, a mama in motion with baby in carrier reminds them of the comfort of the womb and they calm right down, and often fall asleep.  Many mamas put the Moby (or other wrap like the Sleepy Wrap) on after a light layer in the morning, and keep it on all day, popping baby in and out as needed, and layering other clothing on top.

Downfalls of wrap carriers are the learning curve to get them on right, and I found that only one of the positions, baby in front facing in, worked for us.  Many positions are advertised and shown on their instructions, and my son and I both loved the one that worked for us.  We actually used this carrier so much that I got a second one so we could wash one and wear one.  


Unfortunately, he got too tall to tuck his head inside anymore around six months, so we had to retire it (sadly), and transition to a soft structured carrier.

My son took many naps while I went about my business (shown here in San Diego at 9 months and with the sleeping hood of the Ergo up).  My friend is using a Baby Bjorn, which I do not include on this list because some of the models do not give adequate support to the mother, placing all weight on the shoulders.  Some models also are formed so the baby's weight is on the spine instead of placing the baby in a seated position like the Ergo does, thus being less than ideal for baby's physical development.

Asian Carriers (ABC Carriers), Soft Structured Carriers, and Hip Carriers

Asian baby carriers include the Onbuhimo, Mei Tai, Podeagi, and Bei Bei.  Soft structured carriers like the Ergo, Boba and Beco are take-offs of the Mei Tai with buckles and pockets and other add-ons.  Hip carriers like the Scootababy are also Mei Tai take-offs.  They are mostly a panel of fabric with a strap at each corner-- two for the waist and one for each shoulder, to be worn backpack-style or crisscrossed in front (or back or side).

At 11 months and in the Ergo at another family function.  My son was able to stay part of the action without being handled more than he was ready for, as he felt safe and secure on Mama.  Notice his slightly younger cousin on his Mama, also in an Ergo, but carried in the hip way instead of front way.

All of these carriers have a main body panel piece where the baby sits.  They are a fixed size and the baby's legs straddle the fabric.  The Bei Bei and Podeagi are different in that they have a main piece that is more of a blanket, and needs to be wrapped around the baby.  

All of them have shoulder straps of a fixed width, and most are padded.  The Mei Tai and all of the soft structured carriers that are its knock-offs have waist bands.  The Mei Tai's waist is secured with a knot, and the soft structured carriers use webbing and a plastic buckle.  The soft structured carriers' buckle allows for less extra fabric, although it is nice to be able to tie the Mei Tai waistband in front or back.  The Onbuhimo, Bei Bei, and Podeagi's top shoulder straps end up being tied in such a way to allow the hips to take some of the weight of the baby (unless you are pregnant and tie them above your belly instead).

At 18 months and in a homemade Onbuhimo Asian-Style carrier.  This and the homemade Mei Tai were nice to hold the baby on front or back, and also distributed the weight nicely.  The padded shoulders and hips of the Mei Tai, as well as the ability to switch it from front to back easily and ride the baby higher and tighter on the back made this a favored carrier.

The advantage of the soft structured carriers over the traditional ABCs are the add-ons like buckles, pockets, and sleeping hoods.  My favorite ended up being the Ergo, although I washed mine a few too many times and the padding wore a bit thin.   I liked the fit for me and my son, and the pocket was well-placed and sleeping hood covered just right.  The chest strap really helped us feel secure when using it.  I also liked the ease of switching from front to back.  A downfall of this is that it is not meant to be used until 15 pounds, although they make an infant insert so the baby can be swaddled inside before this.  I didn't try it, but hear it feels less secure and Mamas feel like they need to keep a hand on the carrier to keep baby inside (and that defeats the point, doesn't it?).

Next favorite of the soft structured carriers for me was the Scootababy. It only has one shoulder strap and a waist band, although the shoulder is made of fleece and hugs the shoulder, thus keeping the weight more securely on the bones rather than the muscles, thus lightening the load.  It is easier than using another type of carrier which has to be made into the hip position because of this shoulder pocket and because it is already there.  This carrier would benefit tremendously from a pocket (even a small cell-phone and credit card sized one).

The traditional ABCs are very adjustable, though, and worth a try.  All of the carriers of this style really help in the 20 to 40 pound range of babies and toddlers.  The Mei Tai is my favorite of these, as we always felt snug in it.  I never got the sleeping hood quite right, though, and am looking forward to trying my newly innovated version.  I didn't love using the Onbuhimo, since putting it on requires a bit of coordination to hold the baby steady in the carrier while threading the shoulder straps through the rings, but my guess is that it would improve with practice.  With the next baby, I may give the Bei Bei and Podegai a try, although I am pretty happy with my current carrier selection.  I like the idea of them being able to keep the legs together, and having the carrier double as a blanket when not in use.  I am not sure if the extra fabric would just get hot, though.

At just shy of 2 years old, we switched to the Scootababy hip carrier.  You can see my son staying close to me (and allowing me both hands) as he goes about his toddler business.

All in all, whatever carrier works for you and your baby is the one that is best for you!  There are so many out there to choose from that you are sure to find one that is right for you.  Or maybe, like me, you will find the changing advantages of the different types as you and your baby change.

References/ Further Reading:

"The Latest in Strollers? Mom and Dad," NY Times, March 10, 2010.

The Baby Book by Sears and Sears, 1992, or their website.

The Continuum Concept by Jean Liedhoff, 1975.

Our Babies, Ourselves by Meredith Small, 1998.

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, 2002.

To make own, see Jan Andrea on the web.

Pin It

Tutorial: Fold over elastic as binding on Zorb2 Lap Pad

Intrigued by the new fabric Zorb2 that Wazoodle has started making, I bought some. It is supposedly quicker to absorb than other fabrics, and will hold more, thus allowing thinner diapers and lap pads.  It is also already enclosed in bamboo/ cotton, so to use it, all you need to do is cover the edges somehow.  I have used a lot of the original Zorb, and find it to be very absorbent, although it is a bit thick, especially since you need to cover it on all sides (lest it disintegrate when wet) and it holds liquid better when you use two layers with a natural fabric like flannel in between.

Online reviews of Zorb 2 are a bit sparse, although I did read that it shrinks a lot, so to make sure that it was pre-washed.

My first Zorb 2 project is a Lap Pad.  I actually made two of these to start. They were both cut to approximately 18" by 18".  The fabric is narrow at 45" wide, and it did shrink a bit, since the mats ended up at 22" x 17".  I wonder if most of the shrinkage was the other way. I didn't measure the yardage before and after to get a sense of it.  I just measured 18" and cut across, then cut that in half.  The selvage is a bit wide, but both bindings covered it.

The pad you are not seeing here was bound with quilter's cotton in a more traditional quilt binding sort of way.  I didn't like this since the flexibility and softness of the single layer of Zorb 2 was constrained too much by the binding.

This pad was bound using fold over elastic (FOE) as a binding and I didn't stretch it at all.  I like how the fabrics compliment each other and am happy with the weight of the finished product.  I am hoping to use the pad as an infant EC/ naked bottom time lap pad.  It could also be used as a changing pad cover, car seat liner, carrier liner, etc.

**************************************************************

Tutorial: How to make a Zorb 2 Lap Pad using FOE as binding

Begin by cutting the Zorb 2 18" across the width of the fabric.  Cut this in half, making two pads.

Then, keeping the FOE on the roll (I like to unroll a bit and keep the roll next to my sewing machine on the right), fold it in half and insert one side, not at a corner.

Choose a wide and far apart zig-zag stitch and, leaving a 3" tail of FOE, stitch the FOE onto the Zorb 2.  Make sure the stitches are as close to the inside of the FOE as possible.

Stop about 3" before the corner.

To make the corner sharp, first fold the bottom into a 45 degree angle.

Then fold the top half of the FOE at a 45 degree angle, taking care to keep the bottom angle intact.

Hold this as you stitch to the corner and through it.

Keeping the needle down, lift the presser foot and turn the pad.

Continue down the next side and repeat for all of the corners.

When you get to the end, stop about 3" before you reach the end of the beginning piece.

Cut the FOE here, leaving about an inch of overlap.

Stitch the FOE, right sides together, trying to get the length of the FOE such that it will lay flat when it is all laid out.  Trim any edges.  If you are slightly off, you can stretch the FOE or Zorb 2 to fit as you stitch it down.

Stitch the FOE down, using the same zig-zag that was used throughout.

Viola!
*********************************************************************

Pin It

Kids' Cooking: Matzoh Meal Bagels and Horseradish

By calling this post a kids' cooking idea post, what I am really saying is that kids can help make anything in the kitchen. I have found that the little guy likes to eat things more if he has had a hand in cooking them, and I have been enjoying getting ready for Passover this year by having him help cook. I think it helps him understand the traditions more.

In this session, we made Matzoh (Matzo, Matzah) Meal Bagels and fresh horseradish.

Highlights included cracking a dozen eggs (we tripled the recipe) and sprinkling salt, two perennial favorites. We went over the "thumb way" of cracking eggs, although he still got egg on his fingers and we had to wash it off each time. Another highlight was using the food processor.

A low light of the morning was when we both went in at the same time to smell the horseradish and burned the inside of our noses simultaneously. Another parental activity would be making the holes in the bagels with the knife, since symmetry in execution helps them actually look like bagels.

We experimented with making some of the bagels into muffins, since he LOVES muffins and the muffin papers these days. I don't think it improved anything.

We tested both, and they are both hits. I think I will be the only one continuing to eat the horseradish, though...

Matzoh Meal Bagels 

2 cups matzoh meal 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1 T honey 

1/3 cup olive oil (could use slightly less) 

1 cup boiling water 

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix ingredients.
Shape dough into 3 1/2" balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, aiming for 12 bagels 1" apart.
Flatten the balls and make a hole in the center of each with a knife.
Bake for 45 minutes. 

Horseradish 

1 large horseradish root, peeled 

2 beets with ends cut off 

2/3 cup white vinegar 

1 T honey 

pinch sea salt 

approximately 1/3 cup water 

Shred horseradish and beets in food processor. 

Add remaining ingredients except water. 

Gradually add water, as needed, to reach desired consistency. 

Store in glass jar in refrigerator.

Pin It

Old-Fashioned German Style Matzo (Matzah, Matzoh) Balls

Old-Fashioned German Style Matzo Balls
This recipe was brought from Germany via my husband's grandmother, who emigrated in the 1930's, right before the war.  It has been modified by my mother-in-law and my husband to create the following masterpiece.  Enjoy!  And Happy Passover!

Ingredients:
12 sheets matzo
5 eggs
.25 cup matzo meal
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ Tbs parsley, finely chopped
1 tbs butter

Process:
1. Soak matzo in water. When they are soggy and softened, press out the excess water.

2. Saute softened matzo in butter and sprinkle with spices.
3. Mash the matzo with a fork while the matzo is over a low flame until the matzo are dried out.
4. Take the pot off the fire and allow to cool.
5. Add eggs and enough matzo meal so that balls can be formed.

6. From balls.
7. To cook, heat seasoned chicken broth to boiling.
8. Add balls one at a time and return broth to a boil.
9. Balls are booked when they float, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Tips:
1. If you scale up or down the recipe, watch the amount of eggs. If add too few eggs, the balls will fall apart once in the broth.
2. Uncooked matzo balls can be frozen.
3. Makes approximately 24 balls.

Pin It

Newborn to Baby EC Cloth Diapering Stash Inventory and Wish List

I know, I know.  It is called Diaper-Free baby (or EC).  But in this modern world, we have flooring and laps to protect, plus cool weather.  PLUS-- I really like to make baby stuff.... 


So here is my upcoming baby-on-the-way list.  I have inventoried what my son used and we kept, plus some items I have made in the last few months.  I am posting in hopes someone may find it useful.  We are expecting another boy.


As you look at this, keep in mind that we do all of our own laundry.  We also focused on poops for our son for the first few months and let the pees come and go.  Then, at 3 months, when he was reliably pooping in the potty, we started paying attention to the pees.  We are hoping to go the same route this time, although we will start earlier (we started around 2 weeks with our son, although we were cueing before then).  We started nighttime EC at 3 months (notice a correlation?) and may start earlier this time.  We have so many carriers because we used them all the time and they get wet.


Some things on this list are just here because we have them.  Others are here because we found them useful.  Those items that were most useful are generally in 4's and 6's and 12's, since I have rounded out how many we have.  You will also notice that we started to rely a lot on nonwaterproof training pants as we progressed.  In general, all items snap since we found velcro to make an annoying noise.  We also have preferred fleece to PUL as a semi-waterproof material, since it slows down the flow of pee but allows air to flow nicely.  I have also included some clothing items you may not have on hand. I also ended up cutting the bottoms off our onesies and hemming them into t-shirts so the bottoms wouldn't be in the way.

XS/ Newborn (generally 0-1 month)


12 all-in-one diapers
11 fitted diapers
10 waterproof covers (fleece and PUL)
2 tiny undies
2 pouch sling carriers

Starting around NB and lasting throughout:

2 dozen Indian prefold diapers

4 dozen well-loved Gerber flat fold diapers

2 waterproof lap pads 18" x 18"

2 waterproof night mats 36" x 18"

6 nonwaterproof night mats 36" x 18"

2 piddle pad play mats

wish list: 12 Zorb2 lap pads with quilter's cotton binding (thin, super-absorbent pads)

wish list: 2 wool mats 36" x 18"

1 sungglewool car seat cover

1 small PUL zipper wet bag

4 BabyLegs leg warmers

Small (generally 1-6 months)


8 waterproof training pants

6 fitted diapers (Kissaluvs)
12 nonwaterproof  thicker (aka thin fitted diapers) training pants

4 nonwaterproof thin training pants
9 poquito pants nonwaterproof snapping training pants
1 EcaPants nonwaterproof snapping training pant and doubling insert
wish list: 11 nonwaterproof EcaPants

1 wool longies

5 soakers (1 wool, 4 fleece)

4 covers PUL

18 underwear +/- 2T

1 swim diaper
2 Moby Carriers
3 Mei Tai Carriers

8 split crotch pants

wish list: 6 long sleeved Habitual Kimonos in fleece or wool

Medium (generally 6 months to 1 year)


1/2 package size 3 disposables
4 all-in-one diapers
6 waterproof training pants

1 thin fitted diaper

10 nonwaterproof thin training pants

1 EcaPants nonwaterproof snapping training pant and doubling insert

wish list: 11 nonwaterproof EcaPants

4 fleece soakers

2 longies (1 fleece, 1 wool)

4 covers (2 PUL, 2 fleece)

1 swim diaper
2 Ergo Carriers

wish list: 6 long sleeved Habitual Kimonos in fleece or wool

1 split crotch pants

wish list: 5 split-crotch pants

2 pants with training insert (1 terry with no insert)

Large (generally 1 to 2 years-- although our son is in the 70% percentile and was in this size from about 7 or 8 months)


14 all-in-ones (Bumpkins)
14 thick training pants (nonwaterproof but so thick they are nearly diapers)

3 waterproof training pants
4 drop-flap training pants (2 waterproof EcaPants, 2 odd homemade nonwaterproof)

6 soakers (2 wool, 4 fleece)
2 pocket covers (purple PUL)

23 nonwaterproof thin training pants (2 girl colors, 4 slightly thicker, 17 boy colors)

1 swim diaper

7 split crotch pants
3 pants with training insert Pin It

Toddler Sun Hat = Too Small!!

I was keen to try a sun hat for my little guy, since he is finally growing out of the Old Navy one size 2-3 years he has been wearing since he was 6 months old.

I found this tutorial (which links to this pattern), asked the little guy to choose some fabric, and we got to cutting. We used Moda precuts for both sides, and each side used almost a whole fat quarter. We ironed the interfacing on to the striped fabric, which ended up looking better on the inside.

Unfortunately, it is too small. The whole thing sort of balances atop his head, and the brim is a little flouncier than I had expected.

I am going back to the drawing board. I found this tutorial that would make a larger hat with a similar shape. This is a similar around-the-head style with a larger brim, which could be nice. I also like this one with sides that snap up and down, and this one that is more like a cap. Here is a pattern for sale that looks cute (what a cute baby, too). Pin It