Tag Archives: parenting

“Blessed Be the Inventor of the Baby Carriers” – Guest Post from Gill

Gill AndrewsRecently I was chatting with a friend about baby carriers. After seeing my video review of the new Ergobaby 360, she reached out for advice. She has a new baby and was feeling overwhelmed with options. We talked all about wraps, slings and soft-structured carriers. Ultimately she decided to try out the Ergo 360. Gill is a great writer and shares her thoughts with us on why she chose it here in this guest post. You can follow more of her writing at True Stories with Gill and Google.com/+GillAndrews. Congratulations on your new baby boy, Gill! (I hope he is over his cold soon.) –xo, Abby

Two months ago when our baby boy was born our lives changed forever. Eight pounds of happiness. As well as sleepless nights, dirty diapers and screaming.

Like any first time parents with nobody around to ask for advice we’ve already managed to make some bad decisions.

Not moving into bigger apartment.  (The baby is so small! How much space can he take?)

Not reading about breastfeeding in advance. (People have been doing it for thousands of years. How complicated can it be?)

Buying too many clothes for the first weeks that the baby grew out of without even wearing once. Getting a baby bouncer that turned out to be uncomfortable for the baby.

That’s why we quickly learned to appreciate everything that made our life even a bit easier so much.

Like the hermetic diaper bucket that keeps the air in the apartment breathable. Like his favorite mobile toy that buys mommy half an hour of peace every morning. And now the most recent item on my Blessings for New Parents list: the Ergobaby 360 carrier.

ergobaby 360 worn on hip

I’m typing these lines on my phone while pacing in the room with my baby sitting (hanging?) in it. He is a curious little guy who constantly needs attention when he is awake. Now he is looking on the emerging lines on the screen as if he could read.

When the eight pounds of happiness became fourteen, it was clear to me that I couldn’t bounce him in my arms any longer without ruining my back. We had to get a baby carrier.

Couple of weeks ago I saw a woman on the street carrying her baby in one of the Ergobaby carriers. It looked so comfortable for both, the mother and the baby, so I immediately set my eye on it. But I was determined not to make this decision one of the way too many bad ones on my list.

After some online research I decided to ask somebody who had more experience in it for advice. Abby was extremely helpful and wrote me a long answer listing all the categories of baby carriers along with their peculiarities. After this it was decided: Ergobaby 360 will be moving in with us.

Four things led me to this decision.

1. Comfort for the baby

This nowadays so popular word “ergonomic” did its trick on me again, the way the label “organic” does it in regards of food. And as far as I can judge, Ergobaby 360 keeps its promise. Although made of textile, it consists of multiple pieces sewn together. This way the shape of the carrier is flexible and will adjust to the shape of the baby.

2. Comfort for the parents

I could not believe that wearing 14 pounds of baby on me can feel so good.

Before, while bouncing him on my arms, my back started to hurt after a couple of minutes, and soon I would stop feeling my arms. Now, because of the wide and robust supporting belt, my back doesn’t feel anything, and my hands are free.

Of course, I can’t run a marathon or jump on a trampoline like this, but I assure you my body feels as comfortable as possible in this situation.

3. Easy handling

I don’t know about babies in general, but my baby has zero patience. If he wants something it has to be now, better 5 minutes ago.

So the only way to get him into a baby carrier would be if the adjustment phase – back and leg fitting as well as fitting of the cords – is as short as possible. Otherwise he’ll have a melt down.

I tried tying him with a baby sling I bought, fooled by videos of smiling relaxed mothers and calm cooperating babies. Unfortunately, it never worked out, no matter how hard and how often I tried.

With Ergobaby, it’s a completely different story. First time the baby tried his screaming-kicking scheme again, but as the whole fitting procedure took half a minute, he calmed down quickly as soon as he was seated. Now it takes only couple of seconds for me to put him in and take him out, all by myself.

4. Flexibility

Why the 360 model? We are talking about a quick and curious child here who gets quickly bored. So I wanted to have as much flexibility as possible, as we are also planning a couple of trips this year.

Today, while making lunch and having him in the carrier on my chest I realized how great the hip position would be when he gets old enough for it. If I carry him on the side I could stand closer to the stove and won’t have to feel like Shaquille O’Neal on the court throwing the veggies in the frying pan!

***

I’m typing these lines after I brought one agitated and cranky baby (he is currently dealing with his first ever cold, breaking my heart into pieces with every sneeze) to bed.

We went through the changing-playing-feeding-bouncing circle multiple times, but nothing seemed to help. So I put him in the carrier, threw on a coat big enough to cover us both, and stepped out on the balcony.

Cold air made him sleep in minutes, but I stayed there longer, slightly bouncing him from side to side, watching him sucking on his little hand growling like a cute baby bear.

One of the precious moments that make it worth a hundred times all the trouble.

It’s still before midnight, and the house is already silent. It doesn’t happen too often, so I’m going to hit the hay now as well. Tomorrow everything will start over again.

But now I know it will be easier. Blessed be the inventor of the baby carriers.

***

Disclaimer: Baby Birds Farm is now participating as an affiliate of Ergobaby Baby Carriers. This means that any sales (from the USA) that are made after clicking through a link on this site may result in a small advertising fee being paid to us. Your price is not increased in any way. I only register as an affiliate of brands I sincerely recommend.

How My Mama Tribe Helped My Pregnancy

mama tribe on night out

Baby Bird’s Birth Part Four: How My Mama Tribe Helped

What is a “mama tribe”?

Shortly after Baby Bird #1 was born, a lovely young mom in a breastfeeding support group (the real life “Boob Group“) shyly approached me about forming a playgroup. We were almost all new moms, and thought it would be good for our 3-month-olds to get to together at the park and each other’s houses for baby playdates. Little did we know that it was really for us.

baby playgroup in the park

I remember one potluck lunch playdate at my house, early on, when I nervously asked if I should open a bottle of wine. Because what would these responsible mothers think of me if I suggested daytime drinking?? Needless to say we really bonded from that point on! At a certain point we dropped the pretense of our babies and went out to eat at fun restaurants, for roughly monthly nights out, or “babyless playdates” as I like to call them. We have an ongoing group message on Facebook that has morphed from organizing playdates to a very supportive place to share. There have been times when I was stressed to tears because I was pregnant and had a toddler. Calling my husband at work only frustrated him. Typical guy, he felt bad not being able to “solve” anything, which only made it worse. (“It’s not about the nail.”) But messaging “the mamas” made a world of difference.

Find Your Mama Tribe

My dear sweet friends seem to be on the same page as me. This does not mean that we all parent the same, but that we have a complete and unconditional acceptance of one another. We have individually had challenges, losses and setbacks, but mostly lots of fun. Oh yeah, our kids have fun, too.

In addition to our small group, I have found an extended mama tribe online through a few Facebook groups. Out of a 1,000+ local moms, someone else is sure to be up nursing at 3am and can answer a random question, of which I have many. Thank you village!

babyless playdate with mama tribe

More on finding a “Mama tribe”:

Finding Your Mama Tribe: Mamas Need Other Mamas on The Badass Breastfeeder [A blogger also named Abby, from whom I borrowed the banner.]

Beth Woolsey on the Huffington Post: An Open Letter to New Mama Me.

Top 5 Qualities to Look for in a Mom Friend on The Joy of Caitlin.

A note from Mama Bird: This is the fourth post in a series on birth. I had an amazing experience and am now passionate about birth education and choices. I believe that all kinds of births are awe-inspiring miracles and life-changing experiences. I don’t believe that one kind of birth is necessarily better than any other. But I do believe that the current American medical system does not educate women and families on all the options that are available. Please check back for new installments in this ongoing series, which includes our birth story. Use the subscription box to the right if you would like an email notification when new posts are published.

THE BABY BIRDS BIRTH SERIES

Part One: Why I Pursued an Unmedicated, Intervention-Free Birth
Part Two: The Surprising Birth Story of Baby Bird #2
Part Three: The Birth of Baby Bird #2 from the Eyes of Our Doula
Part Four: How My Mama Tribe Helped My Pregnancy
Part Five: How I Used the Bar Method to Prepare for Birth

 

Traveling with Cloth Diapers or Hybrid Diapers?

My family and I just enjoyed a quick family trip out of town. It is getting to be summer and a great time for traveling and visiting family. I imagine others will be planning summer travel soon and wanted to share some tips on how to travel with cloth or hybrid diapers. Traveling with hybrid diapers is super convenient, and with these tips, traveling with cloth diapers may be easier than you think.

tips for traveling with cloth diapers on babybirdsfarm

If you saw my posts on getting started with cloth diapers or composting diapers, you know that we are big fans of using reusable diapers at home. Many parents wonder what to do, however, when getting on the road. Disposable diapers are convenient, sure, but we still had concerns about using them traveling, including the environmental impact, the cost of buying a product you use once a then throw away, and increased diaper rash. We found using the gDiapers hybrid diaper system away from home surprisingly easy! So far they have joined us on numerous long weekend trips and a three-state, two-week journey last summer. Here are some of my tips.

Plan ahead.

If you will be staying with friends or family, ask them ahead of time if they would mind if you washed cloth diapers in their washing machine. So far no one has turned us down, but we also let them know that we wouldn’t mind using disposables if they did. Tip: I brought a small amount of our dye- and perfume-free detergent with me.

If you will be needing a hotel, consider getting a vacation rental instead. We LOVE vacation rentals for the privacy, kitchens and amenities–not to mention value. So far we have stayed in a condo right on the beach in Florida, cabins in Big Bear, and (for our honeymoon) an amazing house in Bali. Two websites I have had luck on are vrbo.com and homeaway.com.  Just make sure the property you are considering has a washer and dryer. You will want it for laundry anyway. :)


Use disposable inserts.

At home we use gDiapers cloth inserts during the day and biodegradable disposable inserts for sleep. For long car rides and flying, we also like to use the disposable inserts. They hold more, can be changed less often, and can conveniently be tossed in the trash when done.

Even if you use strictly cloth at home, consider trying a biodegradable insert in your pocket diaper for travel. Although the fit is maximized for gDiapers, I’ve heard other families use them with other brand cloth diaper covers with success.

For a long trip (4-5 days or longer)…

… I liked setting up a mini diaper changing station, just like at home, with cloth diaper wipes and diaper area spray. I brought two waterproof laundry bags (one for clean and one for dirty) and washed the diapers every few days. I also liked packing all of the clean cloth diapers and wipes in a clean laundry bag for travel days. It made the suitcase a little more organized.

For a short trip…

…cut yourself some slack! On our last 2-night trip it just seemed easier to use a mix of gDiapers with biodegradable inserts and traditional disposable diapers (in our case, we like Huggies Pure and Natural) instead of taking our cloth diapers traveling. We also made it easy with disposable wipes. Hey, it’s vacation!

swim diaper

And don’t forget the swim diapers!

So far we like iplay’s plain white swim diaper and their swim diaper with a matching rash guard. Pack at least two.

Update: A version of this post has been republished on the gDiapers blog “Diaper Therapy.” Check it out!

what tips do you have for traveling with cloth diapers? Please share in the comments.