18 Wednesday Nov 2015
Posted in Information, Sling Library
Tags
2015, 2016, artwork, babies, baby toddler, baby wearing, babywearing, Berkshire, birch hill, blogging, Bracknell, Bracknell Sling Library, Bracknell Sling Meet, carriers, dates, Erin Stacey Poyner, flyer, natural parenting, November, share, sling, sling library, sling meet, slings, wrap, wraps
Now we have our new logos and dates for 2016, it’s time for a new flyer!
29 Tuesday Sep 2015
Posted in Giveaway
Tags
2015, artist, babies, baby wearing, Berkshire, blog posts, blogging, Bracknell Sling Library, Bracknell Sling Meet, competition, design, Erin Stacey Poyner, fun, graphic design, Lilith Loves Henry, logo, prize, September, sling library, slings, wraps
Anyone is welcome to enter this competition which we are running with our sling meet group. Please email entries to bracknellslings[at]gmail[dot]com by Friday 9th October.
The prize on offer is a gorgeous blue elephant teether from local company Lilith Loves Henry
17 Friday Jul 2015
Posted in Meet Ups, Photos, Sling Library
Tags
2015, babies, baby wearing, babywearing, Berkshire, blog posts, Bracknell, Bracknell Sling Library, Bracknell Sling Meet, carriers, July, natural parenting, sling, sling library, sling meet, slingmeet, slings, volunteers, what goes into a sling meet, wrap, wraps
What goes into a sling meet? I’ll try to talk you through this week!
Around 11:30am Clare double checked the stock and paperwork. Gemma printed some more hire forms, TICKS guidelines and terms & conditions of hire and she arrived early to set up before heading off to work. Clare and volunteer Jay arrived early to finish setting up the room. Lindsey who runs Newbury sling library also came along to help, bringing two weighed dolls and a selection of her slings and wraps.
Just after 1pm the parents started arriving. There were 7 slings due back (6 of which arrived, one being picked up tonight) so they were checked over and signed back in whilst each hirer was asked how they got on with the sling and were given advice about what might suit them based on their experience and preference. Jay reluctantly returned the hop the which she loved, and Gemma R wanted to try something new having loved the Storchenweige half buckle. Some new people came along too so they were asked if they’d used any slings before, how old their baby was and what kind of use they wanted to get out of the slings before getting more specific assistance.
Gemma R helped her cousins’ friend with a stretchy wrap for her young baby whilst Clare helped Jenny with her Manduca for Jenny’s 22 month old toddler. Lindsey showed a number of mummies how to use ringslings whilst Caroline and Clare demoed and helped a few mummies try wrapping for the first time with a front wrap cross carry and talked size, blend and different carries.
Between 1 and 2:45 (ran over a bit!) There were 6 hires including one longer length hire to cover a holiday plus Caroline borrowed some sling rings to try with her new size two wrap and Melanie hired both a wrap and the smaller baby zip in insert for her Manduca.
It took a while to clear up and get all the tables and chairs away but it was all done and dusted by about 3:15.
After getting home, Clare double checked the finances to ensure that they tallied up with what we were expecting as per the paperwork (phew they did) and then sat down with a cup of tea and a biscuit! Though she’ll be heading it later to pick up the last sling due back.
So if we mix up the names- Gemma usually looks after the stock and finances and we have a mix of different volunteers helping out each week- this is pretty standard. Bracknell sling meet runs once every two weeks and is entirely not-for-profit. It’s a community affair and run entirely by volunteers!
23 Tuesday Jun 2015
Posted in Information, Other, Photos, Sling Library
Tags
2015, baby wearing, babywearing, conference, ergobaby, European Babywearing Conference 2015, exclusive, full buckle, June, library, library additions, lillebaby, manduca, ringsling, sling rings, slings, storchenweige, wrapamore, wraps
Gemma attended the European Babywearing Conference at the weekend and came back with lots of treasures for the Sling Library (paid for by the sling hire fees). She may have treated herself too!
Storchenwiege half buckle
Wrapamore muslin ring sling
Another manduca with extra accessories
Lilebaby Airflow buckles
So to add to the library we have:
All at great exclusive conference prices, so THANK YOU to the Conference team for putting on such a wonderful event!
04 Thursday Jun 2015
Posted in Guest post, Q&A, Sling Library
Tags
2015, baby wearing, babywearing, Berkshire, blog posts, blogging, Bracknell, Bracknell Sling Library, Bracknell Sling Meet, carriers, guest blog, June, natural parenting, Reading, sling, sling library, sling meet, sling swing, slings, Wokingham, wrap, wraps
Hi I’m Jen, mum to Elodie, now a year old, and I’m a passionate baby wearer!You will see us mooching about town or walking along the river in my ever growing collection of slings.
I recently turned my passion into my living – I run Sling Swing in Reading and Wokingham. Sling swing is a fun, gentle dance class for parents and carers who wear their children in slings or carriers. It’s a great way to get out and meet new friends, to get a bit of exercise and introduce your baby to music and rhythm.
How did you get into babywearing and did you plan to wear your baby when you were pregnant?
I initially bought a mothercare carrier when I was pregnant thinking it looked useful, I didn’t know that was a bit different to a sling at the time. My cousin bought me a stretchy though and talked about the benefits, it all sounded a bit hippie to me back then but I figured it might be useful!
What’s your favourite wrap/carrier you’ve ever owned and why?
Definitely my stretchy, it got me through a really hard time and allowed me to bond with Elodie, I have such happy memories of using it and have lent it to 2 other friends so they can make good memories too.
If money were no object, what wrap or sling would you own?
I’m not actually a huge wrap buyer and am pretty happy just with what’s useful and comfortably but I have seen some beautiful Oschas!!
What do you like about babywearing?
So much, baby wearing came into its own for me when Elodie was only tiny. She was a baby who never wanted to be put down and so I started wearing her for practical reasons but it became so much more!
I found the early months very hard, I worried constantly that I was doing it all wrong (thanks to lots of unhelpful advice!) and was eventually diagnosed with post natal anxiety. I was lucky to get great support but really, baby wearing was the best treatment! When I wore Elodie she was calm, and so was I!I could get out and about, people would ask about my wrap or say how comfy she looked. I started to think maybe I wasn’t so terrible at being a mum (as I’d come to believe!) I would feel proud with my baby strapped to me – like nature intended it and despite all the “rod for my own back” comments I wanted to shout “look what I can do” as I wandered about the shops while stroking her back or seeing her look up and smile at me!
Baby wearing, is now a passion of mine and I recommend it to all my friends! I’ve made some brilliant friends through wearing and that’s really helped me feel more confident and just happier all round! I should add that I still love the ease of wearing, being able to go wherever we like with no stress about whether a buggy will cause us a huge hassle! I go into London a lot and it just makes everything so much more accessible!
What do or did you find hardest about babywearing?
Tough question! I guess just the, admittedly few, negative comments I still get. I am sensitive to them as they fuel the anxieties that really affected my first few months as a mum, but luckily, I’ve got great support from the Reading baby wearing group and others like this one, so I’m able to have a whinge and laugh it off!
Does your partner join in with the babywearing?
Yep, he loves buckles, our connecta is his fave, or “the red one” as he calls it!!
“The red one”
What kind of comments do you receive when you babywear out and about? Mostly just comments on how cute Elodie looks all snug etc, I once got chased down the road by an African lady wanting to know where my wrap (Lenny lamb) was from as it “reminded her of home!”
Thanks to Jen- we are really looking forwards to Sling Swing coming to little old Bracknell with a free taster tomorrow morning!
For more information check out Swing Sling Reading & Wokingham on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/slingswingreadingandwokingham
11 Monday May 2015
Posted in Information, Sling Library, Uncategorized
Tags
2015, analogy, babies, baby wearing, babywearing, Berkshire, blogging, Bracknell, Bracknell Sling Library, Bracknell Sling Meet, carriers, choice, choosing, May, natural parenting, shoes, sling, sling library, sling meet, slings, wraps
Gemma has been thinking about babywearing and the kinds of questions we get asked, like “Are expensive slings better than cheap ones?”…..
I have been having a think and I’m going to liken Babywearing to buying and wearing shoes.
Some shoes are cheaper like Primark, and some are more expensive- the Gucci of the carrier and wrap world.
Some pinch, some are too big, some end up never being worn outside of the house but all should be tried on for size.
I’ve never bought shoes I haven’t tried on, even in the shop, but still I have a cupboard full of ones that are not quite right.
Then I have my favourites- The ones I wear day in day out.
It’s exactly the same with wraps or buckles.
I’ve tried quite a few – ok lots but not everyone is right for every situation. I don’t wear Manolos to Tesco, and I don’t drive in flip flops.
I suppose to summarise: not every buckled carrier or wrap will suit every person.
Not everyone can afford the big brands but with trial and error there IS something out there for everyone to enjoy babywearing.
Pretty powerful message and a great analogy that our sling meet enjoyed!
05 Tuesday May 2015
Posted in Guest post, Photos, Q&A, Sling Library
Tags
2015, babywearing, Bracknell Sling Library, Bracknell Sling Meet, carriers, May, Q&A, sling, sling library, sling meet, slings, Thames Valley Sling Library, wraps
I’m Maria, I run Thames Valley Sling Babies and have a husband, two children, aged 11 and 7 and two cats. I home educate one child at the moment, although this often seems subject to change (different child, different schools, it’s complicated!). I also nanny for 3 home educated children part-time.
How did you get into babywearing and did you plan to wear your baby when you were pregnant?
With my first child I got bequeathed the usual set of dodgy carriers (I’m not even sure some of them had names and they were probably from the 70s!), I have back problems and none of them helped, so I carried my son in-arms and in ignorance for a year or so (he enjoyed this immensely and saw no reason to start walking early).
I did however become quite evangelical about cloth nappies and so gradually met parents who carried their children in slings. So when I fell pregnant with my daughter, I started shopping!
One of my first wrap jobs in an Ellaroo
What’s your favourite wrap/carrier you’ve ever owned and why?
My absolute favourite carrier was and is Rosie, Didymos Burgund-Rosa, to give her her proper name. She’s a cream and red Indio wrap in 50/50 cotton/linen and is as strong as an ox! I have a particular obsession with red and a dodgy back and shoulders, and at the time Rosie was becoming something of a legend for softness and strength, so she was just what I needed to carry my daughter past the age of 2.
If money were no object, what wrap or sling would you own?
Hmm, I would love to try a Pamir (another unicorn wrap), I checked recently and prices are terrifying! I would have loved Rosie in a size 6. I would also commission Didymos to weave a Aqua Waves with linen, tho that might be to beastly even for me!
What do you like about babywearing?
The closeness, and the reassurance it gives, both my children struggle with transitions (moving from one place/state/situation to another) and wrapping really helped my daughter manage that.
I’ve also had the privilege of wearing friend’s children, we’ve swapped kids this way on occasion, depending on who was capable of carrying the weight!
Trying out a library ring sling
What do or did you find hardest about babywearing?
The sweat and tears of learning to wrap from photos and Youtube videos! Having to stop wearing now my youngest is too big.
Does your partner join in with the babywearing?
He did, he didn’t get wrapping particularly, but had his own buckle carriers.
What kind of comments do you receive when you babywear out and about?
We live in a very diverse neighbourhood and different styles of babywearing are quite common these days, so I’ve been high fived by a few mamas who would see babywearing as a normal part of their life.
I’ve had wistful comments too “I wish we had those back in my day” (if only they had known!), it’s always been very positive.
Huge thanks to Maria, not only for this guest blog post but also for her help, support and knowledge whilst we’ve been setting up the Bracknell Sling Library. She does a great job of looking after the Thames Valley and the sling meets are very popular!
10 Tuesday Mar 2015
Posted in Meet Ups, Sling Library
Tags
2015, Bracknell, dates, flyer, Friday 13th, hire, March, meet up, sling library, sling meet, social, tea, wraps
Please feel free to share!
09 Monday Mar 2015
Posted in Information, Links, Photos, Sling Library
Tags
2015, Bracknell, carriers, different kinds, full buckle, help, high street carriers, information, kanga, March, mei tai, onbu, onbuhimos, rings, ringsling, sling library, slings, soft structured carrier, ssc, stretchy, woven, wrap straps, wraps
Good news- we’re adding a Connecta (full buckle carrier) to the library!
I know there’s so many different carriers out there it does get very overwhelming sometimes, so I thought I’d do a little run down of the usual types of carriers, slings and wraps that you might see with a few pictures to help too.
Stretchy wraps
Stretchy wraps area ideal for babies up to around 6 months and come in a variety of colours. They are made from a kind of t-shirt fabric and have multiple passes around the body to support the baby. They can often be pre-tied which makes it easier to get the babies in and out.
Karen showing off her stretchy
Woven wraps
Woven wraps are probably the most versatile and can be used from newborn up to toddler age (there are also many pictures on the internet of adults being carried in them to show how strong and supportive they are!). They come in different fabrics, patterns and lengths. The length denotes which carries you can do. Wrap Your Baby have a useful size chart and also talk about what different carries you can do with each size. A woven wrap can be bought for around £40 and high end wraps go for hundreds. The high end ones are often hand woven and limited edition styles which boosts up their price. You can do both front, back and hip carries with woven wraps, though some may take a little practice. The longer the wrap, the more different carries and ties you can do. With very long wraps (i.e 7&8) you can do more decorative tie offs.
The fabrics vary and different blends have different visual and structural properties. For example bamboo isn’t so supportive and not recommended for toddlers, whereas something like hemp or wool is more supportive but can be rough or stiff when brand new and require a lot of breaking in. Silk can give wraps a beautiful shimmer but some people get nervous about washing wool or silk wraps. Some need ironing of tumble drying whereas others benefit from being braided, lay on or used as hammocks to break the fibres in and make them soft.
Nicola using a size 6 for a front wrap cross carry
A shorter carrier can be used succesfully for hip carries
Full Buckle (FB) carriers/ Soft Structured Carriers (SSC)
Full buckle carriers consist of a rectangle of fabric that the baby sits into, with a waist strap that clips up and two shoulder padded straps. Some of them also have a chest strap which can help take pressure off the shoulders. These are particularly popular because there are no long tails of fabric to get tangled in or drape on the floor and get muddy so they are very practical. They tend to come in baby, toddler and pre-school size so you can upgrade the size as your baby gets bigger. They can be worn front and back which makes them versatile and comfortable.
A local Daddy with a toddler size Connecta full buckle
Mei Tai
A mei tai is similar to a ssc/fb but instead of clips to secure it, it has fabric straps which you tie. There are three kinds- standard straps, padded or wrap straps (sometimes called infinity straps), though you can also get “padded to wrap straps” which start out padded at the shoulders then spread into wider straps. The padded and wrap straps help cushion or spread the weight of a heavier baby or toddler. These usually come in baby, toddler and pre school sizes and can be either made from standard cotton fabric or can made made from the same fabric as woven wraps or converted from wraps (same with many full buckle carriers)
Standard mei tai straps
Woven wrap strap mei tai
Ring Sling
Ring slings are popular with with babies and larger toddlers because of the speed and ease of “quick up and downs”- particularly handy for toddlers that want to walk but get tired quickly. These are one shouldered carriers that go around the shoulder and the baby sits on your hip (or your chest when they are small). The fabric threads through the rings and can be tighened up to secure the baby in. These are usually made from woven fabric similar or the same as wraps, and some with “picture” print on sit on one specific shoulder or the other to get the print the right way up. They do take a little practice but can be very secure and comfy.
Newborn quite high on the chest in a ring sling
Woven ring sling (in our library!)
Those are probably most of the main style of carriers you are likely to come across but there’s a huge number of other things out there too.
Other:
-Pods
Pods are a bit like a mei tai but without a waist strap
-Bag sling/ pouch
These are similar to a ring sling but cannot be adjusted in the same way. When used correctly they can be very comfortable though you must be careful to follow the T.I.C.K.S guidelines for safe babywearing.
Safe babasling
-Highstreet Carriers
These full buckle carriers are readily available in high street shops. They often advertise three ways (on your front facing in, on your front facing out and on your back). Whilst these are very popular and help enable a lot of parents into babywearing, the baby’s position isn’t necessarily particularly comfortable for parent or child, and isn’t recommended for long periods of time as it’s not particularly ergonomic.
-Kanga
These are African carriers which are pieces of cloth that go around the waist.
-Onbuhimos (onbu)
Onbus traditional Japanese carriers that look a bit like a mei tai but with rings at the waist.
Hope that was actually useful- it’s all correct to the best of my knowledge but please let me know if there’s any errors or anything I’ve left out and I can correct and update. I’m still learning about all this too!
Let us know if there’s anything you’d like to know about in more detail and we can certainly blog about it.
03 Tuesday Mar 2015
Posted in Meet Ups, Photos, Sling Library
Tags
2015, breastfeeding, buckles, close caboo, cloth bum, cloth nappies, first hire, first meet, full buckles, half buckles, hire, March, mei tai, natural parenting, photo, ring sling, size 4, size 6, size 7, sling library, sling meet, slingmeet, slings, stretchy, wrap straps, wraps
Hi all
Thanks to everyone who came along or shared our flyer about the Bracknell Sling Meet last Friday. We kept hear people talking about it, which was great news, and lots of people turned up on the day to try slings, drink tea, play with babies and meet the cloth nappy lady too!
We had about 15 people through the door on the day which was a perfect number for the 90 minutes we had in the room. We hired out our first two slings (a size 6 woven wrap and a ring sling) and got some great feedback about the afternoon.
We currently have 9 slings for hire in our library:
As our meets are fortnightly, please don’t turn up this week as we won’t be there! Next meeting is Friday 13th (lucky!) at the Birch Hill Community Centre.
Even if you don’t want to try or hire any new slings come along and:
