So you need a carrier but finances say no...

I am writing this with no incentive other than to help parents and/or caregivers who want to wear their child/dren, but finances are tight. Carriers can be expensive, to the point of being unobtainable sometimes. If you have internet access and a few spare minutes up your sleeve each day, this could potentially be a way to own a safe, practical, functional carrier without having to stretch your budget further. Until the end of the year (2017), Yellow (Yellow Pages online) are offering three FlyBuys points per business review you submit. These only need to be short, factual comments, and shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes each. Each day you can review five businesses (think of all the places you visit, from your local servo to the library, cafe, preschool, post shop, supermarket, online outlets, your doctor, your dentist, your hairdresser, your rubbish bin collector, the stores you enjoy browsing, there are countless businesses you can review!), which, should all your reviews be accepted, provide you with 890 FlyBuys points over two months. At the end of those two months, with your 890 points tucked away in your FlyBuys account, you now have exactly the amount of points required to get yourself this Mountain Buggy Juno!

*Please note, I have no affiliations to any of the companies listed, please read the terms and conditions of each for full details and eligibility.

Aroha: Piwakawaka

Piwakawaka ~ the first thing that struck me was the colour; the teal is rich and vibrant, the colour of summer sun filtering through sea in sheltered bay. The piwakawaka themselves have gorgeous detail, and photos I had seen somehow failed to capture how realistic looking they really are, the cheeky expressions you see on their wee faces as they chase the bugs you stir up in the bush are reflected perfectly in this wrap. In the hand, this wrap is thin yet with some weight behind it. A bit of a rarity, it delivers a load of grip for a relatively thin wrap! This is the kind of thin, cool, crisp wrap that lends itself perfectly to warm weather carrying. I found myself double checking the label to be certain it was 100% cotton, because it has a slight cool crispness so often found in a linen wrap. With little stretch, I found this wrap meant sag was no issue, yet it moulded beautifully to my wrapee, and fell to perfect pleats on the shoulder. Piwakawaka is densely woven and not at all snag prone, it has a fairly heavy feel which means tails hang beautifully and and its wee bit of crispness makes fancy finishes flawless every time.  As far as a perfect fit, I can't recommend this highly enough for a slightly older baby who is just getting moving and discovering the joys of leaning and seat popping; it is thin enough to be gentle and mouldable, but its grip means that passes lock into place, and knots hold firmly! As a bigger toddler wrap, I found a second or subsequent pass provided the extra support needed to make carries in piwakawaka shine!

QUICK GUIDE:

Glide: little
Grip: yes
Cush: little
Moldability: yes
Stretch: little
Sag: none
Airiness: medium
Texture: medium
Weave: dense
Thickness: thin

REVIEW: Carry Om Handwovens' "Ridiculous Peacock"

Carry Om "Ridiculous Peacock"

50% Cotton, 50% Lyocell (peppermint)

The first thing that struck me when Peacock arrived was its stunning colours. When it comes to colour, Sarah is nothing short of a genius; every piece she makes is perfectly balanced, each colour perfectly compliments the others, colours that are far from traditional combinations cleverly balance and enhance each other highlighting and bringing depth to weave structure. Peacock is no different, its delicate lemon yellow, rich vibrant blue, bright fuschia, deep dark purple, crisp, cool turquoise and gentle pastel lavender played perfectly together, much in the manner of its namesake. 

Beyond the colours, the wrap itself is a beautifully executed piece; airy yet blankety, cushy, thick and smooshy it is blissfully soft and thick on the shoulders; if diggy has an opposite, this wrap is it! We put Peacock through its paces, single, double and triple layers all comfortable and supportive with an 11kg toddler, and despite its thick, blankety nature, even in a triple layer carry it wasn't too bulky or dense. Peacock is all the things I love in a wrap; smooshy, cushy, moldable, thick and blankety, colours that catch the eye and highlight the intricate weave details, enough grip to hold firmly in place without being hard work to wrap into place, airy and breathable yet comfortingly cuddly. The details can make or break a piece for me, in this case crisp selvedges, small, simple, elegant middle markers and tags, generous, smooth knots and twists and neatly finished tails make Peacock an all round winner. Unfortunately for me, Peacock was only here as a tester, but if you are looking for a thoughtful, creative weaver with an eye for detail and an understanding of colour that is absolutely genius, I can't recommend Sarah highly enough!

REVIEW: Wrapture Vintage Sapphire

Wrapture Vintage Sapphire

259gsm

55% cotton, 26% spun viscose, 18% bamboo

Size 5

Once again, Wrapture have proven they are no one-trick pony, Vintage Sapphire is entirely different from anything I've seen from them! A world away from smooshy, marshmallowy Niah, Vintage Sapphire is a dense, luxurious, silky wrap. At a medium thickness, Vintage has a dense, heavy, drapey texture, with a silky, polished finished that gives it an undeniably luxurious feel. It somehow manages to escape any of the slipperiness that so often comes with a silky, sheeny wrap, and while wrapping with it is an absolute joy, with passes gliding perfectly, it holds a knot solidly, and every pass sits firmly in place. Vintage Sapphire sits beautifully; slick smooth passes, gorgeous naturally forming pleats and soft, cushy and easy on the shoulder. The deep, rich Sapphire blue blended with silvery pearl shades complements its timeless peony design perfectly, giving it an elegance with a definite feel of days gone by. Whilst "vintage" is an absolutely fitting description, it is an outstanding example of the innovative, beautiful, and constantly evolving Wrapture style, and would fit perfectly in even the most modern of wardrobes. I tried a variety of carries, with a toddler and a bigger child, and was pleasantly surprised to find Vintage Sapphire was dense, strong and supportive enough, with enough cush to make even a single layer carry with a bigger child a pleasure. I struggle to think of a single scenario in which I would not recommend this wrap, it is elegant, luxurious, easy care, a piece of art that would compliment any stash!

REVIEW: Time Warp Handwovens 'merica

Time Warp Handwovens "'merica"
2.13m (ring sling)
100% cotton
380gsm

I purchased 'merica directly from Time Warp's website. After a few hiccups and several back and forth messages regarding shipping, it was on its way to New Zealand.

'merica arrived beautifully presented, wrapped in tulle with a handwoven storage bag. 'merica is a beautifully cushy, smooshy, soft wrap, airy yet wonderfully supportive. The depth and detail of the crackle weave make it incredibly cushy for both wearer and wearee, in this instance a solid toddler. The dual colour separating the shoulder from the body of the ring sling add an attractive, eye catching point of difference. Muted greens and grays lend  depth and add intricacy to its palette of blues, whites and reds. 'merica is one of those blankety, comforting wraps, which while thicker, has the softness and cush to embrace the squishiest of squishes, yet dense and supportive enough to make it shine as a toddler sling. Razor sharp selvedges are not something I expect to find on a crackle weave wrap of this thickness, however they were beautifully even and well finished. The shoulder was tidily and evenly finished, and cups the shoulder beautifully, the incredible  texture gave it the perfect amount of grip to prevent slipping at the rings. With a very picky shoulder, it is very rare that I find a ring sling that offers enough cush and support to suit my tastes, this however, was bliss on the shoulder and quickly became my ring sling of choice.

My one and only suggested area of improvement would be in regards to the ease of use for international customers on the website, however Natasha was friendly and helpful, and kept in regular contact via email until all shipping hiccups were sorted. I would absolutely recommend Time Warp Handwovens to other buyers.

REVIEW: Wrapture Niah Twelfth Night

Wrapture Niah Twelfth Night

59% Super Mercerized Cotton, 41% Bamboo

243 GSM

Size 5

As a lover of thick, smooshy, cushy wraps, usually I will automatically dismiss any wrap described as "thin". Once again, Wrapture has blown apart all my reasons for disliking thin and I have fallen head over heels for a thinner wrap! A wrapper of toddlers and bigger children, when I hear "thin", I hear "sag", "drag" and "shoulder pain". Not with Niah Twelfth Night! This wrap is the very definition of "bandagey", and what it lacks in thickness, it more than makes up for in beautiful, bangagey mouldability. The ridges in the delicate blue begonias give gorgeous texture, and a little grip, enough to help lock passes into place, and in a rare combination, Twelfth Night manages to have both plenty of grip and plenty of glide. The addition of bamboo as a fibre means it is airy, breathable and ultra soft yet somehow manages to completely avoid the slipperiness so often found in a bamboo blend. Beautifully floppy, yet with plenty of cush, this is the most perfect squish wrap you could hope for, but whatever magic it is that Wrapture weave into all their wraps allows this unicorn of bamboo blends to be completely supportive and comfortable with a toddler. The bold yet delicate flowers make this an elegant but easy to wear wrap, and the crisp white paired with deep blue make it a classic, the absolute  perfect match for jeans and white shirts. This is the perfect addition to any stash, and is versatile enough for those looking for a one and only wrap to cover newborn day through to the end of babywearing days.

Babywearing and negativity.

Have you ever faced criticism, or at least sneakily snide comments in your babywearing journey?  How often do we see people sharing their stories of public judgment and criticism within the babywearing community? Today I wanted to talk about some of the frequently heard criticisms and why I feel they are both unnecessary and untrue.

1. "Isn't he/she too big for that now"?

First, let's talk about whether that is physically the case. If you are able to wrap your child or get your child into a carrier, and you and your child are comfortable, then the answer is no. Wraps are designed to carry large weights. They are woven and of a quality suitable to safely take substantial weight and movement. Carriers, likewise, are designed to distribute the weight of a child evenly. The fabric, the stitching, the hardware (buckles etc) are thoroughly weight tested. Toddler and preschool carriers in particular are designed specifically to carry bigger children. Unless your child exceeds the weight or height recommendations(in which case, its time to upsize to a bigger carrier!), then again, the answer is no.

From a developmental perspective, the act of carrying a child varies little from hugging or piggybacking a child. Is your child to big to be hugged? No? Then your child isn't too big to be worn! Physical contact is a basic human need, essential to secure attachments. We as adults often seek companionship, and for many of us cuddling up to another human at the end of the day provides us with comfort and security, this is not a need that children suddenly "grow out of" at age two or three, this is basic human need.

2. "She'll/he'll never learn to walk if you carry her/him all the time".

Quite the contrary! The upright position adopted whilst being worn, along with the movement associated with a parent or caregiver's own body movements, assists in vestibular development. It also assists in the development of balance and muscle tone, strengthens the neck, back and hips which is of course, beneficial when learning to crawl and/or walk. In addition, wearing allows you to be physically active whilst carrying your child, role modeling walking and being physically active for them. Your child gains the recognition that walking takes you places, that it is enjoyable and that it affords you a range of experiences. An ergonomically designed carrier or wrap also holds your baby or child in a way encourages healthy hip development, and does not compress internal organs or the digestive system in the way that propping an infant in to a sitting position in a pushchair/high chair/baby seat can.

3. "That's dangerous, what if you trip"?!

If you trip and fall whilst wearing there IS a chance your child may be hurt. If you trip and fall whilst carrying your child in your arms they may be hurt. If you trip and fall carrying them in a capsule they may be hurt. If you trip and let go of a stroller they may be hurt. If you have a motor vehicle accident they may be hurt. The list goes on. Life can never be made entirely risk free, but babywearing is not a high risk activity, and following TICKS guidelines and ensuring you are using a well fitting, safety tested carrier makes babywearing a low risk activity.

4. "Why don't you just use a pushchair"?

You can use a pushchair by all means! However babywearing has its own benefits that go beyond what a pushchair offers. Firstly, your child is in close proximity. This means they have the comfort and security of physical contact, and they can be protected from overstimulation. A worn child has their head close to yours, which naturally leads to conversation. How often do you find yourself chattering away to your child whilst wearing? The impact this has on language development and comprehension, on their understanding of the world around them shouldn't be underestimated! Wearing can also allow you access to places that are not necessarily pushchair friendly; shops with narrow aisles, off road tracks, stairs etc.

5. "Babies die in those things"!

The tragic fact is that babies have been suffocated in bag slings. Bag slings are not recommended as suitable carriers and there is no way to make them safe for use. An ergonomic carrier or a wrap used correctly supports a baby in an upright position, preventing them from slumping, slouching or having their airways compromised. TICKS guidelines are the accepted safety guidelines for ensuring your child's safety. Following those guidelines makes baby wearing a safe, beneficial and comfortable activity for both child and wearer.