Babywearing can help me keep my kid decent

Yet another odd moment where a babycarrier turned up as a savior. Carriers and wraps have previously served us as

*Emergency sun shades
*Hammocks
*blankets when the evening turned unexpectedly cold
*BEACH blankets

And today, when Monster peed through all her clothes AND through her back up outfit, she was put in a carrier to hide the fact that she was wearing little but an underwear.

Now THAT's what I call an adventure in babywearing...commando!

In other news, while I'm still honing out the blog, I'm hoping to build more readership. I kid you not internet, there is some wacky stuff to come soon. There will be a career change, a drastic location change, and stories of babywearing advocacy in hostile cultures. Plus there might be some political rant thrown in the mix. So keep a look out...it'll be slow in coming, but when it gets here? Be prepared to bring your boxing gloves.

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Baby wearing and acting--NOT kidding!

From since before I went to Turkey, my good friend Emilie and I had been talking about me possibly playing a Muslim mom on a short film she wrote. So over the last weekend, Emilie and I and some of our other mom friends worked on Other Peoples' Houses. For the first day of shooting, all our scenes were around the neighborhood and in Lou Loudati park on 4oth and Skillman Avenue.

Monster was the perfect diva; she slept in that morning, wouldn't stay in her clothes and created a huge fuss when she saw a piece of egg yolk sticking to her egg whites. She was however a very good toddler once worn. Her friends kept handing her snack and craisins from their trikes and while walking beside us.

One funny incident happened: While waiting inside El Shater on 43rd and 43rd for my cue to walk out and run into Emilie, I heard some women talk about me and the store owner tell them "It's her own daughter" and then he came over to confirm it with me. After I told him "Yes, she's my daughter, all the kids in the shoot are our own," I heard the woman scoff some more "Is she even Muslim?"

If I wasn't waiting for my cue, I would have totally fallen out of character and either a. started cracking up or b. pulled my bee-Otch on and went "and what does it mattah to you sistah?"

Anywhooo... I'm going to give El Shater's owner Hassan a shout out here. Go and try his spinach pies...(but stay away from the dried fruit and nuts, they're over priced and stale--not a good combination.)

Play nice ladies!

Cool Babywearing Dads

Over last weekend, I saw Mr. Oz's Facebook update during the time I was snapping pics away and he was carrying Monster while she slept.

"Updating FB Status while baby sleeps on my back. Cool!" it said.

I distinctly remembered, leaving Monster sleeping on his CHEST! So why would he say she was on his back?

"It sounded cooler," was Mr. Oz's reply.

I love my babywearing Baba =)

We have our first featured Daddy-babywearers!

Meet Abdou! My friend Doa (who I met through the wonderful network of iVillage pregnancy forums) got into babywearing with the rest of us. The two of us however are the rare few that ventured further than stretchy wraps. And now her hubby has been sucked welcomed into the wonderful world of babywearing. Doa says " I always put her on his back, he is still too scared to do it on his own. At this time he loves our mei tai."

Now for one of our local dads: Joe Orecchio. Elyse had been a babywearer since before it was hot and trendy! When I first met her, she had her second ickle one in a Peanut Shell pouch, where the peanut stayed till she could peak out and sneak out on her own.

"When I wore my babies as infants, it felt like they were extensions of myself. Just like when they were in the womb, only cuter, because I got to see them and cuddle them close," says Elyse.

"Now that Melody is almost two, I still sometimes wear her in the Ergo so I can easily fly up and down subway stairs. She still loves the face-to-face transportation!"

The two have pictures of her hubby Joe wearing even the handsome 7 year old son the two have.


"Have you ever seen a baby gorilla riding along on the back of her father? There is something so natural and primal about moving through our concrete jungle with your child attached" Daddy thinks. "Since my babies can't hold on as well as baby gorillas, I use the Bjorn."

Does your Darling Hubby babywear? I have seen some men wearing their little ones around the Sunnyside nabe and would love to hear their take on babywearing.

Babywearing on the Go

Last month Monster and I were on our own taking Istanbul's sights and sounds in. We ditched the stroller for our Bamberoo Baby delux full buckle tie and never looked back.

At the airport: Before boarding even though we tried to keep her up by walking her around, Monster began showing signs of crashing but was so entertained that despite her cranky mood, she couldn't wind down. Ten minutes of back carrying next to a window and talking about the plane parked right outside, I brought a zonked out baby back to the waiting area to silent applause from the passengers sitting next to us.


Istanbul streets and bazaars: I didn't hear one negative comment or a snarky look anywhere in Istanbul. Monster's sweet ride was appreciated and exclaimed upon everywhere, especially in crowded bazaars where steering strollers probably should require a road test and license. It was a good thing Monster is cute, there could have been many upset shop keepers who had to frequently rescue their hanging clothes from Monster's clutches. From her position, she could reach most anything dangly. Wisely, I stayed out of lamp shops.

Lastly, one of the most frequent sighting in Istanbul. At least they're starting out--a little more time and they'd be weaving their own wraps the likes of Pamir and Rosies.

Carrying 30 lbs and over!

I'd always wondered about that 35lb limit on carriers and when I'd be able to test drive my carriers with Monster, never thinking of just grabbing a 30lber toddler and strap him in.

Today I got the opportunity to wear a 30 lbs baby (not kidding, he's 15 months old, 8 months younger than Monster and same height as her). We took the kids to a nearby park here in Istanbul and we thought we'd try wearing chunky monkey Eyup D. on my back and letting Monster walk.

I'll be honest here, at first for a few seconds I thought I'll lose my balance.

In a few minutes however, I found my new center of gravity and we took a hike to the second park in the neighborhood that was a little bit further off...and I carried Monster in my arms for half the way.

However, I am very grateful for Monster's moderate weight compared to Chunky Monkey Eyup D's. Monster isn't very happy these days though, as he can totally take her down in a fight! In a very short time she's learned to make a run for it whenever he makes a move towards her.

Monster Takes the Highline

It's always a good idea to snap on an SSC when leaving for even a short walk...especially when Monster has just risen from a nap.

We left the car on 14th and 10th where we luckily found parking. I considered leaving the SSC because Monster has been preferring to walk on her own these days but in the last minute changed my mind and hung it around my waist 'just in case.'

Turns out it was a good idea as she was in that phase of wanting to cuddle and the crowd was not helping either. So we swung her up only a few yards down and there she remainded until she felt fresh enough to explore on her own.

For more images of our first trip to The Highline, see my daily photo blog here.

Compliant friend enjoys newborn snuggles

Our neighbor and friend Emel S. happily agreed to join Monster and me on a trek to Northern Boulevard. Her only concern: she had not yet experienced having to take out both kids at the same time, her 2.5 year old toddler Little Miss A who is Monster's prototype and the 2 month old baby boy T.
Of course, my first reaction was "OH MY GOD, CAN I CARRY HIM?" But my over zealousness could have been worrying to Emel who decided to try on a wrap just for the occasion.
Don't they look adorable?

Wrap: Saffron Honey Nino with Wool,
Carry: Pocket-wrap cross carry.


Editing to add: A JuneFireFly mommy friend of mine began thinking along the same lines as we've been thinking after seeing Emel's cool gear and wondered if she can somehow avoid buying a double stroller. For her, I suggested the Hitchhiker stroller board, a stand-on board that attaches to most single strollers and for the walking preschooler provides a relief from walking while your younger child sits in the stroller. I like this specifically because Monster is at a stage where she neither wants me to hold her for very long, she occasionally gets tired of walking yet she definitely does not want to stay IN the stroller for very long as well.

Call me crazy, I have that scenario figured out when I have a newborn in a wrap, a toddler in the stroller, and a preschooler walking next to me. It's not written in stone though...I may leave the preschooler at home.

How I converted two old ladies

I'm not saying the best way to shop in Marshall's is to strap a sticky-finger toddler on your back; you should have seen the path of destruction behind us as I navigated the tight spaces and the looks on the poor salespeople.
What does rock though is to have a carrier that switches from back carrying to front carrying just in time for a very cranky toddler trying to doze and having it hard to do.
So there I am waiting at the bus stop, when I hear the two sweet ladies comment towards me "She's very big, she should be walking."

Me: "She does. Right now she's asleep, so we cannot demonstrate."

Old ladies: "Mothers these days use strollers."

Me: "If I had a stroller right now and my daughter sleeping in it about to board a bus, I'd be in trouble. And if I did manage to somehow fold the stroller and get on the bus, you'd be trouble, because there'd be wheels everywhere!"

Old ladies: "You are absolutely right! Way to go! I'm going to make sure my daughter uses a carrier instead of a stroller when she takes public transportation next time."

And then we become best friends.

Well, ok the last commen is made up, but we did have very amicable conversation about toddlers not wanting to hold hands and hands-free carrying being a very good option for kids that won't stay put.

Meet Sunnymom and Baby wearer, Beth

MonsterHugs: What attracted you to babywearing beyond the infant years?

Beth: I live in a fourth floor walk-up and it’s just easier for me to carry Sarina in my carrier than carry a stroller. Also, I like to be able to talk to Sarina while I run my errands rather than have her facing out from me in the stroller. I also like the closeness of being able to carry her, especially because I really feel like the time we have together is limited since I work full time.

MonsterHugs: How many carriers did you try before settling on your current carrier, and what is your current carrier?

Beth: I started with the Moby Wrap and used that until Sarina was 4 months old. I liked the softness and I liked to do errands around the house with her inside. But when I felt that when she got heavier, I needed more support. So, I went to the Baby Bjorn. I liked using the baby bjorn cover for her-like a sleeping bag over her whole body, it was great, especially in the winter time. I always kept her facing me, although my husband wore her facing out. He also refused to wear the moby wrap since he could never figure out the straps. When Sarina was eleven months old, the bjorn started to really hurt my back. Wearing her was a chore. So, I got the ergo, which is what I still use now. I would have gotten the ergo from day one, had I known about it. I didn’t know about it til Sarina was eleven months old and I started to research new carriers. I love the ergo. I still use it all the time. I keep Sarina in front most of the time, although if we are going for a long walk, I will put her on my back. I took Sarina to Ireland when she was one and the ergo was great for our hikes. She also used to sleep while she was in it and I loved having the head cover.

MonsterHugs: Everyone has times when they stop and think “How do I carry the diaper bag.” What do/did you do with your diaper bag when baby wearing?

Beth: The diaper bag keeps falling off my shoulder and onto my wrist. It’s annoying and still hard to carry the diaper bag, my purse and groceries, etc. I usually will just try to take a mini diaper bag and put my wallet in there too. Or I will just shove some money into the front pocket of the ergo if I am going grocery shopping and not bring a diaper bag.

MonsterHugs: What is the best comment you have received from strangers when out and about?

Beth: They usually just comment on how happy Sarina is when I talk to her or sing to her.

MonsterHugs: What is the worst/strangest comment you have heard from strangers?

Beth: Isn’t she heavy? Doesn’t she hurt your back? I usually don’t get anything but positive comments though when I am carrying her, especially in an airport. We go to the airport with no stroller and no car seat, it’s great. Rent a car seat when we get there and buy an umbrella stroller or go without. She doesn’t go crazy and run around at the terminal and she is easy to contain through security. And, we don’t have a ton of bags. I used to carry her in my front and my pump backpack on my back. I guess you just get used to carrying lots of things, at least I had to because of my living situation.




About Beth Pocius:
I am an associate attorney for the New York Supreme Court law department. Bryan is my husband and we moved here almost three years ago from Brooklyn. We have lived all over Brooklyn and Manhattan and we love Sunnyside. I am originally from Connecticut. Sarina was born in April 2008 and her current favorite activity is kicking and throwing a rubber ball that I picked up from our mother/daughter trip to FAO Schwartz (I took her on the bus, in the ergo). My husband is a musician in his spare time and plays in two bands and writes his own music. I also used to play the piano and flute and I really need to get started again! I enjoy going for long walks, hiking, playing with my cat zeke, and spending time with my family.

Our First Featured Babywearer

Babywearing mama, Jillian has a lot to say about babywearing and natural parenting! She is a busy mommy to 5 kids under 7, and WAHM (work at home mom) of PAXbaby.com & SproutSoup.com. Usually she lives in Southern California, but right now, she and her tribe are in Australia, soaking up summer sunshine & working long distance!

"I carried my first 3 babies in slings, but it wasn't until I was pregnant with Baby #4 that I really started to research the different types of carriers. I discovered that the babywearing world was MUCH bigger than the 2 Maya Wrap Ring Slings that had been handed down to us and the 1 DIY Ring Sling that my mom made me. This discovery was life changing since it meant that I could be truly hands free with my new babe while continuing the attachment parenting style that I know is important is raising healthy kids. By the time Baby #4 arrived, my stash had quadrupled in size, I had watched every YouTube video available, and I was ready to WEAR my baby! Babywearing wasn't very prevalent in my town, and I saw the perfect opportunity to share my passion with moms who relied on the Bjorn to make it through their baby's first few months. I celebrated my 4th baby's 1st birthday by opening my store, PAXbaby, bringing my favorite ergonomic yet stylish baby carriers to the attachment moms in Santa Barbara. Little did I know that my online store would be a hit also, resulting in my partnership with Alissa Derouchie in Columbus, Ohio, and a new store, Sprout Soup, was added to my resume in time for my 5th baby's 1st birthday in 2009! You may be wondering, how does she manage all this? 5 kids and 2 businesses? The answer is easy! Babywearing ;)"

Jillian's Babywearing Do's and Don'ts

Do wear your baby every day!
Don't worry that it will spoil your baby!
Do shop until you drop to find the perfect carrier!
Don't worry about spending too much! It's worth it!
Do choose a pattern that you LOVE and colors that match your wardrobe!
Don't assume that babywearing will come naturally to you or baby!
Do practice, before baby is born, with baby, in the mirror, watching online tutorials!
Don't worry if you don't get right away!
Do practice, practice, & practice again!
Don't take it personally if you get weird comments or stares!
Do take the weird comments or stares as a compliment!
Don't forget to take your baby carrier everywhere you go!
Do encourage your husband to wear your baby as well!
Don't worry if he doesn't get it right away! He will!
Do talk to other babywearers you see out & about!
Don't be mean to them if they are using a Bjorn!
Do chat about the virtues of your (more comfortable) baby carrier!
Don't stop wearing your baby until they are too heavy to have on your back!
Do keep your carrier as a keepsake or hand it down to a new mom!
Don't be sad when your babywearing career is over!
Do encourage other moms you know to give babywearing a try!

Be a voice for good, and spread the babywearing love!

Baby's Perspective

Ever wondered what do Babies see from the bucket stroller?

Watch till the end to see what Babies see when they're worn on a moma's back! *Love!*