Happy 4th Birthday, BWAT!

I just want to wish a happy 4th birthday to Babywearing Around Tulsa!  What a milestone!  

This is my first baby.  I knew before Bitsy was born that I wanted to wear her.  I ordered this moby on a black friday sale because Mobies were the only carriers I really new about.  Mobies and Ergos and one ring sling were all I had ever seen.  My friends who also had babies right when I did were the same way and we stumbled through much of it together.

We practiced, but we didn't wear as often as I wanted at first.  We also had a ring sling but the instructions were confusing and included cradle carry.  (Which I tried!  And luckily she HATED for the most part)  And look at those footie pajamas!  I didn't know to give them a tug to free up her little toes.

All I knew is I wanted to hold my baby close.  Especially when she was sick, like in this picture here.  I KNEW in my heart that being close to mama was important, so we kept trying.  And CJ and Amanda formed Babywearing Around Tulsa on Facebook and suddenly we had a whole bunch of other people who were all trying the same thing. 

We branched out to mei tais.  Our first mei tai was much like the Babyhawk or infantino mei tais you can easily find in stores these days.  

And then the meetings started!  This is CJ, Bitsy (on front) and her boy at one of our first meetings.  We met at the play place at the mall.  Chaotic, but free.  And there were maybe a half dozen of us.  I was too intimidated to go alone, though I needn't have been, so Ashley Ritchie went with me.  

We got the hang of Ring Slings and even bought a water ring sling!  (Bitsy was such a serious baby. Nothing like her always laughing little brother)

And we got better at wrapping.  With practice and with help.  And while were doing all of that we made friends.  So many amazing friends.

But we still didn't know about those darned footie pajamas!  Haha!

 And travel got a heck of a lot easier.  Getting coffee and buffet breakfast at a hotel is a heck of a lot easier with two hands!  And comforting a baby in a strange place is so much easier with a carrier.

We also got to borrow some amazing carriers along the way.  I hope CJ still has this amazing beauty; we were so very privileged to be able to help break it in.

BTW - our selfies got better along the way as well!

BWAT has had a major impact on my life and I hope on the lives of many others.  Just looking back at my own babywearing journey reminds me of why I feel so dedicated to helping others learn and find the right carrier for them.

So happy birthday, BWAT!  May you continue to grow and share babywearing love with all of Northeast Oklahoma.  May you touch the lives of many in a positive way.  May the love you share send out ripples that reach beyond what any one person could do.

Somer Johnson is a Babywearing enthusiast and Momma to Bitsy and Squeaker, two bundles of energy. She is a Babywearing Institute Certified Babywearing Educator.  She is also addicted to cloth diapers and makes and sells wool dryer balls as SomerKnits. Occasionally she also carves out some time to knit, spin or weave - her main pre-baby passions.





Has Babywearing Around Tulsa had an impact on your life?  We would love to share your story!  Please feel free to share in the comments here or on facebook and if you would be willing to write a blog post contact us at BabywearTulsa@gmail.com

Wherever Ergo, I’ll go: Evolution of a Babywearing Mama

Wherever Ergo, I’ll go: Evolution of a Babywearing Mama






When my daughter was born, I was given several wraps and babywearing items: a Moby, a Maya ring sling, a Seven sling, a custom work-at-home-mom sling and and
Ergo (with infant insert). From my little collection, I chose to begin with the Moby wrap. I’d see a good video online and had practiced before the baby came, although I never thought to wrap the cat. (Pregnancy regrets: #thestruggleisreal). When she was nine days old, I wore her for the first time. She snuggled into the Moby with ease and enjoyed her new nap locale. “Great!” I thought. “She loves being worn already.” Eventually, I came to dislike the radiating heat of the Moby while out and about in the summer. It was like laying belly-first on the surface of the sun. I searched for a new option from my repertoire and reached for the Maya ring sling. A new friend showed me how to wear my little in the sling and I loved it. The baby would sleep on me at church, her little feet sticking out under her round little rump. The catch was that A) she did not want to be worn while awake and B) my husband wanted nothing to do with wearing her  in the sling. He even mentioned that she seemed to dislike it and would offer to carry her for me. I saw this as an attempt to “rescue” my baby from my ill-advised intentions and took umbrage. I know now that he was just trying to give his sleep-deprived wife a few minutes of rest and wanted some of those delicious baby cuddles he missed while at work. Yet the sling worked wonderfully for us for months. It even lived in my car.

As my girl grew bigger and more physically active, she would throw HUGE fits as soon as she realized I was getting her saddled into the ring sling. She wanted to look around, having long since decided my chest was not as fascinating as she had once thought. I tried to do hip carries with her, but she was just not feeling it. Meanwhile, I started to notice that my lower back hurt after a few minutes and chose not to subject both of us (and all of the grocery store patrons around us) to the torture. I resigned myself to putting Little Miss in the cart (#babywearingfail) and tried not to look the other
moms in the eye. It seemed like we’d reached an impasse when I remembered the Ergo. I had
tried to wear her in it a few times when she was little bitty, but the infant insert was like calculus-- Calculus while holding a mad, squirming baby. But now she was over twelve pounds and had perfect head control. It had to be worth a try. I worked on my technique for a quick strap-in and jiggle-to-sleep dance. It took some time. But I persisted. As I grew in confidence and she learned that cuddles can still be nice, it got better. When another friend showed me how to clip the back clip myself, it was no longer an ordeal to wear my baby. It was enjoyable. I’d strap her on at the store, jiggle her to sleep and stroll the aisles, head held high and soaking up the drooly, drooly snuggles. I felt like I
suddenly understood all the mamas who mourn their growing, walking children. I was a complete convert. I felt this would be my pinnacle of babywearing glory. Surely, this was enough for me. So I cannot describe my pure delight when my husband expressed willingness to try carrying our little one in the Ergo. I showed him how to strap in, saddled up the baby and got her situated. I dropped technical phrases like “knee-to-knee” and “seat” to make sure he knew I had done my homework. He stepped back, looking first at his girl calming down and dozing off, then studying his free hands. He wiggled, checking his back for discomfort. Then he looked at me and said “Hey, this isn’t bad at all. Have I reached my babywearing nirvana yet? My high note? I don’t think I have, as I’ve been eyeing some linen and woven wraps on the Babywearing Around Tulsa Facebook page. Maybe I will become a wrapper. Every day, my little one gets better at sitting up unsupported. Soon we will be able to start back carries in the Ergo. I may even get brave and borrow a woven from our lending library. Have I reached the end of my quest for babywearing bliss? Not even close. There will be more carriers, more developmental milestones and more babies to be worn (whether mine or no). I’m
looking forward to a long and beautiful relationship with babywearing. Off to the next great adventure!








My name is Alicia Kobilnyk. I've always worked with children, except for a brief foray at a Zoo, which can be quite similar. I especially enjoyed teaching toddlers but recently got promoted: to Mama. I'm on my journey into the land of baby wearing, cloth diapering and all the yummy goodness that crunchy motherhood brings.

Babywearing After the NICU

I went into premature labor at 29 weeks and gave birth to identical twin girls via emergency C-section at 30 weeks.  My daughters were in the NICU at St John for 89 days.  During that time my husband and I were only allowed to hold them for a maximum of 20 minutes every three hours, though there were many days that we held them less.  

I was very worried that my children would not have a bond with me and I was stressed about bringing unattached children home.  As a former educator, I knew the importance of building trust and attachment in infancy and was extremely worried that we had missed the critical window.  When the girls finally came home, they were miserable.  They cried almost every minute of every day.  I thought I was going to lose my mind.  

Luckily a friend of mine, Ann Bennett, introduced me to babywearing and even gave us a Moby wrap.  I was also able to purchase an Ergo soft structured carrier, and quickly fell in love with babywearing. 

First Time Babywearing

Although I had first thought babywearing sounded strange, I quickly realized that it was truly a life and sanity saver.   Babywearing gave my husband and me a chance to spend time skin to skin with our daughters.  Babywearing allowed us to build an attachment that we had missed out on in the NICU.  Babywearing helped improve our very tenuous breastfeeding relationship (which is still going strong at 15 months!).  Babywearing helped soothe my very colicky, very refluxy girls.  Having twins can be a difficult balance of tending to the needs of both children, who both always seem to need something at the same time.  By babywearing, I am able to meet the needs of both girls without sacrificing my own.  Babywearing made a big difference in making up for some of the losses in the NICU.

Katherine Conner works for Early Head Start and is pursuing a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma.  She and her husband live in Broken Arrow with their twin daughters and two dogs.  In her extremely rare free time, Katherine likes to run, read, and cook.

Babywearing on vacation in Hawaii

Tandem Wearing: Saving a Mama’s Sanity, One Shopping Trip at a Time

So there I was… doesn’t every good story start that way?  

So there I was, in the parking lot of Sam’s Club. I carry my Moby Wrap, Babyhawk Mei Tai, and Boba with me everywhere I go. I normally carry my newborn in my Moby and my husband carries our two year old in the Boba. However, today, I was by myself.

Then came my bright idea! Tandem carry!!! I had seen it done multiple times, so I figured, “Lets do this!” Tandem wearing is something that I had considered and dismissed in the past. Now, I had a newborn, a two year old, a 3 (almost four) year old, and a five year old and I needed to buy groceries. My oldest is 13 and he is normally my minion wrangler/chaser when I go shopping, except he was at Tae Kwon Do summer camp this week.

I wrapped my newborn first in my Moby wrap. Then, I tied the Mei Tai around my waist, slung my two-year-old up onto my back, and tied him on.

It was surprisingly comfortable and everyone seemed secure. I put the older two in the cart seat. Success!!! Everyone was contained and safely so!

I received the usual comments about having my hands full, but I also received a ton of comments about how genius it was that I could carry two of my babies at once and still have my hands free to do my shopping.

What could have been a stressful, chaotic shopping trip turned into a peaceful trip where I was able to educate a few people on baby wearing! A very pregnant mama even asked me specifically about the Moby Wrap and if I liked it. She had received one as a gift at her baby shower.

My lower back was pretty sore, but I believe that is directly related to the fact that I gave birth only one month before.

 All in all, it was a great experience and I am looking forward to tandem wearing more often!
 

 

 

 

Danielle is a SAHM to five sons! She spends her time refereeing wrestling matches, walking around in a zombie-esque state, cloth diapering, and homeschooling, and she wouldn't change a thing!

Papa Bear and His Cub

When my son was first born i got into all kinds of baby groups and even started one of my own. Close friends of mine had been wearing their babies since they had been born, and while I might not be yelling for folks to nominate me for father of the year by any stretch, I figured that i have to do everything in my power to educate myself on the subject of childrearing. A part of that education was babywearing. Now being a first time father (and being 6'1" 235lbs), holding my tiny little 7 pound baby boy was nerve-wracking to say the least. Priding myself on being a manly man, as most men do, the thought of baby wearing was a little intimidating. I purchased a moby wrap (in black of course, to be as manly as possible) and following the instructions to the letter, led me to feel like I had a tangled hammock around me with a screaming infant inside. It took a trip to my friend and babywearing expert Kim Harris's house to show me the ropes enough to kinda get the feel for it. After she helped me get the wrap around me and Jase in the wrap, it was wonderful... Jase fell asleep and I was hands free to basically go and do.

Now my wife and I don't exactly have millions in the bank so obviously most of our cash goes to bills and groceries like most everyone I know, so I couldnt exactly go out and purchase a $300 wrap, but the moby I found to be inexpensive but still rather difficult to master the wrap, and having 40,000 feet of dangling fabric in a hot parking lot didn't seem all that inviting. So in doing a  lot of research (and a lot of talking with Kim) I went to Buy Buy Baby to shop for me a wrap that was comfy for Jase and me (remember I'm a Husky.... yeah thats a good adjective.... husky... we will go with that...guy)  that would look some semblance of manly that didn't break the bank. Luckily for me my wife had a really good coupon and I was able to procure an Infantino Mei Tai wrap that had padded shoulders and was easy to tie by myself and even easier to tie when my wife helps me... I figure that she carried him for 9 months and couldn't take him off like I can, so the least I can do is wear him throughout a trip to Walmart, Barnes and Noble or the Aquarium or the zoo...also it had a gray and white vine-like design that wasnt girly but wasnt exactly Rambo either.

The day I purchased this wrap I wore it (and my son) out of the store like a new pair of shoes...We went across the street to check out a different clothing selection for our little bundle, and whilst perusing the super cute (and manly) overalls for 3 month olds, a lady came out of her way to ask me where I had purchased my wrap and if I liked it. I commenced to telling her all about it like a new preacher eager to make his mark on the congregation. She seemed enthused because her husband had wanted to wear their little one but found the paisley prints a little too girly. I didn't blame him. I mean c'mon people.. what happened to unisex colors... I like gray, my wife likes gray, lets make a deal..anyways later on in the day we had shifted stores and were checking out the $5 movie bin at Walmart looking for the elusive, awesome $5 dvd, and a guy (roughly 40) walks by me (while I am complete with mai tai and son) and exclaims "Boy you're really taking one for the team!" Now if any of you reading this know me very well, you know how it took every ounce of self control to keep from either reaching out to grab him or saying something really nasty aloud for all the store to hear... but I didnt.. and I used that little filter between my brain and my mouth that sometimes is all too elusive. I thought to myself "well if bonding and being there for my son isn't manly then i guess I'm not manly."  But, honestly, I think that it is... if you think about it there aren't that many guys out there with the cajones enough to wrap their little one up on their chest and charge into a grocery store like a stormtrooper. Alas, I am now one of those men. And truly I think being a good father is one of the manliest things you can do.

I continue to wear my little Tater Bug right out in front, like a kangaroo, proudly displaying my love for my infant son. I'm super proud of him and he's the greatest accomplishment of my lifetime easily. My wife is now expressing interest in wearing him (but isn't confident enough in it yet to try putting him on at the front door of target like I will).  I figure with a few practice sessions at home, it will be a fight to see who gets to wear him!

I think fathers might (consciously or unconsciously) feel a bit left out if your wife is breastfeeding, that you aren't as big of a part of the baby's life as you should be... not true. I mean I'm no Dear Abby nor will I get a 900 number and give advice.. but in my opinion if husbands/fathers wear their baby, take turns feeding (breastfeeding with pumped bottles or with formula bottles) changing diapers giving baths, etc.. just being there a lot for playtime and for work time, your bond will grow with your baby leaps and bounds.. a bit of advice for fathers who are wearing or thinking about wearing your baby.. If anyone says anything in a negative way towards you wearing your little one, just know that they are the ignorant one.  Very, very ignorant. And if they had parked their all too important pride when their kids were young, then perhaps that child would act a little differently. And to all those who might see babywearers out in public, No... my baby isnt squished, and Yes, he can, in fact, breathe just fine, No he isnt heavy, nor is he too hot, and yes he is cute... I should know... I helped make him and I must say, I'm a craftsman. :) (he looks like his mother thank god).

My next stop...Coconut oil.... I hear that this stuff cures everything from psoriasis to low resale value on your home... I'm gonna have to check in to this.

-- Big Jake



Join Jake and others in his Facebook parenting group Parents of Great Kids.