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It is amazing how babywearing can make even the most regular day, special.

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*happy babywearing*

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You’ve seen the fun, you know the faces, how would you like to spend FIVE days with the PAXmoms learning about babywearing, relaxing in wine country Temecula, getting a massage, eating yummy food, and best of all, getting certified by CBWS!!!! 5 days spent talking about my favorite subject is my idea of a GREAT vacation; come join us by winning the lottery draw! There are only TWO spots remaining for the August 2014 Babywearing Retreat with PAXbaby.com; enter by clicking the link below. Our two guests will be chosen on July 23 and notified via email.

Joanna from the Center for Babywearing Studies is teaching our certification course with Jillian and the PAXmommies (& #babycate) from PAXbaby.com! From August 4-8, you will eat, talk, and sleep all things babywearing!!! Get ready to LEARN because this will be a five day adventure with a big goal at the end; babywearing consultant certification will be yours!!!!!

$1400 – total including :
4 days of classes
class materials
4 nights at our retreat estate in wine country Temecula
a massage
fresh & organic food prepared for you at every meal
and best of all, a VERY HARD TO FIND Girasol wrap as your souvenir!

* Please only sign up for the drawing if you are available from August 4-8 & willing to pay the total fees of the retreat.

** We love all the babies, but only are able to have children under 24 months with us at the event.

*happy babywearing*

The post Babywearing retreat with PAXbaby & certification by CBWS!!!! appeared first on PAXbaby.

My husband, Noah, and I live in Ann Arbor, where babywearing is as common as Sophie the Giraffe. We purchased our first wraps while our babies were still happily safe and snug in my belly. When the twins were born, each weighing about 2½ pounds, our wraps sat untouched at home. Micah and Zachary struggled to breath and were hooked up to cords, wires, tubes and machines. We couldn’t wrap them when they were intubated and unstable, so we kangarooed them instead.

Prior to wearing your hospitalized baby you must:

• Understand and know how to protect each of your baby’s lines/wires/cords, etc.

• Understand how to read your baby’s monitor and be attuned to your baby’s signs of distress

• Know how to keep your baby’s airway open and unobstructed at all times
  • An open airway includes a leveled chin (not tucked down or hyperextended up) and free flow of air to mouth and nose (not pressed against skin or covered by the wrap)

• Be skilled at wrapping and unwrapping (practice on a doll or stuffed animal)

Once Zachary was stable, an expert babywearer from our community visited our family in the NICU. She carefully taught us how to safely wear Zachary, who was still attached to cords and wires. Zachary had a history of severe apnea and troubled breathing, so she was extra careful to show us how to keep his airway open. During her visit, Micah was so unstable that he could not even be held, but it was amazing to wear Zachary and have our hands free to be with Micah.

Signs your hospitalized baby may be ready to be worn:

• Does not have any breathing episodes (apnea or troubled breathing)

• Can be easily handled, moved and carried without any complications

• All Central, PICC, and other lines must be completely secured

• A baby’s readiness to be worn is all about stability and safety. Babywearing must not pose a risk or jeopardize your baby’s safety.

We fell in love with babywearing immediately. After having to leave our babies alone every night for months, and being physically separated from them for so long, we longed to feel the twin’s skin against ours. We needed to feel them close. We needed to hear them breathe. The twins needed to be wrapped up in our love. 

One of my most cherished babywearing moments was tandem wearing Micah and Zachary for the first time. Micah was still in the hospital, but stable enough to visit other floors. I wrapped up my boys and just the three of us headed down to the NICU to visit the nurses who saved their lives countless times. I felt so proud, blessed and honored to be Micah and Zachary’s mama. The nurses doted over the boys and were fascinated by our meh dai carrier! I felt like the luckiest mama ever.

While we loved using woven wraps and meh dais while the boys were in the hospital, ring slings offered the most ease, and were the safest option for the boys’ attached cords, wires and tubes.

Benefits of ring slings for hospitalized babies: 

• Quick in/out

• Easily adjustable

• Unloop the wrap from the rings without having to move or unhook any cords or wires

• Minimal material

Babywearing became an integral, beautiful part of our journey. During Micah’s extensive hospitalization, babywearing allowed me to care for both of my babies at the same time. My babies and I were desperate to be close to one another; babywearing brought us together.

I’ll always treasure our family’s first neighborhood walk at home. I wrapped up Micah, Noah wrapped up Zachary, and off we went with our dog, Benjie. We were finally at home together, a dream come true. Babywearing brought us closer and helped us make up for our months of separation. Micah tucked his head under my chin, Zachary snuggled on his daddy’s chest, and in that moment, life could not be any sweeter.

Babywearing is one of the most incredible gifts for NICU families. However, there are challenges and risks that must be carefully considered before wearing a preemie or hospitalized baby. Besides the obvious need for the infant to be stable, you may need to build confidence in your baby’s care team. Many NICUs and children’s hospitals are not familiar with babywearing. You may need to demonstrate that you have the skills and understanding to ensure your baby remains safe while being worn.

Babywearing provides NICU families with the closeness they so desperately need. If you know a NICU family, ask if you can help them learn how to wear their baby. If you are a NICU family, get a ring sling and work on building your skills so that as soon as your baby is ready, babywearing can bring the two of you together. Babywearing nurtures bonding and intimacy, while keeping the caregiver’s hands free, an invaluable, necessary gift for every NICU family!

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But if you are pregnant, remember that you can continue babywearing as long as your midwife thinks you can or your body is up for carrying the extra weight! I remember attending a birthday party when I was 7 months pregnant with Baby #5. I was carrying #4 in my Riley Butterfly, ooooh, gorgeous, to keep him out of the older kids’ way. At cake time, I popped him out of the Beco and rolled it up with the stay put strap. A mom that I didn’t know dashed over to me and exclaimed “You were hiding ANOTHER one under there this whole time!?!” I think she was trying to make me feel guilty, but instead I felt proud to be a babywearing pregnant mommy!

To wear your Beco while pregnant, first check with your doctor/ midwife, & then for either back or front carries, the trick is to lower the waistband super low on your hips, putting any of the baby weight onto your hips and thighs instead of your back or belly.

*happy babywearing*

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My brother is the perfect example of a multi tasking daddy at work!  He’s got the kid on his back, and the poop getting scooped!

Hooray for Beco toddler wearing!

*happy babywearing*

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Once upon a Beco…

In a babywearing  land far far away, every parent wore their baby in a Beco Baby Carrier, and every baby was content, happy, and sweet!  In this magical land, every baby was carried until they could walk on their own, and exersaucers and jumperoos were piled by the 100s in dark dungeons and forgotten by the blissful parents and their contented babies!

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But before this was the norm, an evil witch ruled the land of babies!  She had cast a spell on all the babies’ parents, enchanting them to believe that the Baby Bjorn was the best baby carrier in the land.  Oh, how the babies’ parents’ backs ached, and their shoulders were so sore, and their necks hurt with the weight of their precious babies hanging from their bodies.  The babies couldn’t understand why their parents faced them out towards the loud, bright world…  All the babies wanted was to be cuddled, and snuggled, and held close enough to kiss! The babies wailed their baby wails, and shook their baby fists, but their parents were oblivious to their babies’ sadness.  But while the evil enchantress laughed at the parents wearing their babies in ridiculously uncomfortable baby carriers, and thought of her next evil plan which involved baby bucket car seats and fold ‘n go strollers, a babywearing princess heard the sounds of distress coming from her fifth baby and realized with a start that he was NOT happy with his legs dangling and his head falling this way and that.  She bravely fought her way out of the witch’s enchantment, took off her Bjorn and threw it at the witch, knocking the witch’s  magic baby bottle wand out of her hand and breaking the spell!

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With a gleeful yell, the babywearing princess summoned all the babywearing parents to the very top tower of the very highest castle where she had found a locked treasure chest.  With a magic key that she found tucked into her baby’s cloth diaper drawer, the princess opened the chest and out flew enough Beco Baby Carriers for all the babies in the land!  All the babywearing parents thanked her profusely as they put on their Becos,  hailing her as the Beco Princess and vowing never to touch a Bjorn again!  The babies all snuggled happily in their Becos, and lived happily ever Beco!

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*happy babywearing*

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We* LOVE * babywearing Dads! Here’s the proof – look at the all the comments on THIS recent picture posted at at PAXbaby.com‘s Facebook page!  That’s why PAXbaby is SO excited to bring you this new baby carrier style for the wonderful babywearing men in our lives!

The post Boba in daddy style! appeared first on PAXbaby.

It’s so hard to believe that the PAXdaddy and I have been babywearing parents for 8 1/2 years now – thank you, Baby #1, for being our baby carrier guinea pig – because we are both so natural and at ease with the babywearing situation these days!  You can see my husband regularly wearing our 2 youngest in SSCs (soft structured carriers), MTs (meh dais), and his favorite – Ring Slings!!!  We had to get in the groove pretty quickly of parenting while babywearing hands free as our family grew so fast!  First we had 3 under 2 years, then Baby #4 came along, and they were all still under 4….  5 under 6, well, you get the pattern!  Everyone has to start somewhere, and this sweet photo of the PAXdaddy, he is sporting our very first Ring Sling!  It’s a vintage, hand me down, colorgrown beige, Maya Wrap – used and abused for years before we got it, and just as snuggly and perfect as can be!!!!  Nestled in that sling is 7 days old Baby #4 with his admiring sister already learning how important it is to wear our babies to bond!!!  <3 you, PAXdaddy, and <3 our little BIG babywearing family!!!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Babywearings past appeared first on PAXbaby.

Oh, what would I give to have a pouch built right into my body!  I love that the Kangaroo has a natural baby carrier to protect, bond, and nourish her little one!  Kangaroos are mammals, meaning that they breastfeed their young within their pouch – sound familiar???  You know what they say, 9 in 9 out, and that’s not JUST for baby animals!

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Did your little ones ask to see this video of the Tree Kangaroo baby over and over like mine did?

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*happy babywearing*

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The post The ORIGINAL babywearer appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Because of the hand weaving technique, these wraps frequently have small flaws like small knots, yarn pulls, or short pieces of yarn – these irregularities do not effect the safety of the wrap. Unlike other industrialized looming styles, Girasols are not created with threads that are “never-ending.” There may be some short yarn pieces sticking out of the fabric; those pieces are not broken threads but simply unfinished ends of yarn at the place where the old yarn stops and the new one starts. These irregularities show more easily on those designs which have a weft color that differs greatly from the loom stripe colors. Below are a few examples of common flaws.

PAXbaby.com

PAXbaby.com

Girasol woven wraps are loomed in the mountains of Guatemala, using traditional methods unique to the Mayan Indians. They are all created on a total 0f 14 looms owned and operated by the family business of Pedro Alba in an area of Guatemala that is very difficult to access by outsiders. Would you be surprised to know that most of the weavers are men? One of these men can produce as much as 20 meters of fabric a day, but at this time, there is only one artist who can create the delicate diamond weave pattern!!!

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PAXbaby.com

THANK YOU for learning with PAXbaby more about the background of hand woven wraps and for giving these wraps the respect they deserve as hand made, wearable art pieces!

We love Girasol for their amazing exclusives, bright rainbows, airy diamond weaves and support over the years!

We cannot WAIT to see what they come up with next.

*happy babywearing*

PAXbaby

The post All about Girasol! appeared first on PAXbaby.

One of the BEST things about babywearing is the freedom it gives you! Whether you are traveling 2 miles or 2,000 miles, and with 1 child or 6, the well-traveled babywearer knows that any destination and activity is much more enjoyable with a beautiful, comfortable carrier!

The whole family enjoyed a gorgeous day at one of our favorite beaches, and Baby #6 and I are loving our lovely Folk Birds Tula while frolicking in the sun and sand!

Want one for yourself? PAXbaby carries a Tula in a color and print for every personality, and every stop on your family’s travel map!

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*happy babywearing*

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PAXbaby has hit the road – and in supreme style and comfort, don’t you agree?!  This weekend, we packed up the family – and one of our favorite carriers – into the NewDVan and headed north: destination Santa Barbara!

One of the most challenging decisions to make when packing up for a road trip for a family of 8 is choosing which beautiful carrier (or 2, or 3!) to bring along. We left the stroller at home in favor of  this gorgeous Tula in Folk Birds as a perfectly colorful addition to our road trip back to the town where it all began!

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(Notice anyone missing from this picture? Sweet baby #5 thought it a perfect time and place to fall fast asleep in his daddy’s arms!)

Want one of these lovelies for yourself? Head on over to PAXbaby, and check out our selection of Tula soft structured carriers to take with you on YOUR next family road trip!

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*happy babywearing*

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While babywearers old and new love the comfort of a good soft structured carrier, the ease of a slingified wrap, and the beauty of a hand woven colorway, every wearer needs the timeless reliability of a quality meh dai in their stash! Babywearing friends, look no further – now you too can add an affordable, tried and true (hundreds of years!), Asian style, wrap conversion BB Tai from Babylonia!

One of the best priced wrap conversion on the market, the BB Tai  from Babylonia is lightweight, easy to use, ideal for most babywearers and their small companions!!!  We are used to the extra extra long straps of the American brand meh dais, but the BB Tai straps are 60 inches – long enough to tie in front with a front carry, and perfect for a Lexi Twist during a back carry!!!  The body of the meh dai is a generous 18 inches wide and 15 inches tall, and the slide up headrest adds another 5 inches of height & support to last you and your little one well into the toddler years. Each waist strap in 30 inches long, allowing for accommodation of a wide variety of body sizes and shapes. What more could a baby wearer want and need?

PAXbaby has these ultra cute baby carriers available in the Sling Exchange rental program if you would like to try before you buy, otherwise, take one home, and give it a go!

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*happy babywearing*

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Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr has been an outspoken and oft photographed babywearing and breastfeeding advocate since her little one, Flynn, was born in January 2011. Husband Orlando Bloom has also been frequently seen wearing sweet baby Flynn in soft structured carriers and wraps out in public – and you know we ALL adore a daddy that loves to wear his babe as much as mom!

In a recent appearance on the Ellen show, she was presented with a custom, tricked out, Kokopax framed baby carrier – fashioned to look JUST like the lovely, decorative wings worn by Victoria’s Secret “it”  runway girls! And check out all those extra’s – the only thing missing is her very own Mai Poketto!

Click here to see a video clip of the segment with close-ups of all the added necessities, and check out those babywearing muscles!

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*happy babywearing*

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A week full of goodness at PAXbaby means 7 wrap conversions made from a series of Girasol wraps in a variety of colors!  What have we raffled so far?  A Chococabana Clippee, a Forest Berries Conversion, & today, a Black Diamond Conversion!  Are you new to the world of Ocah?  These are highly sought after baby carriers made with expert skill and a fine eye for detail!  PAXbaby hand picked the wraps to send to England to be chopped and sewn into babywearing goodness that will hold & cuddle your baby for years!  Kerry Ocah then designed the carriers to make custom for PAXbaby, and bippity boppity boo, sent them back to PAXbaby!  Now, after months of planning, it is my joy to show you these beautiful carriers and offer them at random drawing to the lucky winner!  There are more to come, so if you have missed these, stay tuned!

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*happy babywearing*

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Happy Easter, friends!  I hope your day was as wonderful as ours and you have a lovely Easter season!  We celebrated with church in the morning in my Double Rainbow Ring Sling followed by a yummy lunch and rainbow-y Easter egg hunt in my new Ocah pod!!!!  A holiday isn’t a holiday without a new baby carrier from PAXbaby!
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*happy babywearing*
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Watching the kids at their class today made me think about babywearing not only as a way to tote your baby around, get stuff done around the house, and as an artform, but learning to babywear is like learning a new gymnastics routine – it’s all about safety and physical skills!!!  Learning the right amount of pressure to pull your strap to get it to tighten in JUST the right way! Learning how to manipulate the sling rings to get the tension of the rails pulled snugly and evenly!  And don’t even get me started on the mad skillz needed to wrap!  Babywearing covers all the bases from appearance – lovely – to convenience – very – to stretching your brain and body!!!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Babywearing Skills appeared first on PAXbaby.

Celebrating so very many months of babywearing with my baby kangaroo!!!!  Inside, outside, babywearing is pure love!!!!
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*happy babywearing*

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Everyone deserves a change, and there is no reason for it to be expensive!  See, I’ve just provided you with the line to use on your husbands!

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The Cutie Cover is a removable, washable, interchangeable “slip cover” for your baby carrier!  Why have 1 look when you can have 3, right?  Pimp my Carrier’s custom expert, Jillian, will lead you in designing your own Cutie Cover for your Beco Butterfly II, Beco Gemini, or Boba 3G so that you can be babywearing in style in no time!  Get ready to answer questions like, do you want one side as “his” and one side as “hers?  What are your favorite colors?  Do you prefer organic fabrics?  And be ready to be overwhelmed with options – it’s too much fun! Watch a video with the Beco Gemini to see how the Cutie Cover works and feel free to ask questions by emailing Jillian at jillian@PAXbaby.com.

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*happy babywearing*

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Getting creative with an XL sleeping baby productions ring sling!!!!

*happy babywearing*

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