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This cartoon is soooo hilarious and accurate.

Did you hire anyone to assist you after your birth? Which did you find the MOST helpful? Did you hire them for subsequent births, or only the first?
It is so funny how many “THINGS” we think we need with the first baby, then we actually give birth and find out what we reallllly need. Haha!

Diapers. Milk. Sling. Clothes. and HELP!

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*happy babywearing*
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This September PAXbaby is pleased to host the lovely Joanna McNeilly from the Center for Babywearing Studies; join us here! Once again, Joanna will be teaching the Foundations course. You can read all of the nitty gritty details directly on the CBWS website, but here is an excerpt:

During the course you will:

• Learn how to teach others to wear baby carriers:   Pouches and ring slings, woven and stretchy wraps, meh dais and SSCs (soft structured carriers), plus a few knots.
• Examine the physiological and the psychological aspects of infant carrying.
• Identify how to assist someone in discovering what makes a good carry/carrier for themselves.
• Discover and recognize the importance of a systematic approach.
• Understand our core principles which will guide you as you meet each new parent.
• Design your own concept for an individual consultation.
• Explore sensitive listening and it’s importance in successful consultations.
• Delve into incident data reports from the CPSC (reports of injury in baby carriers/while babywearing) to better understand what concerns exist with regard to babywearing.
• Plus much more!

Our Foundations Course is ideal for anyone working with new parents, parents to be or infant caregivers including:

• Babywearing Consultants
• Retail Store Staff
• Baby Carrier Manufacturers
• Lactation Professionals and Peer Support Volunteers
• Midwives
• Doulas
• Nurses
• Childbirth Educators
• Babywearing Group Leaders
• Babywearing Enthusiasts

We cannot wait for you to join us for this jam packed week of fun, learning,rainbows, and babywearing!!
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*happy babywearing*

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The post PAXretreat 2016 – Foundations Course with CBWS appeared first on PAXbaby.

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It’s been a lovely, busy and amazing 4 years working with PAXmommy Christina! She first asked me about being part of the PAXbaby team on a sunny afternoon while we were watching our baby boys climb clumsily on a local playground. I needed the help so I accepted her invitation gladly, and it’s been non stop fun since! A zillion birthday parties, pedicures, BBQs, new babies, and late night work sessions later, it’s time for us to say goodbye to PAXmommy Christina and let her her spread her wings! She is a doula, Bradley instructor and placenta encapsulator when she’s not being a full time mama to 4 little ones and has touched many with her beautiful presence!
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Thank you, Christina, for gracing PAXbaby.com with your steady peace, your constant patience, your loving nature and your deep babywearing knowledge. We will miss you, we love you, and we can’t wait to see where your bright wings take you!
With love, jillian and the PAXmoms

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*happy babywearing*

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Let’s show PAXmommy Christina some L <3 V E!!!!! She welcomed her beautiful baby boy last night and we are over the moon (rainbow??)!!!!

Name and details to be announced at a later date!

Happy babymooning!!!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Congratulations, PAXmommy Christina!! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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It’s International Doula Week, and since a few of our PAXmoms are doulas, we wanted to share this amazing meme with you!

Please feel free to post and share as well! Birth is a passion of PAXmommy Jillian’s and birth photography is the best of both worlds coinciding into one perfect moment! Thank you, PAXfriend Gabrielle for this <3

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*happy babywearing*

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PAXmommy Shannon is due with Baby #5 in only a few weeks!!!

Did you have a birthing mantra that you used? Please share with us your faves! 

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Birthing Mantras Needed! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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“I believe in birth.”

Find a great compilation of positive and spiritual birth affirmations here : http://motherbabybirth.blogspot.ca/2012/02/birth-affirmations.html
We just love the pure joy depicted on this mama’s face.

Did you have any specific affirmations that you used that helped you on your birthing journey?

Credit for this stunning image goes to Amy Haderer

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*happy babywearing*

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The post I Believe In Birth appeared first on PAXbaby.

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PAXfriend Holly L. shares this with us:

Stillbirthday is a refuge for the heart, a safe haven where unconditional love abounds, a place of solace. I am honored to be a SBD doula. My motherhood journey began with a pregnancy loss. The loss of my baby shaped me in very profound ways. It was out of this loss that I felt compelled to take the training and become certified to help other families in their time of grief and mourning. As a SBD doula I am able to support birth in any trimester with any outcome. At Stillbirthday a pregnancy loss is still a birthday. It is a community where resources can be found for birthing plans, farewell celebrations and bereavement support. When I had my miscarriage I did not know anyone who had suffered the same loss. My arms were empty, my eyes were full of tears and my heart was so very heavy. I sought comfort in my faith in God. I knew he was the creator of the life in my womb. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. It is my desire to comfort others in their time of need. Stillbirthday is like balm for the grieving soul. Stillbirthday has equipped me to walk out the desire of my heart in a tangible and meaningful way. If you are in need of compassion because you have experienced loss or if you are interested in becoming a birth and bereavement doula please visit www.stillbirthday.com a place where all are welcome and loved.

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A few days ago, I sat at a Sit’n’Stitch playgroup at our local mom gathering place, a store called Birth, Baby and Beyond. I was holding my Beco carrier in my lap, sewing up tiny little wear spots on the black straps in bright yellow thread (for safety reasons). This soft, floppy carrier, worn from daily use had cradled my baby through his early days, and has been the best investment in my parenting arsenal. I put the needle aside carefully to look at my son, now almost 30 lbs. of active and independent boy.

It was in that very room of the store owned by a local doula and birth advocate (now my friend) that I first learned about “babywearing” and the course of my life took a drastic and wonderful change. The doula who owned this baby boutique advertised free baby classes in The PennySaver, and I clipped out the one that said “slings and carriers” and showed up one night with my nearly 20 lb. 5 month old. The night of the meeting, a few other moms and their babies gathered in the classroom space to listen to Tammy present all the carriers. Then we got to try them out with her help, and she assisted me with a meh dai.

Bailey was so happy in the carrier, and I was SO comfortable. It was amazing! I had my hands and arms free AND Bailey was close and safe! At the time, Tammy didn’t have any buckle carriers other than front packs to demonstrate. I already had an Infantino front pack and a Lamaze Close Comfort sling (which I’d later find out was rather dangerous). So, I hit google and looked up mei tais. meh dais led me to SSC’s (Soft Structured Carriers) like the Ergo, Pikkolo, Patapum, and the Beco. Since I still had money from working through my pregnancy, I decided to buy myself a GOOD sling.

But, what would I choose? I looked at all the options I could, scrawling brand names and defining features on scraps of paper, feverishly clicking through pictures of happy parents wearing their happy babies. When I finally took the plunge and bought my first “real” carrier, it was a 4th Generation Beco Baby Carrier, on sale for $120 with black straps and Amy Butler’s Sky Temple print. It still surprises me that I didn’t buy a meh dai or a Moby wrap. I didn’t take any “baby steps” before going straight to the Beco SSC, but I never regretted my choice once. I got it in the mail, broke it open, popped Bailey in and never looked back.

Over two years of constant daily use, even with other SSC’s and other carrier types tried out for novelty, and the Beco was always our favorite. Now, looking at the faded black of the straps and the slightly pilly surface of the print, I think about retiring our trusty 4th gen. Not only did it serve us well through sickness, spit ups, shopping emergencies, potty accidents, hikes, and special occasions, it also helped many other moms as I took over Tammy’s slings and carriers class. I was so happy with babywearing that I wanted to share my love and enthusiasm. My stash grew exponentially, but no matter what, I always went back to our Beco.
I found a forum called TheBabyWearer.com, attended an International Babywearing Conference in Chicago, watched the Tummy2Tummy DVD over and over, and volunteered countless hours advocating for moms and babies and helping them to learn safe and comfortable babywearing. I have learned so much, and gained so much through babywearing. A good sling can change your life, and I know that my big, risky decision to buy an expensive baby carrier (having never even touched an SSC in my life) eventually led me on a path of self-discovery and ultimately gave me a way to give back.

The most rewarding part of our babywearing journey has been the giving aspect. I often help moms who don’t have the financial means to purchase an expensive carrier, and we work together to find something that will get them hands-free and happy. I gather donated slings as loaners or donations for underprivledeged families. No matter who they are though, when someone comes to me to learn about slings, I can give them the knowledge that I’ve acquired over the years, and that costs nothing . . . but it’s priceless.

So, as I sat there, stroking my hands over our trusty Beco, looking for more worn out spots to reinforce, I thought about our second baby, due in 5 weeks. There’s another baby waiting to be held snugly in the embrace of this carrier, close to my heart. I guess I’m not going to retire it any time soon!

*happy babywearing*

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