Changes to BWI of Cleveland

Babywearers of Cleveland,

You may have already heard the latest news about Babywearing International.  Please take a moment to read a message from our local chapter President in regards to what that means for you and our local chapter:

Dear members,

By now you may have seen the communication from Babywearing International, Inc. indicating that the national organization is filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 and will cease to support chapters and their operations as of August 31, 2018. Our Board of Directors is in active discussion about what this means for us as an organization, and we ask that everyone be patient while we figure out what steps we need to take and put a plan in place. We have an amazing group of dedicated volunteers that will continue to answer your questions and provide education through this transitional period. All of us are committed to continuing to provide support for babywearers in our community!

In you have any questions about carriers that are currently checked out or were recently checked out, please feel free to email us at librarian@bwiofcleveland.org.

If you have a carrier due in September, we will send out options for returning it soon.

Thank you for your patience and support!

To recap:
- We are working to provide a smooth transition to continue providing support for babywearers in our community.
- Questions about carriers that are currently checked out, please email librarian@bwiofcleveland.org
- Currently meetings will remain as scheduled.  Any changes will be announced as soon as possible.

For the latest up-to-date news on as we progress through this change, please follow us on our Facebook Group


Thank you for your support and love!

BestSeatIBW2016- Morris Louis*

*This post was originally written as a Facebook post for Babywearing International of Cleveland for International Babywearing Week 2016. Some edits have been made for clarity.  

This wrap is appropriately called “Paint,” and features a rainbow of paint dripping from one rail (presumably the top) down to the other.  Natibaby, who wove this wrap, gives almost no description and only hints at the joy that the act of painting can bring.  No particular artist or inspiration is named, but I think it looks remarkably like Color Field Painting, particularly the work of Morris Louis, an American painter working in the mid-20^th century.

Louis’s work forms a link between Abstract Expressionism, particularly action painting (think of those Jackson Pollock drip paintings, in which we as viewers can see how each layer of paint is applied to the canvas, and imagine the motions the artists made while doing so), and Minimalism, which would take hold in the 1960’s.  Louis’s painting, Where, from 1960 (at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 66.3112) reminds me of the stripes of dripping paint on the wrap, the fluid way in which the medium- the paint- takes center stage.  Much of Louis’s work atthis time features more deliberate and obvious dripping, but the organization here, the primacy of the bands of color, connects it to the woven wrap in design.

Louis’s technique, pouring thinned paint directly onto the canvas while the canvas is spread flat on the floor of his studio, is one he learned from Helen Frankenthaler, the painter who pioneered Color Field Painting.  Artists working in this style reject any emotional, religious, or personal meaning, instead celebrating color itself, allowing viewers to make up their own minds.  Natibaby, it seems, allows us to do the same, by celebrating the paint itself!

BestSeatIBW2016- Piet Mondrian*

*This post was originally written as a Facebook post for Babywearing International of Cleveland for International Babywearing Week 2016. Some edits have been made for clarity. 

This ring sling (on its way to becoming an onbuhimo by now!) was cut from a longer wrap (I split it with another art historian and educator!). The wrap is based on the paintings of Piet Mondrian, a Dutch-American artist working in a style called “De Stijl” (meaning “the style”) in the mid-20th century. Though he began his career painting landscapes in his native Netherlands, Mondrian came to reject the object entirely in favor of abstract compositions featuring only red, yellow, and blue with black and white. I’ve paired the wrap here with an example of this part of his body of work: Composition in Red, Blue, and Yellow from 1937- 42 (Museum of Modern Art, New York City, 638.1967). In part, this turn toward abstraction was an optimistic expression of his belief in the birth of a new, machine- and technology-fueled age after WWI; the rigid, perpendicular lines and simple color schemes are meant to suggest structure and the geometric elements that create a perfect, orderly world.

More than just a suggestion of machinery, the compositions reflect Mondrian’s fascination with New York City in particular, where he fled at the outbreak of WWII. The straight vertical and horizontal lines look like scaffolding, or the steel skeletons of skyscrapers, rising on Manhattan. But if the picture plane is imagined on the floor in front of us, the black lines suggest the city's grid, the movement of traffic, and the colors become blinking electric lights.

Mondrian was also interested in American jazz music, particularly boogie-woogie; the rhythms of squares and rectangles also created a syncopated beat that visually represents jazz’s irreverent approach to melody and improvisational aesthetic. The colors appear random and spontaneous, but are still grounded by the structure provided by the white background and black bands.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has produced a quick video detailing Mondrian’s fascination with jazz and dance here.

BestSeatIBW2016- Vincent van Gogh*

*This post was originally written as a Facebook post for Babywearing International of Cleveland for International Babywearing Week 2016. Some edits have been made for clarity.

The last few posts from IBW 2016 (#bestseatIBW2016) feature contemporary carriers inspired by famous artists and works of art! Each carrier featured is a different type, though all are a wrap or wrap conversions.

First, check out this onbuhimo inspired buckle carrier belonging to ABE Sarah C. Miller-Fellows​! The design of the wrap from which it was converted is a painting familiar to many: Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night from 1889, which is owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City (472.1941). Vincent van Gogh is known for exuberant compositions and rough, excited brushwork, coupled with vibrant colors. Indebted to the Impressionists for their techniques, but not loyal to their sense of the fleeting moment, Vincent painted works from his memory, imagination, and dreams. The Starry Night here includes the cypress trees- often a symbol of mourning- seen from his residence in the south of France. The town nestled into the hillside with its prominent church tower is more reminiscent of the Dutch landscape where he grew up. The church spire is important for two reasons: it reflects Vincent’s faith and his original ambitions to serve as a pastor (dashed when a catastrophic mining accident befell his parish), and it echoes the surge of the cypress, creating a ripple of energy across the canvas. This energy is matched and carried on by the swirling brushstrokes that fill the sky, frequently attributed to Vincent’s often agitated emotional and mental state.

The carrier here is an onbuhimo inspired buckle carrier; an onbuhimo is a traditional carrier from Japan, designed to be worn without a waistband. It typically has looped straps that connect at either side to a long panel. These go over the wearer’s shoulders and the panel forms a seat when the straps are tightened. Traditionally made with a ring finish, there are now onbuhimo inspired carriers on the market with buckles, too (like this one). Best for a larger baby or toddler, they are loved for being quick and comfortable! What strikes me here is that Vincent would probably have loved seeing his work on a Japanese style carrier (if he knew what it was!). He was a lover of Japanese art, particularly the style of print featured earlier, ukiyo-e, and collected and copied many of them throughout his career.

BestSeatIBW2016- Dogon Couple*

*This post was originally written as a Facebook post for Babywearing International of Cleveland for International Babywearing Week 2016. Some edits have been made for clarity.

Just kidding!  My files were out of order and I almost missed one of my favorite objects.  The image above is two sides of the same sculpture (1977.394.15), found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  This type of sculpture is often called a “primordial couple,” and was probably made for display at a funeral. Much funerary art across cultures features themes of rebirth and new life, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life.

 

Created by the Dogon people of Mali around the turn of the 19th century, it consist of simple forms- cylindrical arms, legs, and torsos that recall the shape of the wood from which it was carved, linear patterns for facial features and scarification- yet recalls an important aspect of Dogon attitudes toward marriage, that is it a partnership of independent equals. Note that they are similar in size and complementary in pose (check out her labret piercing to match his beard, her hands on her knees to match his over his lap, etc.). This is a technique meant to imply unity in purpose and equality of importance.

 

For our purposes, the quiver on the man’s back that would have contained arrows (signifying his role as provider and protector) is paired with a worn baby on the woman’s back (signifying her role as child bearer and nurturer)! Because some of the iron adornments are missing or compromised, I suspect the same fate befell the fabric that would have kept her baby close in a low torso carry. Fabric is one of the most fragile materials used in works of art, and it is difficult to preserve. Side note: if you’d like to check out a fabric for this kind of carry, our Twinsburg lending library has a kanga and several educators who can help you learn to use it safely!

 

Other details of the sculpture reinforce themes of family and ancestry: the enlarged navels are a reminder of where the couple themselves originated, and the small figures carved into the legs of their seat are likely images of ancestors, who literally and figuratively support the couple.

BestSeatIBW2016- Teishinkō*

*This post was originally written as a Facebook post for Babywearing International of Cleveland for International Babywearing Week 2016. Some edits have been made for clarity.

This is the last art object of this series on babywearing and art.  Don't worry, it's not my last post (I still have some more in store)!

Titled “Teishinkō” (from the Library of Congress, FP 2 - JPD, no. 2003) which translates to “the courtier Teishin,” this print by Utagawa Toyokuni III shows a woman carrying a child on her back. She was probably a member of the recently wealthy middle class, which rose to prominence during the Edo period. The Edo period was a period of peace, which meant that resources and wealth could be spent on luxuries like, theater, women, and art, all of which the middle class did lustily. This work falls under the category of “bijin-ga,” or images of beautiful people, a subset of the ukiyo-e prints that were popular during this period (this print was probably produced around 1843-1845). Ukiyo-e prints, “pictures of the floating world,” were often of the actors and popular entertainers of Edo Japan. They were light in theme and celebratory in nature, exemplifying “joie de vivre,” or joy of life. Woodblock prints, because many could be made from a single carved block (think a rubber stamp, but made from wood), were wildly popular and widely disseminated. They became especially popular with European collectors and painters such as Vincent Van Gogh and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who admired the flatness and bright colors.

The carrier is hard to see in this print, but the black X-shaped lines across her front are similar to photographs of Japanese women wearing babies that appear in western publications in the nineteenth century.** They appear to be straps that would attach a to panel to secure a baby to her back, then cross under her arms and tie behind her. The arrangement of bodies here is stylized, or simplified, so what appears to be straps also seems to be quite loose! I have my suspicions that the artist was both unfamiliar with the intricacies of babywearing and also more interested in aesthetic effect (note, too, how the lines of flowers in her garment do not bend very convincingly with her pose, and the fabric itself is rendered as flat planes of color).

The portrait behind her, the partially unrolled scroll, plus the tablet with a poem on it in the background might give us some more context to this work, but (without reading Japanese) reflect the literary history of Japan, and recall playbills and posters for popular theatrical events, like Kabuki, as if this mother and child were just off to a show!

**I can't be sure of the provenance of this image, but the credit on the website is to M. Nakajima of Tokyo

BestSeatIBW2016- Shipibo-Conibo baby carrier*

*This post was originally written as a Facebook post for Babywearing International of Cleveland for International Babywearing Week 2016.   Some edits have been made for clarity.

Here’s another artistic carrier from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (1999.47.306). This is a carrier from the Shipibo-Conibo people from Peru, and was made sometime in the 20th century. Here’s a portion from an article about Shipibo-Conibo textiles that describes some of the meaning behind the design:

 “Textile and ceramic arts of the Shipibo feature a distinctive all-over pattern of designs known as kené or quene designs. Shipibo people frequently say that these are like the paths of life, or roads, or the meanders of the rivers where they live, sometimes they say they are the patterns and movement of the anaconda or of Ronin the cosmic serpent, and sometimes they say that these patterns are only a fraction of what their ancestors used to know…”

The meanings behind the patterns are often overseen by a shaman, whose “expanded consciousness and sense of cosmic vision is the key to understanding the distinctive Shipibo designs. It is the responsibility of the shaman to rescue the designs of the heavenly world and transmit them to the women. The production of these designs on all the objects of material culture gives power and protection to the home, to individuals, and to the whole group. Through kené designs, the culture of the Shipibo is at once defined, decorated, and owned by both individuals and the group.” (Odland, Claire and Feldman,Nancy, "Shipibo Textile Practices 1952-2010" (2010)). Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings. Paper 42.)

Fun fact: horizontal stripes and patterns are features of women’s garments, while men’s clothing features vertical designs!

As for this carrier, it seems to looks quite a lot like a pouch, in that it appears to be stitched into a tube, with the bone portions dangling off what must be the bottom. I suspect, given the narrow width of the fabric, that it was not hands-free to use, but must have mitigated the strain of carrying a baby or child, and certainly served to reinforce community bonds, within the family and beyond.

BestSeatIBW2016- Dayak Ba*

 

*This post was originally written as a Facebook post for Babywearing International of Cleveland for International Babywearing Week 2016.   Some edits have been made for clarity.

Art historian checking in with a carrier that functions like a work of art! The decoration on this ba, by the Dayak people from Borneo, serves to beautify AND protect the baby carried within! This one comes from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (2014.839), and features a protective symbol on the back panel.  I admit this is outside the scope of my study, so I've quoted some background information on these carriers from an expert below:

“Dayak baby carriers, called ba, resemble small chairs without legs, supported on the mother’s shoulders from straps, like a backpack. The seat is made of a semi-circular plank to which the woven basketry back is attached. This wood and rattan basket is usually lined and covered with hand loomed cloth and finished with a beaded panel at the back depicting powerful protective symbols and further embellished with tassels, bells, teeth, claws, or cowry shells and strings of large beads.

The Dayak beaded baby carrier or ba was created for two reasons – to display the prestige and wealth of the family, and to protect the baby when it left the safety of the communal longhouse and compound. They were used only when mother and baby were away from home.

The source of the protection offered by the baby carrier was primarily the beaded panel called the aban, which faced outwards from the rear of the ba. The Dayak are animists and their world is populated by powerful spirits, many of which are dangerous to humans. The designs of most women’s art are defensive, designed to erect barriers between their families and the malignant spirits and this is a particularly important role of baby carriers, which guard the baby from the rear.”

BestSeatIBW2016- Babywearing Hare*

*This post was originally written as a Facebook post for Babywearing International of Cleveland for International Babywearing Week 2016.   Some edits have been made for clarity.

Hi all, I'm Wendy, one of your resident art historians and volunteer babywearing educators! This is the first in a series of images of a work of art that features babywearing, or a carrier that's also a work of art!

To start off, here’s an image near and dear to my medievalist heart. This babywearing hare comes from the margins of the Pontifical of Guillaume Durand, produced near Avignon before 1390. A pontifical is a book containing rites and ceremonies to be performed by the pope or a bishop, a very rich book, indeed! A manuscript of this type (“manu” meaning hand, and “script” indicating written) was painstakingly copied by expert calligraphers, artists painted in images, and gold leaf was applied to enhance the beauty and luxury of the final object. It took a whole team of skilled workers to produce a single page. The images and decorations (especially the gold) make this an illuminated manuscript, one enhanced by pictures that often related concepts from the text within, or revealed the sense of humor of the monks who labored over them. No one’s sure why or how this puppy-wearing hare made it to the edges of the text of this holy book, but I’m sure glad it did!

(Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, ms. 143, fol. 174r, originally sourced from discarding images)

BWI of Cleveland Inclusivity Statement

Babywearing International of Cleveland Inclusivity Statement

Babywearing International of Cleveland (BWI of CLE) strives to be an open community that is a welcoming for everyone. We believe that in order to be a healthy hub of babywearing knowledge, we must acknowledge that there are many issues that affect babywearers of certain backgrounds, lifestyles, religions, and cultures. As a unified community, we do not shy away from or deflect these topics. We acknowledge the disparities that exist in our babywearing community, and BWI of CLE chooses to uphold and amplify the voice of oppressed and marginalized babywearers. In order for there to be an understanding of our expected community standards, we have compiled a list of our official chapter position on certain nonnegotiable social justice issues. The below mentioned community standards are fully upheld by our chapter’s Board of Directors, educators, and volunteers. If you wish to learn more about any of the individual topics listed below, please feel free to explore our pinned post for links and articles to educate yourself further.

Topics of Inclusivity

AGE/CAREGIVER STATUS: We do not discriminate based on age or caregiver status. Anyone who cares for a child is welcome at BWI of CLE meetings and events. We strongly encourage our members and attendees to refrain from assuming a person’s role in a child’s life based on the age/appearance of the person that is with the child. We receive many caregivers at our meetings, so it is best not to assume if a person is mom, dad, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, babysitter, foster caregiver, or adoptive parent. Please be courteous and do not ask questions to others based on assumptions.

FEEDING METHODS: BWI of CLE will not partake in any aspect of the “Mommy Wars”. Comments and judgments based on someone’s chosen feeding method will not be tolerated. Formula feeders, breastfeeders, EPers (exclusive pumpers), and caregivers who receive donor milk are all welcome. BWI of CLE prides itself on teaching all forms of feeding while babywearing. As such, all BWI of CLE meetings are breastfeeding friendly. For children who are exclusively breastfed, the breast is their sole source of nutrition and comfort. Caregivers are encouraged to nurse their babies and toddlers as they feel comfortable (covered or uncovered). BWI of CLE fully supports their right to do so.

ABLEISM: People with disabilities (physical and mental) rely on the services of BWI of CLE. Ableist language and behavior is not tolerated at BWI of CLE meetings and events. While some people may feel that censoring certain words is restrictive, we recognize that words have power and language is one of the tools of oppression. We ask that you please choose your words carefully. Ableist words that are flippantly used in everyday conversation can cause serious emotional harm to others and we seek to avoid excluding anyone based on their abilities. By putting thought behind our words we can avoid unintentionally targeting our fellow babywearers and their children with disabilities. Many people have become desensitized to much of the problematic ableist language used in everyday conversation, so please be open to education and familiarize yourself with this very important issue so we do not offend out of ignorance. To learn more about ableist language, we encourage you to visit: http://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html

Ableism is more than just the words we choose to use. Ableism includes assumptions as well. Disabilities cannot always be seen. Do not assume anyone’s ability to use a certain type of carrier. Dexterity issues, fine motor control issues, motor control issues, muscle tone issues, and flexibility issues cannot always be seen from the outside. We support everyone and can meet you at the point of your babywearing need. Additionally, some of our members with visual disabilities use screen readers to access the internet. You may notice some of our educators adding [Image:] to their posts describing the image included for screen reader users and we encourage members to do the same to allow all to participate.

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS: Babywearing is as old as time itself. Caregivers from all levels of class and society have worn their children throughout history and we continue to do so today. At BWI of CLE, wearing our children is what brings us all together despite our social and economic differences. As Westerners, sometimes we tend to fall victim to consumerism and brand marketing by companies that promote their product as “the best”. At BWI of CLE we strive to overcome socioeconomic barriers and do not see the value of a carrier based on how much was paid for it. We do not tolerate bashing carriers, prices, or resell value. We encourage caregivers to bring their DIY carriers, their hand-me-down carriers, their thrift store find carriers, their “someone gave me this at a baby shower” carrier, their BST (buy, sell, trade) carriers, and their $30, $300, or $1000 carrier. We welcome you all without judgment and love to hear the stories about your fluff (babywearing slang for a carrier)! If you don’t have any carriers at all, YOU ARE STILL WELCOME AT OUR MEETINGS! BWI of CLE has a library of our own carriers and anyone is welcome to practice with our carriers during the meeting. 

GENDER IDENTITY AND GENDER EXPRESSION: At BWI of CLE, we welcome caregivers who of all gender identities and expressions. We affirm any outward manifestation that best reflects one’s gender identity, including preferred pronoun usage. We do not tolerate bashing, hate speech, rudeness, or intolerance of any kind. BWI of CLE is a welcome place for babywearers of all genders.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: BWI of CLE affirms and recognizes our LGBTQIA babywearing community. We do not discriminate based on sexual orientation and do not tolerate discrimination or hate speech at any of our meetings, events, or online forums.

FAMILY ORIENTATION: Families are made just like jigsaw puzzles and BWI of CLE delights in all of the many pieces that can make up a family. We welcome single parents, married couples, gay couples, lesbian couples, polyamorous families, adoptive families, surrogate families, common law marriage families, extended families, and all families in between. There is no judgment here and we welcome all into our space.

TONE POLICING: Many of the day-to-day interactions of BWI of CLE happen online. We have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, as well as our website and blog. There are lots of comments and discussions that occur on our sites. Sometimes when dealing with topics of social justice in the babywearing community, emotions can run high and discussions may become heated. BWI of CLE does not condone nor enforce tone policing. As stated above, language is one of the many tools of oppression and we will not silence our marginalized babywearers. Tone policing is a silencing tactic and derails the conversation from legitimate progress. It is not tolerated. To learn more about tone policing, please visit: http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/12/tone-policing-and-privilege/ 

RELIGION/PHILOSOPHY: BWI of CLE prides itself on being a community of diverse babywearers. Our educators, volunteers, and members are made up of many different religions and philosophies on life. We respect each other’s differences and do not tolerate hate speech. While we recognize that different religions may have different days that represent their Sabbath or holy day, we try to have meetings and events available for everyone at varying times throughout each month. Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and any other type of prejudice or religious bigotry is not allowed at our meetings, events, or online community.

RACE/ETHNICITY/NATIONALITY: As aforementioned, BWI of CLE prides itself on being a community of diverse babywearers. We thrive on our differences. Our experiences gained through our unique cultures makes us who we are and adds to our babywearing knowledge. We do not tolerate discrimination or hate speech based on race, ethnicity, or nationality.

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION: When a dominant culture “borrows”, “adopts”, “imitates”, or is “inspired” by a disenfranchised minority people group that is not their own, it is cultural appropriation. How does this apply to the babywearing community? Unfortunately, we see it all too often with different carriers and brands. When cultural appropriation is brought to the attention of the babywearing community, the marginalized people groups are oftentimes silenced and dismissed. At BWI of CLE we seek to be a voice for marginalized communities when their ideas, carriers, prints, or patterns are “discovered” (a.k.a. stolen) by Western culture. We also encourage our members to buy from legitimate native sources when purchasing a carrier that is from outside their own culture. We believe in putting people before wraps and carriers and will not tolerate problematic carriers in our lending libraries. If you have any questions on whether or not the history of your personal carrier is problematic, please educate yourself on the history behind its making and design. Also, as a sign of respect and acknowledgement to carriers’ origins, we encourage the use of a carrier’s proper name and not its Western nickname (e.g., podaegi instead of simply “pod”, onbuhimo instead of simply “onbu” or other variations creating portmanteaus). A carrier’s name is part of its culture. When we strip down the name, we lose some of the culture and history behind it. This is an excellent primer on why cultural appropriation matters: http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/06/cultural-appropriation-wrong/ 

Yet another resource on cultural babywearing: https://wrapyourbaby.com/cultural-babywearing/ 

A tumblr on decolonizing babywearing with a collection of information: http://decolonizingbabywearing.tumblr.com/ 

PRIVILEGE: Nowadays whenever someone hears the word “privilege” they automatically get defensive, shut down, and tune out any further conversation concerning this topic. One thing that we don’t tolerate is the assertion that privilege doesn’t exist. That simply isn’t true. As Westerners and as Americans we all have some type of privilege. Whether it is white privilege (or white-presenting privilege), Christian privilege, heterosexual privilege, etc, etc, (the list goes on) everyone benefits from at least some type of privilege. Some of us benefit from privilege more than others. It is nothing to be ashamed of or to become defensive about. It is simply a fact of life. However, we do encourage our members to learn how to use your privilege to stand up for the rights of others.

We encourage everyone to unpack your privilege. Some excellent spaces exist for this purpose: Inclusivity Basics: Babywearing and Beyond (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199615880116540/)

The Table (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1509223142668602/)   

RACISM: BWI of CLE understands that racism is alive and well and thriving in our society. We do not subscribe to theories that we live in a post-racial society. We do not condone the promotion of one race over another. Our meetings and events are welcoming for people of color (PoC) who babywear or care for a child. We recognize and acknowledge that the experiences of a babywearer of color can be vastly different from those of a non-PoC. We do not tolerate hate speech, slurs, bigotry, or prejudice of any kind.

For a more in-depth discussion on what racism is and the principles behind it, consider this link for further reading: 

http://www.euroamerican.org/library/definitions_racism.asp 

Some further reading on colorblindess can be found here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/culturally-speaking/201112/colorblind-ideology-is-form-racism 

Babywearing International of Cleveland will strictly enforce all aspects of our statement of inclusivity and will uphold our community standards. We value each of our members and pride ourselves on providing a welcoming environment for babywearing education. If you would like to educate yourself further on any of the aforementioned topics, please feel free to visit any of the links, articles, and blogs provided on the topics above. Violations of our community standards will result in a warning, a counseling statement, and possibly removal from our babywearing community. We love our carriers, but we value our people most of all.

Happy Babywearing!

Volunteers and Educators of Babywearing International of Cleveland

Babywearing International, Inc Nondiscrimination Policy can be found here: http://babywearinginternational.org/about-bwi/ 

#bwicleveland102 Perfecting the Babywearing Selfie

Wanna learn how to take the perfect Babywearing Selfie, capturing pretty chest passes, knotshots, and of course the infamous Pfaupose?! Well you are in luck! This months 102 is Perfecting the Babywearing Selfie! Bring your cell phone and your biggest smiles to your next meeting and we'll have you spamming the world with your pretty faces (and carriers of course!) in no time!

But let's have some fun and start practicing now at home!! I am going to go over basic lessons here today and then when you come to your next meeting this month you can be one step ahead of the game.

Lesson One: Know Your Angles

By having your camera too low you will result in giving yourself a double chin, a view of up your nostrils and a rounder then usual face. No one wants a double chin! By simply raising your camera upward and moving nothing but your eyes, voila! No more double chin!

In this picture on the left you can see the top picture I had my camera down low and I was looking down at it. I didn't move my head in any of the pictures, I just slowly moved the camera upward, only moving my eyes to gaze at the screen. When I got to the camera positioning where my double chin disappeared I stopped. This is your sweet spot. 😊

You will notice you will also be in the best positioning to getting your little one in the camera line of vision. (My little one was in bed so I did this selfie solo.  So as you can see these lessons work for all selfies, not just babywearing ones! Lol) 

Lesson Two: Use Your Timer

Don't you just hate it when you have a great photo, but it turns out blurry because either baby moved, or my usual problem, my hand shakes when I hit the volume button for the camera. I just can't hold the camera still enough when I need to use those side buttons! Solution- use that self timer! Most cameras allow for a 2 or 3, 5 and even 10 second pause before automatically taking the photo for you. 2 or 3 seconds is my favorite for selfies. Just enough time to get your angle (see lesson one!) and get baby's attention. 

In the first picture here you can see that I did not use my timer and it resulted in a blurry photo. In picture two I used the timer which gave me time to compose the picture a wee bit better and took away the blur. Some cameras will take a "burst" of 3-5 photos. This is so that you can pick the best of the bunch! Just delete the ones you don't like! 

Left: iPhone- On the iPhone, the timer looks like a little stop watch at the top right of your screen. Click that and it will get you to the timing options. the second photo you can see across the top the different timing options. Right: Samsung Galaxy- On the Samsung you need to first click the gear in the upper left of your photo screen, this will take you to your picture settings.  The timer is in the bottom row.  Turn this on. 

If your camera does not have a self timer, like my old phone, the App Selfie Cam is fantastic! I actually still use this app a lot even with my newer iPhone 6. It takes really nice front camera pictures and softens the lighting just right. 

Now let's practice! Join us in our Facebook Group today for Try it Tuesday and show me those beautifully composed, non-blurry, Self Timed Selfies!! You can also tag us in Instagram at @bwiofcleveland and be sure to use the hashtags #bwicleveland  #bwicleveland102 

Thank you Tula Baby Carriers!!

Babywearing International of Cleveland is overwhelmed with the generosity that Tula Baby Carriers has shown to us this week!  And what perfect timing being that it is International Babywearing Week! To include all of our members in the excitement Erin Fabian, our President, recorded a Facebook Live of the BIG Unboxing and boy was it FUN! We wanted to share it here as well for all of you that may not be in Facebook or if you just wish to watch it over and over again (because seriously how adorable is Erin's daughter Alisz?) and see the awesomeness to your hearts content.

You saw that right, Tula donated to us EIGHT carriers- 4 baby sized, 3 toddler sized, and one ring sling plus FOUR infant inserts!  Now each one of our Lending Libraries will have a Tula in each size and an insert (which is a hot commodity)!

These six carriers will be making it into our Lending Libraries :

Baby Size

 From left to right: Bliss, Montana Sunset and Betty

Toddler

From left to right: Trendsetter, Shenandoah, and Trillion 

In celebration of International Babywearing Week, Babywearing International of Cleveland is excited to offer a Tula Coast Seafarer Soft Structured Carrier (Standard Size) and a Petit Love Fraise Wrap Conversion Ring Sling (size L/XL) for raffle. Funds from this raffle will go towards the purchase of new carriers for current and future lending libraries!

From left to right: Coast Seafarer Soft Structured Carrier, Petite Love Fraise Ring Sling

Each raffle ticket you purchase will get you one entry into our drawing for a Tula Coast Seafarer Soft Structured Carrier or a Petite Love Fraise Wrap Conversion Ring Sling. Tickets cost $10 each (winner will be responsible to arrange for pick-up at a BWI of CLE meeting, or pay for shipping).

To enter the giveaway for Coast Seafarer Soft Structured Carrier please click HERE.

To enter the giveaway for Petite Love Fraise Wrap Conversion Ring Sling please click HERE.


Thank you Tula Baby Carriers from the bottom of our heart, our members are going to fill these carrier with so much love #IBWwithTula. Happy International Babywearing Week!

Introducing our new Partners, Baby Boot Camp of Cleveland!

I am excited to announce BWI of Cleveland's very first Partnership! We have teamed up with the local organization Baby Boot Camp Cleveland! Baby Boot Camp is an innovative stroller and babywearing fitness program that helps moms regain or enhance pre-pregnancy fitness levels and meet the physical challenges of parenting by emphasizing strength training in a supportive environment.

Through this Partnership we have so many fantastic opportunities opening up to all of you! BBC is offering a 10% discount to ALL BWI of Cleveland Sustaining Members for her classes! We will also be holding regular joint classes for both BWI of Cleveland and Baby Boot Camp!

Instructors, Suzanne Caraballo and Connie Kowal, have created a unique program that is much more then just exercise. With regular playdates, a supportive online community, cooking demonstrations and recipe swapping she has fostered a beautifully strong support system to women in our community. We are proud to be working alongside you!

So stay tuned for lots of FUN ahead!

Did you get to check out our Babywearing Bachata class yesterday in celebration of International Babywearing Week with Baby Boot Camp?  Don't fret if you missed out on the fun because Monday evening you and your littles can join us for Babywearing Yoga in the park!  See you there!