How in the world do I use a Kindercoat?

I have to admit, the first time I ever saw one of these coats in person I was completely flabbergasted on exactly just how to use it!  There are so many panels, pockets, zippers, where do I even begin?  Well VBE Jess O Dore to the rescue!  Here she shares just how to successfully use one of these kinda tricky, but yet incredibly cool coats for staying warm while babywearing

 

Jess lives on a farm so staying inside in the winter hibernating isn't really an option.  One of these coats was an essential part of her wardrobe!  Let's follow along and learn how to pull it off as effortlessly as she does.

"In cold weather wearing, I always leave one element exposed as a reminder that the kids likely have something I didn't cover too well. I may have missed an ankle, or an ear isn't covered well, etc. On my end, I'll leave off gloves, not wear long johns, or leave off a hat ... all as a reminder of the true temperature. Also, usually bigger babe is on back, but mine pitch a fit that way, so we go backwards."

 

 

Thank you Jess for making the great infographic and tips!  It is totally helpful.  With temperatures this cold, we can use all the help and advice we can get. 

Winter Wearing (Without a Babywearing Coat!)

 

 

 

Have you been wondering about how to wear the baby in the winter? There are many great babywearing coats and vests and ponchos out there, and you can even find patterns to sew or knit/crochet your own!  However, many people decide that a dedicated babywearing coat or vest isn’t practical for them or their budget.   How do you wear in the winter with your own coat and keep the baby warm?  This blog post is dedicated to winter wearing without a babywearing coat or vest.

 

My first fall and cool weather babywearing, I had a 4 month old and my raging post partum hormones caused me to start sweating if I so much as looked sideways at any coat. A babywearing coat was not going to be a good choice for me!  Instead, I dressed the baby in an extra layer, wrapped him over my tank top, and we went to the store.  I got some strange looks for wearing a tank top in fall, but the baby stayed warm and I didn’t sweat!  As the fall progressed into winter, I learned how to dress both myself and the baby to keep a happy medium.

 

 When you are wearing in cold weather, there are a few things to keep in mind that will help you choose how to layer and which carriers to use.  

 

Before you start, decide if you can zip your existing coat  (or maybe your husband’s coat!) over the baby worn on your front or not. This applies mostly to small babies and young infants in front carries.  If you can do this, it simplifies things greatly. If you are going to wear your baby on your back or they are too large to fit under the coat in a front carry, then you’ll be wearing them over your own coat.

 

First, remember that you will share body heat with the baby. If they are on your back or your front, you will trap body heat from your torso (your warmest area) right next to their torso. The areas to focus on keeping warm are the extremities. Focus on ensuring that hands, feet, and head are covered and protected from the weather. Remember that pants and sleeves will ride up and there’s a gap between hats and coat collars!  

Second, dressing in layers is very important. Think about the function of each layer and choose thin ones to help trap the most body eat without adding excess bulk.  For example: a pair of tights as a base layer (with socks and pants over top) will not only trap body heat, but also keep little legs covered when pants ride up in a carrier.  If you layer a thin fleece hooded jacket on top of the shirt and hat, you will add warmth and cover their neck and ears.  If you zip the coat over the baby, you can skip one layer because the coat will be warming them.
 

The third step is related to the second one if you are wearing over your coat. The outer layer that you choose for both you and the baby will affect the way you put on the carrier or wrap. Smooth coats, puffy coats, snow suits, and other slippery fabrics will make getting a secure carry much harder.  I use a wool coat for me and a fleece snow suit for the baby because they provide grip and hold the carrier in place.  If you are wrapping, this is particularly important.

 

 

Fourth and last, remember that you and the baby are both now taking up more space! If you normally can front wrap cross carry in a size 5, you will need to go up to a size 6, or modify the carry to use less wrap. If you are using a buckle carrier, you will need to adjust the straps to fit around your coat and layers. Ring slings, Mei Tai's, and most stretchy wraps should fit just fine, as you will tie them or adjust them a bit bigger than normal.

Once you have decided on the layers that work for you and have your carrier adjusted, take it for a test run! Go on a short walk in your yard or down the street, and see if you are both comfortable. Sometimes you find that the baby has too many layers and is overheating or that you have to work on getting a snug adjustment of the wrap over your coat.

Below is the picture of the layers I put on my toddler for this winter.
 

Written By Katie Abell
VBE and Librarian of BWI of Cleveland

Babywearing at Work

 

Today's post is written by a new addition to my marketing team, and Greeter at our Southside Meetings, Sarah Russell.  I am so excited to have her on board and I know you will all love reading her voice too.  Thank you Sarah for sharing your unique, and may I add, incredibly cool Day in the Life!

 

 Babywearing at Work

 

Our babywearing story began as many do. A cranky, crying, clingy (yet adorable) newborn and a few traumatizing weeks… Finally, I dug out the stretchy wrap some cousin bought off our registry. A couple of confused knots in the endless length of fabric later… and… BAM! Suddenly there’s a happy, cuddling baby snuggled into my chest like it was meant to be! As our little man got bigger we moved into the world of wrapping (I have an unhealthy relationship with pretty fabric) and I quickly started to find new places to wear our boy! Target run? Easy peasy! Eye exam for momma? Little man rocks a Robins Hip Carry the whole time! We taught Daddy to wrap too! I quickly started thinking about wearing my son at work, and that’s the story I’m telling today.

 

First, a bit more exposition… I am a full time college professor in a theatre department. I focus on costume design, teach classes and run the costume studio where we build the costumes for the department productions. I work in a very small, tight-knit department that is a lot like a big dysfunctional family. My husband also teaches a class part-time and we commute together three days a week. I have a private office that is adjacent to the costume studio. This is the perfect storm for babywearing! Here’s what our experience has been like.

 

When we decided to try wearing our little man at work, we thought about the logistics and practicality. I don’t wear on days when I am teaching. He’s cute and can be a distraction for my students… Luckily, my classes are always scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday so those are the days the kid gets shipped off to my very awesome mother-in-law. I knew that I would mostly be wearing him in the costume studio so I planned ahead and created a special area just for him. He has a pack n play with toys and books to keep him happy if he just wants down. I mostly wrap him on my back. He enjoys looking over my shoulder while I sew on the machines or pin fabric onto a dress form.  He especially likes costume fittings in the dressing rooms because of all the mirrors! When I need to sit at my desk and grade he is able to crawl around in my office and we have a changing station set up since it’s private. My husband also wraps so he wears him as well if I need to really focus fully on a project.  

Having him at work has been extremely rewarding for me, but I can also see how it’s helped him grow and learn. The biggest improvement has been in our nursing. I was very adamant that I would breastfeed as long as I could. When our son was born with a tongue-tie, we struggled for a long time establishing a latch. He wasn’t gaining enough weight and we had to supplement with formula to help him catch back up. I found that wearing him helped to keep my supply up and soon we were able to wean him from the formula altogether! Having him at work and being able to nurse him in my office still makes me feel proud of how far we’ve come.

 

 

I really have found very few situations where wearing him would be frowned on. We’ve wrapped in college meetings and faculty senate meetings. I wear him during long dress rehearsals. I wear him over to the campus center to grab lunch with students. I wear him across to the business office to turn in employee timesheets. He’s becoming quite the campus celebrity! He loves being social and the students and staff like having him around. Many students come by the costume studio for a “baby-break” when they’ve had a particularly difficult day.

 

Now, wearing at work is not for every family. I am very lucky to have a unique position that allows me to have my son with me three days a week. I have strong advocates in my academic colleagues that support my family and I. I also have a very happy, rarely fussy baby who hardly ever has tantrums. We waited until he was three months old, so out of the tricky floppy newborn phase. We’d also been wrapping for a while so I was comfortable throwing him up on my back quickly over a concrete floor (remember the days when we practiced over a bed?) There are always going to be complications (cleaning up a blowout is an unusual activity for office hours) but for our family the benefits have been incredibly rewarding!


--Sarah Russell
Blogger and Greeter, BWI of Cleveland

 

 

 

 

Talk about a Stash Shot!

If you attended any of the later November Instructional Meetings you got to experience a pretty awesome thing- the contents of our entire Lending Library!! Or at least close to it depending on which meeting you attended.  Since we had no check outs this months to accommodate our full inventory overhaul, we all got to see everything all at once.  This has never happened before!  It was so exciting seeing just how much our Library has exploded the past year and a half!  These pictures were taken at our North Royalton Meeting, so more carriers still needed to be returned at the two meetings that followed this one!  Holy cow talk about and incredible stash!!! 166 carriers to be exact!

ring slings, stretchies and pouches

Soft Structured Carriers and Mei Tai's

 

wraps, wraps and more wraps!

 

Once all of the 166 carriers were returned, we took this opportunity to split the library into three regional libraries that will always attend those specific Instructional Meetings.  It is so exciting that we actually have the resources to do this. It means that our chapter has grown in leaps and bounds and doesn't look like it is slowing down any time soon! 

 

December marks the reopening of our Lending program and the Grand Opening of our Regional Libraries.  Be sure to attend a meeting this month to see what pretties are at your favorite location!  To view LIVE stats on every carrier (which library they live in, full availability and when they are due back) please check the Lending Library tab at the top of the page. 

 

 

If you have any further questions about our big changes please email our Librarian Katie Abell at librarian@bwiofcleveland.org   



Thank you Community Partners Movin' Mommies and Advocare!

International Babywearing Week was such an amazing success and a lot of that success was due the Partnership we have now have with so many amazing Companies!  Two companies I want to take the time we thank for their generous donations are Movin' Mommies and Advocare. 

Movin' Mommies is "a class geared just for you and your little one. Dancing while wearing your baby adds weight and resistance to really help get you back to your pre-baby self. This class will work on posture, strength, poise and musicality. Each class will feature a ballet barre and floor work, abdominal exercises, and yoga-like stretching. Musical choices will vary throughout class from childhood favorites like Wheels OnThe Bus, to your favorite top 40 hits, to more traditional classical tunes. Your baby will love the gentle rocking and turning, as well as having some extra time to snuggle with you!"

During International Babywearing Week Christina Yoder of Movin' Mommies opened up her doors for a free class for our members.  It was such a blast!!  She also donated an awesome gift basket full of lots of great goodies for our Silent Auction, including a week of complimentary classes.  The winner was one lucky lady! 

AdvoCare is a premier health and wellness company offering world-class energy, weight-loss, nutrition, and sports performance products along with a rewarding business opportunity.

The gift basket donated, also by Christina Yoder, was jam-packed full of awesome goodies- meal bars, Advocare Spark, their Shaker cup, and two Advocare Slam's!  Alicia was the lucky bidder and she is thoroughly enjoying it all! 



Please visit their websites for all additional info on these two Community Partners! Thank you again Movin' Mommies and Advocare!