Wear all the Babies and MARCH!

This year we had the pleasure of participating in the Cleveland March for Babies event on April 26, 2015. March for Babies is a fundraiser and walk event sponsored by the March of Dimes. This event is held annually to help raise funds to support the March of Dime’s mission to help moms have full-term pregnancies and help babies have a healthy start.

 

 

We felt this event would be the perfect opportunity to introduce Babywearing International of Cleveland to the large population of parents and caregivers that attend this event. In turn supporting such a wonderful cause that truly benefits the families we provide services to. We formed Team Babywearing International of Cleveland and occupied one of the various vendor booths present at the event.

 

 

Amongst our team were VBEs, volunteers, and BWI of Cleveland members― even some who were former NICU nurses and some who were former NICU parents. Together, we united to pass out flyers and other literature that explained who we are, as well as invited passing attendees to check out a portion of our lending library that was on display at our booth. Over 200+ moms, dads, and other caregivers were given information about our fantastic group and what we’re all about!

We utilized this opportunity to network with area hospitals present that will hopefully lead to a partnership and the development of Babywearing 101 sessions and other workshops in the future. It was also a pleasure speaking with a representative from Northeast Ohio Parent magazine! They expressed interest in wanting to write an article featuring Babywearing International of Cleveland and having us participate in some of their upcoming events!

We had a blast participating in the Cleveland March for Babies and consider the whole event a smashing success. I can’t wait to start planning for next year’s walk! Until then, WEAR ALL THE BABIES AND MARCH!  

Written and Photographed by Jessica Shattuck
VP of Membership and VBE

1st Annual Babywearing Gala Member Meeting Minutes

 

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to our 1st Annual Babywearing Gala. I feel so lucky to have such an incredible and supportive group of attendees, members, and volunteers that make BWI of Cleveland such a success. I’ve received several requests for a copy of the member meeting minutes, so here it is!

 

Introductions and Recognitions

My name is Alicia Moellenkamp, and I am the current president and founder of BWI of Cleveland. I founded and ran two babywearing groups in Houston, Texas prior to moving to the Cleveland area in September 2012. When my family moved up here I lost the support system of mommy friends that I had developed in Houston. So I decided to do what I knew and start a babywearing group to foster the same community and support system I knew and loved. This is when North East Ohio Babywearers, which would later become Babywearing International of Cleveland, was born.

 

At this point in the meeting, and also in this post, I would like to take a moment to recognize all of our volunteers and team who made not only this event, but also our quickly growing group a success! I would specifically like to recognize our fabulous Board of Directors:

 

Jessica Shattuck Vice President of Membership

Katie Krueger Vice President of Outreach

Katie Abell Vice President of Libraries

Erin Fabian Vice President of Education

Sarah Miller-Fellows Vice President of Marketing
Emily Gold Vice President of Treasury
 

I would also like to recognize our outgoing Vice Presidents and Educators:

Karyn, Brenda, Amie and Acacia

Brenda Flanagan has been such a huge support to this group from before our first meeting! She has graciously allowed us to use her church, has been there for every single meeting at that location, and volunteered as a VBE for us when she saw us really floundering with new members and not enough educators. She’s recently decided to turn her focus more to behind the scenes work and has decided not to continue as a VBE. We will miss her teaching terribly, but are so excited to see what magic she can work up behind the scenes for our group. She is also the mama behind all of the beautiful wrap scrap creations you see for sale at meetings and events.

Karyn Tankersley has been an active and enthusiastic member of our group since our first meeting. As a new twin mama she found babywearing out of desperation. She quickly stepped up into the role of educator, and has attended several meetings a month for the past year and a half. Her support and encouragement have been invaluable to me. She is also our outgoing VP of membership, and has recently decided to turn her efforts back to more teaching. Although we will miss her contributions to our BoD, we look forward to seeing what she will do from here!

Amie Kanengeiser also found our group prior to our first meeting. She attended with her toddler and was such a bubbly and joyful person to be around we quickly asked her to consider teaching and we were thrilled when she accepted. She has put forth countless hours as our VP of Marketing in building our blog, website, Facebook page, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts. She has also recently decided to step down as the VP of Marketing to fill the role of Social Media Manager since managing the various websites is requiring a significant amount of time in and of itself. A huge thanks goes out to Amie for making our online presence so wonderful.

Now is time for a quick report from the desk of a few of our Vice presidents:

 

 

Emily, VP of Treasury: A summary of Quarter 1 financials:

MONEY IN:

Membership ($10 remittance) $1610 [$550 to BWI, $1060 to BWICle]

Promotional (25% remittance: fundraisers, workshops, consultations, promo items, solicited donations) $543 [$136 to BWI, $407 to BWICle}

Donations (10% remittance, unsolicted) $0

Total 2015Q1 remittance = $686

Total 2014Q1 remittance = $120

MONEY OUT:

Carriers $1530

Non-Carriers (marketing, fundraisers, pass through, reimbursement) $710

PP/CC fees $123

Gala deposit $200

Remittance (2014Q4) $870

This next year we will be working to switch over to a better budgeting system where money brought in during one quarter doesn’t get spent until the following quarter instead of spending money as it comes in.

 

Sarah, VP of Marketing: Our marketing efforts began in February of 2014 with the creation of our blog, website, and Google+ account. We also ordered lawn signs, banners, business cards, and T-Shirts. In July of 2014 we officially named Amie Kanengeiser as our Vice President of Marketing and she did a full redesign of our business cards. Through out the next few months we started our Instagram account and our Pinterest board, as well as bringing on a team of Social Media volunteers to monitor and work on our various accounts and websites. In March of 2015 we transitioned Amie to the role of Social Media Manager, and brought in Sarah Miller-Fellows as the new VP of Marketing. As of this current month we have reached 1,819 members of our private facebook group, 577 “likes” to our public facebook page, 353 instagram followers, and 102 pinterest followers! This is in addition to those who have found us through our website and blog! In this year we will continue our marketing efforts in a number of different ways. We are in the process of creating new member packets of info to hand out at our meetings, we are working with local pediatrician’s offices and hospitals to have our info distributed to their patients. We are also working hard to expand BWI of Cleveland’s presence at parenting fairs and events like the March of Dimes walk, and coming up Lakewood’s One Life, One Voice, One Community, as well as many others.

 

 

Erin, VP of Education: In the past year we’ve added 13 new VBEs, we have 9 trainees, and 7 new volunteer assistants. We’ve also switch over to a training cohort system that cycles quarterly. Applicants and trainees, enter their cohort group, train and prepare together, attend a final full day training session, and the submit their applications to National. In the next year we also hope to have a variety of different bilingual educators join our team!

Katie, VP of Libraries: Over the past year we’ve put in countless hours building our library and organizing and streamlining the library systems. We’ve grown our library to 273 different carriers, and split it into three regional libraries of approximately 90 carriers each to make the library more accessible to our members and more manageable for transportation to and from meetings. we’ve also appointed three different regional librarians: Kaylee Collins (West), Karyn Tankersley (East), and Sabrina Lacny (South). In the past 12 months we have had 592 carrier check outs! We’ve also organized and streamlined the entire library process and provided tracking and accountability for the library carriers. We also started a service to clean, repair, break in, and help members sell their own personal carriers. We are also starting the process and working with the national BWI organization to move over to a brand new automated system hosted by The Babywearer Forum. And finally, we’ve created a new training and teaching library to help the VBEs in training learn and practice without removing carriers from general circulation.

 

At this point I would like to take a minute to recognize another very key important volunteer in our group: Acacia Mo. Acacia started our VBE training program, and built it from the ground up in preparing it for Erin to take over. She then stepped in when I decided I would like to step down from presidency and took over as president of our group until just recently. Not long ago Acacia turned her eyes towards our governing organization and is now running one committee and serving on a second committee. She also has a few more applications out for different positions and is already working on some absolutely phenomenal things within the national organization. I feel so lucky to have her to work along side me, and support not only our group but also me in our projects and endeavors.

This past year our group has grown exponentially. We’ve changed up some of  our existing meeting locations, and added a few more. We are now meeting in seven different location across the city each month. We’ve also added numerous new VBEs and volunteers to support not only these locations but also our outreach events.

This next year we look forward on working with our VP of Marketing and VP of Outreach to start regular Babywearing 101 classes and distributing promotional materials within more hospitals and doctor’s offices. We also look forward to partnering more with local retail store owners to distribute materials with them, and hopefully facilitate a few workshops. As previously mentioned, we are also planning on participating in more festivals and similar events across the city. Finally, we are working to partner with a variety of different lower income organizations like Wic to make our presence more known in the different underserved communities in Cleveland and make our resource more attainable to those families.

Thank you again to everyone who came to the Gala, and those who have supported our chapter over the past year!

What to Expect at a BWI of Cleveland Meeting

BWI Volunteers:

BWI of Cleveland is very lucky to have a large group of volunteers to help at our meetings! When you arrive, you’ll meet:
 

- Chapter Volunteers and VBEs in training that will help you get signed in and who can answer your questions about the meeting, Babywearing International, membership in our chapter, and the lending library, among other things

and

- Volunteer Babywearing Educators (VBEs) (wearing orange headbands) who have been trained and tested to demonstrate and teach safe babywearing practices.

 

**Please note that the only VBEs may provide babywearing instruction and that peer to peer teaching (including teaching by volunteers and VBEs in training) is not permitted.**

 

First 30 minutes: Welcome! Come on in and get comfortable :)

You'll sign in, return library carriers, get settled, and chat with our volunteers and other caregivers! This is a great time to meet new people and visit with those you've met before!

After about 15 minutes, your Volunteer Babywearing Educators (VBEs) will run through a short safety discussion, demonstrate the different types of carriers, and do introductions. They will ask you if there is something specific you came to learn in order to create workshop groupings that will help the greatest number of people at one time. If you haven't come with anything specific in mind to learn, or you're here purely to socialize, that's great, too!

**It is our policy that all carriers that have been borrowed from the lending library be returned in the first 30 minutes of the meeting to avoid being charged the late fee of $10. This ensures that all of our carriers will be available for every attendee’s use during the meeting.**

Next 45 minutes- 1 hour: Small Group Instruction

This time is reserved to teach specific skills that your VBEs have chosen to meet the needs discussed in the intro. They will create stations where a group will all learn the same skill together.  If time permits, VBEs will also be available for more specialized instruction during this time.

***Keep in mind that we are all moms and caregivers and our children come first! Don't hesitate to step away if your child needs a break, diaper change, snack, etc. You may want to bring a favorite small toy for your child to hold while you're practicing. We also have weighted dolls for you to use if your little one is napping/playing/doesn't want to go "up." Remember, too, that it is always appropriate to interrupt a VBE or chapter volunteer if their child needs their attention!***

 

Last 30 minutes: Carrier Checkouts

Feel free to reserve a carrier at any point during the meeting, but please wait until the last 30 minutes so that to actually check it out of the library! This gives all caregivers a chance to see and compare all of the carriers we have to offer.
If you have specific needs that have not yet been addressed, please see a VBE during this time so that we can help you!

FAQs:

-Do I have to pay to come to your meetings?
Nope, our meetings are free and open to the public! Any caregiver can come to a meeting, explore the different carrier options in our lending library, and learn how to wear their child safely. If you’d like to borrow from our library, you can become a member of BWI for $30 for the year and take home one carrier each month!

-Can I become a member at my first meeting?
Yes! We accept cash, checks, credit/debit cards, and Paypal. Please note that there is a small processing fee for credit/debit cards and Paypal payments.

-Do I have to arrive right at the start of the meeting/stay the entire time?
In a word, no- although we prefer that you are present for introductions and the safety demonstration! We must be certain that you know how to use our carriers safely before we can loan one to you. So, feel free to come at any time throughout the meeting, but please do respect our guidelines and make sure that you return any borrowed carriers within the first 30 min of the meeting and wait until the last 30 min before checking out. 

-Can I bring my other children to the meeting?
Of course! Children of all ages are welcome at our meetings. You may wish to bring a small, quiet activity or toy to keep them occupied while you're learning.

-What should I bring with me to the meeting?
We suggest that you bring any carriers that you're interested in learning to use, and one or more quiet toys or activities to keep your child(ren) happy while you're learning. You may also wish to bring a blanket for your child to sit/play on and any other wraps/carriers that you'd like to share with the group! Our volunteers usually bring their personal "stashes" of carriers to share-- it's a great way to see different fiber blends and carrier options!

-Can I come to a meeting before my child is born/ without my child?
Sure! We have weighted demo dolls available for you to use.

-What do I do if I have a special situation or need more one on one help?
We love to provide one-on-one instruction and will do so as much as is possible! Unfortunately, meeting size often makes it difficult to work one on one for an extended period of time. If you need more hands on help, please sign up for one of our upcoming workshops or take advantage of our personal consultations!

 

Please check the Events Page for a detailed list of all our Monthly Instructional Meetings and Upcoming Events!  We can't wait to see you there! 

 

 

 

written by

Katie Krueger, VP of Outreach and VBE



Conglomeration of Carriers: A self-proclaimed wrappers journey thru a world of new carriers (and bacon)

 

I am a self-proclaimed woven wrap guru. When my little guy and I started wearing, we used a stretchy wrap and soon became accustomed to the length of fabric. I quickly learned the proper way to tighten and swirl the tails around so that the extra fabric didn’t feel overwhelming or cumbersome. When the guy started getting heavier (way too quickly!) I attended a BWI meeting and we took to using a woven wrap very quickly. I loved how versatile they were and loved trying new ways of tying (although I swear, I’ll never get a nice double hammock!) I quickly learned the lingo (what exactly is a DDDDDDDISO??), purchased a size six on the swap and got to work! Months later, after attending another handful of meetings, I began thinking about all of the other types of carriers I had encountered. I found lots of other moms singing the praises of ring slings or wearing their little one in a mei tai or customizing their buckle carrier with new suck pads and hoods with reach straps. Was I missing out? It was like there was some strange golden light streaming out of the library rolling suitcases and totes Indiana Jones style! We loved wrapping but were we missing some great babywearing moments by only using one type of carrier? So that brings us to this exciting babywearing journey!

When I first decided to try other kinds of carriers and blog about the experience, I thought I should set up some ground rules like in real sports like baseball and late night bumper-bowling. First, I wanted to focus on the three most popular types; ring slings, mei tai's and buckle carriers. I wanted to give each a fair shake and I knew that every carrier would have a learning curve so I would use each kind of carrier exclusively for one week. I would wear in lots of different situations. And I did! I wore around the house doing laundry and making pierogies!, I wore while we were out shopping (let’s be honest, mostly at Target… I have a problem…) and running errands! I wore at work at the college! If I was going to learn something new, by gosh so were my lazy college students! I also wanted to make sure that it was clear that these would be my personal experiences and opinions. Every family is different and everyone has their own likes and dislikes! This would be my story and one carrier feature that I might hate could be exactly why someone else loves it. You might swear by Heinz ketchup but I like mayo on my fries! I also wanted to try carriers that were available in the lending library so that our readers could check out the same carriers if they read something they were interested in! I had some help from Katie Abell our knowledgeable librarian and chose a Maya Wrap gathered shoulder ring sling, a Lenny Lamb toddler sized mei tai and a Lillebaby Airflow.

 Lenny Lamb Toddler Sized Wrap Conversion Mei Tai

 

I started with the mei tai. I knew from my research and from talking about them at meetings that it would be the most like woven wraps, especially in terms of manipulating the straps. I also knew that I would be able to easily wear the little guy on my back which is especially important when I wear at work. At first I found I was fumbling with the straps a lot and had difficulty with them twisting up. It was like I was being attacked by some kind of soft, fluffy drunken octopus! But once I got the child up I found it quite comfy for both of us! The padded straps were soft and cushy on my shoulders and the little guy quickly discovered that he could bounce up and down like a ten-year old hopped up on ring pops (which he enjoyed immensely). After a few days, I was able to get him up much more quickly, without looking like I was trying to put some sort of jacket on backwards and in the dark, though I still had trouble making the transition into a back carry. I found myself wishing that the straps were wider to add some additional support (hello…wrap straps!) and the little guy quickly got frustrated with being worn lower on my back (he’s quite nosy and NEEDS to see over my shoulder.) When I asked what he thought, my hibernating grizzly bear of a husband said that it would be great for anyone intimidated or worried about making a seat and that he would be comfortable back carrying with it! Then he rolled over in his chair and went back to sleep. It was a weekend after all, and I’d made bacon for breakfast.

Lillebaby Airflow

After our week of mei ties, we moved on to the buckle carrier. At first I was intimidated. There were all kinds of straps to adjust and clasps and padding. It was a bit confusing in the beginning, figuring out which arm went where and which nylon strap needed tightening or loosening. I fumbled around like a feeble ferret without thumbs! There was definitely a learning curve! Finally, after a grueling battle I prevailed and once everything was adjusted to fit properly, I could wear the little guy easily and comfortably. After some time, I began to see the appeal of this type of carrier! Once the straps were adjusted, it was very quick to put on and take off.  And on, and off… And on again as the one-going-on-thirteen year old made up his mind full of pre-toddler angst. The carrier felt very much like a padded backpack which is something many people are familiar with. After time, I personally found it quite bulky and disliked the thick padded straps, they were too “sporty” for me. I felt like I should be spelunking in a damp cave somewhere or rappelling off the side of a twenty-story Chuck E Cheese.  My furry werewolf of a husband looked up from his warm platter of bacon, said that it looked like some kind of medieval torture device and promptly refused to try it, returning to the deliciousness. I also realized that I have a strange aversion to having things buckled and tied around my waist! I couldn’t put my finger on it when we were using the mei tei, but I feel extra constricted when I have a carrier tight around my waist. Maybe it’s an unconscious hatred for day glow fanny packs from somewhere in my childhood… I realized that when I wrap, especially with back carries, I rarely ever tie around my waist! I always seem to tie Tibetan or use a candycane chestbelt! Needless to say, I doubt I will be getting involved in any high stakes buckle carrier Tuesday stockings anytime soon…

 

Maya Wrap Ring Sling with the Comfort Fit Shoulder

 

Finally, we spent a week with a ring sling. Going into this project, I felt like I knew the most about ring slings. I often used my short wrap tied as a rebozo, so I knew it would be similar. I knew I could really only wear it one way, that it would be a one shoulder carry and that I wouldn’t be able to wear the little guy on my back. I was highly skeptical. Thoroughly unimpressed. Highly suspicious. Why were people so drawn to them? It was a mystery that needed investigating, like on Dateline or in the Hardy Boys! Let’s just say I felt very apprehensive about using the ring sling for a whole week. Suddenly, after using it for a day, I realized that these limitations are exactly what makes the ring sling perfect for us! When the boy wanted down to chase the dog around with a plastic spatula, I could put him down quickly. When he wanted back up because his plastic bottle full of dried beans wouldn’t fit in the top of the Alphabet Train, I could put him right back up! The ring sling was fast and easy. We were even able to nurse in it!

 

 

My furry Ewok-from-Endor husband appreciated the speed of the ring sling when we had to go to the grocery for more bacon and quickly demanded that we needed one to keep in the car. Luckily, I had an extra short wrap and some sling rings laying around which I could quickly convert (professional sewing skills, go!) and we are now the owners of a new ring sling!

 

I learned a lot about our personal babywearing needs over this experience. I found that all of the carriers I tried have different appealing features, some of which I liked and some of which I didn’t. I also realized that at heart, I will always be drawn to the versatility that woven wrapping allows for, and it will always be the “go to” carrier for me. I think the most important thing to take away from this journey is that all of the carriers are unique and allow us to have our babies safe and close to us!  

 

Written by Sarah Russell,
Blogger and Volunteer, BWI of Cleveland



If you would like to go on your own carrier journey, please attend one of our many Instructional Monthly Meetings held all across the Greater Cleveland area!  Please visit our Events Page to locate a meeting closest to your home. See you there! 

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.