So you think it's easy?

Many people would think that having a second child would be easier as you would have the required experience in dealing with those 'innocent little monsters'... well, not exactly. For those of you who'd asked and for those of you who are wondering... here's my story

Right from pregnancy itself, my journey with a second child is what one would call different, compared to when I was expecting my first. With Arthur, pregnancy was bliss and I could work til the very last week before EDD. With Adrian, the Doctor ordered bed rest... that was only the beginning.

As we get to know him better, we realise our younger one not only looks different from his big brother... He is indeed very different in character, temperament, personal traits... 

Breastfeeding... was a bliss right from the star with Adrian, our little one... he even 'rewarded' us with the breast crawl. Hubby was certainly amazed. With his big brother, breastfeeding was literally a total struggle as we had to work out why his little walnut-sized tummy needs to be refilled every hour or so...

Babywearing... unlike Arthur who used to ask for it almost every day... he'd even point to the pouch, Adrian is indifferent to babywearing... similar to how I perceive a car is simply for transport and need not be made a statement of. To Adrian, it is OK if you put him in a carrier... or not. He doesn't mind. He doesn't have a preference. Having achieve toddlerhood, of course he'd prefer freedom of walking around etc... it's still OK to wear him when we are in crowded areas or when Momma needs extra hands... yes, he is indifferent and he somehow understands the functionality and practicality of the carriers.

Cloth Diapering... This is weird... I'd started Arthur on Cloth Diapers cos he had very bad rashes from disposables that cloth diapering seem to take care of. Yet, with little Adrian, it is cloth who made him feel uncomfortable. NO, we did not share their diapers... Adrian had his own brand new ones as a baby (though we did think of letting him have his big brother's share when he's older). That put us back to using disposables... that said, Adrian is the one who could tell us when he needs a poop since day 1...

Sadness in babywearing advocacy...

Sad? If you consider what one can get out of babywearing... bonding, attachment, love... you will ask yourself this question: How can babywearing be sad?

Oh no, if you have been reading about the Safety Warning, no, this is not what it is... That, of course, is sad and heart-breaking, too. So, do have a read if you haven't and learn more about the precautions you shall be observing while babywearing.

The 'sad' I am talking about here is when...

1... You tell your friends about babywearing and promote the use of cloth etc... You even go all the way to make them a carrier or gift one to them... but they are just not into it... or worse, they end up buying a crotch-type carrier

2... You try your best to show one the benefits of babywearing (and, even breastfeeding) only to be shunned and given the negative look as though you are trying to pass them a disease!

3... You didn't even talk much and people give you the lecture on 'Why one shall NOT be carrying their babies'

4...

Have you got anything 'sad' to share in babywearing?

And my boy gave me the solution ;)

We are out quite often these days... as my little one grows up and become more active these days, we have more plans for the day... playgroups, little excursions, shopping... and lately, he pestered me enough to start him on the Pingu English class that one of my friends started. That leaves us coming home about 3-4pm each day... he's tired out, of course. And, most times, he fell asleep in the car and I will have to carry him from the car to our home... four storeys, without lift access.

Now that he has walked 'enough' and climbed the stairs 'enough' times, he knows only too well that 8 flights of stairs to home is a tiring task... so, he will ask me to carry him. Momma's standard answer is that he is now a big boy and is too heavy for Momma to carry...

Well, after many of those excuses reasoning, he finally worked things out and gave Momma THE solution.

Today, as we are driving home, we had a chat and he did the reasoning this time...

Arthur: Momma... do you have a sling?
Momma: Yes, I have many of them at home...
Arthur: You can use the sling and babywearing, then I won't be too heavy for you to carry
Momma: (hmmm... you are right) I'll try next time, ok?
Arthur: Ya... you can put one in the car and then can carry me home...

Oh, well, why not?? Since when he is asleep, there is no choice but to carry him up. I might just leave a wrap or my Beco in the car ;)

Am I getting too boring?

It's World Breastfeeding Week from the 1st Aug to the 7th Aug 2009. In conjunction with it, I have been invited to quite a few places... for business and to promote MBW.

As I go around promoting our group and promoting babywearing... I hear myself asking this question over and over again... am I getting too boring? It is seeming like wherever I go... I repeat myself... again... and... again... in this case, I have been introducing people to babywearing... again... and... again...

But, then again... it feels kind of out of place if I don't do the introduction to the many carrier options available.

Hmmm...

Even at the Penang gathering these days... having a topic seems to be difficult. Especially most of the attendees are regulars now...

And, to make it seems like the world of babywearing is at a standstill (to me), IBW09 keeps hanging...

Could it just be me thinking too much of things? Or, could it be age getting at me?

Medley Wraps are in Malaysia!

Medley is a Czech producer of wraps, Mei Tai, Ponchos and the Alpino Carrier. It has been known as the producer of quality carriers comparable to many well-known brands, at a more affordable price.

Check them out at the Peek-a-Shop today!

Littlepods SSC now available

Check it out now!

Disgusted by babywearing?

Nothing discourages me to promote babywearing more than the look of disgust on people's faces at the mention of carrying their babies. We are talking about people who feel babies shall be 'trained' from 'young' to be independent. We are talking about people who feel like carrying their babies will only result in clingy babies... How and what can we do in these situations other than to just keep the babywearing love to ourselves and queitly hope in our hearts that it will make sense to them one day, hopefully in time, that loving their baby (and, carrying them) does not mean spoiling them and certainly will not result in clingy babies.

Looking at my own almost-3 Arthur, he is much more confident than many kids his age. Indeed, he is much more independent and confident than his school-going cousins. Having worn him EVERYDAY since he was 10 months old til the time he found his legs at 18 months, Arthur was never really a clingy boy.

Indeed, ask anyone who knows him (well or not), you can find that he is very sociable and well, shall I say, entertaining, at times ;)

Before you feel disgusted at the thought of babywearing or even breastfeeding, think again... wouldn't you feel more confortable, happy and more trustworthy shall you have someone hold you close when you needed a hug? Would you really prefer to cry by yourself, in a corner of the room, so you can train yourself up to be more self-dependent?

Bear in mind, what you are 'training' your child today goes a long way. How are you 'training' them to be independent? If it is through encouragement that they should suppress their feelings and not show it... how else do they take care of stress? The world is, after all, getting more stressful by the day and before you know it, Stress Management could very well be a pre-school subject one day.

When you have more slings than clothes...

I was just checking out the forums on babywearing and lurking around the threads where people talk about the stash they have. I just cannot help wondering... looking at the huge stash that one could have, will there ever be a time where ones's carrier stash is greater than the amount of clothes one has?

Just for thoughts...

Adventist Hospital Penang Nov 08

It was a fine and lovely day on the 23rd Nov 2008 and more than anything else, it is the day that the Kangaroo Club meets at the Penang Adventist Hospital and I was invited to give a talk on Babywearing :)

With quite a crowd and attentive listeners, it was a fun and hopefully, informational event to the participants.
As usual, to a crowd new to babywearing, it was a brief introduction on the different babywearing options available...

Babywearing Awareness "Walk" Kuala Lumpur

It's been quite some time since I have worn Arthur, especially since his preference for the strollers when we go shopping and such.

However, seeing so many little ones being worn together must have gotten my Little Arthur excited as he was (after months from our last babywearing moment), tugging to my sling and asking to go into it ;)


So, this was what it is... the Babywearing Awareness "Walk" held in The Curve/Ikano/Ikea on the 16th November 2008 organised by Malaysian Babywearers.

There was a much better than expected turnout... more than 20 babywearers turned up. Paired with husbands and family members, it was like a walking crowd of 40 people, more or less.


The funny moment of the day was when there was a Credit Card salesman approaching us. I was the first being approached (see baby, see business? as they were giving away all sorts of toys for those who signed up). I shook my head and walked on.... then, he saw another opportunity with Syaz and didn't want to let go it that... when Syaz told him she's got to walk together with us... we are in a group, he didn't believe it... until the rest from the back start coming up the same way... then, he knows it true. Indeed, I am not sure if I shall say he is surprised or shocked to see that many little ones at one time!

The plan for the day did not work out at all... many unexpected reasons.... the weekly weekend markets not happening in The Curve... the more than usual (well, sort of expected) crowd for lunch in Ikea...

This is us heading for early lunch in Ikea Restaurant... Can you spot the babywearers?

I had a fun day meeting up with Mommas... especially babywearing Mommas :D

Hoping it's the same for all who attended :)

IBW08 Celebrations

IBW Celebration Now Launched!!

It's here now!! International Babywearing Week 2008 celebrations by Malaysian Babywearers is finally here!!

Check out the MBW Blog and check out the many contests and prizes that awaits you!

Babywearing Workshop in KL

In conjunction with International Babywearing Week, Malaysian Babywearers is organising a Babywearing Workshop at Teeny Tiny Tapir, Ampang.

For a mere RM20 admission fees, which is fully redeemable on any carriers purchased on the day, refreshments are provided and you get a feast on your eyes with a Babywearing Show featuring different carrier options!

What's more??!! You get to try on the carrier of your choice and if you get lucky, you might even win yourself a sling in the Lucky Draw!

Limited to 40 persons only. RSVP by emailing malaysianbabywearers-at-gmail-dot-com.

Do it now so you don't miss out!

Check out Malaysian Babywearers' blog for more details on the many other events and contests it is organising for International Babywearing Week!

Getting There...

Celebrate International Babywearing Week!

~click on above image to enlarge the info/map~

Forget designer duds—our passion is wearing our little ones!

That's because babywearing—which simply means holding an infant or toddler in a baby carrier—offers numerous benefits.

Malaysian Babywearers are celebrating this practice during International Babywearing Week, November 12 to 18, 2008. Join us as we launch our month-long celebration in conjuntion with International Babywearing Week 2008 at the Little Penang Street Market on the 26th October 2008.






The event features a promotional booth with info and exhibits promoting the act of babywearing and its benefits. There will also be a charity fund raising sales, kids colouring contest, info treasure hunt & lucky draw. A babywearing show, showcasing different options in babywearing, will take centrespace around 2.00 pm.

New to babywearing? Come and find out more. Try on the carrier of your choice and get advice and tips from those who know!

Experienced in babywearing? Come and share you thoughts or just to have fun!

Bring your kids along to participate in the colouring contest. Bring your camera for a nice family day out. And, who knows, your photo could be the winning entry for our photo contest lauching the same day at Malaysian Babywearers!

See you there!

And now, I need....

... a new baby!

Well, well... sadly, it has now come to the stage now where Arthur finally pick the stroller over me... in a way, it is good timing, too. As comfy as a wrap could be, Arthur is ever growing and I must (sadly and teary-eyed) admit that if no longer feels totally comfortable wearing him. Especially when he is quite tall for his age (as commented by many), his dangling legs somehow makes it harder.

Of late, my babywearing journey has seen me showing more and more people how to wear a baby and that gives me the opportunity to wear a baby! Sometimes, I so miss that feeling.... how I wish I can borrow the baby for a day!

Hmmm.... in the world of babywearing, babies just grow too fast. Mom simply does not have enough time to try out all there is.

Feast on the eyes!

This has been sitting in my camera for ages... me being me.. how can I resist a photo of these two traditional babywearers! Matching fabric, too :)

Aimed with a smile and my camera, I got their permissions to take their photos for use in promoting BW :D

Can you see how neatly the sling is tied? Or, more like, how comfy the little ones at the back are? Certainly enjoying their ride!

It's so weird...

It's so weird...

• to see a baby using a bottle to feed
• when I hear people give negative remarks on breastmilk, on how it is not as nutritious as formula
• when I hear that babies NEED to be given a mix of breastmilk and formula
• to see people constantly checking out prices for formula and disposable diapers (and, to think I was one of them, where diapers are concerned)
• to be explaining to people about cloth diapers and getting the 'yucky' reaction
• to see caregivers struggling to carry babies with their bare arms
• to see someone letting their little ones 'cry it out' even when the little ones are less than a year old
• to have peole look at us in disgust when we are wearing our babies
• when people come up to me (as I was wearing Arthur in a wrap) with a look of horror and an offer to help...

It's all just so weird ... I am probably weird...

Does price reflect the quality of carriers?

Some time ago, I saw this hybrid 'ring sling' being sold in Giant.. on offer... RM12 or less! Yes, you read it right! RM12. It can be folded til the size that would fit a little umbrella holder...

Today, we checked out the newly opened Econsave in Butterworth and, among all others, saw a couple considering to buy a baby carrier... the simple ones with four straps and buckles.. those that will hang baby by the crotch... RM18.30. Yes, RM 18.30! One word : flimsy! Lucky they put it down.. I was to busy chasing after Arthur to approach them :(

Thing is, it is really quite scary what we see in departmental stores these days. You would be looking at it and imagining if it would be safe to use it, if at all. Then again, those who are new to the scene wouldn't really know, would they?

In more than one ways, the price of a carrier, DOES, after all, reflect the quality of the carrier.
Then again, shall we be happy as that certainly means there is more demand than before for baby carriers? Meaning, more are wanting to wear their babies?

Now, we just need to approach them before they buy a flimsy carrier? Huh... just what would you do?

'Shallowing' your pouch

In my attempts in encouraging DIY, I find that many have made a pouch too deep, thinking that more fabric is better? Where babywearing with pouches is concerned, please note that more is most of the time NOT GOOD...

In terms having more fabric lengthwise, you'll end up having a pouch too big that's killing your back...

And, when we talk about having more fabric widthwise (anything more than 23", in my opinion), you'll have a pouch too deep and this is especially not good when we are talking about wearing newborns.

Many of you will find that, even with a ready made sling purchased from a vendor, the pouch could still be too deep for your newborn or too deep for your liking.

Here's what I've put together in 'shallowing' your pouch - the easy, no sew way. More of for times when you need it that way for certain stages... If you need it to be permanently shallower, you'll need to be able to sew, makes sense? Also, read M'liss Stelzer's article on correct positioning.

Ok, here goes.... The first two pictures gives you the measurement of a ready made pouch, unfolded and folded...



Lie the pouch flat on the floor (with practice, you don't need to lie is flat... you can just fold it holding it up :))

Depending on how shallow you want it to be, fold the edges back accordingly. Here, I am folding it back by about 2 inches on each side...

With both sides folded, this is how it would look:

Folded before you put on, it looks like this:
As you can see, the measurement now is only an 8 inches deep pouch as opposed to the 10 inches deep pouch that we started with :)

If you don't like how the 'other side' is showing, you can always fold it inwards... but bear in mind that the folded fabric might get into your little one's way especially when we talk about newborns in the cradle carry position :

Ring Sling for a friend :)

This was a special request from a special friend, namely a team member of Malaysian Babywearers :)

She provided the fabric and specified the shoulder style she would like... just because this is not available for sale in Malaysia and it would cost a bundle to get in from where these kind of shoulder style is sold.

So, yes, I did it for her :)

Would love to post actions shots of this but I am just not into using someone's stuff before asking for permission. Probably wait for her to give me some? :)

Would you like to make one for yourself or for a friend? Click the link below for instructions.

Please read the note and please respect the owner's rights to the instructions. They are put up to make babywearing affordable, so, please don't make them take these instructions away.