So, I'm now officially on Maternity Leave and *not so* patiently awaiting the arrival of baby no 5.

One to one babywearing consultations and group demos are now on hold for the next while but the sling hire service and online shop are business as usual.

As always, I'm available to all my clients for any questions you may have following a babywearing consultation, so please feel free to get in touch by email info@leanbhbabywearing.ie.

In preparation for our newest arrival, I've washed and ironed the slings I'll be bringing with me and have finally finished packing the hospital bag.  

Here are the slings I'll be bringing in with me:
Wrapsody Hybrid Stretch (Green) - this wrap comes packed with memories for us as three of our babies have already been carried in this so far over the past 10yrs since I bought it.  It's very light to wear compared to some of the thicker, heavier stretchy wraps but what's really great about it is that as it's a hybrid, it can be used for front, back and hip carries and can be worn in a front wrap cross carry aswell as a pocket wrap cross carry, so can be lovely and light to wear especially in the warm settings of a hospital.

JPMBB Little Wrap Without a Knot (Lavender & Brown) - this ring sling has a bit of stretch and bounce and is perfect for a new baby.  With only one layer of material over baby, it'll keep us both nice and cool.

Lenny Lamb Woven Wrap Size 6 (Rainbow) - this bamboo/cotton mix wrap is lovely and soft and wraps a newborn really nicely.  It's also a lightweight option for warmer days so perfect for the warm hospital setting.  I'm looking forward to using this in front wrap cross carry with a twist and for kangaroo carry.

I look forward to posting actual action shots in a couple of weeks.

It's lovely to be able to have baby tucked inside a stretchy wrap for skin to skin, especially in those early hours and days in the hospital and the wrap will keep you fully covered at the same time, not to mention the handiness of being able to get up and move about or even to use the bathroom without having to disturb the little cherub.   Daddies can also use the stretchy wrap for skin to skin which is a lovely way for daddy and baby to get to know each other and keep little one warm and close at the same time.  

  
While I'm on the subject of packing fluff for the hospital, here are some other fluffy things that are going into my bag:

Mama fluff - I had been using a menstrual cup, reusable tampons and sea sponges for a year before becoming pregnant and so I decided that this time I'd also use mama cloth post partum.  I managed to get a good deal from Cheeky Wipes during Real Nappy Week and so this lot of washable post partum pads along with with some normal day time pads and some back up Natracare Maternity Pads from Earthmother which are biodegradeable will do me over the next few weeks.

Cord Tie - I've gotten a beautiful cord tie from Crochet by Orla which will be used in place of the hospital issue plastic cord tie - action photos will follow once baby has arrived!

Cloth Nappies - this will be our 4th baby in cloth.  Baby No1 was in Moltex Eco Disposables back in 1996 when he was a baby.  I ventured into cloth 10yrs ago with baby no 2 and the same stash will do us again this time around.  Except for a few newborn nappies that I purchased second hand, everything else was stored in the attic awaiting a new bum.  I have everything I need from cloth nappies to cloth wipes and wet bags all ready to go!  If you're interested in checking out cloth nappies, contact Cloth Nappy Library Ireland for some info & to arrange a cloth nappy trial!

Breastpads - these bamboo breastpads were bought in 2010 on baby no 3 and are washed and ready for use again for their 3rd baby!  They can be washed in with normal clothes and using lanolin creams doesn't effect them at all.  I found these so much better than disposable breastpads and the fact that I'm gettting a 3rd use out of them says it all really!

Hopefully we won't be left waiting too long to meet this little one and I'll be spamming you all with some precious newbie sling pics.

Enjoy your summer and have lots of lovely babywearing adventures while you can!

I was delighted to help co-ordinate this beautiful Madalo Handwoven Wrap on it's travels around Ireland!  

Who are they?
Madalo is run by Yuridia from Mexico & Christoph from Germany.  Together, they decided to offer handwoven wraps from Mexico to customers in Europe.  These wraps are fair-trade, ​OEKO-TEX® 100 certified and handwoven on traditional looms with passion and love!

The wrap:
The wrap I've had the pleasure of trying out is Madalo Grasias Blanco, woven in Two Eyes Diamond Twill.   With a weight of 300gsm, this wrap is most definitely toddler-worthy.

The wrap was well packaged, delivered in a large heavy duty Madalo box, presented in a cloth bag. First impressions of the wrap were that it was so soft and I loved the colours; various blues on white weft with a gradient to grey with purple tones.  I'm a sucker for blue so these colours really caught my eye.

At 300gsm or grams per square meter, this wrap is on the heavier side and would definitely stand up to the weight of a large toddler/preschooler.  I had my 3.5yr old, 14.5kg daughter in a ruck and she felt very comfortable.  With such a densely woven wrap there was no digging at the shoulders like I'd get with some lighter wraps when wearing a toddler.

The wrap is marshmallow soft and cushy, like a favourite blanket and as I understand, it's like this from new.  At 70cm wide and 470cm long or a Size 6, this size wrap is my perfect base size and would be perfect for trying out almost all carries.  

I had my trusty newborn demo doll in a Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC) and had a lovely chunky knot tied behind my back.  

​Due to the thickness of this wrap, a little extra attention to tightening strand by strand through the rails is needed but once tied, there's a lovely grip that will keep it all in place.
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I really enjoyed carrying my 3.5yr old daughter (14.5kg) on my back in a Rucksack Carry.  I'm 29wks pregnant in these photos and liked being able to finish tied tibetan so that I had no knots around my waist/stomach.  While a 14.5kg preschooler won't feel totally weightless, she was very comfortable on my back, there was a soft padded cushiness on my shoulders, thanks to the chunky wrap and her weight was distributed nicely across my shoulders and chest.  This wrap came loaded with sleepy dust as she was asleep before I had even finished wrapping!   She was up for about 30 minutes when I transferred her to the couch and she was kept cosy for a snooze with the Madalo draped over her!

We had lots of fun trying out a hip carry, which is a lovely way to carry when pregnant.  My busy 3.5yr old didn't want up for too long though so I had some fun myself after with some belly wrapping ☺

Look what's arrived at Leanbh Babywearing HQ.  The new Tula Free To Grow Soft Structured Carrier!

This carrier can be used from 7lb to 45lb and the body panel is adjustable in three width settings and two height settings allowing you to use this carrier from newborn without an infant insert.

The carrier comes with a removable hood and can be used for front (parent facing) and back carries.  Padded shoulder straps and waistband offer lots of comfort and support for the wearer and there's even a handy pocket at the front of the waistband that could hold a phone or purse.

So I tried out the Tula Free To Grow with my newborn doll, 4mth doll and toddler size doll.  It was easy to adjust both the width and the height of the body panel.   The hood is removable which is a very handy option to have.  You can easily attach it with the hook and loop snap fasteners inside the body panel.

The waistband extends to 140cm and the shoulder straps extend to 125cm  so it will suit a wide range of wearers.  The shoulder straps are worn in rucksack style and are nicely padded to take the weight of an older child.

As there is no option to cross the shoulder straps, this also means that you cannot use this carrier for hip carries, which won't bother everyone but is something to consider.

The waistband offers firm support and the handy pocket is placed on the front of the waistband for easy access. 

All in all, it's a great addition to the Tula family and is great to see another "from birth" SSC on the market that does not require an infant insert.

I look forward to road testing this with my own newborn come August and will update with a more detailed review of how it fares with a real newborn then!  Watch this space...

​To try this sling out, check out the sling hire page for full info, T&C.  Collection from Swords and nationwide postal hire also available.

I had intended on doing a series of blog posts before posting this but time has run away on me so I'm posting this one to get myself started.  I'm now at 28 weeks and time is flying by!

Here I am towards the end of March at 21 weeks pregnant on baby no 5 with my 14.1kg 3yr old daughter in a back carry.

Today I was using a Je Porte Mon BeBe Original Shorty Stretchy Wrap in a double hammock back carry.

This is a really comfortable, soft, stretchy sling, with just enough bounce.  As it's a hybrid stretchy wrap, it's suitable for back carries and for children up to weight limit of 14kg.


​I find the double hammock carry very comfortable as it's tied across my chest, above my baby bump and as it's a shorty, I've tied it off under my daughter's bum so there's no straps tied around my waist.

What to consider when babywearing during pregnancy:

Only carry when you feel up to it!
Listen to your body and rest if you feel any type of back or pelvic pain.
Pregnancy wouldn't be the best time to begin babywearing for the first time.  If you're a seasoned babywearer, your body has built muscle memory from carrying your child over time and you can continue to carry your little one as long as you feel able to do so.
Hip carries and back carries can be most comfortable.
Carriers that don't tie around your waist can be very comfortable as your bump grows. 
Try out an onbuhimo if you can!
Woven wraps and ring slings are very handy during pregnancy.
You can tweak a meh dai or a soft structured carrier to ensure there are no straps around your waist.
Seek advice from a babywearing consultant if you have any questions.

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I've uploaded my presentation on  Keeping warm when it's cold & keeping cool when it's warm; how to dress yourself & your little one whilst babywearing  and would love to hear what you think of it!

Sling rings are back in stock in both large and small sizes.  There's a range of colours available and they're each sold seperately, so if you want, you can choose different colour rings to compliment your sling!

Why do I need sling rings?

Sling rings have a few different uses.  First one being DIY ring slings for those sewing enthusiasts and the second one is using them to tie your wrap in various ways.

I've added some links here to sling ring tutorials.  I'd love to know how you get on!

Rucksack Carry - different finishes (incl with sling ring)

Reinforced Robin's Hip Carry with a sling ring

Jasmine's Tandem Hip Carry (2 ring variation)

PAXbaby uses sling ring with a mei tai

​How to create a No Sew Ring Sling with a short woven wrap and a pair of sling rings by Wrapping Rachel



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