Lara and Betsy with our kids back in 2004

One of our favorite things here at Blueberry Baby is to teach people how to carry, or “wear” their babies.  We gladly offer a lifetime of lessons to every mama, daddy, or grandma who comes into the shop to try out our baby carriers and slings.   From birth to toddler, there is a comfortable way to carry your child, encouraging bonding, communication, and giving you freedom to go about your day knowing baby is close and content.

We offer the Ergo baby carrier, ring slings, pouches (similar to the New Native carrier), and wrap style carriers (Storchenwiege) both new and used in our shop.  In the photo above, Lara is wearing Jonah in a batik ring sling (hip carry), and Betsy is wearing Liliana in  a Storchenwiege wrap (back cross carry improvised).  Both children are around 2 years old and over 25 pounds in this photo, and we are both pregnant with #3 in this picture, too!   Our two older boys have been known to occasionally ask for a ride on mama’s back, which we can cheerfully oblige using the wrap style carrier and a back carry similar to the one pictured, or the Ergo baby carrier. (see www.ergobabycarrier.com)
We also sell the tummy2tummy DVD, a comprehensive babywearing guide, valuable for everyone from novice babywearer to experienced natural mama. It covers ringslings, wrap style carriers, and pouches and is a worthshile purchase for anyone who wants to wear their baby well. The Ergo carrier comes with its own DVD.

For more info on the art of babywearing, please come by the shop for a demonstration or for help in getting the hang of your sling or carrier, or visit mamatoto.org , a wonderful resource with photos and videos of many different babies being worn in various positions and styles of carriers.  Happy baby wearing!

There is not enough time in the day!  While we do make a few items, we rely largely on other local crafts people, many of whom are also work at home moms, dads and grandmas, and a few dedicated friends!

Though we don’t have control over all chosen work environments of our artisans, we do our best to make sure everyone we work with is receiving a fair wage.  There are some things it is just not cost effective to make in Alaska at this time, and a few items just can’t be improved upon, and that’s why we carry some great non-Alaskan items too!

So which diaper do you use on your baby?

We don’t sell any diapers we haven’t personally tested out on our babies (there are occasionally the  new product exceptions, but they usually don’t last long!)  Having said that, everyone has their preferences:

Lara- For newborns, NOTHING beats a Kissaluvs size 0 with a Bummi Super Whisper Wrap cover. Once my kids out grew the newborn size, I did different things. For my boys, I liked using once size/grow with me diapers, and I love the new Mother Ease design. I’ve used both the organic cotton as well as the stay dry, and while the purist in me wants to say I stuck with all organic, the inside of those stay dry diapers roll the poo right off with no liner and no scrubbing, and they are very absorbent! I like to use these with either a super whisper wrap (both velcro and snap have their advantages) or a wool cover.  I have a few All In One diapers for out and about, and hubby and I “just can’t deal with it” days.  Right now I am torn between the TotsBots easyfit and the Kissaluvs AIO. I like the over all design of the TotsBots better, but with a potty training 1-2 year old, it sure is nice to have the strong snaps for pulling the diaper up and down like underpants which the Kissaluvs offers.  For overnight, I love the Kissaluvs bamboo/poly marvels prints with a wool cover. I can get away with at TotsBots AIO since it is absorbent enough most of the time, but for a real heavy wetter, go with the 2 piece with wool! For my younger girls, I ended up doing much the same thing, but with prefolds instead of the one size diapers. For baby 2 and 3,  I had about 54 diapers, washed once a week and never ran out with that much back up! With my last girl, we have been better about doing part time Elimination Communication, so we needed far fewer diapers on hand. We also had an in home washing machine by that time, which definitely made life simpler!

Betsy- for newborns, I agree, the Kissaluv size 0 with a SWW cover is unbeatable- a newborn doubler is helpful for longer stretches for some babies.  For toddlers or younger heavy wetters at nighttime, one of our unbleached DSQ prefolds with a kissaluvs soaker inside, a snappi fastener and a LANA wool cover is super absorbent, breathable, and makes for a dry bed always!

Which sling do you use the most?

Lara- My all around favorite baby carrier ever is the Storchenweige wrap sling. It is incredibly versatile and any carry can be customized to work best for baby & the caregiver. It will support a child from newborn to toddler without putting too much strain on the caregiver’s back. It is also the only sling in which I feel comfortable nursing discreetly while still being able to walk around, if needed. I have other carriers which I use for different purposes. The ring sling is my favorite for out and about when there will be lots of ins & outs as we get in the car, or baby gets passed around at grandma’s house. It is great for sending with baby when a different caregiver is watching them since it is so adjustable. On the other hand, one of my boys was simply attached to his cozy fitted sling and much preferred that. The Mei Tai carrier is great for hiking on hot days when I want to keep the fabric to a minimum, and is less intimidating than the wrap for others (like grandma) to use. At 2 years old, I mostly use the wrap sling, tho the ring sling did make an appearance for a holiday concert last week when I knew she would want to wiggle out and see what is going on periodically.

Betsy- Now that I have a two year old who is 25 lbs., my favorite by far for comfort is the Storchenwiege wrap.  I carry my not-so-little girl in a back cross carry wrap, which was very much worth the effort it took to get it down pat.  We recently took a two week trip across the country, and I had people stop in the airport  to watch as I took her on and off my back, in and out of the wrap, smoothly and quickly.  It doubled as a blanket on the airplane, and folded up flat in my carry on.  I have a pregnant baby belly right now, and needless to say, this is the only carrier which is truly comfortable (we have a serious backpacking frame pack carrier, and a Babytrekker- like the Canadian version of the ergo carrier- and neither one compares).  I like the versatility, extreme comfort of having weight distributed so well, and the gorgeous organic fabric with just the right amount of stretch.

When I have a little one (under a year and under 22 lbs. or so) I do love my batik ring sling (by Breast Dressed- made right here in Fairbanks) for popping baby in and out easily and for discreet nursing.  It has a comfy shoulder pad, but an unpadded body and free flowing tail for coverage for a sleeping or nursing baby.  It is cool and breathable even on the sunny beaches of Hawaii, and can be worn under a parka while doing errands in frigid Alaskan winters.

www.mamatoto.org
www.storchenwiege.com
www.ergobabycarrier.com

Our local birth center, including photos of the birthing rooms and tubs

www.akbirthcenter.org

Read about why organic fabrics matter (organic trade association)

www.ota.com

Cloth diaper info and product reviews, advice and troubleshooting

www.diaperpin.com

Interesting articles on natural parenting, breastfeeding, and more

www.mothering.com

Breastfeeding support and information

www.laleche.org