Calling all BWIP Members - past, current, and future!
For the month of April 2016, we are offering $5 off any membership, new or renewing! Whether your Sustaining Membership has lapsed or you just joined last month, consider renewing now. If your Sustaining Membership is still active, your renewal will extend your Sustaining Membership for another year beyond your current expiration date.
Our Sustaining Members are the reason we are able to do what we do. We want to say thank you to all those that have joined BWIP and supported us over the last almost 5 years. We want you to continue to benefit from Sustaining Membership with our chapter. Even those that may no longer need to do carrier research or whose little ones have grown and are no longer so small!
Your Sustaining Membership with our chapter allows us to continue to provide and expand our education and support outreach throughout our community. It allows us to replenish and build up our library. It assists us in finding better, more appropriate space to continue to meet the needs of our community. It allows us to share the love with more caregivers and keep reaching more who may not have known all the benefits of babywearing.
Carry of the Month (COTM) is an ongoing feature for the BWIP blog and Facebook group. Each month one of the Volunteer Babywearing Educators (VBEs) will choose a wrap carry or carrier to showcase and write a blog post with instructions or videos. At our monthly meetings throughout the valley, we will designate time to demonstrate the carry or carrier in person and answer your questions. Feel free to join in on the fun! Post pictures of you trying out the COTM in the Facebook group or email us your entry. Check out the bottom of this post for the prize raffled off for participation this month!
This month we will be featuring a Meh Dai carrier, which is a very versatile carrier. Meh Dais (MD) can be used from small infants to large toddlers on the wearer's front, hip or back. We are specifically focusing on a hip carry this month. If you'd like to check out the back and front carries in a MD we featured those last May here: http://phoenixbabywearers.blogspot.com/2015/05/carrier-of-month-may-mei-tai.html
For this tutorial our lovely VBE, Amanda, is demonstrating for us. Amanda is using the Infantino Sash which is available for check out in any of our lending libraries.
Begin by tying the shorter pair of straps around your waist, while leaving the body of the carrier and longer pair of straps hanging from your waist. You'll want the body of the carrier lined up with your hip for a hip carry.
Bring your child up to your hip and pull the body panel of the MD up between his legs to form a seat and up to his back.
Using the long strap that is towards the front of you, pull the strap and pass it over your chest and shoulder.
Bring the strap across your back and towards your child. Bring the opposite strap under your arm and across your back horizontally.
Pull on both the strap to tighten the MD to you and your child, it should be snug with very little slack.
Bring the straps together to cross over your child's bottom and under the opposite legs. The straps will then come together at your back or hip. Tie in a secure double knot. Alternatively, you can skip the step of bringing the straps under the opposite legs and behind you, by simply tying
the straps under your child's bottom. This is helpful if the straps are not long enough to tie behind you.
For comfort, pull the strap going over your shoulder away from your neck.
A great hip carry, for even the big kiddos!
Here is a helpful video of the same process from Wrapping Rachel:
One lucky participant will be taking home this fun green t-shirt from the last International Babywearing Week in size Large:
To enter to win, simply post a photo of you trying out a Hip Carry in a Meh Dai on the COTM thread in our Facebook group, if you're not on Facebook email your entry to us at PhoenixBabywearers@gmail.com.
(Valid only for Arizona residents. Winner is responsible for pick up or any shipping costs.)
Rachael Bender Advanced Babywearing Educator. Education Officer for Babywearing International of Phoenix Disclaimer: Any tutorials or advice given on this blog by Babywearing International of Phoenix or representatives of BWI of Phoenix are to be used at your own risk. Please use caution when attempting any of the carries highlighted on this blog and using any of the carriers discussed on this blog. Some of the information or advice may put some users of this site at risk due to health issues, physical limitations, or misuse. If you or your child have health issues or physical limitations, please discuss the appropriateness of the carry or carrier with your health care practitioner. BWI of Phoenix cannot be held accountable for any injuries sustained by the reader when attempting these carries or using these carriers.
At the end of the month we will draw a winner. To earn additional entries, you can post a new picture of you trying it out every day.
March 2017 Note: This post has been edited. This carrier style used to be incorrectly referred to as a Mei Tai. We are using the correct terminology now as recommended by the statement at #NotYourPodBuTai. You can read the statement here and Babywearing International's statement in support of this statement here.
