Slings & Things Day (IBW 09)

In honour of International Babywearing Week, Yvette at the Breastfeeding Drop In Centre in Dandenong organised a "slings and things" discussion and demonstration day. Over fifteen mums and even more children came to the centre from 11am until 2pm to exchange babywearing tips and learn about different styles of carriers and hands on experience in how to use them.

The breastfeeding centre is a great venue, it's extremely child-friendly, bright, comfortable, filled with breastfeeding and parenting resources, staffed by breastfeeding counsellors and features some really lovely artwork:

(photo by Jen):

(last photo by Yvette)

After everyone had an opportunity to introduce themselves Yvette began the discussion and demonstration part of the day by sharing with the group ABA's babywearing history. Since the 1960s ABA has made and sold their very own slings, which over time have been altered and updated in accordance with the feedback they've received from the mum's who wear them.

(Yvette borrows a friend's baby to demonstrate how to use the ABA simplicity sling)

Sam, from Mothers Direct which is the retail arm of ABA, came along with some slings MD sell. She provided a demonstration of how to use one of the newest carriers. She also brought a couple of children's books about babywearing, also available through MD.

I demonstrated how to thread and use a ring sling, how to back and front carry with a fabric mei tai and a woven wrap and how to front carry with a stretchy wrap:

(photos by Yvette O'Dowd, last 2 by Jen)

I also brought along a couple of pouches and the ergo and enlisted the help of Jen and Ro (who came to the centre already wearing these styles) to demonstrate how to use them:

(photo by Yvette O'Dowd)

After the demonstrations the slings got passed around to anyone interested in trying their hand at wearing them. Babywearing discussions continued as mum's helped one another learn how to use the slings.

Yvette did a lovely job of coordinating the day. She even went to the extent of hand making a series of scrapbook pages featuring babywearing photos she has collected over the years from ABA subscribers and created a massive display:

Here are some close up photographs Yvette took of some of her pages:

You can see more of Yvette's scrapbook pages that were displayed here.

The day was a success with many a mum walking away with a clear plan to make herself a sling or buy a carrier she tried and liked at the meeting. Or, in the case of one mum and bub, she walked away with my sling!

Apparently my hug-a-bub works far too well. Leesa's little one was unconscious within minutes of testing the stretchy wrap out.

Thanks to Yvette for organising such a great day, to all the mums for making it great and Sam for taking time out from Mothers Direct to share some of their products with the group. A special thanks to the Mums from for afar who travelled such long ways to be there (one Mama is holidaying from Belgium and only arrived last week! And another Mum drove from Sale to Dandenong).

Happy International Babywearing Week!

Group photo (taken by Yvette)