Mommy T's adventures; bringing up Baby T

Tag: babywearing

Keep them close: the tribe of babywearing parents

If you have been out and about then chances are pretty high that you have seen a woman wearing her baby in a baby carrier or a sling. This could be in the mall, supermarket, at the school pick up, in the park, at the Doctor’s clinic, cheering her older child at the school annual days, airports or just talking a walk around the block. You may not have noticed it but most of the times this lady would also have her hands full with a diaper bag, shopping bags. And most importantly she was doing all this alone.

Non-parents are usually quick to judge Continue reading

#Review – Linen Full Buckle Carrier by Soul

I don’t call myself a seasoned babywearer. I have found my comfort in certain types of baby carriers and some are a total fail (read: Wraps) for me. But that is the beauty of baby-wearing, it is capable of providing solutions for every person, to suit their needs, their babies and personal comfort, budgets and so on.  Soft structured or full buckled carriers had found their place in my heart for their quick “wearability” and ease of use. I discovered Meh Dais by way of a travelling carrier program and we had a love-hate relationship with ring slings. I was in my happy place with baby-wearing.

Then one morning, I woke up and with half opened eyes, saw a message from Soul, asking if I would like to try one of their carriers and review it. Would I?? When Soul knocks at your door (or Facebook page) you only say YES! They wanted to send me a 100% Linen Full Buckle carrier and I quickly chose the colour I wanted and the very next afternoon it was in my hands. Wow. Blown over with their promptness and speed of response. Here’s my review of Soul baby carriers. Continue reading

N is for Natural Parenting

As is the case with every day of the #AtoZBloggingChallenge, I rack my brains all day, start panicking by evening and then suddenly a light bulb comes on somewhere in my brain and I find a topic for the day’s alphabet. But today was a moment I have been waiting to write about even before I started the #AtoZ Challenge and in fact the whole purpose behind my blog I think. Today’s topic was also fueled by this little boy, the reason for everything else right now. <3

Wooden blocks FTW

After losing a small piece of my mind, over why #babyT was not yet stacking stuff (Yes, when you are a mom, such stuff is what nightmares are made of. I exaggerate of course.) I decided to take the plunge and buy him the very expensive Wooden Blocks by Melissa & Doug. We do have several types of blocks already, stacking rings, shape sorters, but i wasn’t seeing him enjoy them nor was he sharpening his fine motor skills. So the wooden blocks happened. And what do we have? I opened the packaging and placed the blocks in front of him and he stacked them. The boy stacked them. 5 in a line. He did!! I went into “hence proved” mode and for the n’th time accepted that natural parenting was the right way to bring up our child.  Continue reading

E is for eCommerce for baby shopping

Looking back, my pregnancy was one of the best phases of my life.. i was basking in everyone’s attention and I was still free to do whatever I pleased in life and whenever I wanted to, without a tiny little person clinging to my legs or breasts. 🙂 I miss my pregnancy a lot. I miss my baby bump a lot.. have never felt so comfortable with my body than I did when I was sporting a baby in my tummy. 🙂 And what do I do when I get really nostalgic about the bumpy days? I browse through the previous orders sections on ecommerce sites like Amazon, FirstCry and others. It takes me back to that feeling of playing totally blind, not knowing if it will be a boy or a girl, not being able to even imagine who baby would look like and how much he would weigh or his height. It was a beautiful feeling and looking at the old shopping lists – tiny booties, caps, baby diapers, bathing towels, blankets, nursing pads, cotton wool, wipes etc is so therapeutic.

Back then I mostly shopped and stocked for all baby stuff from Amazon, FirstCry, Hopscotch and Aliexpress. Then I got introduced to the other specialised ecommerce businesses, mainly for cloth diapers which were setup and managed by mompreneurs but were very professionally designed and run.  And then came social media – Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and the businesses that were run through these. The online shopping category has boomed and how?! I  think I can say that almost 95% of babyT’s shopping is done online and I enjoy the experience and have been very satisfied with all my purchases.

So for today’s E is for eCommerce for baby shopping I will tell you about my favourite places to shop and some tips and tricks to make the most benefit.  Continue reading

Snuggly Wuggly Blankies: We love our #SoulSlings Snuggly

Raise your hands if you received a baby blanket as a gift from all the friends and family who came visiting. And now keep your hands raised if your little one outgrew that blanket in a few months or if it was either too hot or too cold or too ‘synthetic feeling’ for you to use. Yep my hands are raised too! #BabyT’s first year for me has been pretty much about the Eternal Search for the Perfect Blanket. Sounds like a movie title, no? Well it certainly has had all the makings of a good drama – surprise, shock, love and disappointment and some exhilaration. 🙂

Once #BabyT outgrew his muslin swaddles/ blankets, around 8 months onwards, I felt the need for a new baby blanket – one that would be perfect for day naps (no AC, warm Octobers in Mumbai) and keep him warm all night (AC on all night, baby hates anything on his body) And all of us moms and caregivers know that baby blankets go so much beyond just “blankets”. They also become play mats, nursing covers, sun shades in the car (Mumbai has a no shaded car window ruleK) and so many other avatars.

Precious Naptime

At a time like this Soul Snuggly walked into our lives. I had been eyeing the gorgeous prints and colours on the Soul website but was really unsure of how their jacquard fabric would fare in the perennially hot Mumbai weather and also mainly because I never could decide on which of the pretty designs to select and hit ‘Add to cart’ on. Soul sent me one for trial and review and I am so glad the universe conspired and brought me what I was looking for.

What’s a Soul Snuggly?

Soul Snuggly blankets are made from the same fabric that is used to make Soul’s wraps and other baby carriers. More details about the Soul Snuggly:

  • Sized at 45” * 48” – perfect for smaller babies and toddlers alike.
  • They are 100% cotton and therefore contain only all natural fibres.
  • The dyes used are baby-safe dyes
  • They are dense jacquard weave patterns which makes them delightful to look at and are strong and sturdy, yet become softer with each wash.
  • Easy to care for
  • So much choice: the Snuggly is available in 10 jacquard patterns, 6 Ikat weaves and 4 linen varieties. And more keep getting added to the stock regularly. 🙂

We chose the Maze Blues Soul Snuggly. And #babyT and our Snuggly have been inseparable since. This is a #nofilter pic.

The gorgeousness that is the Maze Blues Snuggly

After using them for over 2 months, count a sort of wintry January/ February and an already hot March, we have grown to love our Soul Snuggly. What we love about it is:

  • Just right for Mumbai winters – warm without being too sweaty, is breathable.
  • Perfect for nights when we leave the AC on all night.
  • Summer friendly – it got as high as 35* in early March and we found our Snuggly was perfectly breathable and did not discomfort #babyT
  • BabyT is a blanket “Kicker-off’er” – nothing stays on his body and he’s been that way since his newborn days. No caps, no socks, no heavy blankets, no fleece blankets for sure. But, the Soul Snuggly stays. That is a certificate in itself.
  • Gives two looks in one – Our Maze blues is prominently blue on one side and black on the other.
  • Very versatile – park mat, nursing cover, car window blinds on sunny car rides, cuddly time with books.

    ParkLife with Soul Snuggly

  • Great on #babyT’s sensitive skin. Fleece blankets which are so commonly used for babies, were a nightmare for us. It gave babyT rashes and dried his skin up a lot. We hunted far and wide for 100% cotton, but many of those blankets did not live up to the natural claim. Soul Snuggly however has been the best experience in terms of its promise of being all natural and safe.
  • Value for money: Soul Snuggly blankets are priced at Rs. 750 for the Jacquards and Rs. 950 for the newly launched Ikat and Linen baby blankets. Complete value for money considering you can use them from the newborn stage to toddlerhood (2-3 years) and even more.

What we love even more are the newly launched Summer Snugglies – they are blankets in the Ikat and Linen range of fabrics that Soul has. I got mine free during the offer they had on purchase of the Onbuhimo carrier. And they have become our go to blankets for day naps. They are also great for post bath wraps when #babyT steps out (or sprints out) of the bathroom. They dry so fast that I can reuse them as his blanket in the time he dresses up, feeds and slips into slumber land post his bath routine.

Soul Snuggly – Ikat Eclipse

Although I’ve had my Ikat Snuggly only for a week and so not had many opportunities to use it, but this range could easily be used for a stroller cover, crib sheet, swaddle. They would also make great gifts for baby showers and newborns.

If there is one recommendation I could make about the Soul Snuggly is that if it could be slightly bigger. I have a roller baby and at times he tends to roll out of the blanket. I could always get the Soul Shawls which are the same beautiful fabric and designs in a 80” * 40” size, but that would be an adult size (read: Me) and I don’t intend to share. J

Have you used the Soul Snuggly blanket for your wee ones? Tell me what did you love about it and what has been your favourite design?

#Review – Superbags: Wetbags by Superbottoms

If you have remotely heard of Cloth Diapering you may have also heard the word “wet bag” being thrown about casually in conversations about wash routines and diapering accessories. Essentially, a  wet bag is a bag that holds wet stuff. TaDa! No surprises there. It is, in fact, a reusable, waterproof and leak resistant bag which holds in odours and of course prevents liquids from escaping. But did you know that a wet bag can be used for many purposes other than just cloth diapering? This makes it an investment that is quite worth it and very handy around the house. Especially a house that has a child.

Firstly let me give you some insight into why a wetbag is so important in a cloth diaper’s journey. Wet bags are essentially made of PUL/ TPU and so are reusable (yayy for planet Earth) They are also waterproof and leak resistant (yayy for all who cloth diaper) Wet bags allow you to continue cloth diapering even when you are out of the home. This without having to stink up and flooding your diaper bag with baby bodily outputs. And you do not need to use plastic bags. At all! Yes, you heard right. Continue reading

Babywearing: Kol Kol Meitai

Last week we hosted the traveling Meitai baby carrier from Kol Kol Baby Carriers. We had it with us for all of one week and we fell in love with it completely. Get a head’s up about baby wearing here.
My current collection of baby wearing stuff has a stretchy wrap, a Soft Structured Carrier with buckle and a Ring Sling. I had always assumed a Mei Tai was complicated, especially after my messy wrapping attempts with my Moby wrap. So when my traveling carrier arrived I was transported back to the early days when babyT was a new-born and I would struggle and be dissuaded by family from wrapping him. I think a large part of my discomfort with early baby wearing can be attributed to family dissuasion. But maybe I should have persisted and made them see the benefits of it in practice, as I did with cloth diapers. (Yes, with me every topic has to include something about cloth diapers.)

So after a day of it just lying there, I mustered enough courage to read and re-read the manual and then watch Bayiravi’s Youtube video. And so I tried it on and babyT was up in less than two minutes. No kidding! Mind = Blown. And babyT was so comfortable in it that he kicked a right old fuss to be taken out of the house immediately. I think this picture shows his desperation to get out. Cursed myself for not wearing decent clothes, grabbed the keys and we were out the door… babyT squealed in delight. I knew we had a winner then.

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We roamed around the apartment complex for about ten minutes. BabyT felt light as a feather, I felt I had nothing on… no complex harnesses, no yards upon yards of fabric, no plastic buckles or metal rings. It felt like another part of my attire. I was confident of expanding my geography and we went for a long walk. We were out for a good hour and I was beyond impressed.

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What is a Mei Tai?
It is a traditional South East Asian baby carrier. It has a front panel to which fabric straps are attached, forming the shoulder straps. There is also a panel with strap to tie around your waist. Kol Kol’s Mei Tai also comes with an attached hood to shield baby from the sun or for discreet nursing. (Image source: Google)

porte-bebe-chinois

How to:

Pre-wearing prep:
The Kol Kol Mei Tai comes with an adjustable waist. It has Velcro sewn in inside the waist belt, such that the front panel can be made narrower or wider so as to fit a new-born baby as well as an older baby. Similarly, you can also fold over the front panel before tying it on, to reduce the height of the carrier. You can see how this is done here.

Wearing baby:

  1. Tie the waist panel around yourself and tighten at the back with two knots. Tight as you can.
  2. Take your baby and place him on your chest, this should take the natural M position, with knees higher than the bum.
  3. Take the front panel up around baby’s body and toss the shoulder straps over your back.
  4. While one hand holds baby, take one of the two shoulder straps and cross it over, then the other. Both the straps should make a cross on your back. The straps should be pulled tight, spread them out nicely for a better hold.
  5. Then bring them over to the front, and cross over baby’s bottom (on top of the front panel.) Twist them twice, no need for knots. I like to spread the straps out a bit, before twisting them, to give a good support to baby’s bottom.
  6. Pass the straps from under baby’s knees to your back and tie a double knot. And you are done.

For a better pictorial description, look here. Or for a video, see this.

What I love:

  • The fabric is 100% cotton, super soft, breathable – which is a boon for our Indian weather.
  • It is strong enough to hold an almost ten kg baby, yet light and comfortable at the same time, without any bulk.
  • No plastic buckles or metallic rings. It’s cotton in and out.
  • Feels like second skin. If you wear it correctly baby even seems weightless in it. Don’t take my word for it, but daddy dearest also loved the complete hands free, comfort that came with wearing babyT in it.IMG-20160822-WA0003
  • Vibrant colours & patterns. Kol Kol has very Indian patterns as well as some gorgeous culture neutral prints.
  • Very easy to get on – I am a klutz when it comes to wrapping and even need help getting our soft structured carrier on, but I think I can safely say I am a pro at wearing babyT in the MeiTai. And not just me, but I tied it on to my dad, and then taught my husband to wear babyT in it. Seriously, if I can do it, anyone can.2016-08-22_00.27.16

What I thought could be better:

  • After about an hour of wearing babyT in this, I found he had slid down a bit. However I asked the experts and they have told me it is normal. This can be avoided by making sure the Mei Tai is worn tightly and this gets better with practice.
  • I so wish they were reversible, two designs in one carrier would be so great. Wishful thinking.

 

My ratings for this baby carrier:

  • Ease of use: 5/5
  • Appearance: 4/5 (just being stingy)
  • Value for money: 5/5
  • Baby’s comfort: 5/5
  • Baby wearer’s comfort: 4/5 (stingy again)

The Mei Tai has been elevated to number one position in my baby wearing charts. I am so glad I was pushed by a friend to sign up for the traveling carrier program and even happier that I was selected to try it on. I am sorely missing the carrier, now that it has been passed on to the next person in this program. I am waiting for Bayiravi to add some new prints to the MT collection and look forward to welcoming a piece soon.

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