The Attached Mother

I loved having a sling to carry my second son around in. I loved it so much that I learned how to make my own so that I could have a few different color options without buying a new one. I even made a cute sling for a friend as her baby shower gift. A thick (she lived in the north), reversible sling that had soft pink roses on one side and vines on the other.

Making a sling can be really easy and inexpensive if you are decent at sewing. Even a beginner can pick up on the simple steps easily. Grab a few old sheets to practice with until you get it right.

Rixa of The True Face of Birth just shared the most beautiful and easy looking pattern to make a great pleated ring sling. She really took the time to lay out the steps for you one by one so that you won’t have to worry about what you do next.

And once you go over to check out the tutorial be sure to hang out and read some more of her great posts. The birth junkies will definitely enjoy her posts on child birth and a woman’s options. Especially in the light of the recent VBAC bans going on, such as the ones in Arizona. It is a topic I have seen with a lot of discussion lately, and I hope will soon be overturned.

So, head over to Rixa’s, enjoy the sling tutorial, and get a little educated on child birth. It’s a great start to the week.

sling, tutorial, crafts, infant carrier

If you haven’t heard the news yet the Attachment Parenting International blog is up and running! This is a great resource to add to the blogroll, I’ve already added it here. The blog will be a group effort where parents of all stages can share their own stories of parenting and living. You can join in yourself by sharing a post on attachment parenting in your house. Be sure to check out the guidelines first to make sure your post is what they are looking for.

Just in time for my own infant sling giveaway there is a great post up right now on slinging your newborn. For me that was the hardest stage of sling wearing. I was so nervous and uncertain on the right way to wear the sling and just how to put my baby in and out. It also didn’t help that I had never met another person face to face that used a sling. I wish I had this kind of advice then. We made it through, but it could have been a lot less nerve-wracking with this advice in hand.

I hope you’ll stop by and read the great posts already up. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any thing that is happening! I’m certain API Speaks is going to be a valuable resource for all parents, not just those who practice attachment parenting.

And of course, don’t forget to go back and enter in my giveaway if you haven’t yet. A brand new, handmade sling of your choice! The perfect gift for any new moms you might know.

attachment parenting, parenting, blogs, slings, infant slings, infant carriers

If you haven’t check it out yet I have a ring sling giveaway going on here. You could win a handcrafted, beautiful ring sling or your choice.

On that note, I found this great article at Forever Parents called Why You Should Hold Your Baby. The article tells one grandmother’s story of wearing her grandchildren and loving it, as well as seeing the benefits first hand of being worn and carried by their family. Most of us have heard “If you hold that baby all time you’ll spoil her”.

What a win-win: happy baby, happy caregiver. Unless she was hungry and only nursing could meet her need, carrying her in the sling would always make her happy, whether it was Mom or Dad or Grandma doing the carrying. Wearing your baby in a sling completely transforms the experience of parenting an infant.

Many of us that got to wear our babies remember similar experiences. Calm and content babies, moony-eyed moms with their babies near by. And, unlike fruit, they don’t spoil. Carrying your baby close to your heart provides you both with a connection, a security that will be very beneficial as they age. And trust me, they do age. Before you know it that sweet, snuggly baby is a fast paced child with no time for long snuggled on the couch.

Contrary to what we have been taught to believe, research shows that babies who are held and carried all the time and get their need for touch well-met in their first year do not become clingy and overly dependent. They cry much less and they grow to become happier, more intelligent, more independent, more loving and more social than babies who spend much of their infancy in infant seats, swings, cribs, and all the other plastic baby-holding gadgets that don’t provide babies with human contact.

True there are some babies who love their space, my oldest needed room to breath more than close snuggles. Luckily a big part of attachment parenting is not following some set of “must do” rules, but following your own instincts and your child’s cues. If your child doesn’t like to be carried in a sling that in no way means you are doing something wrong or not really following attachment parenting. Each child is different and need different things. Just be open to what cues you are being sent.

If your baby loves to be held and cuddled using a sling can be a great way to keep that constant contact.

baby wearing, slings, parenting, babies, infants

I’m joining in the fun Bloggy Giveaway here at The Attached Mother. For the week of April 21 -25 hundreds of bloggers are joining together to give away great prizes. There are so many fun things being given away it will be hard to get through them all.

OK, so I’m sure you want to get to the chase right? As the title says I’m giving away a brand new ring sing of your choice to one lucky person here this week. The slings are handmade with loving care by Flutterby Gifts. There are several cute slings available right now for your browsing pleasure. Just check out the slings page here to see what is available. Ring slings are perfect for new moms. They are easy to put on and take off, easy to adjust, and cradle a baby much like the womb did. When mine were little I adored having a ring sling to wear.

Here is what you have to do if you want to win a new ring sling. Leave a comment on this post between April 21 and 25 sharing a happy slinging memory. Maybe it’s finally figuring out how to wear your sling, or carrying your sleeping baby, or even just meeting someone who didn’t ask you if you were smothering your baby in the sling. What ever happy moment you want to share please do.

If you haven’t used a sling yet and don’t have any happy moments just share one that you might look forward to having. Even if you are hoping to win for someone else, what do you think they might enjoy about using a sling? Let’s share the happiness and make each other smile!

Then come back on April 26 when I’ll announce the winner. One comment will be chosen at random to win a sling of their choice from the sling section at Flutterby Gifts. And while you’re there be sure to check out the other goodies for sale. The soaps and lotions are to die for, I can personally attest to that.

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Be sure to also check out what I’m giving away at Mom Is Teaching!

There area few celebrity moms that I just love. Gwen Stephani being one. From her stylish sling that Kingston got to rock (and hopefully number 2 will enjoy as well) to her breastfeeding comments, Gwen has just stood out to me as a mom I would love to know. Angelina Jolie was another mom who wore her kids and loves co-sleeping. Family snuggles in the bed are so relaxing. Charlotte Church is another mom who’s homebirthing, breastfeeding, co-sleeping attitude made me smile.

Unfortunately not all celeb moms feel the same way. There are some who think it is perfectly fine to hand their newborns over to someone else while they jump back into their careers or begin training for marathons.  I know that many say all mothers are attached, but sometimes I wonder about some mothers. How attached are you when you can say “OK, here you go, I’ve got to get back to the gym now”. Marathon training isn’t just half an hour or an hour every other day. That is a huge piece of your time, time that your children are not getting.

I’m just sad that instead of spending time with her newborn twins she’s spending time with a personal trainer. Rather than make her kids proud by being a good mother she wants to make them proud by being in good shape.

Yes we’re all mothers, and yes we should support each other as mothers. But that does not mean we have to agree with or even like what other mothers choose to do. And we can be vocal in our opposition while still not taking away their right to make those kinds of choices.

So what celeb moms do you look up to? Which ones are influential in all the right ways?

parenting, attachment parenting, celebrity moms, celebrities

I love talking about slings and baby wearing.  The facts about baby wearing are here. The different types of baby slings are here.

My favorite slings are the mai tei and the plain old over the shoulder ring sling.  I had both for my babies and used them for different occasions.

My babies didn’t like the ring sling as newborns and only the mai tei would work.  The mai tei was also more comfortable for me and allowed greater use of both arms. The ring sling, however, gave a more secure, to the side hip hold that I like for taking walks or pushing a shopping cart.

Little Bean is so darn independent that I’ve all but store my slings away.  I encourage all mothers, attachment parents or not, to try using a sling. You can get so much done, if nothing else sells you on the idea!