Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When are your meetings? Can my husband/etc come with me?
A: Everyone is welcome at our meetings! We love to have moms, dads, grandparents, caregivers, anyone who wants to learn about babywearing. Weekday meetings are the 3rd Wednesday of each month and weekend meetings are the 2nd Sunday of each month. Check out our Meetings page for up to date information on our next meeting.
Q: Why is it bad to wear my baby facing out? He likes it! What's a "crotch dangler" anyway?
A: A crotch dangler is a carrier that has baby hanging off the wearer's body, only being supported by a thin strap of fabric between their legs. This style of facing out is very ergonomically incorrect for both baby and wearer and can get very uncomfortable for both of you quickly. Babies also get over stimulated easily and when they are facing out to the world, there is no place for them to hide from the stimuli. In addition, they are completely unsupported if they fall asleep while facing out.
That said, if you are going to wear baby facing out, definitely wait until their head control is very solid, approximately 3-4 months. Make sure you are wearing a carrier that can fully support baby facing out because baby needs support from one knee all the way to the other knee just like a facing in position. If properly done, you should be able to get solid support from most types of carriers, most notably mei tais, ring slings, wraps, and some soft structured carriers. You can narrow the bottom of your mei tai with string or a hair elastic, try a kangaroo carry in a ring sling, or check out the Beco Gemini in the lending library for an example of a soft structured carrier that is designed for front facing out wearing.
If you are very aware of baby while wearing and make sure their seat is fully supported, then facing out positions can be a fun new way to experience the world for short periods at a time.
Q: You recommend not using SSCs with newborns. What about the infant insert for my Ergo?
A: We tend to recommend other types of carriers for use with newborns because their needs are different than those of an older baby. It can be tricky to support baby in a safe position in most soft structured carriers and many parents find that babywearing will feel more comfortable if they are using a carrier that suits the baby’s age and stage well. With that said, the new contoured Ergo insert with support pillow is a better design than the older flat insert. Some soft structured carriers have design features that may work better than others for use with newborns.
Q: I love the carrier I borrowed from the library, can I buy it from you?
A: As a general rule, we do not sell the carriers from our library so that we do not need to constantly replace them. But see our Resources page for ideas on where you can start shopping.
Q: I would really like to nurse discreetly in public, is it possible to do this in a baby carrier?
A: Definitely! Try the videos/tips below. Mommy News also provides an overview and tips.
Q: There are so many options, how do I decide which carrier is best for me?
A: Come to a meeting and let us help you! You can try out many styles and even borrow things from our library. For more online reading, try "Choosing a babycarrier" at TheBabywearer.com.
Q: Is it possible to make my own baby carrier?
A: Yes, absolutely, though some styles require more skill and sewing experience than others. Jan Andrea has the best collection of carrier patterns available online. "Sewing and improvising babycarriers" at TheBabywearer.com is another great resource. Also, see the Stretchy Wrap page for info on no-sew instructions for those.
Q: I've been to a BBW meeting before and don't need to hear the basic intro talk again. Do you always do an intro talk and is it okay to skip it?
A: In 2012, we will be updating the format of our meetings. We will be focusing on a different topic every month, instead of just covering basics, in the hopes of offering more information to our members. Please see our Meetings page for a list of topics. Don't worry, if you are new to BW or have a specific question outside our discussion topic, we are still happy to help. If you would like to suggest a topic or offer to lead a discussion, please email us. If you have specific questions, need help with a carrier or would like to borrow something from the library, we do ask that you arrive early to ensure that we have enough time to help you find the right fit. Otherwise, you are welcome to come or leave anytime.
Q: Why are you meetings always in the middle of a work day? And why are they always so far away from me? I'd love to come, but can never make it there!
A: While we are called the Boston Babywearers, our members and leaders are actually from all over the state. We are currently in the process of finding a new permanent meeting location, but in the meantime we have been trying out various meeting locations around the greater Boston area. We are also trying to have more frequent weekend meetings in a variety of areas to reach more of our members. We are always open to meeting location suggestions, particularly public transit accessible, free or low cost ideas.
Q: I really want to make new BW friends, but have had a hard time forming friendships during the monthly meetings. Does BBW do any social activities besides meetings?
A: BBW would like to become more of a social network but we need your help! We would love to have satellite groups in our more distant towns, playgroups, mom's nights out, family events, etc and be able to build more community within our group. Please let us know if you would like to be involved and what types of activities are of interest. We are always in need of motivated members who want to help plan social activities so please don’t be shy! Feel free to email us at info@bostonbabywearers.com with suggestions or for more information.
A: Everyone is welcome at our meetings! We love to have moms, dads, grandparents, caregivers, anyone who wants to learn about babywearing. Weekday meetings are the 3rd Wednesday of each month and weekend meetings are the 2nd Sunday of each month. Check out our Meetings page for up to date information on our next meeting.
Q: Why is it bad to wear my baby facing out? He likes it! What's a "crotch dangler" anyway?
A: A crotch dangler is a carrier that has baby hanging off the wearer's body, only being supported by a thin strap of fabric between their legs. This style of facing out is very ergonomically incorrect for both baby and wearer and can get very uncomfortable for both of you quickly. Babies also get over stimulated easily and when they are facing out to the world, there is no place for them to hide from the stimuli. In addition, they are completely unsupported if they fall asleep while facing out.
That said, if you are going to wear baby facing out, definitely wait until their head control is very solid, approximately 3-4 months. Make sure you are wearing a carrier that can fully support baby facing out because baby needs support from one knee all the way to the other knee just like a facing in position. If properly done, you should be able to get solid support from most types of carriers, most notably mei tais, ring slings, wraps, and some soft structured carriers. You can narrow the bottom of your mei tai with string or a hair elastic, try a kangaroo carry in a ring sling, or check out the Beco Gemini in the lending library for an example of a soft structured carrier that is designed for front facing out wearing.
If you are very aware of baby while wearing and make sure their seat is fully supported, then facing out positions can be a fun new way to experience the world for short periods at a time.
Q: You recommend not using SSCs with newborns. What about the infant insert for my Ergo?
A: We tend to recommend other types of carriers for use with newborns because their needs are different than those of an older baby. It can be tricky to support baby in a safe position in most soft structured carriers and many parents find that babywearing will feel more comfortable if they are using a carrier that suits the baby’s age and stage well. With that said, the new contoured Ergo insert with support pillow is a better design than the older flat insert. Some soft structured carriers have design features that may work better than others for use with newborns.
Q: I love the carrier I borrowed from the library, can I buy it from you?
A: As a general rule, we do not sell the carriers from our library so that we do not need to constantly replace them. But see our Resources page for ideas on where you can start shopping.
Q: I would really like to nurse discreetly in public, is it possible to do this in a baby carrier?
A: Definitely! Try the videos/tips below. Mommy News also provides an overview and tips.
- Nursing in a ring sling, tips from Zolowear
- Nursing in a pouch (video)
- Nursing in an mei tai, tips from Kozy
- Nursing in a soft structured carrier, tips from the Ergo Lady
- Nursing in a wrap, tips from Wear Your Baby
Q: There are so many options, how do I decide which carrier is best for me?
A: Come to a meeting and let us help you! You can try out many styles and even borrow things from our library. For more online reading, try "Choosing a babycarrier" at TheBabywearer.com.
Q: Is it possible to make my own baby carrier?
A: Yes, absolutely, though some styles require more skill and sewing experience than others. Jan Andrea has the best collection of carrier patterns available online. "Sewing and improvising babycarriers" at TheBabywearer.com is another great resource. Also, see the Stretchy Wrap page for info on no-sew instructions for those.
Q: I've been to a BBW meeting before and don't need to hear the basic intro talk again. Do you always do an intro talk and is it okay to skip it?
A: In 2012, we will be updating the format of our meetings. We will be focusing on a different topic every month, instead of just covering basics, in the hopes of offering more information to our members. Please see our Meetings page for a list of topics. Don't worry, if you are new to BW or have a specific question outside our discussion topic, we are still happy to help. If you would like to suggest a topic or offer to lead a discussion, please email us. If you have specific questions, need help with a carrier or would like to borrow something from the library, we do ask that you arrive early to ensure that we have enough time to help you find the right fit. Otherwise, you are welcome to come or leave anytime.
Q: Why are you meetings always in the middle of a work day? And why are they always so far away from me? I'd love to come, but can never make it there!
A: While we are called the Boston Babywearers, our members and leaders are actually from all over the state. We are currently in the process of finding a new permanent meeting location, but in the meantime we have been trying out various meeting locations around the greater Boston area. We are also trying to have more frequent weekend meetings in a variety of areas to reach more of our members. We are always open to meeting location suggestions, particularly public transit accessible, free or low cost ideas.
Q: I really want to make new BW friends, but have had a hard time forming friendships during the monthly meetings. Does BBW do any social activities besides meetings?
A: BBW would like to become more of a social network but we need your help! We would love to have satellite groups in our more distant towns, playgroups, mom's nights out, family events, etc and be able to build more community within our group. Please let us know if you would like to be involved and what types of activities are of interest. We are always in need of motivated members who want to help plan social activities so please don’t be shy! Feel free to email us at info@bostonbabywearers.com with suggestions or for more information.
