The West Yorkshire Sling Library will be closed for eight days from 26/5/13 to 3/6/13. All phone advice and doorstep swaps will stop during this time, and the Drop-in Session scheduled for Wednesday 29th May will not take place.
I’m sorry if this is awkward. But it’s definitely good news for those of you wishing to take carrier rentals this month – as usual when we close, there will be FREE extensions on the rentals to cover the closure.
If you take a carrier on a 4 week rental between April 28th and May 5th inclusive it will be due back June 5th – up to 10 days extra, for free.
If you take a carrier on a 2 week rental between May 12th and May 19th inclusive it will be due back June 5th – up to 10 days extra, for free.
The Sling Social of May 31st is still scheduled to take place as a sling meet without the library services, we will let you know if that changes.
If you have any questions about the closure please call or email!
Gratuitous sling picture of the library’s new Himmel mei tai, for decoration:
The latest addition to serve the carrying needs of West Yorkshire!
A Calin Bleu gauze wrap -super lightweight yet supportive, thin and airy. Ideal for the summer months, wonderful for holidays, folds up extra small and weighs a tiny amount. Just stuff it in your suitcase!
The library’s Calin Bleu is ‘Summer Lavender’ an impressively subtle, neutral shade that looks wonderful in the sunshine.
Kindly donated by Calin Bleu baby slings who will also offer a BONUS code to all library users who wish to go on to buy from them. Please ask for details.
The sling library is offering new sessions, a new venue – more space, more time, more parking – and more tea and cake!
We are now lucky enough to be able to use a lovely room at Pudsey Wellbeing Centre for ‘Sling Library Socials’. All the usual library services – advice, rentals, returns, try-ons, sling chat – with the added benefits of space for little ones to run about, a play zone, free refreshments, sling chatter and peer to peer support. So you can come along for library services, carrying advice, to meet other parents and babies for a play, a chat, or just a sit down and a cup of tea! The Wellbeing Centre is central, next to the bus station, leisure centre and Pudsey Park, so great for a day out – or if you’re local, a great place for a baby pit stop if you’re out and about. The Centre itself has a great child friendly cafe on the ground floor – Cafe Lux – serving hot drinks, smoothies, homemade cakes and a range of sandwiches and cooked meals. The Centre is part of the Robin Lane Medical Centre and also runs a baby group (Tuesday 1-4pm) and breastfeeding group (Monday 9.30-11am) as well as being base for midwifery services, eye clinic, and all kinds of other community interest activities.
Pudsey Wellbeng Centre – our new venue.
The Socials will offer a second opportunity for carrier rentals and returns, giving an alternate time and venue for those who cannot make the Wednesday drop-in session, and hopefully providing a fun event for library regulars and new visitors alike. We will provide tea, coffee and biscuits (but all cake donations will be gratefully received).
The first Library Social will run this coming Friday, 19th April 2013 from 12 – 2.30pm on the First Floor of Pudsey Wellbeing Centre, Robin Lane, Pudsey, Leeds, LS28 7DE.
Do you have a carrier due back this Wednesday 17th April? You now have a two-day free extension to give you the choice of coming along Wednesday as usual or coming to see us in our new home on Friday 19th April.
The aim is to run the socials fortnightly to begin with, and see how the library adjusts to this new format. The Social sessions will not replace drop-in Wednesdays initially until the new pattern is established, and we get some feedback on the new services. ALL details of drop in sessions or socials will be posted here on the blog and on the library Facebook page before the event.
Further Changes
Now that library services are expanding, we are exploring ways to offer the best service possible to the most people in the times we have available. This will mean changes to pricing structures, open times and drop in services, which will be gradually implemented over April and May. These are being trialled and carefully thought out but we welcome any feedback on drop in sessions, rental services or private appointments – please feel free to get in touch.
From Thursday 18th April 2013, a new pricing system will be used. This will only affect new rentals and not renewals or swaps. Full details are below. As before, at drop in or social sessions, all advice and help is free.
Rental services – £6 for two weeks. £10 for four weeks. Rental fees cover the cost of carrier purchase, insurance, laundering, depreciation, storage and transportation.
New, improved, longer private consultations. £20 per 80 minute session. Why 80 minutes? Because, having done hundreds of 60 minute appointments, we have learned that that’s how long it takes! This is a cheaper hourly rate than the previous structure and each consultation includes one two-week rental.
Consultation packageprices will remain the same with some small tweaks to improve the content. Please see the page for further details. All packages already purchased remain the same as printed on the voucher.
And to celebrate, some New Carriers (of course)
Over the next few days, I will be very happy to welcome some fabulous new slings and carriers to the new improved West Yorkshire Sling Library – and with even more to come! Pictures will follow as they land.
A beautiful Himmel Mei Tai and a funky Ellaroo Mei Tai. Another of the versatile Boba 3G buckle carriers in ‘tweet’ – for Easter! The Close Parent Caboo DX, a structured carrier from the makers of the Close Caboo. And the star of the show, the brand-new Beco Soleil, not yet available to buy in Europe, coming to join us for our unique sneak-preview courtesy of our generous supporters at Slumber-Roo.
The West Yorkshire Sling Library will be open as usual over the Easter Holidays.
We will run drop-in sessions on Weds 27th March, Weds 3rd April, Weds 10th April as usual, 10-3pm. Please feel free to pop by for anything sling and carrier related.
I would ask that any doorstep swaps and non-urgent calls are postponed until after the Bank Holiday weekend.
It may well be that during the holidays there are more children about than normal at library sessions – older children are more than welcome, provided we can all fit in! There is a small park within a couple of hundred yards which is a good option to keep children busy if there is likely to be a small wait in the library.
We are in the process of arranging an alternative venue for the library drop in sessions, which will have much more space, parking and hopefully be much more accessible and sociable for everyone. When I know more I will shout it from the rooftops!
This is a question we address again and again in the library – the tendency of some babies to want to grow eyes in the backs of their heads! Most common between 3-6 months, but can manifest anytime, it’s not confined to carried babies, and it can be constant. Any time you want your baby to feed, nuzzle down, or turn away from stimuli to settle them, they’re craning backwards, upside down and
Baby craning backwards
sideways, wanting to know just what is going on! It is so very common to encounter issues with this that I’ve given it a name – NOSY (Not Only Seeing You) Syndrome.NOSY babies have generally just discovered that there is a world out there behind them, and they would very much like to be a part of it. It is often a factor in ‘turning babies around’ – whether in pushchairs, carrying in arms, or in carriers to assume a Front Facing Out position. But is this the best solution?It is important to consider exactly what your baby wants to see and why they want to see it. The constant that gives the baby the confidence and security to explore the world is you. Your NOSY baby needs to observe the world safely from that constant in the same way that they will later explore it without going too far from your side. Comedian Reid Faylor was joking when he said ‘I think Peekaboo is the cruelest game we play with children. This is because babies lack what is known as ‘object permanence’. So when when you close their eyes, they don’t know you still exist as a mother. The game should really be called it ‘Orphan; Not Orphan”. It’s a joke. But does it have some basis in truth? Object permanence – the idea that something can still exist even when you can’t see it – this only develops between 8-12 months, with prime time for NOSY syndrome being 3-6 months. These young NOSY babies can literally lose sight of reality when faced away from a caregiver.
No-one is suggesting you stop playing peekaboo, or stop ‘turning babies around’ – for some NOSY babies it can be a decent short term option, when handled well, with understanding. But I suggest some other options, to allow your NOSY carried baby to see their world – and the axis on which it spins – you.
Setting the mood
NOSY baby
Some babies will only display signs of NOSY syndrome at certain times of day, or in certain situations – such as when they are sleepy, during the evenings, or when you put them in a carrier in a certain way – tucked in, for example, or with their arms in front of their faces. Experiment with times and methods, if you can, and bear in mind that babies object to most things – car seats, nappy changes, cuddles – now and again. Try not to dismiss your carrier out of hand. Keep calm and try again another day.
Upper body freedom
Many of the carriers we have in the library allow for height adjustment, especially wraps and mei tais. Giving babies a little more upper body freedom than they have been used to as a new baby with no head control is often all that is needed to stop the NOSY baby fidgets.
Carrying babies on the hip
Ring Sling on the hip
Carrying babies on the hip is arguably the most natural position we assume. NOSY syndrome often co-incides with a baby establishing enough upper body strength and head control to be naturally carried on the hip when in arms. It seems natural that we support this position in a carrier as well. Many two shoulder carriers can be adapted to carry on the hip, babies can be
wrapped on the hip and there are many hip carry specialist carriers, from ring slings and pouches to structured hip carriers such as the Scootababy and Ellaroo Mei Hip. Babies carried in the hip can see not only you, but in front and behind – the ultimate for a happy NOSY baby. Importantly, if they need to turn away from the big, wonderful world, they can turn into your body and nuzzle down.
Carrying babies on the back
Carrying NOSY babies high on the back has many of the hip carry benefits. Up high and close to you, they can turn in and away or look up and out, forward facing in the truest sense but secure in your continued presence. Back carrying works best with smaller babies when they can be carried high, as in wraps or mei tais, and peek over your shoulder at everything you do. Carrying on the back sometimes takes practice and should only be attempted when you feel happy with the process.
Why not just ‘turn them around’?
You can do, of course, and with some babies, this is all that will suffice, temporarily. Perhaps your baby is one of these. If you feel that is so, and you have tried the other carrying positions above, let’s explore the guidelines around ‘back to front’ or ‘FFO – front facing out’ positioning.
Let’s imagine ourselves in the baby’s place. Firstly, it’s easy for us to imagine that we will feel more comfortable with a seated position, weight spread across buttocks and thighs, than we would sitting on a narrow seat supported only by the crotch – let’s compare a bucket seat to a bar stool. So in outward facing our baby we should be aiming for a similar position to when they face in, legs supported at at least a 90 degree angle from the torso. Some buckle carriers now offer this type of positioning, and in many other carriers it can be achieved with awareness of the issue and a supplementary hand if needed.
One of the arguments against facing out is that it flattens the infant spine, the tightening mechanism of the carrier pushing the baby into a prone position with the spine in an artificial S shape rather than the infant curve. We recommend being aware about over-tightening the carrier, to use the position for limited periods, and use carriers designed for this carrying position.
We know that overstimulation, an inability to turn away from the outside world, out of sight of a care giver, can be an issue for some babies when using FFO positioning. Buried deep in most carrier instruction manual you will find recommendations to use this carrying position for shorter periods of time than you might expect – some say ten minutes, fifteen minutes, twenty minutes. Some suggest building up to the longer periods of time as baby grows. So when trying your carrier, check how easy it is to switch your carrier between inward and outward facing. Too difficult a switch, and you can end up not using one or the other at all. Monitor your baby, and make the switch if they are finding the position over stimulating or becoming tired. Always use inward facing positioning for sleeping children.
Age Range
The most common suggested age range for outward facing positioning is between 5-12 months of age. Some carriers suggest waiting for six months before using the position, or suggest developmental milestones such as sitting or sturdy head control. We know outward facing carrying requires a greater degree of upper body control for the child, so it’s important to follow the guidelines on lower age limits. Facing out very early or when sleeping can be a risk to airways, so it is extremely important to use it age appropriately. The upper age limit is usually for the sake of the parent. Carrying outward facing is a significantly increased weight loading to carrying inward facing as the child is further from your centre of gravity, no longer wrapped around you. They often feel and look taller when facing out, and can reach more things too, making it a less practical option for many scenarios as they grow. We know you want to share experiences with your baby, and the happy truth about the alternatives to facing out mentioned in this article is that they can all be used throughout toddlerhood, offering long term ergonomic carrying on the front, back and hip even when your facing out days are done.
Correct leg position, facing inward
There are issues, it is important to note, but once you are aware of these it is your choice to make. There are carriers which will support you in any position that you choose.
This Too Shall Pass
NOSY babies don’t always remain so, the majority will move on from the NOSY stage really quite quickly, although it can seem a long time when you can’t feed or carry your baby without the crazy craning! It is very likely that when this stage passes your baby will be happily carried on the front, or back, or hip. When the exploration stage begins, your baby’s NOSY tendencies can be fulfilled as they get down on the floor and exercise their own independence – often, when it is time to come back to you, to feed, sleep, travel or be close, the NOSY baby is more than ready to hunker down and snuggle in – to have a break from being a big clever baby, and go back to being a tucked-in snuggle bug. NOSY syndrome is a hurdle to be overcome, not an end to facing inward or baby carrying itself.
Seek help
If you still have trouble with your NOSY baby, seek help from your local sling library or carrying resource. Here in West Yorkshire we provide carrying support to hundreds of families each month – click our venues to see where we are this week or send us a message using the contact us page.
Struggling in the snow? The library is opening for two special Snow Day! sessions this week – Monday and Tuesday 2-3pm – and offering free sling and carrier rental to Farsley Farfield parents*
Every morning hundreds of parents pass my gate with babies, toddlers and preschoolers, now is your chance to pop in and try something out. We have carriers available for the front, hip, back, that can carry children from premature baby to school age. Take the older ones sledging. Keep the little ones warm and close.
Live outside the area? The library session will open as usual on Wednesday 10-3pm, this offer is designed to help local parents get out and about on foot and I do not want to encourage unnecessary travel.
Any questions at all call me on 0113 2100855
* Carrier rental for the period of seven days. All carriers are subject to deposit – please bring a chequebook or cash deposit. You are responsible for the safety of the carrier and all users safety whilst in use.
There have been several conversations in the library recently about how to, and where to, buy slings and carriers second hand in the UK.
Buying second hand can be a great option, if you know where to go and what to look for. Here is the West Yorkshire Sling Library guide to buying and selling second hand carriers.
– Know where to look –
There are plenty of second hand arenas in which you might expect slings and carriers to come up, and indeed they do arrive on ebay and other marketplace sites with fair regularity, as well as appearing amongst the bouncers and nappies at NCT sales and baby fairs. But there are online spaces which are dedicated to the buying, selling and trading of baby slings and carriers. These marketplaces come in several formats, so there should be one to suit you. On any given day, there are hundreds of second hand slings and carriers for sale in the UK – it’s just a matter of knowing where to look.
If you’re a forum type of person, this is a natural parenting community with a wealth of information, support and expertise, as well as being a fun place to chat. If you’re not, so much, I would encourage you to give it a go – at very least drop in on the marketplace. All you need to join is an email address and to think up a username.
With a very active For Sale or Trade (FSOT) forum, it’s the biggest carrier sale arena based in the UK. It has a useful advanced search function if you are after something specific. It also has an In Search Of (ISO) forum where you can place advertisements for sellers to contact you with offers of carriers for sale. The forum operates a feedback system for buyers and sellers to leave reviews of transactions.
This For Sale Or Trade arena is Facebook based, a closed group where members offer carriers for sale. At the time of writing the group has around 7,500 members and there is advice and help to be had as well as the open marketplace. If you’re Facebook-savvy, pop along and ask around to see if anyone has something that might suit at a price you like.
A little more old school, this is a Yahoo group, join up and list carriers for sale or trade, or advertise for things you wish to buy. This is a moderated group, although as with each of the above, the environment is buyer beware.
– Be buyer beware –
Although some of the marketplaces have measures in place which aim to protect buyers and sellers alike, no marketplace will ever be totally safe or problem free. Here are some hints and tips to help keep your transaction problem free.
– Make sure you are clear about the condition of the item before purchasing it. This includes asking for pictures or measurements where appropriate. If you are a buyer, it is worth enquiring about the provenance of a carrier in order to reduce the risk of buying a counterfeit (see below) If you are the seller, it is worth keping hold of your carrier history such as receipts if you bought new, and carrier accessories such a intruction booklets, DVDs, storage bags, additional straps and so on.
– Most transactions use PayPal for sending and receiving payment. Provided you pay the Paypal fees this offers you a degree of protection when buying online. Please be aware that if someone asks you to pay without fees, or ‘gifted’ this protection ceases. If you need to dispute with Paypal you must open a dispute within 45 days of the transaction.
– If selling, retain your proof of postage at the very least, and consider sending recorded for an extra 75p. This mean your buyer must sign for the parcel on receipt. If you are a buyer, you can request this postage from the seller, you may need to negotiate or pay the extra on some items.
– Some marketplaces offer feedback systems. These are useful but a guide only.
– Some groups or lists are moderated and some are unmoderated. Please note that moderators are not police, and can only control the limited online environment. They can often help and advise with transactions and have a good working knowledge of the marketplace but can only impose sanctions within their online communities, if such is warranted.
– Test the safety of every carrier you recieve before use – new or second hand. Put stress on the carrier joins and stitching. Pull at it and examine the workmanship. If you notice anything that concerns you please do not use the carrier.
– Beware of counterfeiting –
There are several brands that are known to be regularly counterfeited – but the potential is there for anything to be copied and distributed in an illegal or immoral manner. Counterfeited carriers will not have been safety tested and could be dangerous to use. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Well made carriers command a decent price and carry a precious cargo. If you are unsure if you have bought a counterfeit the library can advise you.
Here is a list of carriers currently known to be regularly counterfeited:
ErgoBABY – The Ergo Classic and Ergo Sport in several colours.
Freehand Mei Tai – specifically the ‘Nest’ design often sold as ‘minizone’.
Moby wrap – in many colours.
Beco – several models.
– Trading –
With many transactions, trading carriers is an option. Sometimes people just fancy a change and carriers can work better at different ages and stages. To offer your carrier for trade can allow you to try more carriers in a shorter period of time than buying and selling. Be extra careful with postage when trading, always send items insured and recorded to protect yourself. If you are unsure, asking the person you are trading with to send a picture of the carrier they have with an unusual object can ensure it is in their possession. Trading can feel easy and satisfying when done right, you can change your carrier for the price of postage and sometimes even make a friend in the process.
– Buy happiness –
The vast majority of transactions work very well with both parties pleased with the results. Slings and carriers have a thriving second hand market and you may well find yourself being a buyer and a seller at various points. Some of the boards and listing can seem daunting at first, as with any specialist online environment the old hands can easily lapse into acronym until the listings read as code. Remember that in all purchases your local sling library is happy to help and advise, second hand or new. If you have any questions about suitability, pricing, safety, counterfeiting or sale listings, feel free to get in touch.
The library is due to re-open on Weds 3rd October 10am-3pm. We will open as planned but there are a few adjustments to be made – please bear with me!
Due to unforeseen circumstances I will have to run the library session myself on Wednesday – which I am happy to do but I will be assisted/encumbered by our new baby. Although I do have someone to help, I am changing the rules a little in order to hopefully make the session less busy.
I am offering anyone with a carrier due back 3/10/12 a free two week rental extension to 17/10/12 if you choose not to visit the library on Wednesday 3/10/12.
You may take advantage of this by leaving a message on the library phone (0113 2100855) sending an email (airetauriel@yahoo.co.uk) sending a message via the facebook page or contact page on this website. The offer is only available to those who contact the library in one of these ways to confirm before the end of 3/10/12. The offer is not valid with carrier swaps. The offer is not valid for carriers due back on any other date.
If you wish to come into the library anyway, we will be open and functioning, even with a 3 week old assistant, for returns, swaps, and advice as usual, although carrier stocks will necessarily be low. You are welcome to take advantage of the extension offer, or if that does not work for you, come along and we’ll be happy to help.
The library will run fortnightly instead of weekly from now until Christmas.
And the reason for all this disruption? Our lovely new baby Rosalind, born five days after I closed the library, in the bedroom with her big sister in attendance!
For the month of September, the library is closed for maternity leave, with reduced services until the new year. I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
If you have a library carrier and have any questions or issues during the library closure period you can contact Mari, a trained carrying consultant, on 07980 280153.
If your carrier is due back during September please return by post as agreed to Nicola Lawson, 19 Cote Lane, Farsley, Leeds, LS28 5ED. Please send by protected mail and retain proof of posting until the library re-opens on Oct 3rd.
If you are looking for general sling advice and help, the library will re-open for returns and queries fortnightly in October – 3rd, 17th, 31st.
There are many sling groups and places for help and advice both locally and online, there is a list of contacts below.
Thank you so much for all your best wishes and congratulations. Watch this space, and the library facebook page, for baby news! Which sling should be the baby’s first?
BABY CARRYING RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU
ATTACHED MAGAZINE – Yorkshire magazine for parents., frequent local events and fairs including Natural Parenting Fair, St Margarets Church Hall, Horsforth, Leeds, Sat 8th September.
HUDDERSFIELD SLING LIBRARY Open the 2nd Weds of the month and the 4th Friday of the month at the Nightingale, Lindley and Active Bodies, Chapel St, Hudds. Run by Yolanda Kenyon.
wyslinglibrary.com 