Talking About TBW with Marcia

Thebabywearer.com was founded in 2003 and is often touted as a great reference for babywearing.  Although various forums and  Facebook groups are growing in popularity, TBW still hold a special place in many people's hearts and for a great reason.   The forum is a place of vast community knowledge, with contributions from members who post from all over the world.  It has a great reach and you can read wrap reviews from someone in a small country in Europe or answer the questions of someone who lives in a small city in Asia.  There are also threads dating back to close to almost a decade and it is amazing to read about the various babywearing trends that have happened over the years as well as the start-ups of several companies that are now considered mainstream.  

Colorado Springs group leader Marcia S. shares her thoughts and TBW journey with us.  

How did you find out about TBW? What made you join?

I joined TBW back in April 2008, and Micah wasn't born until Jan 2010. My cousin was pregnant and I went to view her registry. She had requested a pouch from Target, and I thought it looked like something I could sew. I Googled instructions to DIY [Do It Yourself], and found Jan Andrea's site [sleeping baby productions llc]. I think I read the whole thing that night and she linked to TBW for a resource. I joined either that day or pretty quickly afterward. I spent lots of time researching things after that, especially because I worked night shift and had free time at strange times of day.

I did end up making a cotton pouch, and started making ring slings for baby showers from Jan's instructions. Once I started reading more at TBW, I got very interested in woven wraps and bought my first one from Peppermint.com. After that, I found FSOT [For Sale Or Trade] and bought more wraps used. 


What are your thoughts about TBW as a resource? How has it helped you?

Without TBW, I don't think that I would have found babywearing as early as I did. I'm so thankful that I got a chance to learn about the options before I even became pregnant and knew what carrier (a wrap) I would prefer before Micah was even born. I'm sure people thought I was a little crazy for being there before even TTC [trying to conceive], but there was something about babywearing that I loved and I knew it from the start.

What advice do you give people who are trying to navigate for the first time?

For people new to TBW, I strongly recommend learning how to search. vBulletin isn't as user-friendly as Facebook, and it can be overwhelming to try a forum for the first time. I would tell a new person to take his or her time and explore the site. The "Choosing and Using" sections help to answer a lot of questions about finding a new carrier, and the stickied threads at the top of the forums have the most-requested information without having to search. New members would benefit from asking lots of questions and commenting often to make friends in the online community. Plus, users need 30 days membership and 30 posts to use the ISO [In Search Of] forum, so it is important to have established a presence so that you can request specific used carriers.

Meet Our Leaders: Jillian Droppo, Kristen Miles and Marcia Stewart

Earlier this month, we voted for these three members to become our new group leaders. And here are their bios!  :) 

Marcia Stewart

I started my interest in babywearing when my cousin registered for a pouch sling when she was pregnant in 2008. I thought it looked like something I could sew, so I started researching and came across Jan Andrea's site (sleeping baby productions). In her DiY section, she linked to thebabywearer.com. I joined, and was instantly drawn to babywearing. Before I even was pregnant with my first son (who is now three), I already had a selection of baby carriers. Woven wraps were my favorite from the beginning. I love that the fabric is endlessly versatile: blanket, fort, scarf, washcloth, and baby carrier all in one. I love fibers of all kinds, and the beauty of wraps really draws me in. My first son was very colicky and wrapping saved me. I could wrap him and he would sleep for much longer than if he was in a crib, and I could still get things done, with my hands free! We went on lots of long walks in our wraps, went shopping, and even toured the Statue of Liberty. Now I am wrapping my second son and am so glad I knew about babywearing before I began motherhood. I love sharing the joys of babywearing with my friends!

Jillian Droppo

We have lived in Colorado Springs for 4 years. My husband is in the army. We have 2 beautiful daughters Heidi, 5 years, and Hayden, 14 months. We are hoping to add one more to our family in the near future. I love Colorado and being outdoors, hiking, running, playing at the park...

I started babywearing when my youngest was born. I now wonder how I made it through my oldest's infant and toddler years without it. My first carrier was a Beco Gemini followed by a Moby. I now love woven wraps of all types, WCRS and my KP.

In addition to my love of collecting baby carriers, I also have a love of collecting cloth diapers. Some people just simply use cloth because it is greener, cheaper... I began using cloth for those reasons but now just can't seem to stop buying them. They are just so cute!

This group is full of such amazing women and children. I love that I have found a local group of families that share common interests. I am looking forward to being a leader of this group, getting to know everyone a little bit better & spreading the babywearing love.


Edit:  As of September 2013, Kristen has stepped down as a leader.  

Kristen Miles

My kids are Caleb, age 8, Emery, age 6 and Catherine, 1. We started babywearing almost 9 years ago with a Baby Bjorn - don't judge! We didn't know! We loved it for the same reasons that people love great carriers and babywearing in general, though - I was hands free and my high-needs son was having his needs met. Win win! Too bad it was painful if you wore it for too long. 

When my daughter was born, I had found a WAHM that made these great hemp pouches and she was worn from 2 days old in it! She was tiny for her age, so we could use the pouch for a very long time, and then the Bjorn, too. When she was a toddler we got an Ergo, but I didn't have anyone who could show me back carries, so it didn't get a ton of love. I really didn't know moms who wore their babies then - so it is great for me to have this group! 

Fast forward some years, and our littlest has also been worn from day 1, but I know more about better carriers! We used a Moby (I actually hated it, but I know most people love theirs!) before we graduated to a Babyhawk mei tai. Our carrier getting the most love this go-round is the Scootababy! Works so well for my in-and-out-up-and-down girl! With two school age kids and all of their activities, we are on the go constantly, and babywearing has been a life saver. So many places that I literally couldn't have taken a stroller. I see moms struggling with theirs in tight places and just want to spread the babywearing love to everyone!! At home I wear her on my back in the Ergo (or for longer all-day outings), but the hip carry in the Scootababy works best for us on errands and activities. We try to practice a lot of elements of attachment parenting so babywearing fits well in our lives, but I just like to encourage all parents to look into a good quality carrier - it really can improve your life with baby in so many ways!