One of the biggest challenges that babywearing mamas like you must face is the constant stream of comments, criticism and strange looks you get from everyone around you about how you carry your baby.
After that, you’re also looking better babywearers wraps, slings or soft-structured carriers (SSCs) when your current babywear isn’t right for you and your little one. Where do you get advice? Where do you even find these great babywearing wraps?
One thing that most babywearing parents need the most is support. But in a community where babywearing is obscure or not that common, where do they find it?
Don’t feel so isolated and lonely, mom and dad babywearers. We’ve put together nine amazing international babywearing forums and Facebook babywearers groups where you can find kindred babywearing spirits and other like-minded parents to give you the best advice!
Take a look:
Babywearing Group #1. Sling Meet
Whether you are a potential buyer of a baby carrier or a babywearing wraps product, or just someone who is looking for another babywearers wrap or sling, an expert in using a baby carrier or an expert in babywearing, visiting Sling Meet Babywearing UK forum is best for you.
You do not have to worry about interacting with strangers because the babywearers forums are open to the worldwide audience and you can meet people all over the globe through joining this forum.
Even if you cannot find babywearers from your area upon registering in this interactive forum, you do not have to worry at all! The moms here are friendly enough to interact with anyone, even those who aren’t from the UK. After all, we belong to one family no matter what we are and where we are in this planet.
If you visit Sling Meet on their Facebook page, you’ll see that they already have 1,822 likes on this site. You can always ask anybody through babywearers posts and chat rooms if they know other members of Sling Meet in their locality and the possibility of meeting with them in your area.
You can also talk interactively with moms who are already members of the babywearers group. Best of all, you could even borrow baby carriers or babywearing wraps from each other if you live near their area for you to experience and gauge what is the best carrier for you.
Moms who join this babywearers forum would like to share the most effective way to use slings for you to have a better idea on how to be safe in terms of carrying your baby.
Babywearing Group #2. Natural Mamas
The Natural Mamas babywearers group is a perfect site to visit and to join the discussion and practice of babywearing. You will be able to chat with parents who have the most experience with being close to their babies.
You will be able to see the kind of slings that are used in the market like Asian slings, woven slings, fabric slings and others. You can meet moms from different places in the babywearers forums. The topics on general babywearing have already reached 153,614 posts which imply that they have good topics on babywearing to talk about.
You can also meet experts and professionals in the forums and see their regular blogs on the site.
A word of caution though, Natural Mamas has strict guidelines and restrictions on their users. If you join the babywearers forums, be sure to follow their guidelines otherwise your posts will be deleted and you may be temporarily or permanently banned to join their forums.
Profanity, disrespect and using rude language is not allowed. You also have to be aware of UK libel laws for you and the company to be safeguarded from any violation. You are only allowed to have one account if you join this babywearers forum.
If you are a vendor or an advertiser of babywearing products, you must ask permission from the administrators on what to do and where to post your products. There are certain fees that you will have to pay to sell products.
At times, they give privileges to other sellers to advertise for free. You are free to communicate with them on these matters.
Babywearing Group #3. Babywearing International of San Diego
Babywearing International San Diego is an affiliated member of the Babywearing International worldwide organization.
On their international babywearers Facebook page, they say they are composed of 3004 members who are interested in interacting and conversing with moms living within and near the San Diego area.
There is no strict regulation for you to be a member of this international babywearers organization. They are even extending an open invitation to you for frequent events, workshops and play dates with moms and their babies.
You will really feel that you are in a circle of babywearing friends and colleagues when you join this international babywearers group.
This chapter of Babywearing International offers you benefits that are rarely done in other chapters. You could encounter a group of people who are willing to lend their baby carriers or babywearing wraps. The baby carriers come with all types like the carriers with ring slings, buckle rings, and mei-tais. They have group meetings and library services for their members.
Joining this international babywearers group will entitle you to further education and training of babywearing accredited trainers and members.
Babywearing Group #4. Wrapsodybaby
Wrapsody provides different babywearing designs and features fit for your babies. While they’re a manufacturer, they enable their clients to find babywearers communities who use the same brand.
They also know exactly what you need and how to make details so that you can carry your baby anywhere.
A one-of-a-kind baby carrier they offer is the Wrap DuO for water and land. This fits specifically for moms who want to carry their babies in water. The sports-knit will help keep you and your baby dry all the time even when sweating or taking a bath.
In addition, breeze wraps are considered as the lightest wraps among customers. Those who have newborns can take advantage of this feature. Many customers prefer to use this in hot weather conditions. Another kind of babywearing wraps product is the hybrid wrap which is fit for stretchy baby carriers. This may be best used when the child is sick due to its flexible feature.
If you join the Wrapsody community, you will be able to take advantage of the products they offer. You will be able to connect with people around the world with unique products such as those Wrapsody offers. You will be able to converse with the company’s ambassadors to help you with your baby’s needs. Questions will be answered as you meet with the people in this babywearers community.
Babywearing Group #5. Slings for Sale – New and Preloved
If you want to buy and sell slings for baby carriers or babywearing wraps, this is a friendly babywearers place to go. You can interact with moms who are willing to sell their slings at an affordable price. If you are innovative enough to make the sale yourself, you are also allowed to visit this site.
The popularity of this site has grown to 17,948 members worldwide. You can be assured that you can find babywearing wraps, slings and carriers from all over the world, weather naturally made or machined made, with unique designs and features.
However, there are restrictions in visiting this babywearers site especially if you become a member. The management does not allow any business information given to others without passing through this site. They do not even allow screenshots to be used for personal business. This means that you have to pass through proper channels if you want to interact with the members here.
Furthermore, the administrators of this babywearers site do not allow selling of low quality babywearing wraps, slings and carriers that could harm babies. Therefore, they will restrict anybody found doing so. By doing this, you can be assured that you only buy quality products if you purchase from this site.
Babywearing Group #6. Babywearing Ireland
If you are experiencing Postpartum Depression, an emotional problem experienced after giving birth and you want to carry and take care of your baby without feeling incompetent, this is a site that is worth a visit. This babywearers group can be found in Ireland.
There are tons of babywearers who like this site, meaning this page has avid visitors that you can converse with. There is no restriction in using this site and there are no rules to follow.
In fact, they can offer you good slings for you to purchase and you can see moms making unique slings that are organic and healthy for the baby. You can transact business on this babywearers page. If you are someone who is looking for reliable carriers or babywearing wraps, this is a great place you can transact business with.
Babywearing Group #7. The Baby Wearer
TheBabywearer.com is an interactive site that provides knowledge on all babywearing topics. If you are someone who is looking for experts in the field of babywearing and what benefits and advantages you can get through the babywearing methods, this is a site that you can visit.
You can find tips and tricks on how to use your baby carriers or babywearing wraps wisely. You will be able to meet moms around the world who can give you insights on how to do the proper way of babywearing. The administrators in this site who are also babywearing experts will help you in your questions and give you solutions to your problems.
You will also be able to meet people especially moms that are actively engaged in making the best for their babies. Since this site is known internationally and is connected with many international babywearers organizations, you can expect that you will meet parents from different countries.
This site can give you a list of vendors whom you can associate with to buy baby carriers. Their babywearing wraps products are durable and usable that can ensure that there will be no accidents happening due to weaker slings. You can expect that the products passed through accredited quality controllers who have the ability to assess durable slings.
Babywearing Group #8. Beltway Baby Wearers
When you live in an area with four seasons and snow is abundant, this is the best site to visit. This babywearers site contains information on how to take care of your child through babywearing and how to keep the child safe even with a snowy weather.
It provides babywearers resources and people who can help you with the proper positioning necessary for the safety of your baby especially when the weather is bad. The people who joined this site provided valuable information on the do’s and don’ts in babywearing and explain why it is necessary to do these things carefully.
Images, photos and YouTube tutorials are added values when you become a member of the babywearers group.
This is an interactive site that allows you to search for the best baby carriers and babywearing wraps that fit your needs. The site provides baby carriers reviews so that you will know what is best for you. These reviews provide pros and cons for the products to choose from. They will also tell you the features and designs to help you decide on what to buy.
Durability of slings is an important factor to consider when you live in these areas. Wearing the appropriate belts and slings for your baby is very important so is positioning your baby in the proper way. There are things that you have to remember in order to protect your baby from harm and possible accident.
Through this site, you will be able to take precautions ahead of time while maintaining a closer relationship with your tiny one.
You will be able to interact with people from DC, Maryland and Virginia who have common concerns and problems as you do in terms of taking care of your baby. You will be able to interact with friendly people and be able to chat with them online.
Babywearing Group #9. Carry Me Close
If you’re in Canada, the Cary me Close babywearing group is one of the biggest babywearers groups in the country. What’s great about this group is that they offer great advice on general parenting that’s centered around babywearing.
Another great perk of being part of this group is that you get to attend monthly meetings with the members regularly. Held on weekdays during the daytime, these meetings are great for discussing ideas, getting acquainted with fellow babywearers and trying out new babywearing wraps products and items.
So if you’re in the Toronto area, why don’t you hit them up on their Facebook page?
These are not the only forums and Facebook babywearers groups available for parents like you out there. You may be from places that haven’t been mentioned on this list. If you live somewhere too far to meet in person with these parents, you may want to check out:
Babywearing International Chapters
Wrapsody list of babywearing communities
Don’t be afraid about location; that’s usually just for physical meetups and loaning of babywearing items. If you aren’t up for participating beyond browsing babywearers groups and asking the occasional question, don’t feel pressured to join events and meetups.
Your babywearing journey is your own and you can find the right kind of support where you need it--whether you want to fully participate or to merely look for babywearers advice and online engagement with other parents like you.
Additional Research:
http://www.slingmeet.co.uk/
http://www.naturalmamas.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BabywearingInternationalofSanDiego/
https://wrapsodybaby.com/babywearing-resources/find-a-babywearing-group-near-you/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/423192357737799/
http://www.babywearingireland.ie/
https://www.facebook.com/thebabywearer/photos_stream
http://beltwaybabywearers.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/carrymeclose/
http://babywearinginternational.org/about-bwi/chapters/
http://gypsymama.staging.wpengine.com/babywearing-resources/find-a-babywearing-group-near-you/