International Babywearing Week 2014, Day 1: Hands-Free Comfort

To celebrate International Babywearing Week, and to get back into the habit of posting on my blog, I plan to make a series of posts about various aspects of babywearing. I started off doing this on Facebook, but I thought why not post on the blog too? So this is Sunday's post, with some additional fleshing-out. :)

Having EDS (and the other health issues that go along with it) makes holding and carrying Baby Nae for any length of time difficult and often painful for me. I'm so thankful for the wraps and other babywearing devices that allow me to hold her as needed without undue strain and damage to my back, shoulders and other joints. It's taken some trial and error to figure out which carriers and methods of wrapping work well for me and distribute the weight without causing pressure points or extra pain, but they make life so much more manageable.

Tonight babywearing worked to get a sick, fussy, restless baby finally soothed to sleep by being wrapped up. She's cutting multiple teeth and has a cold, poor thing. And was wide awake for several hours after a brief nap in the car on the way home this evening. Often being wrapped will soothe Nae and get her to sleep when nothing else will. I think being comfortably and gently restrained with even body pressure from the wrap is calming for babies and helps them relax and fall asleep.

In the above photo I'm wearing the wrap in a carry called the Kangaroo carry, which is my favorite front carry because it's easy for me to get snug and secure, it is a fairly simple carry to tie (once you get the shoulder flip down), you don't have to put the baby down to tie it, it's not too hot with only one layer of fabric over baby, and it's relatively easy to get a sleeping baby in and out of without waking her. I can't find a video that shows how to do it in the way I personally find easiest, so I might have to make one. :)

This wrap is a size Medium (4.6 meter, equivalent to size 6) Lenny Lamb jacquard woven wrap in the colorway (name for the color and pattern) called Eclipse Black & Yellow. This is a substantial, 100% cotton wrap that is on the heavier side at about 280 g/m2 . . . it's workable new, but would definitely benefit from some breaking in. I'm not finding it too hard to wrap and tie with after a wash, line dry and steam iron, but I think it will soften and improve more from where it is now, as I haven't used it much yet.

It feels very substantial and supportive, and is a fairly dense and tapestry-like weave. If you prefer a more dense and solid feel without too much "give" or bounce in a wrap and like solid support, this may be the wrap for you. I really love the look of it, and it looks lovely in a carry that shows the pattern in reverse colors on the back side. (This was my very first attempt at a Jordan's back carry with a ring finish, so please excuse the sloppy wrap job.) Eclipse seems about midrange to me as far as how long it seems to be taking to break in compared to the other brands such as Didymos and Natibaby wraps I've bought new. I can definitely tell it's getting softer with each use.

The Eclipse pattern seems to be mostly sold out, but as of this writing they do still have it at a discount in the outlet in both black and yellow, and also in a turquoise and white version.

Lenny Lamb is a newer brand, and they have gorgeous wraps that for the most part fall into the budget category--you can get a LL wrap in their basic broken twill weave with shipping from Poland included for well under $100, and at approximately 220 g/m2 their basic twill weave wraps are a nice weight, with a bit more beefiness and cush than similarly-priced broken twill wraps I've tried from other companies.  

Their patterns are absolutely gorgeous and I've been impressed with the quality and feel of even the "grade B" discounted items I've purchased from their outlet (which have some sort of cosmetic flaw such as a weaver's knot or small pull that doesn't affect the safety or use of the wrap at all). 

They regularly have a coupon code for up to a 15% discount, linked from the Discount Area of their website (look for the "special coupon" link at the top of the page). And, once you make a purchase you automatically get an affiliate link (for instance, my affiliate link to their homepage would be http://en.lennylamb.com?rid=19435 ) that gives you a credit toward a future purchase for a percentage of purchases made through your link. As of this writing, they even give you a percentage of your current purchase as an automatic credit you can use on your next purchase.

Do note that the prices are in Polish Zloty (PLN) rather than dollars. You can find out what the equivalent to US currency is at today's conversion rates by typing "convert PLN to USD" into Google. A little conversion widget will pop up, accompanied by a graph showing the conversion rate over the past several years. Just put the amount you want to convert in and it will tell you that, for instance, today 200 Polish Zloty equals approximately $60.47 in U.S. Dollars.

I found my Lenny Lamb Autumn 100% cotton broken twill wrap soft and easy to break in (it was pretty soft and easy to wrap with after the initial wash/dry/iron), with decent cush for the weight. I felt it had a good balance of density and texture--grippy enough to hold a knot well without being difficult to pull passes across, and was easy to wrap without being as diggy as thinner wraps can be. It was still a bit lighter-weight than I prefer (I like really thick marshmallowy wraps), but I would recommend it as a basic budget wrap and an excellent beginner wrap.


I've tried several Little Frog wraps for comparison, and in general I personally prefer Lenny Lamb's broken twill over Little Frog's at a similar price point.

Lenny Lamb's basic twill is thicker and beefier than Little Frog's thinnest line, and feels a bit softer and more comfortable to me than LF's heavier 100% cotton broken twill wraps while having fairly comparable substance. Little Frog's lowest price tier wraps are geared more toward younger babies, and are excellent for that--soft, beautiful, easy to break in and easy to tie. But at 190-210 g/m2 the thinner LFs are not as toddler-worthy as a slightly heavier wrap would be, and tend to be more diggy with an older baby. (For more of my take on Little Frog wraps, see here: http://purplekangaroopuzzle.blogspot.com/2014/10/ibw-2014-day-2-size-4-woven-wrap.html ) 

The photo below shows Lenny Lamb's basic broken twill on the left,  and Little Frog's heavier weight broken twill on the right. There's another close-up of the weaves from a different angle in my Little Frog post.

There's generally a bit of a tradeoff in finding the balance between factors like cush and moldability, support and softness, firmess and bounce, grippiness and ease of wrapping. Different people will find their own sweet spot in different wraps, with much variation even within a brand in how a given wrap combines the various characteristics that determine how it feels, looks and wraps. One person's favorite wrap may be one someone else doesn't like at all, so going to a babywearing meetup to try them out for yourself is always helpful. :)

One thing I do like better about Little Frog is that their wraps have middle markers on both top and bottom rails, whereas at least some of Lenny Lamb's designs have a middle marker on only one rail. However, Lenny Lamb does have excellent customer service and said they could send me an extra middle marker to sew on along with my next order. 

Another thing to take note of is that, as of this writing, many of the Lenny Lamb striped wraps are the same color on both rails, as are some of the Little Frog colorways. While the stripes still help learning wrappers in knowing which part to pull on to tighten out slack, many beginners will find it helpful to have either different colored rails, or a pattern which is a different color on the back of the wrap than the front. 

So that's something to watch for when choosing a wrap from any company.  Both Little Frog and Lenny Lamb have some colorways that have different color rails, directional prints, and/or different colors on the front and back of the wrap, and I find this immensely helpful in knowing whether I have the rails twisted or not. :) 

Both brands have tapered tails, which I also find helpful.

I think Lenny Lamb Autumn feels similar to the approximately 240 g/m2 all-cotton Little Frog Flourite, but slightly softer and less dense. Although it's supposedly lighter weight than Flourite, Lenny Lamb's Autumn just looks and feels somehow a little fluffier to me. I have a size 7 Autumn and find it decently comfortable for 30 minutes or more with my 10-month-old in a double hammock, though my thicker cotton wraps (Inda Jani Binni Rayado and Lenny Lamb Galleons, both in the 290-300 g/m2 range) and my size 7 hemp-blend Natibaby  pink Reflection wrap (which I  usually wear in a double hammock) are my favorites for the most long-term comfort with my picky shoulders.

Their all-cotton wraps are generally going to be best for bigger babies and toddlers, but Lenny Lamb also makes bamboo blend wraps which I hear are amazingly soft and buttery and cuddly for a newborn. I have one of those on my "want" list if we ever have another baby. :) I hear very good things also about their ergonomic carriers, which seem to be very popular.

Lenny Lamb's limited-edition jacquard wraps are heavier and more detailed in the weave, but still fall into a very moderately priced range. They range from fairly thin and dense, such as the Twisted Leaves patterns, to at least as thick as 290-300 g/m2, such as Galleons. 

In a jacquard weave, the patterns are not printed on the fabric, but rather created by weaving threads of different colors together to make a pattern that is visible on both sides of the fabric (though the colors are reversed on the back). Lenny Lamb has taken this technique to a whole new level with the amazingly detailed artistry of their patterns. They have even started reproducing works of art such as this beautiful Rennaisance painting, Man of War Between Two Galleys by Pieter Breugel the Elder, on wraps. 

I got the opportunity to try someone else's Lenny Lamb Galleons wrap that had only been through its first wash and worn maybe a couple of times. Even though it's on the heavier side, with its slightly looser weave I found it quite comfy and easy to wrap with right off the bat. The cushy shoulder feel and ease of wrapping were quite surprising in a wrap that new in a more substantial weight range like that--the owner said she was impressed with how it wrapped without much breaking in, too. 

I ended up buying a Galleons of my own, and after using it for a while I'm blown away by the way it feels and wraps. I like my other Lenny Lamb wraps too but I like Galleons the best of nearly any 100% cotton wrap in any brand that I've had the opportunity to try . . . it is just such a nice balance of supportive and cushy, not too hard to wrap or terribly pull-prone without being super dense. It's one of the cushiest all-cotton wraps I've felt, and it is surprisingly moldable and easy to wrap and tie for its weight of 290-300g/m2. 

To me Galleons seems less dense than Eclipse, with longer stitches and thicker thread with more airiness in the weave, which makes it feel softer and gives it more flexibility and a spongier texture even before breaking in. As I use it more, it is definitely softening and getting floppier and even better--I am looking forward to seeing what it's like when it's totally broken in.
 
I admittedly have very little experience and am somewhat of a wrapping newbie, but Galleons reminds me in feel and wrapping quality a bit of the handwoven wraps I've had the opportunity to try, more than any of the other machine-woven wraps I've tried so far. It has almost as much cush and shoulder comfort as my budget handwoven Inda Jani Binni Rayado which is about the same weight in g/m2, but without so much bulk and grip, which in combination with the tapered tails makes it easier to wrap and tie.

I am able to tolerate single-layer and one-shoulder carries in Galleons for much longer than most other wraps I've tried, and I can actually wear it in usually-problematic-for-me carries such as a ruck tied knotless Tibetan and Poppins for about as long if not longer as my softest hemp-blend Natibaby wrap, and definitely longer than some of my other hemp blends that aren't yet as broken in. I usually have trouble with one-layer and one-shoulder carries for any length of time, so this is pretty significant for me.

My Galleons is turquoise and navy in a size XS (size 4, which is 3.6 meters) and it's really more of a sky blue or bright turquoise as opposed to the deeper teal color I was expecting, but it's really beautiful and the fabric has a sheen that makes it almost luminous when the light hits it. Here's a comparison photo of the Galleons Navy Blue & Ecru next to Galleons Navy Blue & Turquoise in indoor light without camera flash.

It's a directional wrap, with a definite right-side-up way to wear it, but the colors and textures still look neat even on the reverse side and if you accidentally wrap it upside-down, as I'm sure to do occasionally:
 

Lenny Lamb has also recently released another new wrap based on a piece of artwork, called Horizon's Verge. Since it's close to the same weight at 280 g/m2, is the same type of artistic piece, and the same price as the Galleons wraps, my best guess would be that it might be similar in type and wrapping qualities. I talked to someone who bought one, and she said that it was so soft and floppy even in loom state that she literally gasped when she took it out of the bag.

Here's where I found the weight and also some more closeup photos of the fabric: en.lennylamb.com/products/show/2031_horizons-verge-jacquard-weave-fabric-100-cotton-width-140-cm-weight-280-gm²?rid=19435

Having a wrap that is beautiful and collectible as well as practical isn't necessary to carry your baby, but it's sure enjoyable. :) And with a wrap like Galleons, the wrapping quality for the price is in my opinion very good.

Disclosure: I was not asked or paid to write about Lenny Lamb products on my blog; I just chose to do so because I like them. I do get a credit toward a future purchase if someone uses the links here to buy something. :)

More on Dressing Your Truth

We are really enjoying our Dressing Your Truth trials. We bought several copies of the $1 trial so that we'd have the information for all 4 types since we have all four in our family.

I thought I'd share some of the things that have been helpful for us in deciding between one type or another, in case you're taking the course and having trouble deciding.

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3 and 1 actually have a lot of similarities in their features, but the main difference is that the 1 has a lot of upward, light movement and the overall impression they give is "cute" and "fun", while a 3 comes across as more intense and dramatic.

From what I have been reading/hearing, though, a 4/1 or 1/4 combination where both elements are coming across really strongly can look a lot like a 3 in the way it expresses in a personality.

Ultimately you really have to go with what seems right to you, I think. You know yourself best. But remember that often we have tried to change or squelch who we are, so that's why the physical traits and body language can be especially telling--sometimes even more than behavior, which is easier to alter.

I also had some doubt about the strength of the connection between physical traits and personality. But as a rabbit breeder I've come in contact with quite a bit of scientific and experiential evidence that there are or at least can be some strong genetic links between physical and behavioral/personality traits.

For instance, if you get a chance to read about the fascinating study where groups of foxes selected solely on the basis of temperamental and behavioral traits actually developed consistent physical traits in each line (with the tamer foxes looking more like domestic dogs), it's very interesting. Here's an article by Temple Grandin that includes some information about genetic links between various characteristics, and mentions the fox study.

So far, the connection between physical and personality traits that Carol makes in her program really seems to hold true for the most part in our family. Although DH points out that "The [Family Name] Nose" in his family appears to be a strongly hereditary trait independent of personality. :)

So don't forget to look at your facial features, hands, movement, doodling and body language as described in the videos, along with your internal feelings and tendencies.

Carol Tuttle has also written a couple of books on energy profiling. Both books have a lot of the same information in them, but It's Just my Nature is more general about the personality types and applicable to everyone, while Dressing Your Truth-Discover Your Personal Beauty Profile is more geared toward women and has more info. about the fashion industry and why it's not helpful for most women. I haven't actually read either book yet, but I have one on hold at the library and will probably buy the other.

They are running a special deal right now for a package with a book, audiobook, and the energy profiling online class that you can check out here if you want more info, or to see the individual books you can go to the store at the Dressing Your Truth website. The books don't teach you how to dress your truth, but they do teach the personality and facial profiling.

When I was questioning my type, I watched the "extra help" profiling videos again, and then watched the energy profiling video again. The first time through I sort of skipped past the sections re-showing images that convey each type, because it seemed redundant and I wanted to get to the point. (Type 3s tend to skip ahead or skim to get to the point.)

The second and third time through, I realized that the videos with images relating to each type in the "what type are you" section are really masterfully done. The images not only convey the types, but the music, the speed and even the direction and way the pictures move from one to the next fits each type very well.

I think that if you relax and watch those videos in a fully engaged way, paying attention to how you feel with each one, the one you resonate the most with and that feels like you will give a huge clue to which type you are.

I didn't particularly *like* the Type 3 video in the sense of feeling comfortable with it--it certainly wasn't relaxing! But I recognized myself in it.

When watching photo slide shows I inevitably feel like they're taking too long and going too slow; I don't need *that* long to look at a picture and am ready to move on to the next one way before it switches.

The Type 3 video was, in spots, too fast even for my comfort level. But it was dynamic and active and fast. It was hard to keep up with and at times made me feel a little uncomfortable--which is exactly how my Type 2 husband sometimes feels about my movement and energy. He loves me and the way I am, but I make his head spin. :) So I didn't find it pleasant in a soothing way at all, but I found it exciting and stimulating and resonated with it, if that makes sense.

On the other hand, there are some quality flaws in the energy profiling video itself, as well as some slightly inaccurate scientific claims (i.e. a simplified and not completely accurate description of elements).

DH and I were joking that the company should add that to their summary at the end to help people decide what type they are: "Do the minor flaws and unprofessional quality in this video bother you so much that you want to fix it or think judging thoughts about it? Or do you think, 'This is stupid,' and become tempted to dismiss everything else Carol has to say because of the flawed video quality, in your black-and-white thinking? If so, then you might have a 4 as either your primary or secondary leading.

"If it makes you feel angry that you're paying good money for an inferior product, or you have a drive to take action and do something about it, you might be a 3. If you noticed but didn't feel strong emotion about it or feel compelled to do anything about it, you may be a 2. If you didn't really notice, or noticed but then didn't give it a second thought or found it amusing, you may be a 1."

I'm glad I pushed through and gave it a chance anyway. :)

I went ahead and signed up for the Type 3 course, and the more I watch it the more I resonate with it and am sure I picked the right type for me. I so much enjoyed watching the videos, and laughed out loud at things that Carol said like, "Dainty is not our thing," and ""That's too neat and tidy for us--we move through life way too quickly to be tucking in our shirts."

Remember that you don't necessarily have to like the particular clothing items in order to understand the design principals from looking at them. Everyone's interpretation of a Type 1, Type 3, etc. will be different--you can combine the design elements in almost infinite ways.

They will also be affected to some extent by your culture and preferences, but they can apply in any situation.

For instance, in a group of nuns in a convent they will have only the option of very small variations in the way they wear their habits and drape their rosary beads to express their individuality (and, really, the whole idea of the habit is that they're all supposed to be the same and not express individuality or distract from spiritual things).

But a Type 1 might allow a few curls to escape from her coif, while a 2 might drape things more softly, a 3 might wear hers slightly asymmetrically and tie her belt or rosary beads at an angle, and a 4 might wear her habit and headdress in very severe and symmetrical lines. In a group of women who are all wearing the same colors and clothing items, those subtle differences will express their personalities even though it won't be as dramatic an expression as if they could vary their colors and styles.

Carol's Dressing Your Truth class teaches you to use colors, textures, lines and other elements together to most effectively complement and support your personality and unique features.

Overall, most of it just plain makes sense.

I think I will end up keeping the course after the trial. It's not something we would normally spend that kind of money on, and being a one-income family we have to carefully consider expenditures, but DH is on board with it and especially with the 30% discount they are offering I think it will be worth it to me. There are ongoing new resources being added all the time that I'll have access to, and I've found the information so very helpful.

I signed up for the trial fully intending to cancel it before the 5 days were up. Especially since I'm T3 with a secondary T4, my initial reaction was a very strong, "Who do she think SHE is to be telling everyone how to dress?!?!" But my 3 frugality and wanting to get a good deal and get my money's worth won out long enough to make me really give it a chance and go through the information.

I've found it surprisingly valuable.

I have no fashion sense at all, and had actually already been considering hiring someone to help me go through my wardrobe and do some shopping because I was tired of feeling like I looked frumpy, old and weird. So the timing was good for me.

And, I'm having so many new amazing insights into who I am, and in understanding my family better. Plus, I absolutely love my new look. So does DH.

I truly do think it's going to save me a lot of time, money and frustration in clothing shopping. And the amount of benefit we've already gotten out of it as a family in understanding each other has got to be worth at least the cost of a session or two of family counseling a few years down the road. :)

M&M was smiling ear to ear last night as she did her chores and got ready for bed, saying, "I like to say my words that go with Type 1 over to myself. I'm exuberant, light, bouyant, fresh, crisp and fun!" I think it's really validating to her, especially since she so often gets told to "settle down" in her life. :)

I do keep reminding the kids that they have elements of all types in themselves and it's fine to be other ways too . . . I don't want them to take this as a box to confine themselves into, but I like the part about it validating the value of who they are and the beauty in everyone's differences too.

Now, if I can just figure out what to do about a Type 3 hairstyle that would work with my wave and texture, but not go overboard with the movement and edginess to also honor my secondary 4, that would be great.