My Journey as a Babywearing Educator

My first born came on Valentine’s Day in 2010, 4 weeks later I purchased a locally made ring sling that I would use daily. Then I needed to launder it...after a few washings where I did not have a carrier, I purchased a second ring sling, and now I had two ring slings that I could use daily. Over the next several months, I picked up a buckle carrier, a pouch, a mei tai, and a stretchy wrap. There were so many options and I wanted to try them all!

2010: The Valentine baby who started it all!

In 2011, now that I had mastered the stretchy wrap, I wanted to tackle that complicated carrier - the woven wrap. At the time our community had one local In Real Life “wrapper”, but she worked and her kids were pretty much grown out of baby carriers, so she was a rare sighting. I spent months discussing what I should get with members of thebabywear.com (TBW). Finally in September, I bought a used Didymos Cologrown Waves, size 7, from a fellow TBW member, a super sweet mama in Southeast PA. Then in October, I bought a used Vatanai Teesta, size 3, and I was HOOKED!!! These carriers were so beautifully versatile! I joined Carry of the Week (COTW) challenges on TBW to learn how to use the wraps. I talked my husband into buying me a mystery box from Birdie’s Room - three wraps picked for you by your description of what you like. Now I had wraps made from different fibers and in different sizes.

2011: First back carry

in my first woven wrap ~
taken with an old school
digital camera

In 2012, I continued to participate in COTW challenges on TBW. In February, I gained a squishy new wrappee. I started experimenting with ways to use carriers to get both my 2 year old and new baby up and down stairs and in and out of the house. While playing around with wraps and sharing experiences with fellow babywearers on TBW, I developed the Tied at Shoulder Front Cross Carry tie off from a Ruck (or RRR) Tied at Shoulder...I was officially a babywearing geek. I became the local IN REAL LIFE “wrapper” in my community and began having people over to play with my growing variety of carriers and began teaching what I knew. I wanted more.

2012: A Tandem Carry with one wrap

and introduction of the TASFCC ~
Tied At Shoulder Front Cross Carry

At the end of 2012, the leaders of our local Babywearing Group felt that they and their children had aged out of the group, and they were ready to pass leadership on. And this was my opportunity for more! In the beginning of 2013, I became co-leader of our local group and resident specialist in wraps and mei ties (I still had much to learn about mei ties!). Because I was now teaching in a formal setting, I felt that I should have liability insurance; Babywearing International (BWI) was a good fit for these needs. I passed the written assessment in May and the skills assessment in June. At my skills assessment I learned several new tricks, especially with pouches. Our group became an official BWI chapter in August. On August 30, 2013, I became mother to a newborn...18 month old, and 3 year old. We live(d) in a house with 15 (fifteen) sets of stairs and my oldest was starting preschool, so we needed to get in and out of the house through sunshine, or rain, or snow... And so the luxurious fun of using carriers to carry two children in 2012, became a minute necessity in 2013. As I continued to develop ways to get everybody where we needed to be, I began to share videos of these ways and help others across the world in the Tandem* Babywearing Facebook group and thebabywearer.com forum style website. By the end of 2013, I was helping in a more official capacity as an administrator with the Tandem Babywearing Facebook group and a moderator with thebabywearer.com.  

*Tandem is carrying more than one child

2013: Our new sweet baby!

2014 brought me the opportunity to work with Babywearing International’s Babywearing Education Committee to set in place a standard of guidelines for tandem babywearing for BWI educators to follow. And the opportunity to attend and present at the 2014 International Babywearing Conference in Tempe, AZ. I presented "Topics in Tandem Wearing", and "The Woven Repairs Toolkit". I also gained a great deal of knowledge (and baby carriers) that I was able to bring back to my group. I felt a bit like an explorer! The carrier that had the most lasting effect for both my local community and me was the mei tai; I had attended several sessions on how to use it and I purchased a BBTie mei tai as my conference souvenir (I love that carrier so much that I now sell it!).  

2014: Speaking at the
International Babywearing Conference '14

2015 brought me the opportunity to train without children! In May I took a bus to NYC and attended the Center for Babywearing Studies Foundations training, my first professional training. I made friends. I learned. I must have said: OH and AHA fifty times each day of training. I learned how to teach the large variety of carriers that are on the market. I learned how to meet caregivers where they are. I learned the tiniest tweak can make a huge difference in comfort. I learned that in person training is my ideal way to learn. I passed my CBWS exams straight away and obtained American Heart Association CPR certification and liability insurance in October, and I became a CERTIFIED CBWS Babywearing Consultant launching my current consulting business during International Babywearing Week!!! On October 6th I launched my business website and Facebook page and updated my YouTube channel.

2015: My website is live!

I was selling personal baby carriers at every consultation, and I needed to have a greater variety of carriers available for my clients, so the first month of 2016, I applied for a PA sales tax license, was approved, and began selling baby carriers. As my professional services became more in demand, I realized that I had to choose where to dedicate my time. I decided to leave my local babywearing group that I had co-founded, so that I could offer more complete services through my fast-growing business. Besides carrier sales and consultations,  I am now offering free services weekly and working with a variety of local, regional, and national non-profits to provide services, education, and baby carriers. One of my favorite parts of making money in my beloved profession is…I can reinvest that money into training! In May at Mommycon’s WEAR conference I was able to attend innovative workshops that helped me to work more efficiently and affect more people AND I had the opportunity to do another one of my favorite things - teach. I taught in the Babywearing Lounge, and the classes: "Wrap Geekery", "Teaching Back Wrapping”, and approved for 1.5 IBLCE L-CERPs and 1.5 CBWS CEUs “Precautions and Special Considerations for Tandem Babywearing”. I have been able to continue learning and growing as a babywearing educator by training and certifying with the USIKC Kangaroo Care in June and completing the 6 Hour Rebozo Training with Gena Kirby in September. I’ve also become a member of the BCIA - Baby Carrier Industry Alliance, so that I can keep current with the baby carrier industry. Stay tuned for International Babywearing Week 2016, as I celebrate my business anniversary with giveaways, classes, and some exciting outreach opportunities! I’m so excited to see where this journey next takes me!

2016: My first professional babywearing head shot

Here's a link to my current resume.  

Fall 2016 Just Kids Resale FREE Baby Carrier Fit Checks, Demonstration, and Sales

I will be providing FREE baby carrier fit checks from 3-5 pm at Just Kids Resale on Friday, September 16th.  I am trained to help you find the most comfortable fit with your carrier for both baby and you, come let me help you get your BEST fit. 

To sign up for your free time slot, please email rachelgaston@hotmail.com or call/text 814.933.5668.  Two consultations will be scheduled every 20 minutes.  

SIGN UP NOW to reserve your spot and guarantee your preferred time!

At 5 pm, I will provide a free demonstration and introduction to the five major styles of baby carriers and handouts about kangaroo care and baby carriers.  Baby carriers will be available for purchase after the demonstration. 

Having your baby in a baby carrier
(especially on back) makes
Just Kids Resale so easy to shop!

25+ Medical Reasons to Do Kangaroo Care, Skin to Skin Therapy, and Use Baby Carriers

The Medical Research

Medical studies find that Kangaroo Care (KC) and Skin to Skin (S2S) Therapy:  

- improve heart rate

- improve respiratory rate

- improve oxygen saturation

- improve temperature regulation

- lower infections

- prevent apnea

- improve sleep

- lower crying (especially when done by fathers)

- provide analgesic (pain relief) effect

- increase milk production

- increase the ability to breastfeed exclusively

- allow for earlier breastfeeding initiation

- increase general neurobehavioral development

- increase mental and motor scores

- increase brain maturation

- lower caregiver’s anxiety (especially the postpartum mother)

- increase the caregiver’s parental/relational satisfaction

- create better caregiver/baby attachments  

Medical studies suggest KC/S2S to:

- prevent oxygen desaturations

- lower apnea episodes

- regulate cortisol (the stress hormone) especially with fathers

- create a more positive interaction between caregiver and infant.  

Medical studies warrant consideration of KC/S2S to improve weight gain

Medical research shows that

- using a baby carrier for three hours a day reduced infant crying by 43 percent overall and 54 percent during evening hours.  

- the physical drain from carrying in-arms is 16% greater than using a tool (i.e. a baby carrier) to support the baby’s mass, which is potentially an even larger burden than breastfeeding.  

- holding our babies close in a baby carrier allows us to form a mutual attachment, and is especially beneficial for mothers who are at risk for or suffering from postpartum depression.  

A woven wrap allows for

discrete kangaroo care -

bare chest to bare chest

For more information, email rachelgaston@hotmail.com

To purchase a kangaroo care garment or baby carrier, email me or see some options here

Vija Design TWIN Cami + Cummerbund Set

Vija Design skin to skin cami in gray
with baby carrier demo dolls (Hazel x 2)
that wear newborn clothing

This Kangaroo Care (KC) Garment, the Vija Design S2S Cami Set, is so fabulous!!!  It's hard to describe.  It's a bit like a Tandem PWCC (Pocket Wrap Cross Carry) has been sewn onto a shirt back, but it's even better, because the cami has leg holes for each baby's legs + a section that supports the bum + a section that supports the length of baby from head to bum.  It is rated for up to 15 lbs of baby on each side!!!

Vija Design S2S Cami in gray with baby carrier
demo dolls (Sally x 2)  hat wear 3-6 month clothing

Then the cummerbund supports both babies from neck to knees, so that the caregiver can now move around with babies fully supported against her body.  The cummerbund also doubles as a super easy and simple KC garment.  It's my ideal "right after birth" KC garment, because it can be used as a bosom cover, while laboring, and then once babies are born, the cummerbund can be flipped down, babies placed skin to skin on mommy, and then cummerbund is flipped back up keeping everyone secure for traditional kangaroo care.  Then the cummerbund triples as a belly support belt while pregnant or in the post partum period to protect a Cesarian incision or support the abdomen as all of the organs figure out where they belong again.  Here's a fabulous video review by Eva Hodgdon: https://youtu.be/c6GbvY0r3Vw

Vija Design skin to skin cami + cummerbund
 in gray with baby carrier demo dolls (Hazel x 2) 
that wear newborn clothing

Vija Design S2S Cami + Cummerbund in gray with
baby carrier demo dolls (Sally x 2)
that wear 3-6 month clothing

- Vija Design Twin skin to skin cami + cummerbund, $98

- fits adult clothing sizes S - XL, best fits child clothing sizes NB - 6 mo

--- This is a shirt and cummerbund that act like a baby carrier and is specially designed for TWIN MOBILE Skin to Skin care!!!

For your best fit, contact me with your shirt, under bust, fullest bust, and bra sizes:

Email, rachelgaston@hotmail.com

or

call/text me, 814-933-5668 

The cami + bandeau set are $98

Click HERE to buy

A bit about kangaroo care garments:

- What: a knit garment that supports baby ON FRONT skin to skin on caregiver’s upper torso, fabric is spread across baby three times

- How it works: put shirt on, position baby into and spread X passes with knees above bum & knee to knee in the fabric, spread cummerbund over babies

- Who: best suited for preemies to ~ 15 lbs and shine for discrete KC

- Sharing: size specific to the caregiver

- Care:  check fabric for holes, pulls, runs or weak spots

- Clean: use a wet wipe to spot clean and launder frugally, wash with laundry, drip dry when possible.  

- Caveats: designed for preemie and infant KC, won’t fit babies approaching 20 lbs

Some questions and answers:

Q1. Is this just as supportive as a moby?

A2..It's better! It's the front half of the moby, FITTED to you with a solid fabric back.

Q2.  Is it easy to size? Not like Ktan where people end up two sizes too big

A2.  I find that it fits tighter as a carrier than the k'tan fits. And because the front half is sewn onto a stable back there's less room for it to stretch out. All that said, I like to recommend people get the smallest size that will fit them, since there's a small overlap between the sizes. I wear a US large top and a medium S2S cami, my bust size affects my shirt size though.

Q3.  Do you think its worth the price tag VS a moby?

A3.  You can definitely do the same thing with the moby and the moby switches over to being able to carry just one in center in front and moby is not sized, so it is more shareable between caregivers.

The advantages the shirt has that I see are 

1. the cummerbund can be used separately for super easy skin to skin with babies from newborn until one baby reaches 30ish lbs.

2. the cummerbund can also be used as belly support while you are pregnant and in the postpartum period as all your organs figure out where they belong again. (moby can do this too, but is a lot bulkier of this)

3. it's faster

4. it's a garment, so it doesn't have the extra layers on your body that leaving the moby on for popping babies in and out does. 

5. it's much less saggy

6. It has better individual support for each baby because of the way it is sewn.

Baby Carrier Happy Hour

Water Ring Slings, $70

Baby Carrier Happy Hour - 

BYOB: Bring Your Own Baby - 

Specials on Carriers each week

Fridays 5:30 - 6:30 pm at 

Jezebel’s Boutique

355 Colonnade Blvd, Suite A

State College, PA  16803

Follow the recurring Facebook event for updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/178131462655445/

Carrier special this week:
$5 off all products

Email: rachelgaston@hotmail.com or call/text: 814.933.5668 for more info

Wrapsody Hybrid Stretch wrap, $98

Link to page with list of baby carriers and kangaroo care garments available for purchase here:  http://rachelgaston-pifer.blogspot.com/p/baby-carriers-for-sale-divide-by.html


Brand new to the US market is the new 2016 BBTai mei tai - brilliant from preemie to 1st grade and counting...shown in the second half of this video: https://www.facebook.com/groups/489752701212624/permalink/580919922095901/ in my FB client group


Also, BRAND NEW is the MJ Baby Carrier Baby! buckle carrier - fitting infants to 45 lbs...shown in the first half of this video: https://www.facebook.com/groups/489752701212624/permalink/580919922095901/


Some inventory is available online, see what colors are in stock here (much inventory still being added): https://squareup.com/store/rachel-gaston-pifer

Mother's Day Gift Options

Give the Mothers in your life and yourself the gift of Babywearing!

Email rachelgaston@hotmail.com to purchase.

Give a gift certificate for
a 1 on 1 Personal Babywearing Consultation package - $95,
or the two visit Personal Babywearing Consultation package - $155
or the Preparing for Bonding and Babywearing with Your Newborn class - $30
or to purchase a baby carrier in the monetary amount of your choice - $??


Buy her or yourself a Mystery Gift package!  Mystery Gift packages will come in a gift bag and contain a carrier appropriate for Mama and baby's situation.  In honor of Mother's day Mystery Gift packages are $5 off retail.  Email me, rachelgaston@hotmail.com with preferred and non-preferred colors and designs. Saturday (before Mother's Day) afternoon gift delivery to porch possibly available.

Mystery Gift Options:

Baby is a Bump in Mommy's Belly - $87

Baby is a Newborn (this is Rachel's all time favorite carrier!) - $93

Baby is a Newborn (this is Rachel's preferred carrier for breastfeeding and baby's with gas or reflux) - $84

Baby is Curious and Beginning Head Control and Beginning to Rollover:
for front/hip carries - $84
for high back carries - $94

Baby is Beginning Unsupported Sitting - $124

Baby is a Toddler:
Up & Down - $84
Taking a Nap - $140
Rachel's favorite toddler carrier - $114

Baby is a Preschooler (4T+) - $154

AHA Babywearing!

AHA Babywearing!

Airway is Clear ----- I can see nose-mouth-chest in a straight line

Hold is Firm -------- The carrier and I are supporting baby

Awareness is On --- I am thinking about what we are doing

Babywearing is all about the AHA moments in life.  Babywear vigilantly.

Find more considerations for babywearing here:

http://rachelgaston-pifer.blogspot.com/2017/03/10-considerations-for-babies-on-front.html

http://rachelgaston-pifer.blogspot.com/2017/03/7-considerations-for-babies-on-hips-in.html

http://rachelgaston-pifer.blogspot.com/2017/03/18-considerations-for-babies-on-back-in.html

And ask questions in here: AHA Babywearing! FB Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/489752701212624/