Sunday, September 4, 2016

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

Monday, August 15, 2016

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:
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.

Monday, June 27, 2016

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


Thursday, May 5, 2016

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


Wednesday, April 13, 2016

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:

And ask questions in here: AHA Babywearing! FB Group



Thursday, March 24, 2016

When Can I Start Back Carries in Structured Carriers

A structured carrier is a carrier with at least one of the following:
-a structured waist
-a structured body panel 
-buckled on shoulder straps
-buckled on waist strap



Carrier modifications (e.g., infant inserts) are generally neither designed nor intended for back carries, because you cannot monitor to see if the modification is in the right position or if it is staying in the right position. Also, it is super tricky to load a baby on back with modifications in place and a pretty significant fall risk.

Baby is ready for a back carry in a structured carrier, when

-baby is a full term 4 month old, because incident data suggest that baby’s younger than 4 full term months have a higher risk of suffocation in baby equipment
AND
-baby is not having a respiratory complication (medical consultation/approval needed), because incident data suggest that babies (especially younger babies) with respiratory complications, even a common cold, have a higher risk of suffocation in baby equipment 
AND
-baby is tall enough to fit in the carrier so that ears are above top of panel, because incident data suggest that baby’s airway (nose, mouth, chest) needs to be visible
AND
-baby has legs long enough to be able to sit in the carrier with bum in seat of carrier and knees higher than bum and not inside the carrier, because incident data suggest that unseated babies can slump onto their airway or fall from the carrier
AND
-baby fits firmly between the carrier and caregiver without torso movement for leaning or slumping, because incident data suggest that loosely worn babies can slump onto their airway or fall from the carrier
AND
-baby has good head, neck, and torso control (we know all 3 have occurred once baby begins to learn to sit unassisted), because incident data suggest that babies at lesser gross motor skill stages have a higher risk of suffocation

Incident data drawn from the Soft Infant and Toddler Standard:

Proposed standard for Slings, which is currently free to view and has incident data:

More info from the CPSC:
http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/Soft-Infant-and-Toddler-Carriers/

For information on where to place the waistband on your waist/hips, see this video:

Black on Yellow is the easiest combo to read and remember:

Black on aqua is pretty: