Hello, everyone! I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about the response we got from our recent babywearing weather forecast! I truly am stunned at all the attention it has gotten. From your comments, I can see that it brought smiles to many people’s faces. I just love that! I want to thank everyone who took the time to write kind comments, emails, and messages. There were also a lot of questions, so I figured I could take a moment to answer some of them.
Weekend National Forecast (featuring a special guest!)
Meteorologist Susie Martin and a special guest host your national forecast today. Unfortunately, her assistant was found sleeping on the job… We apologize for the inconvenience….#IBW2018 #babywearing #weather #meteorologist
Posted by Praedictix on Friday, October 5, 2018
Q&A
Why did you wear your child on air? Babywearing has been a passion of mine since my son came into my world. It has been an invaluable tool for me as a mother and helped me and my son bond during the early stages of infancy. Not only that, but it was and still is incredibly liberating to be able to comfort my child whilst doing other tasks, which has helped me be a happier mom. To this day, it is a source of comfort and calmness for him. Last year, I decided to promote babywearing during International Babywearing Week (IBW) on Spectrum News Kentucky. You can see that video here (he was so tiny!!!). That video was so well received that when IBW came around this year, I figured why not do it again? If I could inspire at least one parent to try babywearing and if it helped them even a fraction as much as it has helped me and my family, it would be well worth it.
Your station is ok with that? Yes! I’m fortunate to work for a company that has been very supportive of me–not just as an employee, but as a mother.
What is “Babywearing Week?” International Babywearing Week is an annual outreach event which promotes babywearing as a beneficial practice for both caregiver and child. You can read more about the outreach efforts and the benefits of babywearing here.
What carrier are you using? In the video, I’m using an Oscha Slings woven wrap called “Dryad Moonglade,” which I borrowed from a lovely friend. The camera actually doesn’t do it justice. Here’s a picture of what it really looks like:
Credit: Felicia Yang.
How old is your son? My son is 21 months old. He is most definitely a toddler vs. a baby at this point. He makes a point of reminding me daily.
How do you wrap him like that? This carry is called a “double hammock.” It is a very supportive carry when wearing bigger kiddos. My son is the size of a 3-year-old and weighs almost 30 lbs. I can wear him like that for hours comfortably! There’s a tutorial for how to do this carry here, but it’s definitely not for beginners! If you want to learn how to wrap, YouTube is your friend! A good beginner carry for infants is the “Front Wrap Cross Carry.”
Behind-the-Scenes
Our cameras were rolling while I was wrapping him before my segment. Just for fun, here you go:
Thanks again for your support! Much love to all.
Susie Martin
I am in Australia and your video was moved even down here! Thank you so much for bringing Babywearing into such a public light and for your beautiful and informative Q&A. You go mumma!
Look at that precious angel sleeping. It’s probably the only time I ever enjoyed watching a weather forecast, and it’s not even in my state! lol
Beautiful. ….
Susie, hats off to you! Why the negative responses? By natural women are multi-taskers. A gift men are yet to process. If it’s a great help for you and baby at home…then… why not at work?
I wish all jobs were open to children being at work with their mothers. Motherhood is part of life. Why do we act like it is secret to be hidden behind closed doors?
Women in Africa and indigenous tribes around the world have worn babies since forever. It’s nice to see this catching on. It’s about time