This month we’re putting ‘Do It Like A Mother – Sling Library and Support’ (formerly ‘Sling Start’) in our “Sling Library Spotlight”!
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Hi! I’m Lizzie, I’m part of the Do It Like A Mother group based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. I am a qualified and experienced babywearing consultant and have been running sling libraries for nearly four years. |
I had my first baby in June 2014 and discovered slings a week later, quickly realizing that this was something that could help us to navigate the maze of early parenthood! We moved to Norway four months later, where I met a number of incredible women who supported and inspired me from day one – it was these women, plus the freedom and independence I gained from using slings, that meant that I settled immediately into our new life, even with a four month old baby in tow.
I co-founded one of the first sling libraries in Norway, Oslo Sling Library, back in early 2015, with my friend Magz Madden, and trained with School of Babywearing shortly after that. In August 2016 I moved back to the UK, had my second baby and started Sling Start (no pun intended), a sling library and consultancy service, running drop-in sessions in a number of locations in and around the Southend and Rochford areas. In June 2017 I trained with Slingababy, and later that year I began teaching peer support training courses on behalf of School of Babywearing.
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Earlier this year I began to collaborate with Do It Like A Mother, an incredible force for change and support network for parents in our local area, and in September I officially joined the team and moved all 150+ of my slings and carriers into the Do It Like A Mother HQ! We are incredibly fortunate to have our own space, a bright and airy studio in Leigh-on-Sea, where I run sling library drop-ins, workshops, training sessions and support my colleagues at a range of events. Our weekly drop-in group, Cake Club, offers pre-natal, post-natal, feeding and sling support, as well as providing a safe, welcoming and friendly space for parents, carers and their little ones to come together, chat, play, eat cake, drink tea, and support each other. This session has been so successful that we have launched a second weekly group, Lunch Club, in order to provide more opportunities for our community to come together and access the support that they need, whatever that may be.
I have also recently written my own peer support course, approved by Born to Carry, which I launched in Oslo alongside the Norwegian national babywearing conference (Nasjonalt Baeretreff) last month. I have worked in childcare and education for over fifteen years, eleven of those as a primary school teacher, and have recently added an adult learning qualification as an extra string to my bow. Training peer supporters is the perfect combination of the two parts of my working life, teaching and babywearing!
I absolutely love what I do. I love supporting families, helping parents to feel a bit more normal, giving people their hands back, and making their lives a little bit easier. I believe that slings can make a real difference, whether that’s in a purely practical way, or because carrying and closeness can help parents and caregivers to bond with their babies and toddlers in a myriad of different ways for many, many reasons. I love helping brand new parents learn to tie a stretchy wrap and have a hands-free cuddle for the very first time. I love fitting people with a carrier that will allow them to take their little one on a hike, or on a plane. It’s magic.
Top Question
What is the BEST sling?
I recently wrote a post about this, entitled, “Why you shouldn’t just buy the same sling as your friend!” We are all different. Every parent and caregiver is a different shape and size, as is every baby or child. What works for you may not work for your partner, your mum, your friend, your childminder… I often compare slings to shoes or jeans – we all like different styles and some things fit us better than others. Some styles of sling or carrier are more versatile and can suit a wider range of people – stretchy wraps and certain buckle carriers, for example. Others are far more specific in their design, and won’t be the right choice for a lot of people. This is why we have sling libraries! ALL the slings in one place so YOU can find the right one for you.
Upcoming Events
| Cake Club Every Thursday, 12:15 – 15:00 • Do It Like A Mother HQ, SS0 9SZ |
Shop Like A Mother At Xmas 30th November 2018, 10:00 – 13:00 • Do It Like A Mother HQ, SS0 9SZ |
Babywearing Peer Support Training 2nd December 2018, 9:00-17:00 • Do It Like A Mother HQ, SS0 9SZ |
Get in Touch!
Do It Like A Mother Sling Library & Support
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