Danielle Hampton

Summer is upon us, and with that comes lots of visiting our beautiful National Parks. Have you ever been to one? There are 58 National Parks in the US, with plenty of Mother Nature's beauty to explore. And the best way to visit these places with your little ones? While babywearing. Not only do the wearer and baby get to bond while taking in some of the most beautiful sites you'll ever see, there are a few great reasons to choose babywearing when national park-hopping:

1. Safety. The safest place for baby is on you, and when you're exploring with your family, it's great to have your little one on your front, hip, or back. Rocky terrain, potentially hazardous conditions for new walkers, all wonderful reasons to have your baby on you. There's always time to explore on their own two feet, but when you're trying to get a hike in or check out a new spot in the park, babywearing is key.                                                                                               

Please tell us a little about yourself and what you do for work.

I'm mama to two young children living in Austin, Texas where I host a birth stories podcast called The Birth Hour. My mission with The Birth Hour is to encourage women to be informed about pregnancy and childbirth and know their options while creating a community for moms to support one another through pregnancy and motherhood. The podcast has grown rapidly since its launch in 2015 with over 4 million downloads and a supportive Instagram community. This year The Birth Hour launched it's first online course

So you're a new mama. And although this is supposed to be one of the best seasons of your life, at times it can still feel a little lonely and isolating. Maybe you're living in a new city, or none of your friends have children, or perhaps you just haven't been able to find women to connect with just yet. If you're in that very common situation (been there!) here are some tips for finding your "Mom Tribe."

1. Be yourself. This seems like such an obvious thing, but it's always worth a reminder. Like attracts like, and to find "your people," work at being the most you, you can be! Authenticity always shines through, and to find women you can share those golden "me too" moments with, share your heart and who you really are, right from the get-go.
2. Branch out. Aim to try one new thing "Mommy and me" thing each week. Some ideas: library story time, local Mom and baby workout or yoga classes, babywearing groups, parenting classes or sessions at your local birthing

  It's sunny, and you want to get outside...but it's cold! Babywearing and enjoying the outdoors doesn't have to stop just because the temperatures have dropped, but you do want to take extra precaution that both you and baby are warm and safe while you're out on the trails.

1. Dress baby in layers. That way as the two of you heat up, you're able to remove layers quickly and easily. Keep baby in their footed pajamas, and layer their legs with adult socks or baby leg warmers. If it's very cold, be sure there is no exposed skin between baby's pants and socks. Cover their hands with socks or mittens.
2. Consider using a winter weather cover, or a babywearing coat. Ergobaby's Winter Weather cover is the best- it's soft and water-resistant, and allow baby's legs to be completely covered while also offering a hood option. There are different babywearing coats on the

So you're having a baby. It's such an exciting time! Your due date is getting closer, and you've packed and unpacked your hospital bag more times than you can count- folding and refolding that first, cute outfit for baby to wear home, tiny socks, a nightgown for you...but what do you really need? How do you pack for something you've never experienced before? If you're like many parents it can all seem a little overwhelming. Today I wanted to share five things I'm glad I brought along (or wished I brought along!) for each of my three children's births.

1. Comfortable pajamas. This was only something I packed with my third baby, and I was so happy I did. It was a wonderful, refreshing feeling to put on comfortable (nursing friendly) pjs after taking a shower at the hospital. I brought this set

From California all the way to the East Coast, today we find ourselves in Brooklyn, NY, in one of Wild Was Mama's  two locations to learn a bit more about their store. You can see them online here, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook too!

How do you choose items for your store?

30 parents came together in Scottsdale, Arizona at Modern Milk to connect over parenthood and babywearing. New friendships were made as event attendees mixed and mingled while enjoying delicious appetizers and sweets, all while getting a chance to meet other local mamas. Our babywearing educators were on hand to help many expectant parents try on Ergobaby carriers for the first time, and new parents also got a personal fit session to make sure their little ones were snug and safe in their carrier. The spotlight was on Ergobaby's new Omni 360 carrier, the ultimate baby carrier that is ready for baby from day one, without an insert and allows your little one to be worn all ways. Parents loved getting up close and personal with the carriers, trying on multiple color ways and getting tips for a great fit. The evening was a huge success- their were door prizes, giveaways, and every mama

Scooby Doo and Velma (source)

Halloween is almost here and with it comes one of the most fun parts - planning your costume! Every year we see so many fantastic #ErgobabyHalloween pictures pop up online, and we thought we would round up some favorites to share with all of you!

A few things to remember when incorporating babywearing into your Halloween costume -

1. Follow all safety rules (see some tips here) and guidelines for the carrier. Always make sure baby has two fingers width between chin and chest to keep airway open and clear and baby is close enough to kiss.
2. Only face baby out if you are using a Four-Position 360 carrier, which allows for a front-outward facing position.

 

[youtube]https://youtu.be/KdTAjNoT-Jo[/youtube]

We recently had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Provo, Utah, as we continued our "Mama-to-Be Mornings" series, celebrating the launch of the new Adapt carrier. You can see our New York event highlights here. It was a lovely morning, full of expectant and new parents, with lots of excitement in the air. The venue we chose- The Startup Building- was absolutely perfect for the event! It was the perfect size to accommodate all of our featured vendors, long tables for the luncheon, and a stage for our panel. It was amazing to take a step back while the event was going on, and see all of the happy faces milling around, checking out baby items and mentally adding products to their wishlists! The three-hour long event

One huge perk of babywearing is having extra arms to get everything done. So often we as parents have multiple things to attend to, other children to care for, and a huge to-do list...all with a new baby in tow. It's the "new normal" right? And the funny thing about parenting is that as soon as you have it down, it changes again! But babywearing is something that has a place in all stages of you and your baby's life. Babywearing is there is create a stronger, closer bond, help with naptimes and rest periods, and also assists parents in parenting other children, including very busy toddlers! Below are some benefits of babywearing while chasing your other rambunctious little ones.

babywearing + chasing toddlers

1. If your children are anything like mine, there will be plenty of roughhousing and being silly. When my youngest was born I was always a little nervous to put him on the ground with all the activity all around, so I would find myself wearing him around the