Babywearing Consultant
Newborn Sleep Certified
Preparing for Fatherhood
Equal parenting
18/11/2024
This Thursday I will be at Monti's World to do fit-checks for families. These means you get time with me for hands-on guidance making your carrier more comfortable and ensuring best possible ergonomics for you and your baby. You also get the 1.5 hour play session and coffee with other families. All for just 32-euros. Hope to see you there!
Register: https://montisworld.nl/products/babywearing-fit-checks-playroom?variant=49396762607952
02/11/2024
Back-carrying babywearing workshop. A workshop to help you feel confident getting your baby on your back by yourself. Once your baby is about 6-months old it is far more ergonomic and comfortable and practical for us to wear our babies on our backs.
24 November 10:00 @ the geboortecentrum.
I'm keeping this workshop really affordable because I really believe that everyone should have the ability to wear their babies/toddlers on their back if they want to. In most cultures around this world people learn this skill from family when they are teenagers.
https://buytickets.at/adaptingtolove/1423611
05/07/2024
The next Preparing for Fatherhood course will be 29 Sept + 4 October. For anyone expecting a baby before February, this is the course to take! (The next course will be end of January)
If you sign up before 20 July use the discount code: "earlybird" for 30-euros off!!
https://adaptingtolove.com/fatherhood-course
This is a fun and important course for expecting fathers. A chance for dads to build their community and feel prepared and empowered to step fully into their role as fathers. I teach it with my husband and we really love doing it.
Often I have moms tell me they are not sure their partner will be interested, but when they do ask their partner, they are surprised to hear his enthusiasm, so please, give them a chance to say "yes!" ❤
Adapting to Love Fatherhood workshop, workshop for dads in Amsterdam. Meet other dads, learn together about birth, parenthood, babies and more.
10/01/2024
OBA's Regenboog Verhalen is this Saturday 13 Jan 15:30 at CC Amstel! We're excited to come together in this space. 🌈 We have two fabulous young adults to read to the kids, 3 great books picked out, and some crafts for everyone to do. Hope to see you there ❤
Please share far and wide. If you could post the link in your parent whatsapp groups for your kids classes, this is a great way to help other families learn about it. Thanks!
https://www.oba.nl/.../regenboogverhalen.13012024.html
25/09/2023
The next Here's Baby workshop is 12 Nov. We'll cover newborn sleep guidance, babywearing ergonomically, baby 101, and more.
I'm offering a 10-euro discount/person if you register before 10 October.
More info for the workshops and registering can be found on my website: https://adaptingtolove.com/heres-baby-crash-course
You can also follow me on instagram for updates: https://www.instagram.com/adaptingtolove/
And as always, I'm available for private workshops and babywearing consultations.
16/05/2023
The next Here's Baby workshop is 2 July. We'll cover babywearing ergonomically, newborn sleep guidance, baby 101, and more.
More info for the workshops and registering can be found on my website: https://adaptingtolove.com/heres-baby-crash-course
You can also follow me on instagram for updates: https://www.instagram.com/adaptingtolove/
And as always, I'm available for private workshops and babywearing consultations.
06/06/2022
For families looking to better understand babywearing and how it can support them, I’m excited to now offer small group consultations at The Labour Dept. You can join up to 2 other families to have your questions answered, try out various styles of babywearing, and practice with my guidance. I have weighted demo-dolls in newborn, 6-month, and toddler sizes to practice with. And if you bring your baby we always try to get baby up successfully at least once during the session.
These 2-hour sessions are great for expecting families to figure out what carrier they want to invest in and to be confident with handling a carrier and newborn. Think of it as a hands-on personalised workshop for expecting families. And as a semi-private consultation for families with babies already.
You can sign up via . Link to register is in my bio. The June session will be 23 June, 10:00-12:00.
13/03/2022
Until when can I wear my baby?
The simple answer is: Until you or your child no longer wish to continue wearing!
Most often, when you use a well-adjusted, fitting carrier on your back, then this happens when your toddler insists that they be independent. Many parents feel the bittersweetness of this transition. Saying goodbye to the closeness and convenience of toddler-wearing represents one more milestone towards raising our children to ultimate independence.
When families are not back carrying or don't have a carrier that is fitting them or their child well, then the limiting factor is usually comfort. They stop wearing their child because they feel they are too heavy to continue carrying. The reality is that they will very likely spend many more hours in the next years carrying their child in their arms or on their shoulders, still bearing the same weight, but without the assist of a carrier.
It's all good. There is no obligation to carry your child to a certain age. Babywearing is a tool to make your life easier. If it is no longer serving this purpose, it's time to stop.
But if you are interested in extending your babywearing journey, these tips can help:
💫 When your baby is feeling heavy on your front, it's time to start back carrying. See my blog post on back carrying.
💫 Be sure you are still tightening your toddler close to your body. When you wear too loose or low, even on your back, you will feel more weight and pull on your shoulders.
💫 As your child grows, your carrier needs to grow. Some carriers expand through many sizes with your kid to last through toddlerhood. Some carriers require being replaced by a toddler-sized, then preschool-sized carrier. A carrier that supports a toddler knee-to-knee will distribute your child's weight around your body, making them easier and more comfortable to carry. Your child will be more comfortable as well.
💫 When you wear your child with some regularity your body conditions to their weight as they grow. This allows you to comfortably wear a toddler when needed.💪🏽
Photos: Wearing our kids (2yo & 5yo) on our recent trip to Spain. Our 5yo was only worn twice on a long day, his wearing days are limited.
My number one received question is "what's the best carrier?"
I don't believe there is one best carrier for everyone. Carriers fit different body types and sizes differently. Carriers provide different features and accessibility to accommodate different lifestyles and needs. In this video I show what I mean by this, as it is clear that the first carrier simply does not fit me as well as the second carrier. This does not mean that either of these carriers will necessarily fit you in the same way.
When looking for a carrier here are my thoughts:
👉🏿Does it fit you? Can you tighten it as much as you need to or loosen it as much as you need to? I fully tighten many of the more commercial brands of carriers and still have too much slack to support a baby completely. So these carriers are simply too large for me.
👉🏼Does it fit your baby? And how will it grow with your child? There are many carriers on the market now that are able to adjust fully in width and height to grow with your child at all stages, up until toddlerhood. There are also many carriers on the market that only allow for 1 or 2 changes in size as your child grows, which means less precise support and customization.
👉🏽Is it comfortable for you?
I hear from many people that they are "comfortable," and yet, when they try a new carrier out that fits them better they are usually shocked to realize how "very comfortable" they can be while babywearing. So even if you think you have a fine option, it can be very worthwhile to try a few more options! Everyone will find different fits & styles comfortable in different ways.
None of these points are deal-breakers, they are all just considerations for you when choosing a carrier.
👉🏾Most important: IF YOU & YOUR CHILD ARE COMFORTABLE, YOU HAVE A GOOD CARRIER! Have fun!
If you feel like either of you could be more comfortable, know that there are many amazing brands on the market that are size-inclusive, soft, adjustable, and comfortable! You are always welcome to send me a message with your needs and I'll do my best to recommend brands that I think will work for you. 💜
[Note: the two carriers in this video both retail for about 180 euros]
Thursday is the next Real Motherhood! Join us to unwind, connect, share, laugh, and learn in the evening. Come in your comfiest PJs if you want, we don’t care how you look. I know it can be hard to get out of the house in the evening, but it’s worth it!
The suggested price to join a session is 15-euros, but I encourage everyone to only pay what they can afford.
Link in BIO to sign up.
Hello! I’m Zyanya,* and I’m excited you want to learn more about babywearing!
Here’s a little about myself and my journey into babywearing…
I was introduced to babywearing while visiting family in the Netherlands in 2013. My cousin, who is a babywearing consultant, wore her young daughter with a beautiful woven wrap and made parenthood seem so easily integrated into her everyday life. She taught me a basic front carry with a wrap and I loved the concept. My introduction to babywearing was well before I had a child or even considered having children, so perhaps it was not the most common way one often learns about babywearing. Yet it felt natural, having a family member show me how to carry her daughter with a soft, beautiful piece of fabric, like she was passing an important tradition on to me. In that moment it was already understood that I would pass on this knowledge to my friends that were expecting babies and one-day use it for my own baby. I did not understand at that time how subversive babywearing remains in our culture today or how far we are from returning to a common tradition of each generation teaching the next how to carry our babies on our bodies.
Once I did have my own child I began to appreciate babywearing at a whole new level and it quickly became part of my day-to-day life. With each new carrier I tried and each new carry I mastered I was more excited to share my new knowledge with my friends and family. I continued to learn much more from my cousin, the internet, and attending my local community babywearing meetings. I began volunteering regularly with BWI Seattle to help others find effective and comfortable ways to carry their children, and I soon decided I wanted as much training and education as possible so that I could be more effective as an educator. I attended the Center for Babywearing Studies' Foundations course in NYC to learn more about sharing babywearing and become certified. The depth and breadth of material we covered impressed and amazed me. I am continually working to build on my skills as a consultant with the objective of fully supporting each parent's goals on their own journey.