Leap into Spring! Carry of the Week: Front Cross Carry

Some of the River City Babywearers decided to do a Wrap Challenge for the month of March. We decided it would be a good idea to do a tutorial on one of those carries for those that would like a little extra help and make it the Carry of the Week (COTW). We have tutorials for the COTW made by two of our Volunteer Babywearing Educators, Maddy and Lauren.

Our first Carry of the Week is Front Cross Carry (FCC).

Many people's first carry is a Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC). So what's the difference between a FWCC and a FCC?

Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC) starts with the wrap centered on the chest for a torso pass, bunched up and under the arms and then crossed in the back before bringing up and over the shoulders. Baby is placed in the torso pass and the wrap is then crossed in the front (over leg and then under baby's leg) with bunched or spread cross passes before bringing around to tie in back. This can also be tied under bum with cinched cross passes.

Front Cross Carry (FCC) starts with the wrap centered on the back, bunched up and bring underneath the arms. It continues with 2 cross passes in the front and then up and over the shoulders to cross in the back before bringing it around to tie in front. Baby is placed in and sits in the "x" created by the cross passes. There is an optional shoulder flip.

This carry is an excellent first carry for new wrappers and is wonderful for new babies as well. It's also a poppable carry, meaning you can wrap before you leave the house and "pop" baby in when you arrive at your destination! It's super great for on the go!

First up is a video tutorial with Maddy:

Now we have Lauren with a photo tutorial:

Find the middle marker on your wrap, and bunch the wrap together, keeping the top rail on top & bottom rail on bottom.

Bring the middle marker to the center of your wrap, keeping it bunched behind you.

Hold one tail between your knees, and bring the other tail across your chest to your opposite shoulder.

Repeat with the other tail. Both tails should now be crossing your chest, creating an X on the front of your body.

Cross the tails in the back to make another X on the back of your body.

Bring the tails back around to the front and loosely tie a double knot.

Find the cross pass that is closest to your body, and put baby's leg into that pass, so that the wrap is between baby's legs.

Spread that pass from knee to knee and across baby's back.

Put baby's other leg into the outside cross pass. This pass should also be between baby's legs.

Spread the second cross pass from knee to knee as well.

Once the passes are spread, untie the double knot and gently "bounce" baby into the carry. Tighten any slack as needed.

Pull slack from the back and retie the double knot in the front underneath baby's bottom.

Ta-Da! You have now wrapped a Front Cross Carry (FCC)

For this carry Lauren used a size 5 Tekhni Soteria Dawn from our lending library! Be sure to try this wonderful Repreve wrap out at one of our meetings!

Check back next Monday for a new Carry of the Week!

Two New Policies

Wellness Policy:

For the protection of all children and caregivers in our community, we ask that caregivers responsibly monitor the health and wellness of themselves and the children in their care. Please do not attend meetings if you or the child(ren) attending with you have any of the following symptoms within the 24 hours before a BWI event:

• Fever exceeding 99* F
• Unexplained rash
• Conjunctivitis/Pink Eye (red/pink eyes with yellow discharge- must be symptom free or on antibiotics for 24 hours)
• Cold-like symptoms with thick green/yellow nasal discharge
• Any other symptoms not previously mentioned that are likely contagious

In the case of vomiting or diarrhea, we ask that you refrain from attending any BWI event until you have been symptom free for 72 hours, as these types of viruses tend to have a longer period of contagiousness and can be especially dangerous when passed to young infants and pregnant women.

Please use your best judgement in assessing the health of your family members... The community we service is full of young children and pregnant women, and our aim is to protect them from illnesses. BWI of Central VA reserves the right to ask those who are visibly ill to leave a meeting at any time for the protection of other attendees.

The volunteers of BWI of Central Va also must follow this policy and if there are not enough volunteers to hold a meeting, that the meeting will be cancelled. In the event of a cancellation, we will update the event page, Facebook page and group, and blog.

Food and Drink Policy:

In an effort to create a safe and welcoming environment for all, and in response to many food-based allergies within our community, it is important that no food or drinks be brought into our meeting spaces. This includes snacks for toddlers and older children, as well as snacks for yourself.

As always, we welcome caretakers of young infants to provide breastmilk or formula as needed. It is also permissible to bring water in a closed/sealed container or sippy cup for yourselves or your children.

When necessary, any snacks brought to the meeting may be consumed outside of the meeting space. We ask that you be mindful of young children eating snacks, as sharing can be extremely dangerous for others with allergies. Many of our locations are nut-free, so as to reduce any confusion all of our meeting spaces and areas outside of our meeting spaces are "nut-free zones".

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter as we strive for inclusiveness within our chapter.

Six Monthly Meetings

BWI of Central VA has grown tremendously in the past year.  In order to attempt to accommodate our members, we will now offer 6 regularly scheduled monthly meetings starting in March!  Our newest meeting will be in Short Pump on the 4th Tuesday from 1-3pm of each month starting March 22nd.

Check out our schedule:

• Midlothian Wednesday Meeting: 1st Wednesdays from 10am-11:30 at St Mark's United Methodist Church
  
• Southside Saturday Meeting: 2nd Saturdays from 2:30-4:30 Location still in the works (now monthly)
  
• Byrd Park Monday Meeting: 2nd Mondays from 10am-Noon at First UU Church of Richmond
  
• Chester Wednesday Meeting: 3rd Wednesdays from 3-4:30pm at Karmady Yoga Studio
  
• Short Pump Tuesday Meeting: 4th Tuesdays from 1-3pm at Shady Grove United Methodist Church in Glen Allen  **As of 9/27 this meeting is from 4:30-6pm**
  
• Carytown Saturday Meeting: 4th Saturdays from 10am-Noon at Reveille United Methodist Church