Breastfeeding 1-2-3 reader Laurie wrote to me to share a picture of the sling she sewed from these ring sling instructions. Laurie said she had a Christmas party at her home when her son Andrew was seven weeks old. She carried him around in the sling all night and he slept most of the time! That’s yet another example of how baby-wearing makes for a happy baby and a happy mother! Here is a picture of the home-sewn sling in action.

Doesn’t Laurie look great just seven weeks postpartum?! Thanks for sharing the picture, Laurie, and great job on the sling!
For …read more

Jan Andrea offers an amazing collection of free patterns and instructions for sewing your own breastfeeding accessories. Click on the links to:
Sew your own nursing pillow (like a Boppy or Brest Friend)
Make your own nursing shirts from regular t-shirts
Convert a regular bra into a nursing bra (particularly helpful for hard-to-find sizes)
Convert a regular bra into a hands-free pumping bra
She also offers patterns for:
All kinds of slings and baby carriers, including no-sew ring slings and ring-less slings or tube-style pouches
Breastfeeder’s diaper bag/purse
Cloth diapers and cloth menstrual pads
I wish I’d known about all of these sooner! Now I can’t wait to get …read more

What did nursing mothers say was the gift they’d love to get or loved getting? Approximately one in three respondents said nursing clothing (for all of those interested in nursing clothing, check out the link to the Motherwear line in the bottom right of the sidebar!) One in four said a baby sling and one in eight said a nursing pillow. This chart illustrates the final results:

If you missed yesterday’s Carnival of Breastfeeding, check out several breastfeeding bloggers’ ideas for the Best Gifts for the Breastfeeding Mother.