Do you love babywearing and want to know more about it, or be able to support others with their sling use? Then one of my courses could be just what you need!
- Do you want to understand more about why sling and carrier use is such an important tool for new families, and be able to be an effective advocate for their use?
- Do you want a good grounding in basic babywearing safety across a range of circumstances and an introduction to the major types of sling and how to use them well?
- Do you want to support families with their carriers?
- Are you thinking about setting up a sling library service or a specialist baby class (yoga, forest school etc)
- Do you want become a consultant, able to work with more complex situations?
- Are you a health care professional wanting to know more about safe sling use and how to use them in specific settings?
Please browse my courses below!
Babywearing theory and sling/carrier safety – online course, £49
This online course is a comprehensive introduction to babywearing theory and safety, which will give an excellent grounding for becoming an advocate for carrying behaviour and how slings can help promote health and wellbeing. It is a deep exploration of the science around connection, child development, infant mental health, anatomy, physiology, psychology, sociology, neuroscience, anthropology and more! It also provides a brief introduction to the major types of carrier.
This is open to everyone, and can be completed at your leisure. There are short tests of your knowledge as you proceed through the course and a final assessment to complete the course for a certificate.
- This will suit many people who wish to enhance their knowledge and understanding, become evidence-based babywearing advocates, be able to signpost to local libraries with more confidence, and are not planning to offer in-person support to families on a regular basis.
- This course is not timed, and can be done at your own schedule and to your own pace.
- Please be aware that this course is not a Peer Supporter or Consultancy course and the certificate cannot be presented as such.
- This course is not sufficient on its own for anyone planning to offer any form of movement classes with babies in slings.
Structure of the course
- Why Carrying Matters – the science.
- Introduction to Basic Babywearing Safety.
- The Different Types of Slings And How To Use Them.
- Assessment Module (to confirm learning)
Peer Supporter Course, £129 per person, half a day online learning, half a day practical learning (in person or online)
The Peer Supporter course is a combination of online learning and a practical training session, either online via Zoom, or in person.
The online learning covers the theory of babywearing, basic safety, an overview of the main types of carriers and how to use them, the role of the peer supporter, and a little about special circumstances. It is more in depth than the simple theory/safety course.
The practical session focuses on actively supporting new parents with hands-on-help, providing them with support with fitting and troubleshooting. Babes in arms are welcome as we recognise that babies need their parents! We would encourage you to consider the impact that older, more mobile children and toddlers can have on your and others’ learning.
More information about the course and the equipment can be found here.
Satisfactory completion of this course and the assessment will generate a certificate of competence as a Babywearing Peer Supporter.
Structure of the Peer Supporter Practical session
- Building and assessing skills in using the main types of carrier.
- Learning and practising how to support others and troubleshoot effectively.
- Opportunities for discussion with Rosie and fellow students.
- Assessment Module to ensure receipt of information and ensure the high standards of training are met.
If you have done the online theory/safety course in the past and wish to upgrade to Peer Supporter training, please contact Rosie.
Reduced cost places are available for certain priority groups, read more about that here and how to apply.
Peer Supporter Course for HCPs, £129 per person, half a day online learning, half a day practical learning (in person or online)
The Peer Supporter course is a combination of online learning and a practical training session, usually online via Zoom or MS Teams for health care professionals around the UK.
The online learning covers the theory of babywearing, basic safety, an overview of the main types of carriers and how to use them, the role of the peer supporter, and a little about special circumstances. It has a greater focus on newborns or children with extra needs in health care settings.
The practical session focuses on actively supporting new parents with hands-on-help, providing them with support with fitting and troubleshooting. and can be tailored to work with particular carriers.
Bespoke courses for groups are available.
- Satisfactory completion of this course and the assessment will generate a certificate of competence as a Babywearing Peer Supporter.
Babywearing Consultancy course – new format for 2024
I love offering consultancy courses, equipping people with the skills they need to support parents and carers with their children – the impact of such people can be life changing for families. As Kiri and I worked with our 2022-2023 cohorts, two things became clear – firstly that people really value the face-to-face element of training, especially with the more complex situations we are more likely to encounter as consultants, and secondly, that there is a huge amount of knowledge being imparted in a very short space of time, which can be challenging to absorb and then put into practice independently.
With that in mind, we have changed our format to be a longer course that allows people the time they need to learn as they go, and apply their new knowledge, develop questions and build relationships while still part of the course, and kept the face-to-face aspect in a single weekend of in-person training.
The course has three sections.
- A comprehensive online theory section. This covers all aspects of babywearing safety and the basics of carrier use, the history of babywearing, the science behind close contact, how to develop consulting skills, and much more. This is in a modular format that can be done at your own pace before the practical sessions, and will take around 12 hours of learning time.
- A series of 5 live 2-3hr Zoom sessions where we begin learning and practising how to use the major carrier types in depth, how to adapt them to individual needs, as well as working on communication and exploring common scenarios. Each week has a different theme and you will be encouraged to put your skills to use before the next session, to allow for real-time practice and personalised feedback.
- A weekend of in-person learning with me and Kiri in Sheffield, where we work on complex situations, disabilities, and the ‘soft skills’ that are so key to effective consultations and satisfying encounters (as well as what to do when things are not working as you had hoped!). This is the culmination of the course where we bring everything together.
All our trainees become part of their own cohort for discussions and feedback, as well as joining the Carrying Matters educator groups (and the UK professional groups) for ongoing support.
Dates for spring/summer 2024 are currently fully booked, Autumn/Winter courses dates will be available soon, please contact me if you want to know more or arrange a group course.
The course costs £600, and payment plans are available. Please do get in touch if you have any queries. Further reading here.
Why train with me?
I am a Carrying Advocacy educator and trainer, and am well known for the evidence base and scientific focus of my training, as well as my ability to demonstrate clearly and simply, and explain concepts simply and engagingly. My interest is in supporting new families with babywearing, due to the enormous value this skill can add to their wellbeing and their long term health and my goal is to see this become available to every antenatal and postnatal family, via educated advocates!
I have trained hundreds of people and educated many more over the last ten years. These range from interested parents who want to volunteer or help their own friends, massage therapists, early years providers, health care professionals (health visitors, midwives, doulas etc) and those who want to set up their own local sling libraries and become consultants.
Feedback
FAQ
Can I just do the online theory and safety course?
Yes, this will generate a certificate of competence in babywearing theory and safety, which may be all you need. You will have a good grounding in why babywearing is so useful, based in evidence, a solid understanding of how to keep a baby safe in the major types of sling and be able to advocate and signpost to further resources. This is not a peer supporter or consultancy course.
I want to support new parents to choose a good sling, and become confident in putting their slings on, or set up a sling library. What courses do I need?
You will need the Peer Supporter Course.
I want to offer classes for new parents and their babies with slings as part of the class. Is the online theory course enough?
No. You must do the Peer Supporter training. The online theory course will not be enough on its own, as hands-on skills and careful planning of classes are needed. Adding any movement with a sling beyond walking increases the potential for harm. Babies and their caregivers’ wellbeing should be the primary concern for such classes, and they should not be placed at risk by inadequate training.
Can I have a practical session tailored to the specific need of my group (eg neonatal nurses, health visitors or for dance classes, etc?)
Absolutely, you can do the online theory and safety course and then have your own group practical session with me, please get in touch to discuss your needs. Please be aware that I am a working GP and can only offer a certain number of practical sessions per year.
Do I need insurance?
Those who attend this course, complete the post-course assessment and receive their certificate of completion are eligible for insurance from several providers, such as BGC, Therapist, and more.
Dance and exercise classes with slings
Please read this first if you are considering setting up one of these classes. The safety of child and parent is paramount at all times and there is simply too much to cover when the class instructor is not already very familiar with slings and aware of the risks involved (this is more than just being aware of the “TICKS” guidelines). If you want to discuss whether you are suitable for entry on this course please email me before you book. I reserve the right to refuse training.
“I really enjoyed trying different carriers. I found the trouble shooting sections particularly interesting and fun. I learnt a lot and feel more confident with all carriers and especially with how to wrap a new born.
I really loved it and now want to do the consultant training even more. Rosie was clearly very enthusiastic and dedicated and made everything so interesting. She was pretty inspiring.”
“Everything I had hoped for was met, I feel like a peer supporter now, not just someone who loves slings!”
“Rosie was born to teach people. Simply fantastic in the way information was relayed. Would highly recommend.”
“The whole day was so good! A key element was the ability to see and try so many different types of slings and to have time to go through basic principles regarding how to use them all. The role play aspects where we were able to troubleshoot carrier problems was also very useful.”
“Hi Rosie, I couldn’t go to bed without sending you a note to say a huge thank you for the course today. I’ve never felt more included and welcome and I’m so thrilled I came along. Thank you for your hospitality and brilliant teaching, I’m raving about babywearing to my husband and cannot wait to volunteer at a meet soon.”
“I loved the content of the day, the discussions, playing with different slings, learning new ways of slinging, wrapping etc. The course was well run, well organised and I felt empowered to speak, share and question.”
“I feel much more confident in my knowledge of both the benefits of babywearing, and how to go about enabling parents.”
“I really enjoyed meeting other like minded people. I liked the theory of babywearing as it related closely to the work I do as Breastfeeding Lead in the NHS. I enjoyed trying all the different slings and carriers and understanding in what situations they would be used.”
“My personal learning aims were met, it exceeded my expectations. I found the course was extremely enjoyable and covered so much subject matter but was not overwhelming. My aims were well and truly met. I now believe I could give a new babywearer good/correct advice and help in ways I was unsure about prior to the course.”
“Having someone with your experience and knowledge available all day to ask questions and watch demo was incredible. I really enjoyed the contextual and historical information about Babywearing and what led us all into that room that day. It put everything into the ‘bigger picture’ and made me feel such a part of the huge Babywearing community. Having such a massive amount of slings in the room to try and compare was utterly invaluable – such a rare opportunity. I thought the balance between practical and theory was absolutely spot on. As someone who’s very interested in the sociopolitical aspects of Babywearing I was really pleased to see this covered in the course and really appreciated that you placed Babywearing so firmly in this context during the day.”
“The course really opened my eyes to consider the needs of individuals and how essential it is to be inclusive and approachable and gave me the tools to do this confidently (especially regarding narrow base carriers). It was useful to be shown how to exaggerate movements and words when teaching and to have the opportunity to practice this. Rosie’s enthusiasm was infectious and made the whole day very engaging. The size of the group worked well and I especially enjoyed how well we all got on.”