Become a Volunteer
Interested in becoming a CBW leader? Apply today or email us at [email protected] for more information!
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Meet the Columbus Babywearing Leaders
Kayla WilliamsKayla began her babywearing journey in 2015 with the birth of her daughter. She saw a few moms wearing wraps at various stores while she was pregnant, and knew she had to have one too! Kayla started with a Moby, but quickly moved onto wovens when she joined CBW’s facebook group and saw how beautiful wraps could be! Now her toddler mostly enjoys the roominess and quickness of SSC’s, but she still cherishes those rare times when wrapping is an option. Kayla works full time as a speech language pathologist in the Reynoldsburg School District and enjoys her time training a fluffy puppy and working towards being more minimalistic and mindful in her everyday life.
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Meghan Harley YugulisMeghan began her babywearing research months before her son’s arrival, organizing what options she anticipated being successful for both herself and her husband. She began wearing with a stretchy wrap and ring sling shortly after Eli’s birth, and has experimented with every type of carrier she could! She favors wraps and ring slings. Babywearing was crucial for Meghan - it was how she functioned on maternity leave, and it provided closeness with Eli after returning to work. This has led to a strong desire to help others find support in babywearing. Meghan works full time as a research project manager while slowly completing her MBA and MS. In her spare time, she renovates her money-pit of a house, chases the dog, volunteers, and spends way too much time on Facebook.
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Joanna Malachowsky
Joanna started babywearing two and a half years ago, when her son was born. She didn't know much when she started out, but through CBW she and her husband learned about the joys of babywearing! Joanna fights an uphill battle convincing her toddler to go up these days, but when he lets her she uses her short wrap and SSC equally. Her husband loves to take their son on adventures while wearing him in the hiking back pack. Joanna teaches full time at the Graham Expeditionary Middle School. In her free time she reads books and makes quilts. She loves helping other mamas find the babywearing love!
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Emma WadeEmma started babywearing when her first was born in 2011. As a non-driver, wearing was an important way for her to be independent, without needing to wrangle a stroller around the city. By the time her second was born, babywearing was a way of life. She loves the beauty and versatility of woven wraps, but appreciates the speed and convenience of buckles with her increasingly opinionated todder. Emma also admins the Facebook group Everyday Babywearing.
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Stacie CarusoStacie's mom has got it goin' on... she was babywearing in a metal frame carrier back in the 80's! Stacie always knew she wanted to babywear also, but didn't know how widely varied the products on the market were. She loves to try new things, but her favorite carriers are onbuhimos (waistless Asian styled soft structured carriers) and woven wraps. Outside of CBW, Stacie is a full time elementary special education teacher. She enjoys working with anyone who wants to learn how to babywear so that they become more confident with the carrier they chose and in their caregiving abilities.
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Hannah LouiseHannah knew she wanted to babywear when her college parenting class professor highly recommended the practice. As a worn baby herself, it seemed like a natural part of parenting. After a longer than expected wait to start her family and fertility treatments, the practice was even more appealing. Little did she know it would be her lifeline after giving birth. She believes babywearing was critical in helping with anxiety and new mom emotions as it gave her the confidence and hands free ability to function like a person. Now her toddler mostly gets rides for errands and disc golf but the confidence and empowering feeling will last past the last day of uppies.The empowerment of birth, breastfeeding and babywearing is important to her. The values of babywearing is something she hopes more families and caregivers are able to enjoy.
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Kim SproatKim started babywearing shortly after having her son in 2016. She first started out with a gifted moby wrap and a secondhand Ergo. While at a local moms group gathering she met another CBW member who graciously showed her how to wear her son in the Moby and told her about CBW.
After attending Skills Workshops and Meetups and discovering how much she loved the closeness of babywearing, she decided to apply to be a CBW leader. Kim has come to love all types of carriers and enjoys having a variety of options to carry her son. Before becoming a stay at home mom, Kim worked as a Radiation Therapist at OhioHealth. She is also looking forward to welcoming their second child in Jan. 2018 and getting to wear another baby. Her free time is spent with family and friends, enjoying outdoor activities, and anything crafty. |
Jamie RodererJamie began wearing her daughter shortly after she was born in January 2017. She immediately fell in love with babywearing because it allowed her to cuddle with her baby while getting out of the house to go on walks. She used SSCs for the first few months but became curious about other carriers after becoming more active in the CBW online community.
After attending a few skills workshops and other events, Jamie developed a desire to learn about all kinds of carrier types. Coming from a teaching background, she thought she would enjoy helping others learn to wear their babies safely and comfortably as well, so she decided to apply to become a leader. Her love of babywearing has grown over the past year, and helped her to understand and take ownership of her role as a mother. Her favorite carriers for convenience are SSCs and onbuhimos, but woven wraps give the best snuggles. Outside of CBW, Jamie is a stay at home mom. She enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, reading, going to craft breweries, and being outdoors. |
Meg MartinMeg began babywearing when her daughter was born the Fall of 2016. She loved how her stretchy wrap gave her the freedom to move while still providing comfort and closeness. While chatting with a babywearing friend from college it was suggested that Meg reach out to any local Babywearing groups. Enter Columbus Babywearing! Meg loves the support, community and education that CBW provides.
In her free time Meg enjoys exploring local parks, cooking and gardening with her husband and daughter. |
Jessie McCloryJessie started babywearing with her youngest sister (there’s a 13-year age gap). When she became a mom, her mom said the most important baby shower gifts are a carseat and a babycarrier. Her mom bought her first ring sling for her first child, Kaden. With a Velcro baby, babywearing was powerful parenting tool and as Kaden grew she moved into other carrier types. Jessie actively joined CBW after her second child, Audrey. Jessie works full time as a land development civil engineer. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and doing outdoor activities with her family.
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Ashley WilliamsAshley is a stay at home mother of four who began her babywearing journey in 2006 when her oldest daughter was born. She wore her daughter in a hand-me-down narrow based carrier and fell in love with the closeness and bond that babywearing helped create for them. Having four children now, she has explored every carrier type she has been able to get her hands on, but primarily uses woven wraps for their comfort and versatility with meh dais being a close second. Babywearing has become a key part of her daily routine and helps her feel more confident and successful as a mother. She strongly feels that babywearing is an indispensible parenting tool and wishes that every new parent would have access to a safe and comfortable carrier for their children and has helped many of her friends and family members find the joy of wearing their own children close. Joining CBW leadership seemed like a natural next step to continue spreading the love for babywearing. In her fleeting spare time, she enjoys playing disc golf with her family, sewing, cooking, reading, and trying to keep current on her favorite shows.
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Amy SwaagmanAmy has been babywearing since early 2016 when her first born was 2 weeks old. Putting on that ring sling to make some brownies opened up a whole new world of hands free snuggles. She loves to use many different carriers but right now with her 2.5yr old she uses ring slings and SSC typically.
Amy is excited for her new baby in November to perfect fancy finishes and new carries with woven wraps and meh dais. She is still consistently wearing her toddler while in her 3rd trimester. She lives with her husband of 7 years and their toddler in Galloway. She loves spending time with her two dogs playing outside. They all love to travel and enjoy the versatility that carriers allow for bringing the toddler on long hikes. |
Colleen MossColleen researched babywearing when expecting her first child in 2013 and found CBW. She started her babywearing journey with a moby and ergo. Five years later and two more children, Colleen still uses carriers in her day to day life. She has tried them all and loves each type for different reasons and chooses depending on where they are wearing. Colleen prefers meh dais, buckles, and onbuhimos. After coming to Meet Ups she enjoyed the atmosphere of CBW and decided to join CBW leadership team. When she is not chasing toddlers or working with CBW projects she enjoys reading, crocheting, hiking, and camping with her family.
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Kaitie MerrillKaitie was introduced to babywearing during her time as a nanny. After seeing how convenient it was, she knew she wanted to wear her own children one day as well. Kaitie began wearing her first son in 2011, immediately after birth. She mainly used an Original Ergo and a ring sling. As a new mom, she loved the independence babywearing gave her and loved being able to bond with her baby while getting things done around the house. In 2012, Kaitie discovered CBW and began learning about other carrier options. She attended a workshop while pregnant with her second son in 2017 and knew that babywearing would be an amazing tool yet again. She began wearing her second son very soon after birth and has worn him just about every day since! Kaitie loves being able to snuggle and bond with her youngest while also exploring new places with her oldest. She decided to join CBW leadership to share the babywearing love with others. She loves helping caregivers find the perfect carrier to fit their needs. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family outdoors and taking care of their many pets.
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Amy CaldwellAmy was gifted a well-loved woven wrap from a friend as a baby shower gift. She began using it shortly after her son was born in early January 2018 as a way to bond with him and help support her wife, who was recovering from a difficult birth. A few months later, Amy attended her first CBW meeting with a handful of couples she had met at a birthing class. Amy fell in love with all of the carrier options and the large CBW community. She frequented the Meet Up events and joined the leadership team when her kid was six months old. Outside of CBW, Amy and her wife own a pet care company which keeps them busy. They are both passionate about sustainable agriculture and have a large garden and chickens at their home on the south side of Columbus. Amy enjoys having an artistic outlet, which is mainly through photography at this time, and she is currently training for a half marathon.
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