commissioned special interest courses

Karen has a background in Human Nutrition and Public Health and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 2015. Karen works closely with local health professionals and Children’s Centres and runs Kent Sling Library as a Community Interest Company under the umbrella of PSBreastfeeding CIC.

Having trained breastfeeding peer supporters since 2015, it seemed the perfect opportunity for Karen to become a babywearing peer supporter trainer herself in 2020.

Karen lives in West Kent but her babywearing journey began in the US in 2007 with a baby shower gift from a work colleague, friend and Lactation Consultant (Flossie) who gave her a Maya Ring Sling. When Karen’s son was a few weeks old and couldn’t be put down, Flossie showed her how to use that Ring Sling and it transformed her ability to meet his needs. Karen’s journey continued with the birth of her daughter in the UK and she had the chance to use that same Ring Sling again from day 1. Babywearing enabled Karen to stay close, keep her daughter calm, exclusively breastfeed on demand, start a business and also volunteer as a breastfeeding peer supporter. In 2015 as the volunteer coordinator for the breastfeeding support programme in Kent, Karen received grant funding in Sevenoaks to have 12 breastfeeding peer supporters trained as babywearing peer supporters and started Kent Sling Library in September 2016. A year later (2017) Karen received more funding in Dartford and more peer supporters were trained. In the same year Karen also trained with the School of Babywearing as a babywearing consultant. In 2018, Karen then completed a 5 day course with Je Porte Mon Bebe becoming a l’ecole a porter trained consultant.

Jess is an experienced carrying consultant based in Aberdeen, Scotland. As a mum to two boys who both had severe reflux, carrying was the only thing that soothed. Jess saw a need for parents to be able to try carriers on in person, not just at group sessions, but in the comfort of a home – and so Close and Calm was born. Jess has trained with several Baby Carrying schools, and became a Born to Carry trainer, delivering her first Peer Supporter courses in 2017.

Her vision for Close and Calm, is to impact the community with the benefits of carrying, to make carrying a mainstream occurrence. It is a vision to see Post Natal Depression reduced, babies’ settled, and community built as people are more free and able to venture out. Jess wants to see calm restored to the homes of newborns – and parenting becoming an exciting and encouraging period, instead of one of concern, loneliness and isolation. Through her grass roots connections with parents, caregivers and healthcare practitioners, she wants to set the foundation for the local community, in normalising the safe and regular use of carriers.

With the introduction of the Scottish Baby Box and Stretchy Wrap included, Jess supports and trains both NHS staff and parents to see a safe and high level of uptake of the carrier and provides drop in sessions demonstrating usage – aiming to capture a wide audience, both those who are keen and those who are unsure, by providing a safe, reassuring and neutral venue for people to observe, learn, and meet with other parents –to see that they’re not alone. She also works every week in her local neonatal unit, helping to promote and facilitate Skin to Skin care. Jess has written for the Close Enough to Kiss Babywearing Magazine, for Oscha Slings and her own website and works as a consultant for Oscha Slings, demonstrating their wraps and carriers to customers at events and answering carrying questions.

Jess enable parents, caregivers and healthcare practitioners to safely carry babies and children, through education, hiring of carriers, access to expert support and advice, and delivering training. She also works to promotes the benefits of carrying, recognising the impact that it has on children, caregivers and communities, raising both the profile and the accessibility of carrying in Scotland. Jess also runs a ‘Carriers without Barriers’ scheme ensuring that all families can access a carrier and has worked with Social Services to implement this scheme.

Jess is able to offer tailored training by request, and has a particular interest in training NHS Staff and healthcare practitioners, nurseries, childminders and local healthcare practitioners, as well as working with manufacturers to provide feedback on their carriers.

Karen McCully

Jess Hippey