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Our Carried Stories | YYC 🏔️ Babywearing + Family Literacy

@ourcarriedstories

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Darcy Courtland | PhD Momma
Babywearing & relational literacy
Held families. Holding babies. Carrying stories
Calgary | consults, classes, community ↓

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Calgary Families 💕

Spoiler! None of this came naturally to me.

Not the first carrier. Not wrapping. Not back carrying. Not feeding in a carrier. And certainly not tossing a baby onto my back like it’s no big deal. 😂

I learned. I practised. I got things wrong. I tried again. I asked questions. I watched HOURS of videos. And eventually, I became a certified babywearing educator so I could come alongside other families as they learn too.

Because I hear some version of this all the time:

“I wish I could have babyworn, but…”

My baby hated it.
It hurt.
I couldn’t figure out the carrier.
I didn’t know anyone who babywore.
I spent so much money trying different carriers and none worked.
It all just felt too overwhelming.

The truth is:

Babywearing is a skill. Skills are learned.

There are different bodies, different babies, different carriers, different needs, and so many different reasons we carry.

Sometimes we just need someone to come alongside us while we build the confidence and competence to find what works for us.

That’s why I founded Our Carried Stories.

For the practical and the sacred.
For the families wanting to hold babe close.
For the learning and the unlearning.
For the babies who “hate” the carrier.
For the carriers sitting untouched in closets.
For tired arms and sore shoulders.
For the expectant parents preparing before baby arrives.
For the toddlers who of course still want up.
For anyone who has ever thought:

“I wish I could babywear.” 🥹

Maybe you can. 💕
Maybe you just need somewhere to begin.

Our Carried Stories | YYC 🏔️
Held families. Holding babies. Carrying stories. taken in Calgary, Alberta by @ourcarriedstories

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21 days ago

Find your community with us @ourcarriedstories @natalieanu_maternitywellness by @ourcarriedstories

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14 days ago

You spend so much of this season holding everyone else. Who is holding you?

Join Darcy & Susan for a cozy afternoon of community, warm drinks, and honest conversation. Come as you are, bring your baby and all your questions.

With experience in babywearing, family literacy, postpartum wellbeing, gentle baby sleep techniques and newborn care, we’re here to offer practical support, gentle advice, and a soft place to land.

Register on @ourcarriedstories bio.

We can’t WAIT to see you there!

| baby wearing | newborn care | sleep support | family literacy | postpartum | Calgary small business | taken in Calgary Alberta Canada by @ourcarriedstories

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11 days ago

What parts of yourself are you (re)discovering in motherhood? 💕

I’m forever remembering that finding myself in motherhood isn’t about getting back to the version I was before. Sometimes it’s about creating, nurturing, and protecting space for the things that have always helped me feel grounded and aligned.

Fresh air, time spent with the Land, a little adventure, plenty of laughter, and bringing my babies along for the fun.

Turns out, babywearing makes that last part a whole lot easier.

Want help with your babywearing journey? We’d love to be part of your story!

Our Carried Stories | YYC 🏔️
Held families. Holding babies. Carrying stories.

#CalgaryMoms #YYCMoms #babywearing #MotherhoodUnfiltered #outdoors taken in Alberta, Canada by @ourcarriedstories

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6 hours ago

No babywearing jacket? No problem! 💕❄️

There’s a little nuance to using a blanket while babywearing! A few things to keep in mind:

Keep baby’s face completely visible and uncovered. We always want to be able to see their nose and mouth and easily check their positioning.

Keep the blanket off your chest where baby’s face rests. Babies naturally turn toward our bodies, so we want to keep that space free of extra fabric.

Think of the blanket as an extra layer around the outside of your carrier and baby’s body, rather than something wrapped around their head or face. Make sure it doesn’t interfere with the carrier’s fit or baby’s positioning.

Babywearing doesn’t have to mean buying all the specialized gear. Sometimes a little creativity, an understanding of the safety considerations, and what you already have at home are all you need.

Warm babies, accessible babywearing, and one less thing to buy. 🤎

If you’d like a little support figuring out what works for you and your baby, I’d love to help. You can book a babywearing consultation with me, and we can work through it together.

Our Carried Stories | YYC 🏔️
Held families. Holding babies. Carrying stories. by @ourcarriedstories

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a day ago

Hey, NW Calgary families! 💕

Parenthood was never meant to happen alone. And sometimes, what we need most is a warm drink, a little conversation, and people who just get it.

We have TWO opportunities coming up to gather, connect, and find a little community in this season of raising tiny humans.

Come as you are. Bring your baby, your toddler, your questions, your tired self, or just your need for some adult conversation. There’s no expectation to have it all together here. 🫶🏻

We’re building spaces where parents feel held, too.

We would really love to meet you. 💕

📍 NW Calgary
💕 Two upcoming gatherings
✨ All about connection, community, and finding your people.

Tag a Calgary parent who could use a little more community right now!

#CalgaryMoms #CalgaryParents #NWCalgary #YYCMoms #YYCParents CalgaryWithKids CalgaryBabies CalgaryMomCommunity OurCarriedStories taken in Calgary NW by @ourcarriedstories

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3 days ago

Off to hold my fam! 💕 I am so grateful for what we are building here. Thank you for being a part of it! Xoxox

Our Carried Stories | YYC 🏔️
Held families. Holding babies. Carrying stories. by @ourcarriedstories

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9 days ago

A friend of mine recently ended up on a pretty gross side of the internet, with people leaving some incredibly unkind comments about her wrapping her toddler and supporting them to sleep.

And it’s been really bothering me. Partly because I don’t want to exist in a space where that kind of cruelty is normalized. But even more because I think about the parents reading those comments and wondering if they’re doing something wrong.

So I’m going to keep showing up, and living this part of parenthood even louder. For the parents who need to see that holding, comforting, and responding to their children isn’t something they need to justify.

So much of parenthood is about the permission we offer ourselves. And you don’t need the internet’s permission to hold your child. 💕 by @ourcarriedstories

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9 days ago

National Breastfeeding Week / Semaine nationale de l’allaitement maternel 2026

As National Breastfeeding Week 🇨🇦(Oct 1-7, 2026) comes to a close and intersects with celebrations for International Babywearing Week held throughout October, come take a peek at how babywearing can support breastfeeding. Whether it’s keeping your baby close to be able to respond to their cues more quickly, safely nursing with the help of a baby carrier, or pumping human milk with your baby on your back, babywearing is a practice rooted in connection that can strengthen the relationship in your feeding journey.

Even though breastfeeding while babywearing is a skill, it doesn’t have to be complicated!

Did you know you can just:
1) Loosen your carrier.
2) Lower your baby down.
3) Latch on.
4) Feed your baby with a hand on them in an assisted carry.
5) Raise them back up when done feeding.
6) Retighten your carrier.
7) Continue on with your day!

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Alors que la Semaine nationale de l’allaitement maternel 🇨🇦(du 1er au 7 octobre 2026) touche à sa fin et se croise avec les célébrations de la Semaine internationale du portage, qui se déroule tout au long du mois d’octobre (du 19 au 25 octobre au Québec), venez découvrir comment le portage peut favoriser l’allaitement. Que ce soit pour garder votre bébé près de vous afin de pouvoir répondre plus rapidement à ses besoins, pour allaiter en toute sécurité à l’aide d’un porte-bébé, ou pour tirer votre lait avec votre bébé sur le dos, le portage est une pratique ancrée dans le lien affectif qui peut renforcer la relation tout au long de votre parcours d’allaitement.

Même si l’allaitement en portant son bébé est une compétence à développer, cela n’a rien de compliqué !

Saviez-vous qu’il suffit simplement de :
1) Desserrer votre porte-bébé.
2) Abaisser votre bébé.
3) Le mettre au sein.
4) Allaiter votre bébé en le tenant d’une main dans une position de portage assisté.
5) Le relever une fois l’allaitement by @ourcarriedstories

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10 days ago

Not my usual content, but leaning into using my voice in motherhood is something I want to document 💕

My research,in part, explores discomfort and I’m really proud of the ways I let myself speak up and be grounded despite simultaneously feeling uncomfortable!

Name the feeling, lean in, accept that it might feel weird!

Now accepting all the suggestions for curly hair products!! by @ourcarriedstories

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12 days ago

When I had my first son, thought you could breastfeed or you couldn’t. I didn’t realize the journey, the complexity, the hard work , the tears that often go in.

I’m honouring breastfeeding (and pumping!!) in this way to help anyone out there feel a little more comfortable in their body, feeding their baby, out in public.

Our breastfeeding journey still takes up tons of my physical and mental load. It isn’t glamorous, but I’m really proud of us. 💕

Our Carried Stories | YYC 🏔️
Held families. Holding babies. Carrying stories. taken in Canada by @ourcarriedstories

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12 days ago

Marketing on a budget? Let’s go!

Our Carried Stories | YYC 🏔️
Held Families. Holding Babies. Carrying Stories. taken in Calgary, Alberta by @ourcarriedstories

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13 days ago