We built a lot in 2025. But when I look back, what catches my heart most, outside of some deeply personal moments, is the community spirit that took root and grew inside our CBWS spaces.

In early fall of 2024, we made choices that felt risky enough to give us pause. They might have been complete failures. But Bianca, Elise, and I decided to commit fully, to give those ideas our time, energy, and focus, and to see what might be possible if we followed them through with care. Looking back now, those decisions shaped nearly everything that unfolded in 2025.

This was a year that asked a lot. I pushed myself harder than I expected to, and I feel that now as the year closes. And still, 2025 found its own steady rhythm. Some quarters were quieter and development focused. Others were full of connection, training, calls, collaborations, events, and conversations that stretched beyond their scheduled end times. Busy, yes. But grounded.

Because babywearing, education, and caregiver needs continue to evolve, so do we.

This year brought new projects, events, courses, and voices, alongside significant behind the scenes work that will carry us into 2026. Here’s how the year unfolded.

Foundations & Newborn Trainings

We increased the capacity of the Foundations in Babywearing Education and Consultation course by 60%. Not by adding pressure, but by rethinking how and when the course is delivered. The result was greater flexibility, more responsive support across cohorts, and a structure better aligned with how people learn today.

We updated the curriculum, refreshed our carrier library, and made thoughtful adjustments to the course flow. The feedback was clear and enthusiastic, these changes worked, and they’re here to stay.

The Newborn Babywearing Support Training also received a refresh, and we introduced monthly office hours to continue supporting those working directly with new families. These touchpoints mattered. Small, consistent moments of connection add up over a year.

The Carry-On Collective (COC)

The Carry-On Collective began as a “wouldn’t it be great if…” idea. Wouldn’t it be great to have more community? More sustainable babywearing businesses? More places to think out loud together?

We opened the doors a year ago, and over the past year:

• We welcomed more than 70 members, educators, retailers, and manufacturers.
• Hosted 30 collaboration sessions and workshops.
• Launched the Business of Babywearing Podcast and published 20 episodes.

Beyond the numbers, this community showed up. We collaborated on blogs and social content, shared networking connections and service ideas, encouraged each other through messy middle seasons, and yes, mostly figured out Discord. Together, we’ve cultivated a space where people can share, learn, brainstorm, and grow honestly.

(And quietly, doors open again on 12/26.)

HELD: Changing the Conversation

Mid-year, during a COC collaboration call, a conversation between Joanna and Austin sparked something new: HELD.

HELD marked a shift, from babywearing as an isolated skill to babywearing as an integrated, interdisciplinary practice. The idea was simple and ambitious: bring babywearing educators and perinatal professionals together to explore infant carrying both therapeutically and preventively. Let’s change the conversation.

We didn’t do this alone. HELD worked because people said yes early, before there was proof. Deep thanks to the educators, clinicians, and partners who jumped in feet first, including Heather Gunter and the team at Ochsner Medical in Baton Rouge, along with our carrier partners: Didymos, Baby Björn, Kinderpack, Lenny Lamb, Angel Baby, Chimparoo, Beach Front Baby, and others who share a babywearing first mindset.

These companies design with intention, test rigorously, and understand that no single carrier fits every body or family. Most importantly, we’re grateful to the participants, babywearing educators and perinatal professionals alike, who embodied the core premise of HELD: when educators and clinicians work together, understanding deepens and outcomes improve.

Research, Outreach & Conversation

As the year moved into its final stretch, we gathered at the International Hip Dysplasia Institute Symposium, where Joanna was invited back to speak and engage in ongoing conversations about infant hip development, outcomes, and the real world consequences of dysplasia. We’re grateful to Dr. Castanèda and his team for the opportunity to learn together.

Throughout the year, we also spent many hours engaged in outreach, through talks, podcasts, summits, and new pop up courses and workshops. These moments may seem small on their own, but over a year, they accumulate into something meaningful. Each one is a chance to share, listen, and contribute to a broader conversation.

Looking Forward

2025 asked us to build, reorganize, connect, and imagine. Some of the work was visible and public. Some of it happened quietly in the background. All of it was done with care for the families and educators who trust us with their learning.

We’re deeply grateful to everyone who joined us this year, whether you attended a training, a HELD event, a community call, or simply read along. The year ahead is already taking shape, not as a leap forward, but as a continuation of the care, curiosity, and collaboration that defined this one.

We’re excited to step into what’s next, together.