From Theory to Practice: What You’ll Learn at HELD

You’ve heard the why. Now it’s time to talk about the heart of HELD: the experience itself.

Here you'll get a peek inside the HELD workshop day—what you'll learn, how you'll practice, and the tools you'll walk away with. It’s not just about knowledge; it’s about embodiment, collaboration, and confident application.

From in-arm carrying techniques to buckle carrier troubleshooting, from prenatal guidance to interdisciplinary language—we’ve designed HELD to help you feel these skills in your body before you teach them to a parent the very next day.

And if travel’s a stretch? We’re already laying the groundwork to bring HELD to more cities in 2026—and your region could be next!

What You’ll Explore at HELD

• How in-arm carrying affects infant development, center of gravity, and muscle tone, as well as how different techniques impact the caregiver's body.
• Strategies for assessing and improving functional babywearing: such as a bigger picture assessment of protest behavior and muscle-activating positions
• Assessment and exploration of common carriers across different bodies, potential adjustments, and refinement of in-motion accommodations.
• Building anticipatory guidance into prenatal conversations about carrying
• New language to talk about carrying across the spectrum of professional disciplines

Where We’re Headed

Our first stops include Baltimore and Baton Rouge—with more to come.
Future cities will contribute to a shared symposia report, building a robust, interdisciplinary knowledge base on carrying practices.

If you want HELD to come to your region in 2026, applications are now open.

Ready for HELD?

We built this event for you—the professionals doing the deep, hands-on work of supporting caregivers and babies. HELD is intimate by design, and seats are intentionally limited to keep the quality high.

Let’s carry each other forward.