Happy International Babywearing Week!

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Happy…what? International Babywearing Week! A whole week devoted to snuggling, cuddling, hoisting and lugging around our little (and not so little) darlings! What is babywearing? It’s simply the act of holding/carrying a baby or young child in some form of baby carrier. I was first introduced to babywearing when my first son, Beckett, was born. He is what Dr. Sears (Mr. Attachment Parenting in my opinion) would call a “high needs baby“. A baby, that despite being fed, burped, and having a clean bum still has a tendency to scream his face off. ( I say that out of love 🙂 ) As a first-time mom, the thought of getting anything done around the house, or {gasp!} actually leaving the house with a baby that was colicky, with reflux, and absolutely refused sleeping of any kind was terrifying. Cue babywearing.

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Family outing using the Scootababy!
Family outing using the Scootababy!

I had done some research while pregnant about different ways to wear a baby, and had actually purchased a Baby K’Tan carrier. I had a friend of mine in Wisconsin that used a Moby wrap and it seemed rather cumbersome, so I bought the K’Tan which starts you at about step 5 of wrapping a Moby. Anyway, I used the K’tan through Beckett’s first few weeks of infancy and marveled in my new-found ability to move again! I would wrap him up in the carrier and take a lap or two around the mall, I would wear him around the house to get him to settle down, I would wear him pretty much whenever I could because when he was in the K’Tan he was quiet. He actually slept! The concept of “sleep when the baby sleeps” didn’t matter to me anymore, I was just happy that he was sleeping, he was peaceful for at least one straight hour!  It was bliss! Then the dreaded day came where he outgrew the K’Tan. Being a fabric wrap made from cotton, the material is very forgiving, thus stretched out rather quickly for me. Beckett, being born over 9lbs, gained weight rather fast and the fabric was no longer enough to hold him. So it was time to graduate.

 

Peach picking at Schnepf farms using the Ergo
Peach picking at Schnepf farms using the Ergo

I borrowed a friend’s Baby Bjorn-a gateway if you will into babywearing- but soon learned it was not a comfortable carrier for me and in turn didn’t seem very comfortable for Beckett. I was already attending a weekly breastfeeding mom’s group and they happened to  have a presentation dedicated to babywearing one week so I excitedly attended. I’m so glad I did! I was introduced to a world of babywearing that I had no clue existed! There was life beyond the Bjorn! I found I leaned more towards soft-structured carriers (SSC) which is basically a cloth carrier that has buckles and straps that replacing tying and knotting a long piece of fabric. (More on different types of carriers here)  My little Beckett was quite curious and ALWAYS wanted to see what was going on, so for that reason I really wanted something that would allow him to look around. I decided on a Scootababy carrier. This type of carrier is primarily worn in a way that has baby on your hip, but can also be worn on the front or the back. Beckett loved it and I loved how comfortable and easy it was! Even Polish Prince got in on the action and often wore Beckett at night time attempting to get him to fall asleep. From the Scootababy I moved on to an Ergo carrier-probably one of the most popular and well-known SSC’s on the market. And as of late I’ven taken on wrapping. Yes, I’ve ditched the structured carriers and gone back to the basics with a woven wrap from Little Frog. I still keep the Ergo in the car as it’s a great carrier for Beckett. I can easily wear him piggy back style on my back while at outdoor festivals, taking a quick trip in the store, and it’s been a lifesaver in airports! *Did you know, if you’re wearing a baby in a SSC or a woven wrap, you can walk through security wearing them and not have to take them out! SUPER convenient especially when they’re sleeping!*

 

With Kellan who is just over 8 weeks now, I still prefer to wear him in my woven wrap. I can get him nice and snug and he sleeps 90% of the time he’s in it! The wrap is so tight that I can still chase around Beckett who is everything you’ve ever heard about 2 year old boys. When people ask me about my parenting style or parenting choices, I tend to talk about making choices that make my life easier. I choose to babywear because it helps my babies to cry less, it helps them to feel secure which in turn helps me to be confident, it allows me to use my stroller to haul items that are too big to carry, it allows me to chase after my crazy 2 year old without disrupting my sleeping infant, it allows me to not limp around while lugging a 15 pound baby in a 20 pound carseat all on one arm, truthfully I could go on for a while, but you get the idea! Don’t get me wrong, there is a learning curve with babywearing and being a confident babywearer, but like cloth diapering, there are always people willing to help you learn!

Here a quick guide to safe babywearing from carry me slings!

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So, tell me! Do you babywear? What is your favorite carrier?

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This post is sponsored by:

bike-land-150x150The Brett Saks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, hopes  to make our Arizona communities safer for bicyclists by teaching adults and children about road safety and mutual respect between drivers and cyclists in fun and engaging ways. We are “Shifting Gears to Saves Lives,” as more than 600 cyclists are lost each year to car-bike accidents. Learn more at gearupaz.org.

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