Babywearing Mama

Before having my son babywearing was something completely foreign to me, never had I really noticed women wearing their children. Then when I was registering at Target I saw the carriers that they had in the aisle but didn't like what they had to offer. They just did not look comfortable or supportive enough to have my child be in. An old coworker sent me a congratulatory email after I had my son and then asked me if I had interest in wearing him. The floodgates opened and from the second she told me of different carriers with proper positioning, I was hooked. I have two favorite carriers, one that is great for the infant and the other that I still use for my almost one year old.

My first wrap was a Moby wrap. If you are expecting, buy one. It is fantastic for the newborn days. I was able to be hands free and actually accomplish things around the house while keeping my son close. After all, who wants to put their baby down in those early days? I even took my Moby wrap with to his first trip to Walt Disney World  when he was 3 months old and I am so glad that I did.

 

This one was taken in mid unwrap. Being all snuggled up and close to me he would often fall asleep being worn.

Loving being by his mama!

The pros to this carrier are many:

• Skin to skin with baby
• Great support for you baby
• Distributes weight evenly so there isn't any strain on your back
• Folds up compactly so it's easy to travel with 
• You can nurse discretely while the child is in the wrap 
• You are able to do a front carry and a hip carry

Cons:

• It is a lot of fabric you are wrapping with. Once you are used to it, it can be done very quickly but if you aren't already wearing it when you arrive at your destination it can be a little awkward to try and get it on without it touching the ground or having it not get wet in inclement weather.
• Only good up to 15lbs (it says it can hold more weight but for ME when my son reached 15lbs I needed something different) 

My next carrier was a Babyhawk Mei Tai

I adore this carrier. Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about it. It is a little pricey but oh so worth it! You can even customize your order by choosing the color of your straps, your fabric, if you want it reversible, a pouch, or a pacifier holder. I'm sure there are more options but those are the ones that stood out to me. My son is currently 10 months old and weighing in at 20lbs and I wear him everywhere.

Back carry

 

 

Pros:

• Excellent support for baby
• Distributes weight evenly so there is no strain on your back
• You can carry your child in a front carry or a back carry
• You can nurse in this carrier
• Folds up well so it is easy to travel with
• Holds up to 35lbs (I tried this with my 4 year old nephew, put him on my back in the carrier and while I wouldn't carry him for long distances having him in there was DEFINITELY doable and comfortable for a shorter outing)

Cons:

• There is some tying involved (personally I do not mind this one bit, it's not overwhelming and is quite easy once you are used to it but for some I could see it being a con. They do offer a snap carrier if tying isn't your thing)

 

If you have never worn your child, try it. If you know someone who is thinking about it, encourage it. The skin to skin, the moments where my son falls asleep on my chest after being out and about, the way he nuzzles into me when he sees something he is unsure of, are all memories I will keep close to my heart. I'm so happy I've made the decision to wear him and I hope you can give it a try too!