My Babywearing Journey...

Back when James was little, I posted about why I love babywearing.  I mean, what's not to love? Baby is close and secure, mama or dada gets to be hands free, baby can sleep when sleepy, or baby can be right on your level when you are participating in life.  

I wore my first child for all of the above reasons.  But I wore my second child because I had to do it for survival.  My boys are 21 months apart and my oldest is a curious and independent one... meaning that he will take off and not look back.  I HAD to wear the baby if I wanted to keep my sanity and not lose my child.  Some people probably say "Well, why not use a stroller?"  I have nothing against strollers.  I admire moms who thrive with their kids in strollers.  I am not that mom.  I am just not with it enough to handle a stroller.  One time, when Luke was a newborn, I put him in the stroller.  I needed to take James shoe shopping and Luke was asleep in the car seat.  I decided to pop the car seat on top of the stroller since he was sleeping (perfectly safe - it was made to do this).  As we walked in the store, I had to open the door.  I was holding James's hand with one of my hands and I was holding the stroller with the other.  I had to let go of the stroller to open the door.  I didn't notice that we were on a slight incline.  When I turned to grab the stroller to pull it inside, it had rolled out to the middle of the parking lot!  Thankfully there were no cars coming by, but I saw the life of my little sweet baby flash before my eyes.  It was the worst moment of my motherhood journey.  From that moment on, I knew that I needed to have my hands free so that I could safely take care of both of my children.  

James, my first child, loved being worn.  He would fall asleep within moments of being wrapped in a stretchy wrap.  A friend gave me my first wrap, a Boba stretchy wrap, when I was pregnant.  I knew nothing about wrapping, but I knew I wanted to hold my baby close.  It was perfect.  This is James at 2 days old in the Boba stretchy wrap.  Since I used this wrap, several friends have borrowed it and I highly recommend it as a starter wrap to hold babies close.  It is best for newborns - 15 pounds.  It can hold babies heavier than this, but because it's stretchy, it doesn't have the best support once babies get bigger.  

Once James got a little larger, I bought a Boba 3G - It is a type of soft structured carrier.  There are several brands of soft structure carriers on the market that are wonderful - Boba, Lenny Lamb, Tula, Ergo, and several others. I loved my Boba.  It was perfect for me and James.  Each brand will have a different feel for each mom/dad/baby combination.  I recommend any that are ergnomic because they are more comfortable for baby and mom/dad.  I'm by no means against carriers that face babies outward, but those carriers are not ideal for parents long term because they do not provide back support like the ergnomic soft structure carriers do.  Some quick pros about the carriers I mentioned:

- Boba - Some cute patterns, lower price, available lots of places online

- Lenny Lamb - Made from woven wraps (very soft and supportive) 

- Tula - Tons of cute patterns and holds their value

- Ergo - Available in most baby stores

At the end of the day, I have to have a soft structure carrier.  It's so easy to put baby in very fast.  If I could only have one type of babywearing thing, it would be a soft structure carrier.  Many brands (Tula and Lenny Lamb) have toddler sized carriers (I own one of each) and they are wonderful for when toddlers get tired and need a lift.

Here's a picture of Ray walking with James in February.  I love wearing babies in the winter because I don't have to worry about baby getting cold.  When it was very chilly, I'd just wear a large Jacket and pull it over baby (obviously giving baby room to breathe).  It was like a heater for me and I knew baby was warm.

Once James grew out of the Boba (around 18 months), we got a toddler Tula.  He still uses this carrier sometimes when we go places like the zoo and he gets tired after walking a lot.  He will not protest if we want to wear him, even as independent as he is at almost 3 years old.

 One of the features I love about soft structured carriers is that you can wear baby on your chest or on your back.  BUT you can't safely wear them on your back until they can sit up on their own.  This is because they need the muscle control to be able to support themselves on your back - especially if they fall asleep.  I fell in love with back wearing once I was able to do it with James.  So once Luke was born, I knew how to wear on my chest as a newborn, but I wanted the versatility of putting him on by back too.  In order to wear newborns on your back, you need a woven wrap (or a few other things will work, but I stuck with a woven wrap).  When he was born, I had my stretchy wrap and I had my Boba carrier, but I didn't have a woven wrap.  A woven wrap is different from a stretchy wrap because it doesn't stretch.  It is very sturdy.  Wovens can be made from a variety of materials - cotton, linen, hemp, bamboo, or others.  The world of woven wraps can easily become very overwhelming, but it is fun and addictive.  I didn't have a clue where to start when it came to woven wraps or wrapping on my back.  Thankfully, there's a wonderful group in Greensboro called Triad Tot Toters (look for them on Facebook).  I already knew several mamas in the group, so I decided to go to a meeting.  During the meetings, they show you how to use different wraps / slings / carriers and they have a lending library.  You pay $20 for the year and you can use one wrap/ sling / carrier for the month.  When I went to my first meeting, I asked one of my friends to hook me up - she taught me how to put my baby on my back securely and got me connected with the perfect woven wrap for us to use for the month.

After using that wrap from the lending library for a month, I did some research and decided to buy a woven wrap of my own.  Wovens come in several sizes and materials and there are literally dozens of brands.  I bought my first wrap from a friend who was selling it used.  Used wraps are wonderful because they are already broken in - this just means that they are soft and ready to use.  This wrap was a Girasol - they are handmade in Guatemala and they are buttery soft and are wonderful for beginning wrappers because they often have stripes (makes wrapping easier) and they are soft and comfortable.  Woven wraps can be used to carry baby on your back, your hip, or your chest from birth.  While they do have a learning curve, they are very versatile.  

I bought another Girasol in another size about a month later because I loved the first one so much.

 As Luke got larger, the cotton Girasol wraps started to not give me the support I wanted, so I got an Oscha wrap that was 50/50 cotton/linen.  The linen helps to give more support.  It was exactly what I wanted.

I bought a very long wrap when Luke was younger, but I didn't reach for it as much as my shorter wraps shown above.  So I decided to get the wrap made into a ring sling.  Ring slings are great to put baby in very quick and once baby is about 4 months old, they can sit on your hip in the sling.  Luke really liked the ring sling from about 4-12 months.  He really liked the view from my hip because he could look out if he wanted or he could rest his head on my chest.  I liked it because it was so quick to throw him in there.  A ring sling is also very small which is nice and it hangs easily since it has rings.

Over the summer, I also used a water ring sling which was perfect for swimming and chasing James around the spray ground.  I loved that it was cheap and I didn't care if it got wet or got sunscreen all over it.  It is made out of mesh.  This is my friend, Marsha, and me hanging out in the pool with our babies while keeping an eye on the big kids.

 These days Luke is 14 months old and his ride of choice is our toddler Lenny Lamb soft structure carrier.  He's over 23 pounds, so he's too heavy for the ring sling for long trips.  I love this Lenny Lamb because it is made from a woven wrap - so it is so soft and yet at the same time very supportive. 

So - before you have a heart attack and start adding up how many carriers I own and how I afford it all - let me assure you that I do not own all of them at once!  When you buy quality baby carriers / wraps / slings, you can resale them for almost the same price you paid.  I don't own a woven wrap right now - I sold all of mine once Luke left that stage.  People absolutely wrap their children past 6-8 months like me, but I decided that ring slings and soft structure carriers were easier for me at that point.  

For more information, I strongly encourage you to join these facebook groups:

- Triad Tot Toters (for local friends)

- Babywearing 102

- The Babywearing Swap (to buy used carriers)

I always suggest buying used because I'm all about getting a good deal!  But there are for sure retailers out there who can sell you carriers / wraps / slings new.  

Another disclaimer- Luke (my second child) did not always like to be worn.  He would fight it as a baby at times.  But he was happier being worn than he was on the ground, in a stroller, or in a crib.  So we worked through issues and he eventually gave in and liked it.  He really liked it once he turned about 6 months old.  Now, occasionally he fights it if he wants to get down and walk, but once he's in, he's happy.  So for parents who say that their kids don't like it - I feel you!  That was my second child!  But if you really want to wear your baby and keep at it, I think most babies come around. 

I wrote this post because I wanted to document my journey in wearing my babies and because I hope it can be helpful to others!  Happy babywearing!