Wear Him! That'll Shut Him Up!

Baby-wearing at a German Festival

Soon after Olivia was born, I began baby-wearing. There are many benefits to baby-wearing (for parent and baby/toddler) that appealed to me. Hands free to do some laundry, walk the dog (when we had one), clean, eat, run after older siblings, keep the baby upright to help with mild reflux, and give my baby some "tummy time" (baby-wearing can be substituted for tummy time), to name a few.  I continue to learn about the benefits of baby-wearing all the time.  

Shortly after Olivia was born, I started baby-wearing with a ring sling.  Eventually, the sling started to bother my shoulders.  So, my friend, Jae Rin, introduced me to the Ergo Baby Carrier. I wore Olivia in the Ergo often until very late in my pregnancy with Lila.  However, I didn't really get into baby-wearing until Lila was born.  I wore Lila so often, the Ergo was soon dubbed Lila's "second womb."  I still remember a time when Lila was three.  We were walking past the T-Rex Restaurant at a shopping plaza Kansas.  Lila, frightened of the dinosaurs, started screaming in fright and yelled to Matt (who had the Ergo wrapped around his waist), "Get me in! Get me in! Get me in!" Matt promptly lifted her up and into the Ergo, her little legs kicking as he did so, as if to help propel herself up and in faster. If someone would use the Ergo to see if she and her child liked it, Lila would scream, "My Ergo. My Ergo!" Nontheless, she was "worn" (carried) in the Ergo until she was nearly four-and-a-half!

Matt and I have traveled all over Europe stroller-free.  We threw the girls on our backs and explored ancient ruins, castles, beaches, and more while our children enjoyed the warmth and comfort of being carried on our backs'.  We have a jogging stroller and umbrella stroller that we have yet to use since Colden's arrival.

Didymos Wrap

This time around, during the newborn phase, I have used the Moby Wrap and a Didymos woven wrap.  I enjoyed the Moby, however, it's a little too stretchy for my liking and a bit too warm.  I was sweating my butt off every time I wrapped Colden.  So, I recently took a trip to the original Didymos store with my mother and bought the above wrap.  It is a cotton woven wrap.  I LOVE it.  It's so much cooler and I get a tighter fit. As he gets older, I will be able to wrap him many different ways. Now that I'm getting the hang of wraps, I want more!  I'd love a wrap from Ellevill.  I want a solid color wrap next or a fabric that looks like a really nice top.  A wrap that would look good on me when I'm a bit more dressed up than in jeans (or sweatpants) and t-shirt of late. Certain wraps can make you look so stylish - no need for buying lots of clothes post-partum (Especially when you're trying to lose that baby weight) clothes when you have a really pretty wrap and are wearing your baby a few (to several) hours a day as I've been doing.

Colden really enjoys being worn.  I have a saying now, "Wear him! That'll shut him up!"

When he's cranky and tired or we're running errands, I wrap him.  He usually falls promptly asleep. He's getting so used to being worn that as I'm putting him in it, if he's been crying, he'll begin to stop as soon as he senses he's getting put into the wrap.

I love it too. Sometimes he'll be in the swing and I'll start to miss him.  Or, I'll feel suddenly that I haven't given him enough attention and feel the need to have him close to me. It's great for walking the girls to school or running errands with them around town.  He stays warm against me and because he's so close to me, I don't have strangers or the girls' classmates touching him.

Even Matt wears the baby (In the Ergo-which Colden doesn't really fit into yet because I don't have the newborn pillow insert.  Froggy legged, however, he can spend a small amount of time in there).  He recently wore Colden while brewing a batch of beer.  Teaching him young...

Like Matt, I am a soft structured carrier fan (Ergo is soft structured).  As Colden gets older, the Ergo will be my first choice when I have to very quickly run into a store, especially in the winter, and don't want to take the time to tie the wrap (It takes a good two minutes for me. I can throw a baby in the Ergo in 30-seconds or less). However, there are a couple of other soft structured carriers I'm interested in.  A Beco and a Kindercarry. 

While each of the carriers I've written about are fantastic, they can add up to big bucks.  So, as much as I've wanted to dive in and buy more wraps and soft structured carriers, I've refrained.  For now.  I am so addicted to baby-wearing, I'm sure the Ergo, Moby and Didymos are not the last baby-wearing devices to enter into my (our) collection...