Before I had Wyatt, I read a ton of parenting articles and books. Most of that has been forgotten or gone out the window for one reason or another, but the one thing that has stuck has been the idea of baby wearing. I am not a big person. My baby is actually not very big either, but put him in a car seat and carry him around for ten minutes and he feels like a giant. Lugging him around in his car seat/carrier is for the birds. It's a struggle to lift and cart him around in it, and when I have to rely on that method I seriously consider whether or not I really need to leave the house that badly. It is also spectacular for having your hands free, for things like coffee and keys. I like to travel fast and light, and it is tough to go somewhere and push Wyatt around in a stroller at times, like in large crowds at street fairs, or even push him while holding a coffee! You end up pushing the stroller one handed and that just makes you push all crazy. Billy and I have even each pushed with one hand, leaving our other hand free for our coffees. Lol. So the convenience of babywearing is amazing as well.
So far, I have tried four different babywearing wraps or carriers. We have the Moby, a Boba Wrap, a Boba 4G, and a Jeep 2-in-1 carrier. We were lucky enough to have friends donate their gently used Moby and Jeep carriers to us, we got the Boba Wrap as a shower gift, and then we bought the 4G ourselves. Wyatt's OT recently told us to start carrying him around facing forward in one of these carriers about an hour a day, to help him out a bit with strengthening some of his muscles.
We have had Wyatt in them all, with various success rates.
The Moby and the Boba Wrap: My favorites for the comfort level for myself, but Wyatt's least favorite so far. I am confused by this because he loves being swaddled and he loves being snuggled. It could be user error on my part. As for the ease of wearing around the house, this one is perfect!
Boba 4G: I love this one for long hauls. We love to hike, and go on "urban adventures" like Eastern Market in Detroit, nature zoos, etc. and this works amazingly for these types of situations. It was also perfect for Ikea shopping. Wyatt also loves this carrier.
Jeep 2-in-1 Carrier: We used this for the first time last weekend on a hike, and it was so awesome to see Wyatt's expressions at experiencing the world like that. He was not just stuck looking around and over the carrier, he could see far into the distance, and be part of the his world and environment. My husband also felt the most comfortable wearing this one.
I've got my eyes peeled for a gently used Ergobaby,and a Tula Carrier as well - I would love to try them out and add them to our collection. In addition I would love a Lille Carrier! Since we use all of them depending on the event we are going to, I don't feel like it would be a useless purchase.
Overall, my opinion is that no matter which carrier you use, your baby will benefit. Every baby is different and will have their own preferences, so it's important to try a few out. If you're lucky enough to have friends who pass their baby gear on to you, even better. If you are only able to buy one carrier, I would suggest finding a store or babywearing group that will allow you to try different kinds out before you decide on one and buy it. Safety is also an issue as well - you need to make sure to wear the baby safely, so make sure to follow all the safety checks.
Babywearing, like everything baby related, has a million different opinions and viewpoints on what is the best way to do it. My solution is to read all I can and make an informed decision based on what I have read, along with my pediatrician's recommendations. I also really liked this website for information on babywearing.
What about you? Is there one that worked better for you than another?
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No babies yet to try this out on, but I appreciate you sharing your experiences with Wyatt. I'm sure I'll be looking for all the advice I can find someday! :)
ReplyDeleteI have learned so much from other mothers! The internet is awesome. Lol. And so is babywearing, even if it is just for the whole hands free thing!
DeleteBy the time they were a little bigger, we loved the baby backpacks. Not the big monstrosities, but the smaller more basic ones. We raised 5 kids in that backpack. When they are younger the front ones work best.
ReplyDeleteThey sound amazing, especially if you were able to use the same backpack for 5 different kids. What brand did you use? I will have to check them out for the future! I can see my husband loving using one.
DeleteI don't have any more babies or baby grandkids, but we used to just use a stroller, an umbrella stroller for ease of packing for one kid and when we had the two youngest, 19 months apart, we used a double stroller with an underneath storage and a cup holder on top, lol. I even got enough arm strength to push it one handed for short times while browsing. But oh, what a pain when in crowds! Glad the companies have invented better choices than were available to us back in the day.
ReplyDeleteThat is pretty good!!! I find it hard pushing one baby one handed, let alone a double stroller! Lol.
DeleteI loved the moby during the newborn/early days and we both loved the ergo, it was recommended by another mom who had 2 under 2 and it was a lifesaver when they got a bit older...can't remember if you can wear baby facing out on that one or not, it's been a while. One word of caution, I know they are expensive, but make sure, if you purchase that you are purchasing from an approved Ergo seller. I was being cheap and thought I found a deal on ebay and found out (after a buckle broke and I tried to utilize their guarantee) that it was a fake! It made me sick to think he could've been hurt wearing a fake. Wish I still had the real one I purchased to hand over because it really was great. Babywearing is so freeing!
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