The benefits of babywearing are endless; here are a few tips to get you going.
If you are reading this article, you are already curious about how to make your life a bit easier by having your hands free while snuggling and bonding with your baby. There are so many articles out there on the benefits of babywearing so I will give you a few of my personal favorites that made me fall in love with carrying my baby.
My favorite benefit of babywearing.
Bonding time. Many of us moms have to work in some capacity whether full or part time, or there are just certain days when we have to be out. When I get home I am so ready to cuddle and reconnect with my son, but it seems like there are so many tasks to get in the way of that quality time. Rather than coming home to put baby in the stroller, I would put my son in a sling or wrap right away and go for a walk around the block. Just strolling slowly and talking about everything we saw together. When I put him in a stroller I felt like this was wasted time…he might as well have been in another room! But in a carrier our relationship blossomed and grew and I returned home feeling close and connected to my little boy. My heart swells with love for him on these cuddle walks!
The art of wearing your baby.
The first time I felt the amazing comfort of a ring sling worn properly, I was attending a babywearing meeting for the first time. These groups are excellent for learning from other moms, finding a community of sweet families, and many of them also have “libraries” of carriers that you can check out and try before making a purchase. I learned a lot from these mamas but I also learned from online tutorials- mostly YouTube! Wovenwraps.com has a special channel for tutorial videos here. There are hundreds more to learn from also! Here is me personally sharing one of the most basic carries with a wrap, I use this one all the time still. I think the most important thing about learning is just to keep trying- it doesn’t take very long to become a pro as long as you give it a shot- more than one time! And it is so worth it. I figure, if I have 2 children, that is at least 4 years of babywearing! So it is definitely worth it to practice a few times to get it down.
Learning what works best for you.
Try several types of carriers. Different types serve different purposes and you might find that you like a combination of a few! Soft structured backpack carriers like the Boba are popular because they are so easy to use and clip on in seconds. I use one of these for hikes and also keep one in the car for quick trips in and out of the store when I want my baby on my back. Ring slings are also very quick to get baby in and out of and are also very nice to nurse in- baby can nurse in an upright position so it cuts down on reflux and gas. My personal favorite is a wrap- I find it to be the most comfortable with weight the most evenly distributed across my back and shoulders. It is also the one that takes a bit more practice, but really not that much if you keep doing it for just a week or so. I also find them to be the most beautiful and stylish…. since I am not shopping for purses so much any more, my wrap has become my new accessory of choice!
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