I think pretty much everyone who has met me has seen me babywear at one point or another. I am rarely farther then 50 feet from a baby carrier as I have “small” collection that I use at home (Hubs would debate the word small), and always have at least 1 carrier in my car as well. Honestly, I don’t know how parents can parent without a baby carrier! It is a must have item for all parents in my books, just look at some of the times babywearing can make your life easier:
School Pick-ups/Drop-offs – Instead of trying to coax my 2 year old to walk the 500 feet we need to to pick up his brother I have been known to tandem wear both the toddler and the baby to make sure that I can make it to the school on-time. Also if I am wearing Little Bear he can’t take off to the play ground or try to escape into the school… it has been known to happen
Food Prep – Need to peel veggies or chop up some fruit but your baby just wants to be with Y.O.U. Snuggle them close in a carrier they are happy and you can still get things done. Of course you should never be dealing with the oven or stove while wearing your baby and always be aware of where sharp objects are in relation to your little one.
Shoveling Snow – We have had so much snow it kind of feels like winter is never going to end. The snow doesn’t magically disappear from my drive way just because I have a baby at home. So lets suit up and get out there to clear the snow.
Traveling – There are times when bring a stroller is just not practical or the terrain is too rough. Having a baby with you should not limit you to where you can go!
At a Ball/Wedding/Dance – Hubs and I had the opportunity to go to a Ball last month. There was no way I was going to miss a chance to get dressed up, or to have to drag a stroller around the event. I dressed Baby Roo up in a party dress, put her in a ring sling and we were off the the Ball!
Bedtime routines – Always a high demand time where everyone is getting sleepy and wants your attention. Running bedtime when you have more then 1 kid it tricky. Story time is made so much easier with the baby in a carrier you still have 2 hands to deal with the other children.
When your Double Stroller is just not enough – I am a mom of 3 under 5 (crazy I know), although my oldest likes to walk most of the time he legs still get tried. Having a small baby carrier on hand (a sling usually) allows me to carry the baby while the other 2 get a smooth ride in the stroller.
Conferences/Business Meetings – Just because I had a baby does not mean my life stopped. I still run a business (ahem… this blog) and have commitments to uphold. So what do I do? Put the baby in a carrier and we are off! Little Bear attended 4 different conferences before he was a year old, trust me it can be done.
So tell me when has babywearing saved you? Where are you favorite places to babywear?
Baby wearing with my first little man was not an option for him! Okay, it was an option but it was not one he was willing to choose. He refused to be in or near a sling, roo, pocket or whatever else you can call them! I tried and tried,but the royal heinous had decided that I or hubby must physically carry him everywhere if he so chose not to be in his car seat/stroller etc. Now my second little prince will go in the baby sling!! Definitely more easy going and he likes that he can get his little hands into everything just as much as I can. It worked out of course because when you have two children sometimes its just more convenient to baby wear as you mentioned. Great post, brought back some memories and made me giggle. Thank you
lol it is funny how the second child just goes with the flow. They don’t really have a choice to they!
I had (have) an ErgoBaby carrier for #1. I couldn’t have lived without it. Hiking/snowshoeing/vacuuming/grocery shopping/dinner prep and so much more would not have been possible without it. When I found out I was pregnant with twins, I bought a second carrier – a Boba Air this time. It’s lighter and smaller and packs up nicely. I haven’t really used either much with my twins though. I’m hoping once they are big enough that one can do back carry I’ll get more use out of them again.
Isn’t it wonderful when they reach back carry stage. It is like a whole new world of babywearing! Baby Roo is *almost* at back carry stage and as much as I am sad that she is growing up I am excited about the possibilities.
I babywear constantly… and now I’m curious, what do you have in your stash?! I have a Tula in Chloe, an Ergo, a Natibaby Clovers, a Natibaby Swallows, an Inda Jani turquesa, a Gracie & Sam Doctor Who ring sling, and a Wrapsody water wrap. 🙂
Ok my stash is made up of:
Wraps – Moby Wrap, Little D’s Wrap
Sling – Peanut Shell, SewFunky
SCC – Beco, Onya x2, and Ergo Stowaway
I would like to try a woven wrap, and think I water sling might be good for this summer.. After hearing so much about Tula’s I am interested in checking out one of those as well.
(in short I want ALL the carriers!)
That’s a great stash! 🙂
I really like woven wraps for when baby is littler, though I don’t find myself using them as much now that my youngest is 1 and walking. The Tula is better for quick up and downs…though she’ll still have wrap naps at hope sometimes. I LOVE my Tula, it’s one of the best baby related investments I’ve ever made.
Water ring slings are good, but I wouldn’t bother buying a water wrap like I did… it was a huge waste of money, you could easily buy a big swatch of lycra at Fabricland and it’d work just as well 🙂
I started baby wearing because I have a 10 year old who competitive dances and a (now) 1 year old ‘bonus’ baby! I need hands free to do hair and makeup, and also to run/jog between dances to help with costume changes!
Now I love wearing to grocery shop, going to the doctor’s office, or when the boy is just crabby or clingy (has been sick 3 times since December!). I started with a stretchy wrap (gift – that took some figuring out!), a beco gemini (loaded from a friend) and now I am in love with my Tula! The boy can fall asleep on either front or back (which was helpful this past weekend as we were trapped at a competition for over 5 hours…). I thank my lucky stars every day that friends were kind enough to introduce us to baby wearing!
I’m so with you!! I find it so much easier to baby wear and we’re going longer with #2. I never travel without the carrier and find it easier to go with the carrier than with the stroller through airport security and also on board a flight. I wish I had a collection to test out since I’ve only ever tried one!
I’m so with you!! I find it so much easier to baby wear and we’re going longer with #2. I never travel without the carrier and find it easier to go with the carrier than with the stroller through airport security and also on board a flight. I wish I had a collection to test out since I’ve only ever tried one!