Baby Wearing For The Win!

Baby wearing wasn't even on my radar when Gavin was a baby. I knew it existed, but I never really thought about it. One family member even sent me a sling of some sort and I didn't take the time to figure it out.

Conversely, I started thinking about baby wearing while I was still pregnant with Olivia. I pinterest-ed A LOT while I was preggers, trying to look up the best things to register for, what to pack for the hospital, and nursery ideas. One thing I saw showing up regularly on almost every registry list was baby carriers. Different people recommended different types, but there was almost always at least one on every list.

When I finally sat down to actually do my registry, I picked one stretchy wrap and a cheap backpack style carrier. I didn't get either of them, but I did have a friend give me a hand me down Moby wrap to try. That was good enough for me, I was pumped! I watched videos on how to use it so by the time she was born, I was ready!

The first time I actually put it into use, she was about a week old. Gavin was having Field Day at his school and I figured that wearing her would be the most convenient way to attend. I clumsily stood on the sidewalk and twisted the fabric around me like I had seen in the video. Then I had Paul help me maneuver her between the folds of the material. It was wonderful! She slept through the whole thing; kids cheering, us walking around and even getting her strapped back into her car seat when we left. I was hooked.

From that point forward, I wore her pretty regularly. She was such a sleepy newborn that it was a perfect way to cuddle her while she slept but maintain my mobility. It was also great for when we were at busy functions to keep her from being passed around too much or from being over touched.

At this point I was following a few different baby wearing groups on Facebook and had started to learn a little more about the various options available. I decided that I NEEDED a Lillebaby carrier. Not only could you wear your baby in front with them facing in or out, you could also wear your baby on your hip or back. In addition, it came with an awesome lumbar support which I hadn't seen on any of the other baby carriers.

As much as I had loved using the Moby wrap, my Lillebaby took baby wearing to the next level. The ease of putting Olivia in was amazing, plus I could barely tell I was holding a baby. I started taking a two mile walk everyday while wearing her in it and never had any issue with my back hurting. It also let me attend events that would have been really tricky to navigate with a stroller.

Baby wearing has allowed me to volunteer in Gavin's classroom, which is upstairs, while keeping Olivia with me. Going to my nephew's soccer games where I otherwise would have had to push a stroller across large fields of grass. I can't imagine our trip to the pumpkin patch without it. I even breast fed in public for the first time while wearing her in my Lillebaby and walking around the pumpkin patch.

Similarly, it was crucial during our recent trip to Florida. Did you know that you can wear a baby right through airport security? It was so much easier than having to fold up a stroller and carry the baby through while gathering up all of the rest of our stuff. I kept her on me during every flight we took on the way down and back. Being in the carrier, she slept through almost every single one! While we were down there, we did have a borrowed stroller, but we still used the carrier multiple times every day, especially during our two days at Disney World.

We've even made it a family affair! Paul and Gavin have both taken their turns wearing her in the Lillebaby because it is really easy to adjust the sizing to fit all of us! Gavin is actually a really big fan and will happily wear her anytime I offer.

All in all, I am so glad that we discovered the joy and convenience of baby wearing this time around. I only wish I would have known about it when Gavin was an itty bitty! If you are planning on having a baby anytime soon, baby wearing is definitely something you should try!

See you soon,