My love for Babywearing!

One of my favorite things to do while out and about or just getting things done around the house is wear my children. They're so close and it's so comfy to feel them against me and I know they're happy and safe. I just wanted to take a little bit of time to share my babywearing love with all of you! They're not the best pictures but here are all my different carriers.

This is my Sleepy Wrap. (But you can make your own stretchy wrap, easy. No sewing.)

It was my first wrap and at first it can look intimidating with all that fabric, but after a few practice wraps you'll be a pro in no time! Here's a great video that helped me learn how to tie it. The sleepy wrap is a stretchy wrap used for front carries including tummy to tummy or a hammock carry. This is a great wrap for newborn to 18lbs. It's also great to use if you want to nurse in public unnoticeably.

In a stretchy wrap you should NEVER front face the baby or attempt a back carry. Front facing puts pressure on your baby's spine and hips because it doesn't distribute the baby's weight properly. When wearing your baby they should always be in a seated position with knees even to hips or above them. The fabric in a stretchy can't hold the proper seated position when you place the baby forward facing. The baby can also get overstimulated, because they can't turn away when they need to. Another carry you shouldn't do is the back carry. This can be very dangerous because the wrap is stretchy so as the baby gets older they can wiggle their way out of the wrap and fall.

Here are a few pictures of my little man in our stretchy wrap.

This is tummy to tummy with his head tucked into the wrap, to give him privacy as well as hold his head in a good position.
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My second babywearing purchase was a Woven wrap. Great for your baby and up to the weight you feel comfortable carrying your child. I've seen women who can wear their 5 and 6 year old comfortably!! This type can be used longer than a stretchy wrap because it is a woven piece of fabric that is extremely supportive! There are so many different types of carries to do with this wrap. My favorite is pictured below, the Reinforced Rucksack. He can poke his head over my shoulder to see whats going on or nap against my back! This is perfect to keep my hands free to play with my toddler.

This wrap is the Hopp Light Panama 4.6. A light woven wrap, perfect for warmer months.

Here I am playing with my toddler in the ocean while my 4 month old relaxes on my back.
Here I am with a fellow babywearing momma. She's sporting the Petite Princess in our Front Wrap Cross Carries.

Here is just a picture to show you can wrap older/heavy children. This is my 2 year old weighing about 26lbs.

This is the second woven wrap I purchased. It's a little heavier and shorter than my Panama. It's a Girasol Toucan 4.2. I bought it just because it was pretty. Ha ha.

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My last type of carrier I own are called Hot Slings. These are great for short trips into the store. Easy to pop baby in and out of. Just a simple ring of fabric you fold and place over the shoulder. You can cradle carry, front carry, or hip carry.

Now that he has great head support I'm a fan of the hip carry. I have his arms in, but they can also be out as well.

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So now that I've shown you my carriers, I would also like to share information on baby Bjorn/snuggli type carriers and why they're not the best to use.

What makes them different from the carriers I use?

-Bjorn, snuggli, and the like carriers are referred to in the Babywearing world as "crotch danglers" because they do just that. All the baby's weight is placed on their crotch putting pressure on their hips and spine, which is not good on their developing bodies.
-The carriers I use place baby in a seated position distributing the baby's weight evenly.

-The Baby Bjorn Active says it can be used to 26lbs.
-My woven wraps can be used as long as I feel comfortable carrying my children.

-They're unncomfortable. Now I'm not just knocking these carriers without experience. I had an Infantino carrier, for my first child. I hated it, she hated it, so we never really used it. That's why I have no pictures of it. It was uncomfortable for me in my back and shoulders and she wiggled around too much because it didn't tighten around her enough. I never felt comfortable bending over to pick things up because I was afraid she would fall.
-My carriers are extremly comfortable for all of us using it.I am 100% comfortable bending over with no chance of them falling out. Also my wraps can be used at any size I need so it grows with the child.

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I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite obsession. It's one that will stick with me for a long time to come. I also hope it gave you an interest in a great way to carry your baby!