Addicted and Impatient

I wrote this post before I gave birth to my beautiful second baby.  Then I promptly neglected the blog and forgot to post this as I basked in Squeakers glorious newbornness.  

Very first picture carrying both my babies.
KHR Memories From Under the Bridge

Bitsy is three.  Three is wild.  Three is crazy.  And while I love wearing her and I will wear her as long as she will let me and my body allows, I am totally addicted to wrapping and babywearing and I WANT TO WRAP MY NEW SQUISHIE NOW.  I have this whole stash of wraps just waiting for little squish to come into the world and be snuggled.  From the day of my first positive pregnancy test, just two days after this picture was taken (at our International Babywearing Week 2014 photoshoot fundraiser), I have been planning the babywearing future of this child.  Crazy, right?  

There is just something amazing and wonderful about wearing a tiny baby.  Sniffing their heads, kissing their cheeks, snuggling their little bodies close to you - every second is precious.  And the anticipation is killing me.  

20 Weeks Pregnant
in a Girasol Double Rainbow Azul Ring Sling
Photo credit - Pixel Perfect by Ashley

Did I mention that tiny babies don't generally say no to being worn?  Toddlers and threenagers have OPINIONS.  Its nice when they want to be worn but often times the stars have to align just right.  Its totally like a threenager to say they will only be worn in the pink wrap with the pattern upside down on a full moon occurring only on the second tuesday of a month.  Or if they get a boo boo or are tired.

Wearing a borrowed baby
Front Wrap Cross Carry in a Clementine Woven Wrap

Sometimes I get impatient and I "steal" other people's babies.  The little squishie in this picture was borrowed from a good friend when I was a little past the halfway point.  The baby bump I had to wrap him over put him up in m face but I didn't mind a bit.  He fell asleep shortly after we took this picture.


Why did he fall asleep?  Because he was warm and content.  Even though I wasn't his mama, he could hear my heart beat and feel protected wrapped up close.  I WANT that for my baby.  I anticipate that.  Wrapping my baby to my chest and letting him or her snuggle in and feel LOVED and PROTECTED.  Wanted.  Happy.  Its amazing and I know it will bring me such joy.  And did I mention the wraps are pretty?  So, so pretty.  

38 Weeks Pregnant
In a Metamorphosis Reverse Half Buckle Ring Waist
from Oscha Starry Night Nebula

Luckily for me, recently Bitsy has wanted to be worn, mostly for short periods of time, which is good because this pregnant mama tires easily.  She and I are both impatient for little squishie to arrive but for now I will snuggle her as much as she will let me, knowing soon that she will have to share that attention and that it will be a whole new world for both of us.  

Waiting, waiting, waiting

I might even already have my hospital wrap picked out and packed.  Can you say gender reveal wrap?!?  Yep, if the green side is up my fellow babywearers will know its a boy but if the pink side is up we will have added another girl to our family.


***Edited to add - our first wearing photo was definitely Green side up!  Squeaker joined our family this summer and we couldn't be happier.  Its totally love and big sis is over the moon.

Why I love Babywearing

I knew that I was going to wear my first baby before she was even born. As a first time

mom, I had a lot of time on my hands to scour the internet for all things baby. I read a

multitude of articles on parenting styles, feeding, diapering, finding the perfect name,

and *babywearing*.

I didn’t know much about babywearing other than the claim from a friend that it would

make my life with a newborn much easier. In the list of

must-haves for baby to be was the Moby.

I got the olive Moby. I loved it. It was such a wonderful

feeling snuggling my newborn daughter so close. A few

times I even got my husband to wear our baby girl

*swoon*. I loved having her close. I wore her to the fair,

the zoo, the park, and even in a cave.

Unfortunately, the Moby soon became a tad

uncomfortable due to my rapidly growing baby and it’s

tendency to be quite stretchy, so I invested in an Ergo.

The grey galaxy ergo, to be exact. This was the

beginning of my babywearing adventure. I fell down the

rabbit hole and I have yet to find my way out. I’m on my 3rd baby, I’ve owned *dozens*

of carriers, it’s an obsession. I love every bit of it. The obsession is not a necessary part

of babywearing. ;-)

So, your friend keeps telling you that you *need* to wear your baby. You like the idea,

but you’re not really sure if it’s for you. You wonder if it will really be all that comfortable.

Can the baby breathe in there? Is it expensive? Will it really get that much use? You’re

on the fence and not sure if you’re ready to take the plunge.

I get it. Parenting is full of choices, some much more trivial than others. So, I surveyed

some moms, dads, grandmas, sisters, etc and asked them why they wear their babies.

My hope is that their experiences will shed some light for you and help you to make a

more informed decision. :-)

That’s a half-truth. My hope is that their experiences will convince you that you *must*

babywear! #wearallthebabies

“Babywearing makes my life easier because I can keepmy baby happy with snuggles while getting things done!”

-Jade

“I made an army of 6 children that will overrun my house and cause utter chaos in public if I didn't have some way to contain them. Oh, and the bond, you know, because babies love to be glued to their caretaker/food source.”

-Laci

“I have 5 young children. If it were not for babywearing, I would have a hard time getting things done and I would miss out on lots of snuggles….Whether you have one child or a whole bunch, babywearing can literally be life changing.” -Ashlee

“I baby wear because I refuse to leave the house without makeup on, because I like to cook

dinner every night, and because my girl ADORES being worn. Anything that keeps baby and

mom close to each other's hearts is a win in my book!” -Shelby

“Couldn't do photography without my baby pack” -Gerry

“I love that she holds and hugs me while I'm wearing her.” -Manda

“We are still able to do things like hike and sight see when traveling, just as if we didn't have babes -- because they're along for the ride. It's just what makes the most sense for our family.” -Madison

“It's a way to instantly soothe cranky babies and children. They love to be snuggled up to Mama, and I can get things done at the same time.” -Kristin

“I love being heart to heart with my littles, I love having my babies snuggled into me, breathing in sync with each other and just being… it creates this world in which parent and child can be utterly close and hearts overflowing in any situation.” -Jen

“I missed the hands free fun and interaction with my 3 year old, like playing at the park or just exploring. It's so convenient to be able to do the things he loves without tired arms or wrestling with a stroller. It helps me give them both the attention they need at the same time.” -Chelsea

“I started because I'm cheap. I hate big bulky bucket seats, and wanted the price tag of the convertible. Without a car seat, I knew I needed a carrier. That's when I found a mei tei for $9. It was just what I needed. Once baby came, I found out how calm he was snuggled close to me. I found how nice it was to snuggle his tiny head. I found freedom to move and grow stronger as I carried him. I have found my way to raise my baby, and it's right next to me.” -Lori

“I travel for work and I have used baby wearing in assisting to keep a close relationship with my son.” -Ryan

“It keeps baby happy and helps with my ppd. I love all the different kinds of carriers and how you can always find something to love… It's an amazing experience and when you get a new carrier or learn a new way to wrap you feel like a superhero.” -Kelly

“I have 3 kids and I need to carry the baby so I can hold hands with the older children. It's all about safety and convenience for me.” -Ashley

“I have 5 kids (7,4,3,22 months, & 6 months). It makes it easier when we go out and it's also easier when I am doing things around the house and my son wants to be held.” -Rebecca

“I wanted to hold my baby all day and found a way to do that.” -Lauren

"Baby wearing made my life easier whenmy second baby came and I really got into it and I was able to chase a toddler, nurse, and hold my newborn all at the same time! -Corie

“I am particular on who gets to hold my baby, and babywearing tends to keeps others hands off. Also, carseats get heavy and strollers are a pain. I love the bonding and the cuddling. I was mostly afraid of the price for a carrier. I wasn't sure I would get my money's worth out of it or even use it at all. Now that I have one, I use it everyday! It's a life saver!” -Chelsea

For all you need to know about baby wearing and more check out the rest of the blog. You’ll find reviews, different styles of carrying, safety information, and more. :-)

                                                                                                                                                     

Jessica Eubanks is a chaser of toddlers, a wearer of babies, and a lover of her husband.

Tandem Wearing: Saving a Mama’s Sanity, One Shopping Trip at a Time

So there I was… doesn’t every good story start that way?  

So there I was, in the parking lot of Sam’s Club. I carry my Moby Wrap, Babyhawk Mei Tai, and Boba with me everywhere I go. I normally carry my newborn in my Moby and my husband carries our two year old in the Boba. However, today, I was by myself.

Then came my bright idea! Tandem carry!!! I had seen it done multiple times, so I figured, “Lets do this!” Tandem wearing is something that I had considered and dismissed in the past. Now, I had a newborn, a two year old, a 3 (almost four) year old, and a five year old and I needed to buy groceries. My oldest is 13 and he is normally my minion wrangler/chaser when I go shopping, except he was at Tae Kwon Do summer camp this week.

I wrapped my newborn first in my Moby wrap. Then, I tied the Mei Tai around my waist, slung my two-year-old up onto my back, and tied him on.

It was surprisingly comfortable and everyone seemed secure. I put the older two in the cart seat. Success!!! Everyone was contained and safely so!

I received the usual comments about having my hands full, but I also received a ton of comments about how genius it was that I could carry two of my babies at once and still have my hands free to do my shopping.

What could have been a stressful, chaotic shopping trip turned into a peaceful trip where I was able to educate a few people on baby wearing! A very pregnant mama even asked me specifically about the Moby Wrap and if I liked it. She had received one as a gift at her baby shower.

My lower back was pretty sore, but I believe that is directly related to the fact that I gave birth only one month before.

 All in all, it was a great experience and I am looking forward to tandem wearing more often!
 

 

 

 

Danielle is a SAHM to five sons! She spends her time refereeing wrestling matches, walking around in a zombie-esque state, cloth diapering, and homeschooling, and she wouldn't change a thing!

How Baby Wearing Saved Harvest: A story of music, mud, mountians and baby wearing

      Fall is on the way and along with my favorite season comes my favorite music festival. Every year we travel to the Mulberry Mountains of Arkansas for Harvest festival. Harvest festival is put on by the fabulous Yonder Mountain String Band. This festival has great people, weather, scenery and best of all, some of the sweetest bluegrass music out there.

       Imagine this.....Seventy five degrees during the day, and cold enough at night to bundle up in your tent to keep warm (did I mention this is a camping music festival)? Okay, keep imagining….Family friendly folks, music all day and night, people sharing, smiling, and dancing.  Awesome right? Now picture this......a torrential rainstorm, so bad that the venue instructs you to take cover in your car and not to remain in your tent.

            We watched from the safety of my mom’s camper van as improperly secured tents literally blew away. Not only did it rain all night, it rained the next day, all day.  By the time the rain stopped and we were able to get back outside, the musical mountain became a muddy mess.
      





       Thanks goodness for baby wearing! We were prepared with rain boots but the walk from the campsites to the venue was lengthy and completely covered in mud, sometimes ankle deep.  We had recently purchased a toddler Kinderpack for my forty pound three year old.  My eleven month old rode in a standard Kinderpack.  

       We were able to make it through all the mud to the music with our babies on our back. I’m not sure what we would have done without our carriers.  Luckily we were able to salvage this messy situation and enjoy our favorite festival with our kids.  This is how Baby wearing saved Harvest.

  -- Kim Williams-Harris

What Do You Do While Wearing?

We are all aware the hands free aspect of baby wearing has SO many benefits to keeping Mom (or Dad) sane and productive. From personal experience here is a brief compilation of all the amazing things that can be done while wearing your baby:

1.       Easily and discreetly nurse a very hungry, grumpy baby in public

2.      Use a public restroom without your toddler rolling around on the slightly damp, toilet paper strewn tile floor

3.      Drink AN adult beverage (AN as in ONE – not promoting any baby wearing binges here, but Mama needs a margarita on occasion!) **

4.       Take your scruffy Chewabacca lookalike dog to get their nails trimmed

5.       Take a long walk on the beach to see who can find the largest seashell

6.       Shovel chocolate laden, hot fudge dripping frozen yogurt into your face

7.       Discover you indeed do have carpets underneath that ocean of toys and vacuum it (success!)

8.       Get your boogie on at the Yonder Mountain String Band Harvest Music Festival (with ear plugs for baby of course!)

9.       Conquer Turkey Mountain and hike to the top of Sparrow Hawk Cliff

 

10.   Oogle your very attractive husband as he prepares you an anniversary dinner while babywearing…..oh wait, I wasn’t the one babywearing….

 

What do you do while wearing your baby????

Heather Langley is an avid babywearer and proud mom to Rex, age 19 months. She is a Babywearing Around Tulsa administrator and Employment Specialist at Family & Children's Services Women in Recovery program. Heather enjoys spreading the babywearing love, music, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. 

**Opinions of the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BWATulsa.  BWATulsa is not advocating drinking while babywearing.  Discretion and care should always be taken while engaging in babywearing.  Only you can judge what is safe for you and your baby.