I Love Baby Wearing

When we first became parents over 6 years ago we bought a buggy as that's what everyone used and was listed on all those long layette lists.  It was supposed to be one of the most important items on that list, right up there with the cot.  Even though we went out almost daily for walks it just didn't feel right having my baby so far away from me, So I bought a cheap front pack from the local baby shop and carried Rocket Boy around like this.

I used to spend a lot of my time on forums and learnt about a baby carrier called an Ergo, this was supposed to be better supportive for both me and the baby, disrupting the weight of Rocket Boy over my hips rather than on my shoulders.  I decided I wanted this carrier and sold our buggy to raise funds for this (my parents ended up buying the buggy as they didn't agree that a carrier could replace it, but that's a whole other story)

Rocket Boy was almost 6 months old when I got the Ergo and wasn't a small baby, I carried him everywhere and loved it.  I always had him in reach, he slept so well in the carrier and it helped his reflux being upright all day as well.

As soon as he was to big to carry on my front he moved to my back (which is so much easier) Rocket Boy lived in the Ergo, even when he could walk he would prefer to be carried.

When Ladybug was born I knew so much more about baby wearing and knew I wanted to completely skip the buggy entirely.  I got some cheap stretchy material from spotlight and made a stretchy carrier.  While this was great for my budget, if you're going to do this make sure you don't get material with too much of a stretch which I did.  While the carrier is still safe to use, it can sag during use.

When Ladybug got bigger I sold the Ergo and picked up a Keonislings New Zealand made Mei Tai which Ladybug then lived in, carried around on my back every where.  

Now with baby number 3 I know even more and I'm totally addicted. Jellybean started out in the same stretchy as Ladybug, but then I got more adventurous and tried a woven ring sling at the local baby wearing group, then borrowed it for the month between meetings.  During this month Jellybean would have all her day sleeps in the sling, allowing me time with her older two siblings but still able to carry her all day.

After a month I knew I wanted one of my own so I checked out Keonislings and fell in love with two different slings.  As I couldn't choose I had to have both.  As I couldn't afford them then and there I made a payment arrangement and managed to borrow another sling from the baby wearing group to see me thru another month.

Now I own two carriers you can find Jellybean in one of them several times a day, usually during nap time, or when we're out.  As you can see they all come with a thick layer of sleepy dust.

 

Still feeling adventurous I knew I wanted to try wrapping in a woven. I had borrowed one from a friend, and another from the owner of Keonislings and ordered a wrap thru Keonislings from Girasol.  So far I've tried two different ways to wrap Jellybean and I'm totally loving it.  I see more carriers in my future as and when I can afford them.