The World of Babywearing

The world of babywearing, once you become aware of it, is amazing. The fact your little one can be happily close while snuggling Mommy (or Daddy) all while having two free hands is a GAME CHANGER. I was about a week into this first time mom gig when I got brave enough to try my wrap. It was incredible and Levi just loved it. During the next couple of weeks, I wore Levi almost daily. I would wear him when I literally could not get him to nap, I would wear him in the evenings when he was fussy, I would wear him whenever we were out and about because forget keeping him in the carseat when we are in a store. 

Even now, when we are traveling or in the store – I still wear Levi. He enjoys being able to look around and he’s close to me so we avoid the awkward “stranger danger” situation when people (no joke) try to touch your baby in a carseat or cart. I probably own way too many carriers and wraps than I should, but I like variety and I enjoy each of them for different reasons. In this post, I will share my favorite carriers and wraps for those looking to invest. And I will also share a couple babywearing tips. I have heard a lot from moms that “my baby doesn’t like it”. But I promise, with a little practice and some babywearing tips – you’ll end up enjoying babywearing as much as I do! 

BABYWEARING TIPS

Find the Right One

This sounds like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people try one carrier or wrap one time and then decide it isn’t for them. Try a variety of products, if you can, until you find one that works for you and is comfortable! Now, before you go yelling at me about how expensive these things can be, my best advice for trying carriers is to find a source for good used carriers OR if you have mom friends with carriers, borrow them to trial. 

There are a lot of great buy, sell, trade baby carrier groups on social media sites like Facebook, just use the search function to find them! There may even be ones local to you, making it even easier to pick up some used carriers. I also like to use an app called Kidizen. Kidizen is a resale marketplace for anything and everything baby and kids! 

Try and Try Some More

Much like people try a product once and don’t like it, a lot of moms will try baby wearing once and if their baby is fussy – they say “my kid doesn’t like it” and never try it again. Levi went through phases where he loved being worn and where he was fussy while being worn. The next couple tips can help if you have an initial fussy baby when you are trying to get into baby wearing. I read somewhere that in order to truly deem your baby doesn’t like something, you should try it AT LEAST 10 times. So there’s a good goal for you – try it at least ten times before you decide to give up on it! 

Move Around, Don’t Just Stand There

The number one issue why Levi would fuss when I initially put him into the carrier – I wasn’t moving. The minute I started moving – whether it be bouncing, swaying, or walking – he was satisfied and settled into being in the carrier. It seems like common sense to move around when you’ve got the carrier on, but sometimes when you have a fussy baby – you will just stand there in order to get them to settle. I walked laps in my house weeks on end trying to get Levi to settle and nap in the wrap when he was on a nap strike. It worked like a dream, every time AND he slept so good in the carrier while I was able to get things done. 

I will say that once he was asleep, I could sit down for a few minutes to do some computer work or have a meal if I needed to. It was just that initial time of him going in and getting settled that I had to be moving! 

Try the Magic Bottom Pat

I don’t know what it is about a pat on the bottom but it works! While moving around, add a rhythmic pat with your hand on their bottom in the carrier to help them settle. Trust me, it just works!  

Close Enough to Kiss

No matter what type of carrier or wrap you choose, if you are carrying baby in front of you, always ensure their heads are close enough to kiss. That will signal to you that you are wearing baby high enough (for your comfort) as well as safely (as you can monitor their breathing, etc.). This took me a little bit to dial in when it came to setting my carriers and tying my wraps. 

My Favorite Carriers

There are so many different types, brands, etc. of baby carriers or wraps. Everyone has a favorite and ones that they love and they’ve tried. It is important to note that each one has its own merits and while they may all be great quality, just find one that works for you! I’ll go over some of my favorites and ones that I’ve used with Levi since birth! 

** MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS ** 

Soft Sided Carriers 

Soft sided carriers are great for once baby moves beyond the “newborn” stage. Often times, newborns aren’t the most comfortable in a soft sided carrier as they don’t snuggle them in as well as say a wrap does. I started Levi in the soft sided carrier when he was just starting to get pretty good head control, around 2-3 months old. 

TULA FREE TO GROW – One of the main reasons I love this carrier is that it has the ability to grow with him as it has multiple settings. This carrier is great, especially for going outside on walks and when you are going to be moving around a lot. It is also a no brainer carrier, it isn’t wrapping fabric or using a sling. I use this carrier when we travel, I carry him in the airport and onto the plane in it as it is quick and easy to get on and off. 

LILLEBABY COMPLETE – This is the newest carrier to my arsenal. I love it because it allows me to carry Levi face out. Now that he is older and loves to look out, being able to carry him face out at times is great! This carrier has so many settings, it is amazing! I haven’t utilized them all yet, but I love the functionality in ONE carrier. Next time we travel, I may have to use this one instead of the Tula as they are both quick and easy to get on and off. 

HAPPY BABY LINEN – I got this carrier during Black Friday sales when Happy Baby was having a great deal on their bundle option. A linen soft sided carrier along with a wrap. This carrier is probably one of the lightest weight soft sided carriers I’ve come across. The linen material is so soft and lightweight – I love the fact you can custom select the colors/patterns you want and there are a bunch of choices. This carrier stays in my car for whenever I may need it. I typically carry Levi in it when I go to our local grocery store or I am somewhere and need to carry him as it is always with us. It isn’t as bulky as my other soft sided carriers so it makes it easy to pack and store too. 

Stretchy Wraps

Stretchy Wraps are great for when babies are little and still in the newborn stage. They keep baby all wrapped up and close to Mom where they are comfortable and like to be anyway! The secret to these wraps is to get them nice and tight so baby feels secure. I would notice that if I didn’t get it tight enough, Levi wouldn’t feel secure and would fuss. There were weeks when Levi napped exclusively in my stretchy wraps while I did stuff around the house. 

MOBY WRAP – I have a Boba (similar) and a Moby and I liked the Moby much better. The Moby wrap is thicker than the other two I have listed here so I liked to wear it outside once it started to get cooler. But when it was hot, this wrap got a little too warm. It is also a little less stretchy than my Boba. I always found my Boba hard to tie and get tight, but the Moby was the perfect amount of stretch. 

HAPPY BABY & SOLLY BABY – Happy Baby and Solly Baby are HANDS DOWN my favorite lightweight stretchy wraps. Both are great quality, easy to wrap, and lightweight material which makes it so nice when you need a little more ventilation! I love that these come in all kinds of fun prints or solids too. Any mom with a newborn NEEDS one of these! 

Ring Slings 

Ring slings are another cult favorite because they are easy to use and easy to take on and off. There is no messing with wrapping fabric, etc. I have two ring slings that I have just started to wear Levi in. For us, ring slings didn’t work the best when he was little and a newborn. I think mostly because of user error – we just didn’t jive together. But now that he is bigger, has head control, and loves to look around – he loves being in the ring sling and the freedom it gives him to look. 

WILDBIRD & HIP BABY – These are my two favorite places for ring slings. Wildbird is a small business with truly great products. I LOVE the wide variety of fabrics and options. Their slings are seriously gorgeous! My Hip Baby sling I found on Zulily – it is a great quality fabric that isn’t too heavy and also easy to use. 

Woven Wraps

Woven Wraps are also a cult favorite for some. I haven’t experimented much with them, but it is definitely something on my to do list as there are MANY, MANY different carries and ways to wrap baby up. You can also double carry with woven wraps if you have twins, you can nurse in them, and much more. They are just extremely versatile and those who exclusively use them swear by them! There are lots of great buy/sell/trade groups on Facebook and most recommended finding a used wrap second hand (about a size 6) to start as these woven wraps can be extremely expensive. Some brands I’ve seen recommended: Girasol, Little Frog, Didymos, Easycare, Risaroo, and Lenny Lamb. 

 

There you go! I hope that this post helps, if not, inspires you to try babywearing! It truly is magic and you’ll love having TWO FREE HANDS and the mobility to get things done all while carrying/snuggling your little one!