Baby Wearing for Beginners - A Practical Guide Part I

I don't consider myself a baby wearing guru. I don't follow the latest trends, don't have all the accessories, and as much as I am sure it's true that baby wearing fosters bonding and helps form trusting parent/caregiver - child relationships, I never wore my kids with that being the primary goal.

Having said that, baby wearing is such a super practical choice, I sometimes wonder how parents do it without a baby carrier. Just a few examples where it has been a true life saver: at the airport with three kids, car seats, and luggage; when taking an older sibling to bed with a cranky baby; on long walks with all three kids; on the airplane with an overtired screaming toddler refusing to go to sleep until she was strapped on to me; at the grocery store (there's not enough room in a standard size shopping cart for a baby car seat and groceries for a family of five); at the playground, the kids museum, the park; on trails through the woods that even our all terrain jogging stroller can't handle; trying to get dinner ready with a baby in tow that wants nothing but to be held; etc. 

I don't even think about it anymore, but I'm pretty sure Levi has been in one of the carriers at least once every single day since he was five days or so old and Ava at almost two years old still enjoys it sometimes. So, I have some experience and tips to share I think. I've also owned four different kids of carriers, so I'll review those options here. 

Let's start with some tips, thoughts, and starting points. 

Where to start? 

Here are some links to get you started. Babywearing International (https://babywearinginternational.org/) is not only an informative website, but includes support options. 

Becoming Mamas http://www.becomingmamas.com/babywearing/ has a lot of basic information and links to other websites. 

There are lots of different Facebook groups related to babywearing, some local to your specific areas. Some are for-sale-groups, others are support groups. A quick Facebook search for "babywearing" should point you in the right direction. 

Whether you know someone who owns a baby carrier or you meet other parents on the playground, ask away! I would have never done this as a brand new mom, but in my experience, most parents are happy to share their thoughts and experiences. Now, when I see special carriers I haven't seen before (like an onya one on an airplane once) or when the Ergo 360 was released, I always ask away and usually learn something new. 

My starting point for research is Amazon (surprise, surprise), for the simple reason that I feel like I can trust customer reviews, whereas I tend to think other websites have an agenda and are pushing a certain product for one way or another. Reading customer reviews and finding out what people like or don't like about certain types is so helpful. 

Ask me. I'm always happy answer any questions. Leave a comment, contact me via social media, or email. I'd love to chat. 

Where do I buy a baby carrier? 

There's lots of different places that sell baby carriers, but if you know me, you know what I'm going to recommend...Amazon.com has it all and makes research super easy. 

If you don't want to buy a new one, try http://thebabywearer.com/forum/ or a Facebook group like this one. You can also try your local buy nothing group and see if someone has one they no longer need or are willing to lend you for some time. I bought my Ergo carrier, which I've used the most out of all the ones I own, on Craigslist when Noah was still a baby and increasingly unhappy with my wrap style carrier. 

If you're crafty, and probably only if you're already experienced, you can also make your own. Check out www.babywearingdiy.com. 

How do I know which one is right for me? 

I'll review four different carriers on this blog to hopefully help you decide which type of carrier is best for you, but even then, there are a lot of different options available. My suggestion would be, do as much research as you can, including by asking people you know or meet while out and about and reading customer reviews on Amazon, and then decide on one. You'll never really know which one is right for you and your baby until you try it out. There are some great options available where you can try different carriers before making a final decision, see for example https://www.facebook.com/BWISeattle/. 

What if my baby doesn't like it? 

I can only speak for my kids of course. They've each had phases where they loved to be carried, and phases where they hated either a specific carrier or didn't want to be carried at all. Sure, you might have a kid who really just doesn't like it, but chances are, you caught them in a bad moment. Maybe they're getting super active and don't want to feel constrained, or they want to have a better view of what's going on it the world and want to be forward facing, or they simply don't want to be held and so close to you in that specific moment. I have definitely been convinced that my babies didn't like a certain type of carrier, only to find out that they loved it a few months later. It has to be the right fit and be comfortable for both, but don't assume that because your baby is fighting it, they will never like the carrier you picked or they don't like to be carried at all. 

Am I doing this right? 

The websites for the different carriers have detailed instructions you can follow and Youtube has a lot of different videos for beginners and experienced babywearers. Depending on the product you've decided on, it can take some practice to get it right. Sometimes it's much easier to have another person help you adjust straps or hold one end while you wrap the other. As with all of the other aspects of parenting, you can do only so much research, and then have to trust your gut. Check your baby frequently, listen to what your baby is communicating to you, and adjust if needed. You should be able to wiggle them around a bit and move everything in place. If it feels good and comfortable, you're probably doing it right. Also, I think it gets a bit easier once they're a few months old and have a bit more body control. 

Next up - a review of two wrap style carriers, a ring sling, and a buckle carrier. Stay tuned. 


edit: part II is now available here: http://lifewithmylittlekraut.blogspot.com/2017/09/baby-wearing-for-beginners-practical_26.html