Baby wearing

Of course I was going to get around to writing about baby wearing one of these days. It is one of the things that gets me through my day with toddlers, and what got Sam through many a shopping trip for the first two years of his life.

I believe that most early parenting experiences can be enhanced by responsible baby wearing. By baby wearing, I do not mean putting baby on like a purse or accessory. I mean using a carrier to support most of baby's weight so that your arms don't get worn out from having to hold them.

Something I didn't really understand when Sam was small was that newborns are NOT safe in their bucket style car seats for long periods of time. Aside from the obvious fall hazards associated with placing a bucket style seat in a shopping cart or on a table, their positioning in a car seat compresses the diaphragm, making breathing difficult and increasing the risk of SIDS. Safely worn babies will be in a more upright position and will have an attentive caregiver paying close attention to them. They will have the added benefit of hearing and feeling their caregiver's heartbeat and breathing, which helps regulate those things for baby. Once baby is out of the car, baby should come out of the car seat. This is something I TOTALLY FAILED at. I admit it. I had an injury to my wrist from a crappy IV when Sam was born, so it was harder for me to hold him comfortably than it ought to have been. If I'd been a more confident baby-wearer, I might have been more comfortable, because I wouldn't have been supporting as much of his weight with my hands, and I wouldn't have been as apt to keep him in a car seat or swing.

Some baby carriers are not ideal for long sessions, and some are outright dangerous and have been banned. If you see a bag style carrier with elastic around the pouch area like this, don't buy it. These are off the market but do show up at garage sales and on ebay and Craigslist. Another highly debated type of carrier within the baby wearing community is what we affectionately call a "crotch dangler". I confess, I did own and use one of these when Sam was small. It is by far the least expensive type of carrier readily available, but the Bjorn is also designed the same way and is ridiculously expensive for what it is. If you must use this type of carrier, please only do so with baby facing in and for short periods of time. Your back, shoulders, and your baby's hips will thank you.

So. Like using a carseat properly, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to use a baby carrier safely and comfortably. The TICKS checklist is a good place to start. Baby's breathing and position are crucial to babywearing safety.

Which carrier to choose?  I have used several over the years for Sam and now Maggie. I'll give detail about each.

WRAPS

My first baby carrier was a woven wrap from Lil' Peeper Keepers. It was cotton gauze in dark green with no stretch. I chose it because I wasn't confident that a Moby would be long enough for me to tie comfortably, and I figured Sam would outgrow the Moby more quickly than I'd want. It worked very well for Sam's first summer and fall, but eventually the length did become an issue--it was just too short for us to breathe properly, once he grew, in the standard hug hold position (and I didn't know about shorter wrapping methods at the time). So I gave it to my sister-in-law to use with her daughter. One note: all carriers have some learning curve, but with wraps it does take a little more practice with a mirror to learn how to do it. I didn't learn on my first try, but I kept at it and eventually got it. YouTube has a plethora of videos teaching how to wrap and how to use other carriers. I will gladly help any of my local friends who need a little help getting started.

Photo credit: Self portrait with Sam, seated, at Nickelodeon Universe

I recently bought a longer wrap in light green, same fabric, from the same lady, to use with Maggie.

Photo credit: Terrible bathroom mirror self-portrait with Maggie

SOFT STRUCTURED CARRIERS (SSCs)

The second carrier we owned was this. I don't think I even have any pictures because I wasn't proud of it. It was intended as an easier to use carrier for Dan to wear Sam if needed. We all hated it.

When we got fed up with it and discovered just how harmful it was, but didn't want to spend over $100 for a new carrier, we bought an Infantino Union. It was a facing-in, front or back, buckle carrier with good lumbar support and a wide seat for baby. It worked very well for us, for both Sam and Maggie, and I even used it on Monday when I couldn't find my new carrier. It is a good starter SSC, with few bells and whistles and is not for infants under 6 months. My main criticism of it is that it's not very tall, so by the time you have a toddler it only goes halfway up their back. But, between about 6 and 18 months, for $40, as long as you don't mind having them wear a sun hat, it's a great low-cost carrier.

Photo credit: Another terrible bathroom self-portrait with Maggie

My favorite carrier at the moment, and the one I use the most, is my Ergo. I was extremely lucky (and extremely patient) so I got it for under $100 shipped, with an extra pouch, on Babysteals.com. It is amazing and has all the extras that the Union was missing, like a hood. It feels sturdier and more comfortable, and is slightly easier to get Maggie in and out of. One thing I plan to do soon is buy the teething pads to go on the straps--little lady likes to chew 'em!

This is basically how naptime happens at my house.

SSCs are by far the easiest type of carriers for a novice to use. They are not for tiny babies unless you use an infant support pouch or pillow, but by about 6 months they are great for every day. They are especially nice for taking baby in and out, say, for a diaper change, because when unhooked the straps don't drag on the floor the way a mei tai might. They can be a bit bulky so they aren't ideal for dragging around all the time, but for planned outings and around the house, they really are fantastic. I typically bring one to the zoo, the mall, and IKEA.

POUCH SLINGS

I have a Seven sling, but I've rarely used it. Just never got the hang of it and it seemed to pinch the kids' legs. I'm pretty sure it's sized correctly for me, but it just didn't work right for us. I used it as an emergency carrier that was small enough to fit in my purse (it folds up to be as small as a disposable diaper.) I've heard good things about Hotslings and will try to get a guest poster to review them.

Photo credit: the last terrible self-portrait of Maggie and me attempting a hip hold.

MEI TAIS and RING SLINGS

I haven't owned a mei tai or a ring sling before, though I have heard great things. I've also never owned a stretchy wrap, nor have I ever breastfed while baby wearing or had much luck with back carries. Fortunately, I have some fabulous friends and relatives with experience with most of these things and hope to get one of them to write up a guest post in the near future.

Happy baby wearing!