Diary of a First Time Mom: Babywearing Part 1
Author: Avendaella Tikvah, March 2015
Babywearing
Yep, it is exactly what is sounds like, but how much do you know about it? There are Ring Slings, Pouch Slings, Mei Ties, Woven Wraps, and Buckle/Soft-Structured Carriers. I am going to break each one down and have links to sites that have more info as I am still really new to this.
Now I know that some people may be thinking that it is easier to use a stroller or just carry the baby or even put the baby in a cart! But the experience of having your baby close and able to keep random strangers who think they can just touch your kid away is something that I would never give up.
Is it hard to learn? Its overwhelming at first, especially if you start out with a woven wrap. But, like everything, it takes time and practice. If you think that you might just want to try it out I suggest finding your local babywearing group.
- Finding your local Babywearing group
You can always check Facebook. You can search for your local area or just look for the Babywearing 102 or Everyday Babywearing groups and ask them. These are closed groups and it may take a day or two to get in but there is a lot of good information and it's a way to get quick feedback when trying different carriers.
On the other hand you can check out http://www.babywearinginternational.org/. This is the main site for information. They have a list of local chapters for you to look through. This also shows you the areas that have more of a babywearing presence.
- Questions to consider when thinking about Babywearing
Now if you are considering taking on the babywearing world these are some questions you should ask yourself:
1) How long do you plan to babywear? Are you just going to stick to the first few months or do you want something that will last longer?
2) Who will be using the carrier? Will your Significant Other, your mom, your dad (yes I have seen grandpas wearing grandbabies. It's rare but it happens.). This is a big thing, my husband loves wearing our son. Personally he doesn't care if I get the most girly looking wrap; if it means our son is happy, then he is good.
3) Do you only want to purchase one carrier? You might start out saying you want just one but that may change. I personally have three carriers: a Moby, an Ergo 360, and a new woven wrap.
4) What is your budget? These items can get pretty pricey. Really pricey, but knowing how much use you can get out of these helps soften the blow. You can also join a group on Facebook called Babywearing on a Budget where the most you will spend (including shipping) is $100.
Now one of the best ways, I think, to figure out if you want to go down this road is to find a local group. Usually they will have a lending library. This is a library that will usually have many different carriers that you can "check out" for a small fee (this depends on how big the group is). When I was wondering which brand (there are lots) of wraps I wanted to invest in I checked out a wrap from my local group. It was Didymos size 6 Old Standard (black and white color scheme). I was able to have it until the next meeting (which was a month). I had so much fun wrapping my lil man up in the woven that it sold me in looking into getting one.
Wait, did you just say sizes? Yes I did. This really pertains to woven wraps but even slings come in your standard Small/Medium, Medium/Large, and Large/Xtra Large.
- Wrap Size
- Size 1 - 2.2m
- Size 2 - 2.6m
- Size 3 - 3.2m
- Size 4 - 3.6m
- Size 5 - 4.2m
- Size 6 - 4.6m
- Size 7 - 5.2m
- Size 8 - 5.7m
| Short | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|
| Sizes 1-3 | Sizes 3-5 | Sizes 5-8 |
| One shoulder carries | Front wrap cross carry | Wiggle proof back carry |
| >Poppins hip carry | Back wrap cross carry | Double hammock tied tibetian |
| >Cradle carry | Ruck, tied under bum | Secured high back carry |
| Two shoulder carries | Ruck, tied in front | |
| >Kangaroo carry | Reinforced Rear Rebozo Rucksack | |
| >Rucksack, tied under bum | ||
| >Rucksack, tied in front | ||
| >Reinforced Rear Rebozo Rucksack |
These are just some of the carries you can do and about what size you would need. Again I stress the need to find a local group so you can try things out before you buy them.
If you can't tell already I am really a big fan of Babywearing and there is a lot of information out there. I am going to continue this over the next couple of articles to give you the best information and to not have a wall of text. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions!
