Wherever You Are

Newly pregnant and trying to learn all the things before baby arrives is like trying to drink water from a fire hose. There are so many ways to parent! Most of us grow into functional adults, so I decided all the variety is out there because we are all different people with different life goals.

Early on in the planning process, I knew I was going to lean toward the natural parenting method. Breast feeding was never a doubt in my mind, cloth diapering sounded adventurous, and babywearing looked intriguing. I won't go into the first two choices, but babywearing has become such a staple in our lives as a family, I decided to blog our adventures.

The first weeks at home with my little were a blur. I had a complicated post-partum period on top of being a first-time parent. Sometime during her first week of life, I bundled my precious, floppy little girl into a stretchy fabric carrier. We loved that thing. It was so easy to keep her close and comforted while I tried to pick up my house or take a short walk. I soon found out the weight limits on stretchy carriers are generous. Once she weighed about 12 lbs, I found wearing her in our trusty stretchy wasn't comfortable and it tended to sag with time.

We graduated to a soft structured carrier at about 6 weeks post-partum. I started attending a babywearing exercise class, and the SSC with infant insert worked well for the class even if it was a tad warm. I also wore her in the SSC for the occasional outdoor winter walk. Unfortunately, due to the bulky straps and waist band, I found myself wearing her less and less around the house or for short ups when out running errands.

Thankfully, I found a local babywearing group through social media! My first meeting was mostly timid observation on my part. Because I wasn't sure how I wanted to continue wearing, a couple of nice ladies suggested a ring sling. I bought a budget friendly version and wore my little several times around the house and a few times while out. I appreciate the ease of use, the quick in-and-out, and the ability to nurse in a ring sling. However, I just don't find them comfortable for long wear. I don't really like bearing all her weight on one shoulder, and off-center carrying is painful for my hips and back.

Finally, I found my way to woven wraps! Remember that first babywearing meeting? I watched from the sidelines as a few moms learned to use long, beautiful pieces of fabric to carry their babies. I was intrigued and quickly went to work researching wrap brands and fabrics, the language, and types of carries. There is a wealth of knowledge out there, but it can be difficult to find. My best resources were moms and dads who have lots of experience in the wrapping community. After a month of learning, I finally went out on a limb and bought my first woven wrap.