Baby wearing 101.

Have I told you lately how much I love baby wearing?  This is definitely a fairly new thing for me, as I never did it with Jaxon.  I fell in love with from the first time I wore Cohen, just days after he was born... I'll never forget the first time I wrapped him up in my Sleepy Wrap (best gift EVER, thanks Mom) and immediately he snuggled up next to my chest... asleep within minutes.  Can you imagine how comforting it must feel to a baby to be wrapped up tight next to their mama?

I wore him everywhere we went and even more frequently at home.  It made life so much easier to take care of Jaxon and still feel like I was connecting and comforting Cohen as well.  I wore him to the grocery store, to church, even to a concert.  He always did so well, I swear it was the perfect soother on fussy days.

Once he started getting bigger (about 6ish months), the wrap became more difficult to maneuver because of the fabric and how stretchy it was.  No matter how tight I would wrap it, he would eventually slip down lower and lower, until I'd have to take him out and re-wrap.  This is when I started looking at other options for a different carrier.  I had a chat with a friend of mine who owned a specialty baby store in Waco, and she told me about the Ergo carrier.  She went over many of its highlights, and told me how she still wears her 30 pound daughter in it.  Of course, the first thing I did was look at the price tag.  It was WAY over my budget and so I noted it in my head, did some more research, mentioned it to Tyler a time or two hoping he'd tell me to go for it, and moved on.  I started looking at other cheaper options, maybe a woven wrap or possibly even a sling of some type.

A couple months ago, the un-thinkable happened.  Less than a week after I won the quilt, I also won tickets to a kids festival here in town.  While there, I noticed an Ergo retailer.  I walked up to her and started up a conversation saying "the Ergo is my dream carrier..." and before I could even finish my sentence, she said to me, "if you come tomorrow and model the carrier for 3 hours with your baby, I'll give you one for free."  WHAAAT?  Sign me up.  The next day I arrived with Cohen, fully anticipating a complete scam... and 2 hours later, walked out with a $120 carrier, for free.  Nada, zip.  A huge...HUGE...blessing.

I love the Ergo.  It is SO easy to support Cohen (or Jaxon!!) without taking a big strain on my back.  I love that I can wear it on my back, front, or hip.  I love how supported he feels in it, without worrying about him slipping out or it getting any looser.

Another thing I love about it?  My husband will wear it as well.  Nothing sexier than a guy wearing a baby, yes?

I was asked recently by a friend which one I would recommend over the other, and I wasn't sure how to answer it.  I like them both for different reasons... here's a break down of my thoughts on the two.

Sleepy Wrap

Pros:

·        “The best place after the womb”

·        Perfect for snuggling

·        Babies LOVE to nap next to Momma!

·        Leaves you  hands-free to work on other things

Cons:

·        Takes a little bit to learn how to wrap and get comfortable with it

·        It’s long, the ends get dirty quickly

·        As the baby grows, it’s hard to get it tight enough

Ergo Carrier

Pros:

·        Love the support, easy on your body and baby’s as well.

·        No worries about the baby falling out or not getting it tight enough

·        Versatility to wear on your back, front, or hip

·        More freedom to be more ‘active’ while baby wearing

Cons:

·        Initially hard to put baby on your back by yourself

·        More bulky than the wrap

Blah blah blah... all that to say, I would still recommend a Sleepy Wrap over an Ergo to begin with, as a newborn.  As your baby gets older, I would then recommend getting an Ergo, especially because it can hold much more weight.  The Boba carrier is another that I would be interested in comparing to the Ergo as I've heard great things about that as well.

As always, feel free to ask if you have any questions... I'd love to help!  And if you have tried either of these or a different carrier, I'd leave to hear your thoughts as well.