We’ve talked about all the benefits of babywearing. Benefits to baby’s growth and happiness, benefits to parents’ taking care of themselves, their homes, their other commitments, and their own happiness.
What about other kids? If your baby is not baby #1, then you can add these benefits to the list:
You can dance with your son on the beach with your baby, so they can always hear the music.
Your baby’s needs are met AND you can open a popsicle wrapper at the same time.
You are able to check your daughter’s math homework without the distraction of a fussy baby.
Everyone has a hand to hold in the parking lot.
You can hold two of your “babies” at once without breaking your back.
Naptime doesn’t keep you from going to a playdate, out to eat, or to your 8 year old’s soccer game.
Your older kids get to go hiking with you in the woods to see waterfalls, or wade through a creek.
Your arms are free for hugging.
Make that transition to “big brother” a little easier on the little guy đ
We took our baby, toddler, and 7 year old to the Grand Canyon last Winter. Here's my husband wearing our toddler. Guess where the baby was!
We couldn't have made it out onto these beautiful rocks at the end of a forest trail on the coast of Maine if our baby and toddler were confined to strollers.
About 3 weeks ago I decided to night wean my 17 month old son. I decided in the middle of the night and I began immediately. I had been sitting up, nursing him for about two hours. I’m not even kidding. He wouldn’t stop. He didn’t fall asleep. It was 5am by this point and I suddenly knew I was done. It was a surprisingly easy decision to make. I said, âSweetie, we are not going to nurse at night anymore because I need to sleep, but you can nurse all you want in the morning.â
This isn’t a how-to-night-wean post because he’s the only baby I’ve night weaned, I have no idea how your baby would do with my method, and I am in no position to recommend whether it’s the right move for you. And most moms are happily sleeping through those night nursings by nursing in bed, lying down.
The point is that I no longer nurse at night, but sometimes, teeth come in at night. How could I help my son without undoing the night-weaning I was enjoying so much (it has been a long time since I’ve been so rested)?
We had a couple of long nights after I first decided to night wean and I told my son that I would hold him, or sing to him, or bounce him, or lie down with him, or rub his back, or wrap him up. So, when he woke crying in pain, I offered him the same choices. He screamed for a few minutes, thrashing in my arms, and then he said, âWrap!â
I wrapped him in a Front Wrap Cross Carry. He laid his head down against me and rested, and rested, and fell asleep. It made me reflect on the similarities between wrapping and nursing. Both constitute a safe, warm, and loving place in a world that is sometimes painful or scary. They supply a âhappy placeâ and in this case, wrapping allowed my toddler to relax into sleep .
I don’t want to replace night nursing with night wrapping. That wouldn’t get me any more sleep. But it is absolutely lovely to know that I have this safe place to offer him that can make him feel better on the occasional difficult night without reverting to nursing again.
I recently asked the Facebook crowd what they liked best about wraps compared to other baby carriers. You can read the full thread here.
The popular points can be summed up in a bullet list:
Versatility: can be used with an infant or toddler, with mom or with dad, or the babysitter, without needing adjustment. Can also be used in countless carries so you can find one that works for the ever changing baby.
Custom fit every time: in different situations, with different wearers or different children, using different carry styles, it is customized to fit you perfectly each time you put it on. Also customizable to fit special needs (shoulder injury, medical condition, baby with a cast, etc).
Feels more snugly and cozy and keeps baby closest to mom.
Comfort: versatile, customizable, and cozy means greater comfort for mom and baby.
Gorgeous!
Budget: one wrap can fill all your babywearing needs from infant through preschool and for future babies, too!
I’ve been asked if I have any data comparing the wraps I sell to the carriers that are widely available in stores like Babies R Us, Walmart, and Target. The ones everyone has heard of.
These are front packs like the Baby Bjorn and the Snuggli which are widely popular but within the babywearing community are considered inferior. This is not mere snobbishness. The fact is that if you wear your baby in one of those carriers, you will be experiencing many of the benefits of babywearing: you will stay closer to your baby, you will have your hands free, you can ditch the stroller, etc. Doing so is fantastic! You are babywearing.
But, you and your baby will be more comfortable in a carrier that is better designed with ergonomics in mind. The giant corporations are great at marketing. That’s why you’ve heard of the products. But the mama pioneers in the babywearing industry have a vested interest–themselves and their babies. They have poured over the studies, they have field tested the designs, they have consulted doctors, and they have studied the successful actions of babywearers throughout history and across the globe.
As a result, the carriers they have produced–including ring slings, pouches, mei tais, and wraps–are more comfortable for mother; are more ergonomically supportive, providing a better developmental position for baby that does not stress the base of his spine or other points on his body; and because these women continued to have a need to babywear as their babies grew into toddlers (and beyond) the carriers usually can be used comfortably even with a 35 lb 3 year old!
So if a friend recommends you check out one of these carriers, she is not being snobby. She’s hooking you up! You don’t have to get one to be a loving and attached parent. But you might be glad you did đ
Though I had never heard of Sensory Processing Disorder, I found Steffany’s story about how wrapping helped her family deal with the difficulties of SPD to be very interesting and have applications beyond the scope of this specific diagnoses.
Wrapping her baby allowed her to provide a safe place when the world proved difficult for her daughter.
Wrapping her baby allowed her to engage in physically strenuous routines that helped sooth her child.
Wrapping her baby provided a creative way to meet her daughter’s needs.
While Steffany and her daughter may have had a more challenging time of it, the benefits they had from wrapping are the same that any of us have because babies and small children, to greater or lesser degrees do find the world to be difficult, frequently need soothing at inconvenient times for extensive periods, and have the inconvenient habit of having needs that conflict with our societal notions of what is appropriate.
I don’t mean to make less of the situation that Steffany had to deal with. On the contrary, I hope that any other parents and children who are dealing with Sensory Processing Disorder or any other condition that makes things difficult will find her post and benefit from her experience.
But the rest of us can benefit, too. Because even without a fancy condition, our children are sensitive and needy and thrive when we can appreciate and respect them in their fullness, including their quirks, finding admiration in what we might otherwise write of as silliness, childishness, or weakness.
Curious about the cost of wraparound baby carriers? What makes a simple piece of cloth worth the expense?
Consider this, while baby wraps may not be common in this culture, their function in caring for your baby is much greater than that of many modern conveniences that are considered necessary baby gear:
A baby will sleep anywhere, so how important is a crib, really? When a second-hand cradle or bassinet will do, or a cardboard box, for that matter! Slightly less ghetto is the dresser drawer option. And even if you want a traditional nursery, there are no shortage of second-hand cribs from friends, family, childrens consignment stores, and thrift stores. Of course, I’m left out the simplest option: co-sleeping, which we have done with two of our three children, and which has proved easiest to manage as a sleep deprived parent! Hey, sleeping with your babies is a time-honored tradition in the history of mankind, and babies are, in fact, biologically designed to stay close to a parent at night. Evolution has not caught up with this new-fangled crib nonsense!
Most of us cannot get by without a carseat. It would take a major shift in our lives or in society for that need to go away. However, I don’t know any reason why you need an infant carseat and later a forward-facing carseat. Get a convertible carseat and let the one device serve all of your baby’s needs for a safe driving environment. Indeed, let it serve for all of your kids, replacing it only in case of accident or expiration. Simplify your life with less carseats; simplify your shopping with less carseats. Save money. Live better (couldn’t resist). Also, for those of you who live in Boston or other cities with great public transportation and little need for cars, you may be able to forgo the nasty things altogether as I swore with each baby I would do before I had another!
Baby bouncers, swings, seats, exersaucers, walkers, play yards, etc: some parents find them very handy. We had a bouncer and swing with our first but they didn’t get used much and weren’t worth the space they took up in our tiny house, so we didn’t bother with them again. Our baby only wanted to be held, and always wanted to be held, rendering these devices useless and a wrap indispensable. If one of the above gives you a safe place to set your baby while you shower, that can be life changing for an exhausted and tapped out mom, and I am happy to see her have that opportunity! If one such device entertains baby so parents can get a break, that’s invaluable and not to be scoffed at. So it’s worth borrowing one or two and trying them out with your baby. But do not think they are necessary, nor beneficial. Your baby learns more from being held or worn on your body than from the buttons and textures and sounds on their baby gear. Babies grow and sleep better in contact with mom or dad. A baby’s motor skills develop optimally in contact with your human body. So don’t buy into marketing that tells you what the devices will do for your baby. And do realize that all of these âconveniencesâ designed to replace your arms are, while probably harmless, not optimum. A baby who spends more time in gear than in arms should be given sufficient âtummy timeâ to counteract the unnatural situation. Babies in arms get their tummy time against you. And speaking of tummy time, laying a baby on his or her back or tummy (as preferred) on a blanket on the floor is a very good place to let a non-mobile baby play and be occupied with measuring spoons in lieu of a playmat. So, use these things to the degree that they help your family be happy and comfortable and without fooling yourself into thinking they are the best place for your baby. They are, simply, a helpful break!
A high chair can be very helpful, but again not necessary. My youngest has been high-chair free (except when visiting grandparents) due to our circumstances. Did you know that a baby can eat very easily perched on your lap or sitting on a spot on the floor set up for dinner? May I just interject a recommendation for baby-led solids, here? Again, evolutionarily appropriateness meets convenience for a parenting choice made in heaven đ
Baby bathtubs have always seemed to me to be a waste of space. We had a few with our first and soon passed them on. It was much more convenient and comfortable to take her into the bath with us, and when I didn’t feel like that project, she could be wiped with a washcloth. Young babies rarely need to be bathed as long as you are cleaning their bottoms and faces sufficiently after they eat and poop!
That leaves the stroller, and it is probably obvious that a baby carrier can replace a stroller. We found a cheap umbrella stroller helpful when we took our four year old to Disney World in the heat. We bought it at a thrift store, and re-donated it the day we got back. We found a similar umbrella stroller helpful to have as an option for our toddler as we explored the United States, traveling in our motorhome with our baby wrapped up. Even then, we encountered many places where it was more convenient to just wear them both (between my husband and myself), such as those charming cobble-stoned streets of Boston, or through the beautiful forests in the National Parks where she would alternate wanting to walk and be carried. Now, with a 7 year old, a 2 year old, and a 1 year old, we do not own a stroller. We haven’t needed one yet with the 1 year old, and other than that trip to Disney World, we didn’t need one when the 7 year old was little. We did find it helpful with the middle child for a time, and I used it with her during my exhausting pregnancy with number three. I’m very glad I had it. So, see what fits your life. But realize that…
…of all the baby gear mentioned here, a baby wrap is the one that can be the most helpful, has the most benefits for baby, for mother, for those who breastfeed, and for generally simplifying the complex world of parenting. I’d say it’s worth the price!
I hear this question a lot, and my answer is that, if you use a stroller and you want to ditch it, a wrap is your answer! Or if you wind up carrying your child and want a more comfortable solution, a wrap is your answer! Some people don’t think of their pre-schoolers as being in-arms, but when you think about it you may realize that you end up carrying them on hikes, at the end of a long zoo day, when they can’t be counted on to stay out of the street, oe when you’re in a hurry to pick up the pace. It may be daily or weekly. And since they’re pre-schoolers, that might be an achy proposition! Your wrap can be there for all those times. It’s a piggy back ride, but your child doesn’t have to hold on, and you don’t either!
If your child takes care of all his or her own mobility, then you probably don’t need one, unless you have a special circumstance wherein more time spent wrapped together would be advantageous, perhaps in the case of an adoptive child or one with sensory issues.
There are two main categories of wraparound carrier: those that are stretchy, generally made of knit jersey material; and those that are woven which are sturdier and safer for bigger children.
I only sell wraps. And I only sell woven wraps. Because wovens are the most versatile and comfortable carrier I have found. They are the one carrier I know that can do it all so that one purchase will last a family through many children, or even generations. To my mind, stretchy wraps are an altogether different kind of carrier, and fits into my âotherâ category:
Ring slings, pouches, mei tais and Asian Baby Carriers, soft structured carriers like the Beco and Ergo, and stretchy wraps like Moby and the Sleepywrap are all great babywearing options with which I have no beef. They provide ergonomic positions for your baby and allow parents to keep their babies close to their hearts while accomplishing daily tasks or hiking off the beaten path. For those who want to save money or space by forgoing many other baby devices, a good baby carrier can eliminate the need for other bulky or costly pieces of baby gear. They are all super stars, in my mind!
Which of them allows an infinite ability to customize on the go, providing head support as needed, allowing babies arms to be tucked in or out, offering carries that give your baby a view or those that tuck them against you for cuddling, supporting a nursing position, allowing for wearing multiple children or those with special needs, supporting little ones from preemie to preschool, fitting caregivers of different sizes without adjustment, promoting the comfort of the babywearer by accommodating different physical needs, and offering many options for front, back, and hip carries that are not awkward, all with one simple carrier?
So, why woven wraps? Because, in their simplicity, a simple piece of cloth really can accomplish the most for families.
“A woman is pregnant for nine months, she is postpartum for the rest of her life.” The biochemical truth of this is good news for the healing of our planet. Postpartum women are a gentle and essential force of nature. They are full of love, and there can never be too much love.” ~Ibu Robin Lim
All babies benefit from being held against their mothers, and from staying close during sleep and feedings, too. But a premature infant has the most to gain from being close to mother’s heart, and the greatest benefits are had when mother and baby are skin to skin, with no clothing or fabric between their bodies. This is known as Kangaroo Care and the benefits are so great, that studies have found preemies kept against their mother’s chests to do better than their counterparts in incubators!
Before man made the technology you find in hospitals, Nature, God, or Evolution made man, and gave every man a mother to warm him and raise him. I think mothers are so cool, I could start a cult (if I had the time)! For example, did you know that a mother’s breasts change temperature warm or cool a baby held against her? Her body knows the optimum temperature for her baby before her baby’s body has learned to self-regulate temperature.
In fact, being held against mother’s body teaches a baby’s body a lot about how to behave. From us they learn to regulate temperature, but also the rhythm of regular heartbeats. One reason why sleeping with your baby can help prevent SIDS is that being beside our body remind a baby’s body to keep up regular breathing.
And when all of the baby’s systems are working optimally, he or she will sleep more, promoting healing and growth. So for all these reasons, premature infants that are worn and whose parents practice Kangaroo Care grow faster, and are generally allowed to go home from the hospital sooner. So if you are looking for a way to support your baby’s growth perfectly and give your family every edge for being together soon, look into Kangaroo Care. Here is an excellent article on the subject of Kangaroo Care and why it works.
Does your baby have a physical condition that makes wrapping impractical? Because of the versatility of wraps, in many cases it will be possible to find a way to wrap up your baby that, rather than being impractical under the circumstances, will make it much easier for you to care for your baby. Before you reject babywearing out of hand, read this story:
Sarah had a friend whose baby was born prematurely with some special medical situations: clubbed feet, Spinal Bifiida, dislocated hips and a delicate immune system. Rather than giving up her plans for wrapping because of the special situation, her friend was able to use a baby wrap to help her handle the special needs. She was lucky to have in her friend a trained babywearing instructor. Since most moms don’t have Sarah to call on, I wanted to share this story for those mamas and papas who might have similar situations and could benefit from their story.
Wrapping up baby Alethea, was helpful to her mama because it allowed her to more easily hold her baby while supporting her heavy leg braces…while recovering from multiple surgeries herself. It supplied her with a way to hold her baby’s hips in the spread position that her doctors had recommended, which was difficult to achieve in arms. It gave her a safe way to carry her baby in public while protecting her delicate immune system from being exposed to a lot of germs. It also allowed her to give her premature baby the extraordinary benefits of being held tummy to tummy while she went about her day.
In wrapping Alethea, her mamma had several physical considerations to account for. The leg casts had to be supported so that they did not pull down on her baby. The casts held Alethea’s legs stiffly in position so that her legs could not be bent into a squat as is normally recommended. And Alethea was born early, making it particularly important to ensure that her airway was not compromised by letting her chin sink against her chest.
My friend Jessica, mother to 3 with another on the way, just shared this story about her 19 month old daughter and I couldn’t resist passing it on:
When it was time for Lailah’s nap, I picked up her wrap (Girasol night rainbow 2.5) and as soon as she saw it, a big smile came to her face. I didn’t even wrap her with it but laid it across her back like a blanket. She began to yawn and every muscle in her body began to relax. 2 minutes later she had eyes closed and I put her in her bed with the wrap draped across her torso.
That piece of cloth has got us through SO much in the past year. From the difficulties of nursing, tummy bug, fevers, teething, single parenting, keeping up with her brother and sister, long nature walks, wherever strollers couldn’t go…the list goes on. My arms could’ve never been able to accomplish all that a wrap or carrier could! Babywearing gave me the ability to comfort my baby, cook a meal and care for my other two kids at the same time! Never did I think that this simple, yet beautiful wrap could create such a wonderful loving bond between mother and child.
So, as I lay my 19 month old down in her bed, a tear came to my eye because of the tenderness that this fabric has created in our lives. Babywearing/toddlerwearing is such a brief moment in time and I am so glad it has been a part of nurturing my children. The physical and emotional attachment, security and gentleness will carry on for years to come! Wearing my children while they are young has become foundational to our family.
The first winner of my photo contest is Melissa. Thanks for contributing to my project with your example of things you can do in a wrap! The pendant you chose is on its way to you for your prize. Anyone else have something to say about the freedom wrapping grants to parents and babies? Two more winners will be chosen, and I am still accepting submissions!
At our Mom’s Circle, my friend Evelyn has taken the rebozo to my pregnant belly a couple of times. SO RELAXING! I’m looking forward to having this tool ready during labor, when my husband can use our rebozo to help me relax my body and allow the baby to do what he or she needs to do to come out.
This one was super nice too–made me feel real loose, just like I want to be in labor. It was a fast rigorous wiggling of, well, my bottom!
The Wiggling of the Bottom
I remember reading in Spiritual Midwifery about squeezing the hips at a certain point in the birth to open things up, and I bet a rebozo could be used toward that end similarly to how its demonstrated in this video:
Just make sure you know what you’re doing, because as I recall from the book (and no one’s quoting me on this, right?), the squeeze is like squeezing a clothespin–it closes the bones at one end and opens them at the other. You want to make sure you’re opening up the right end at the right time. No need to make baby’s passage any tighter than it needs to be!
I tend to feel a lot of lower back ache during labor, though, so I may have to remember to try it for that, as they’re talking about in the video.
I’ve not used a rebozo in labor yet, but I’m hoping to get the opportunity this month! I’ll be sure to let you know! In the meantime, does anyone else have rebozo-in-labor stories or information to share?
I was looking over the awards for babywearing advocacy and outreach from Babywearing International. It’s wonderful to see how different groups are reaching out and helping the people in their communities through babywearing.
But I also thought of the influence each of us makes just by stepping out our doors with a comfortable, safe baby carrier. The people who see you may have never heard of such a revolutionary device. You are changing minds about how convenient babies are! You are giving parents ideas of how they can make parenting less stressful, or maybe even leave the house more often. You are normalizing incorporating a baby into your actual life.
This goes against either end of the parenting extremes:
Becoming a parent means giving up your life and you’ll never be able to do anything fun.
With today’s conveniences, becoming a parent doesn’t have to change your life at all.
Instead, we babywearers are casually depicting a third option. We are demonstrating, without preaching, the joy of keeping your baby close, coupled with the convenience of going out for work and fun. Our babies are getting all the nurture they need, from the people they need most, and also being exposed to the world they are growing up to be part of.
Just think, babywearing is a way you have found to improve the quality of life of your baby and yourself; and is also showing others around you how they too can have an easier time of it, and we may even be orchestrating a large-scale cultural shift in the way society thinks of and treats babies and children. Imagine if people in line at the airport or restaurant didn’t groan when they saw us coming. Imagine if they smiled instead, seeing the next generation of amazing, resilient, compassionate, imaginative, humans being raised right in front of them.
And what about our children, and their friends, clever little sponges growing up to wear their babies and change their worlds?
For such worthwhile contributions to individuals, families, and societies, in the action of babywearing and any other mindful examples set by you, I hereby commend each of you and award you with the title Remarkable and Influential Person and encourage you to get an ice cream sunday!
This is a fantastic and detailed examination of the physiological benefits of wearing your baby (or alternately, the physiological damage of not holding babies enough):
It also covers positioning in a carrier. Obviously, having a baby in a carrier isn’t enough. The material isn’t magical. It’s using the material to hold your baby in an appropriate position that leads to optimal growth and development. As for magic, that’s in the human touch, body warmth, eye contact, heartbeat, synchronized breath, muscle symmetry . . . all this breeds wonderful, magical physical, mental and emotional benefits that will lead to happy babies and happy caregivers. If you’re as impressed by all that as I am, please pass on the information and spread the love. Happy Babywearing!
I have countless precious moments and memories of my two babies wrapped against me. I often think back to when I was a teenager, long before my own babies, and I saw a woman wearing her baby in the grocery store. I immediately decided I would wear my babies too. It was so obviously perfect. And it reminds me that often we are changing people’s lives and futures even when we don’t know it.
I hope every babywearer knows that she is not only taking the best care of her own babies, but changing the world when people see you keeping your baby close to your heart. Wear your baby with pride and know that you deserve many thanks that you might not always hear. Several moms I’ve heard from have cited an unknown babywearing stranger as the influence that piqued their interest in babywearing–that may have been you!
Here are just a few of the letters I’ve received from strangers that have turned me teary and made this business so worth my time:
“I just wanted to say thank you! I learned how to carry my baby through your videos and it has changed my life. Not only is my baby happier in the day and sleeping better at night, it saved me from my postpartum depression. I got my life back – and even better! Words can not express…”
–Sophia, carrying a two year old and four month old in San Diego
“Thank you for all the instruction how how to carry a baby in a wrap! I have used a Ergo carrier, a Snugli, slings, and a Maya wrap, but when it came to using a wrap, I was clueless. The pictures and videos on your site have been priceless to me. Now, I’ve shared your site with all my facebook friends! Thank you so much!!!”
–Valerie
“Hi! I actually had a divine intervention the other day that led me to your site. I was in Kroger with my 2 year old and my 9 day old. I was having some issues with the commercial style carrier for the baby and your mom came over and introduced herself. She told me I should really look at a sling and gave me your card. I was actually very happy because I have always intended to use a sling. I just never got around to doing it and my brother-in-law gave me a front carrier and the rest is history. I never ever used it with my two year old. Anyway, I just got a chance to visit your site. I was expecting a site with stuff for sale. Instead, I am so psyched because you gave such detailed info that because I sew and keep tons of fabric, I can try to tie one tonight!! I am a stay-at-home mom, too, so I have my kids with me all the time and this will be so nice for the baby. Just wanted to let you know…”
“Just wanted to say that our baby girl was born yesterday (!!!) and I forwarded your newsletter to my husband from my hospital bed last night……..When he visited us this morning, he casually announced that he’d really like me to show him how to carry her in a wrap when we get home! Thank you!!!!”
–Sarah
“I just want to take a minute to thank you for your wonderful wrapping videos and instructions. I’m not so new to baby wearing but I am pretty new to wrapping and your site has been SO helpful to me. Thank you so much!!!!! ”
“I met you four years ago at a hotel in Clearwater where you sold me a Moby and an Ellaroo. I think of you often, and wanted to thank you for the most recent email about the birth of your beautiful third daughter! Congratulations on the VBAC. (I have also had one of those J). When I met you I believe I was buying a wrap for my sister, who was expecting her first child and also one for myselfâŠfor my third son. We now have four sons and our youngest brings me the Ellaroo all the time and asks to be put into it. I cannot thank you enough for sharing your passion the way that you do.”
“I just wanted to tell you how wonderful your site is and how thankful I am for it. I am wearing my third baby as I write this. He is so happy on my back (in a Didymos rubinrot). I’ve been using your site for a couple years now and have learned so much. God bless you!”
“I have to tell you that I am so thankfull that I found your website! If you donât mind, I would like to tell you my story. About a week ago, I was walking around a local farmers market with my 2 year old daughter in a stroller and my 7 month old son in a baby bjorn carrier. I saw this mom with her daughter (about the age of my son) in the most comfortable carrier I had ever seen! I couldnât help but ask her where she got it. That is when I was introduced to the world of wraps and what I would call âtrueâ babywearing. Â So, After our encounter, I couldnât wait to get one of my own. Money is tight because I am a stay at home mom, so I just went to the fabric store for mine, as did the woman at the market.
“Ever since the day I brought it home, I have been wearing him with the one wrap that she showed me, but once I found your website this morning it was like a light went off. My son, Xander is going through some serious separation anxiety and everyones advice to me is to not carry him and let him learn to be independent. Well, I have tried, but I can just feel that it is not what either of us needs. You website has helped me give Xander what he needs, while still allowing me to get everything done I need to do in a day. He even nursed today for the first time while in the wrap! I just feel such a sense of contentment now with our situation. In just this short time, I feel much more connected to him.
“To make the story even better, when he went down for a nap, I asked my two year old if she wanted to ârideâ she of course obliged and loved being so close to mom! She snuggled right in there and I could just see her eyes light up. (forgive me, I am getting very teary eyed right now) I just know that she has had such a hard time adjusting to her new baby brother and sharing the attention. Everyone pushes me to make her grow up faster and get over it, but after seeing her face today, I couldnât disagree more. I know my family is going to tell me how awful it is that I carry my kids around all day, but I now have the confidence to do what I believe my children need. I am so greatful that there are people like you and the woman I met at the farmers market to help moms who donât feel natural with some of the more modern parenting techniques.
“I am STILL SO GREATFUL for all of the amazing information you have provided. Thank you again for everything!!”
–Ginger
“Because wearing my baby makes her more eye-level, I feel that others interact with her more as a person versus an objectified infant. I sat my baby on the couch yesterday and reached for my wrap. Â She squealed with delight and clapped her hands together! Â That’s a satisfied customer ;)”
It’s about the nine months I carried you in my womb; the hopes, dreams, and smiles with which I anticipated your earthly arrival; the sight and smell and knowledge of you that keeps my heart doing flip flops; and the fact that neither one of us wants to be separated.
1 week before birth
1 week after birth
Because there is no place you would rather be, and it’s the most and the least I can do for you. Because the world is new and wide, and my presence is the perfect reassurance and introduction. Because you have entered into a safe and loving world, and you are close to those who love you.
nursing
You have time enough to stand, and walk, and run, and I look forward to chasing you . . . but not yet.
nursing again
Because sleeping peacefully in your cradle is not as nice, as safe, or as happy as sleeping on my chest. Because here I can see your face, lips, and breath, your fluttering lids and lashes, and every momentary smile or wince as you dream.
at the park
For almost a year my body has kept you safe and focused, reminding you to breath, keeping you connected to humanity, and earth, and life, as no molded plastic seat can.
3 weeks old
The coziness, comfort, safety, and closeness is familiar, as are our heartbeats, and the rhythms and smells of our bodies.
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