attachment parenting

Wear Your Baby in a Wrap or Sling

April 25, 2012

Wear your baby! I’ve written about different carriers before, here, but having a new baby again reminds me that the initial hassle of getting a sling or wrap on is worth it. Your babe is close to you, your hands are free, and you can immediately comfort or tend to her without worrying about crossing the kitchen. Best of all, it carries her close to your heart, breath, and helps her through what they call “the fourth trimester” or the first three months of life which are a sort of continuation of life in the womb. Read a very thorough article on wearing your baby over at the UK publication Green Parent (here). It gives an overview of traditions of baby wearing internationally along with a list of all the health benefits. Want your baby to cry less, sleep better, and be more engaged with the world? Wear her! I’ve promoted my friend’s wraps before–Rockin’ Wraps–and gotta say, I just love her work. It’s similar to a Moby wrap, but rather stretchier and beautifully crafted. Support homegrown mama artists! She hand designed this wrap for me with a horse head, due to my love of the equine. Thanks, Larissa! See my girlfriend’s blog post here about different carriers on her blog, Natural Mommas. Her assessment is very thorough!

Baby Wearing and Carrying: Do It!

April 10, 2011

Nothing can conjure up the feeling of still living in the womb like carrying a baby close to you in a baby carrier. Many different carriers are out there, but you really just need two, one for ages birth through 15 pounds, and one for 15 pounds through can’t-carry-any-longer. See this post on Natural Mommas for more info on her baby carrying/wearing experience. 1) Baby wrap. We used the Moby Wrap. Although it’s lengthy and takes a few times to figure out exactly how to wrap it, your infant will feel so incredibly safe and tucked in, like a little kangaroo. A product made by a friend of a friend that is similar, but easier to use is Rockin’ Wraps. I love giving business to people I know, so check out her products! Basically, in my experience, a wrap that actually wraps around your body without room for slippage, wigglage, or gappage, is best. These wraps keep your infant’s spine supported, close to you, and secure. 2) Baby carrier. One brand that I swear by: Ergo. These baby carriers are incredible. They are ergonomically correct, never pinching or stressing those baby joints, and made of breathable but durable fabric. Although we had the infant insert, J was born in the dead heat of summer and I think he would have melted had we carried him in it. Once he reached three & a half months, he was the right size to snap in. It washes easily, folds up easily, and…