Calming the Wild Child and the Magic of Babywearing

Have you ever had a day, that for lack of a better word just sucked and the only thing you really want to do is crawl into a hole with a pint of your favorite ice cream and forget the world? Yeah? Me too, today is one of those days.

I notice that the kids have days like this as well, and sometimes, I think they just do not know what to do with themselves besides act out.  The more they act out the more frustrated we become and then the more they act out, and it is an endless circle.

Lately there have been some changes in our household and it is affecting the kids in all kinds of ways, we had three birthdays in a row, we started preschool, we had a new job start and it has set us all for a tailspin.  So, what do you do, how do we get back focused?

I have found that I forget about the magic of babywearing, you know that wonderful magic thing that happens when you wrap a baby into a tight cocoon close to your body and within minutes the child slows down their breathing and snuggled a little closer and calms down a bit, the thing I notice is, the baby wearer calms too and then that circle stops spinning a little bit and the world just seems a little calmer.

This is the magic, this is the thing that nothing else really does.  There are a lot of different baby carriers out there and there is almost always one that works for everybody.

There is a Moby Wrap that works great for babies under 15 pounds and I found especially helpful for the newborn stage, it is a lot of fabric that you wrap around a few times, but after watching how it works and practicing a few times, it becomes second nature, one of the things I love about the Moby Wrap is that you do most of the wrapping and adjusting before putting the baby in. 

This is one of the Boba 4G

Stokke Carrier, and they come in a few different colors

The Ergo, one of the most popular carriers

The Soft Scructured Carriers that are commonly just referred to as SSC’s and a good example of this is the Ergo carrier these carriers are ergonomically correct for both the wearer and the baby, and they are so comfortable to wear.  Boba Carriers are another option in the SSC class, as well as the Stokke Carrier. There are many options when it comes to SSC’s so look around and find the one that you really like. These can be worn on your back or in a front carry depending on the age of the baby and what is comfortable for you.

One of my favorite baby carriers is the ring sling, these are probably the most compact of all of the baby carriers and are simple to take with you anywhere.  There are all different kinds of these in every price range imaginable, so these are great for most people.  Most of them are one size fits all and they come in different fabric choices, depending on what you like and what you will be doing while wearing it.  I personally believe this is one to check out and take some time with, I use mine all the time, even with my preschooler.

No matter what carrier you choose or if you have done it before or not, carrying your baby is never a bad thing and there is really no single solution for every parent, every one has their favorites including wrapping, mei tei’s, and other methods, the real reality is we all want this…….

My biggest problem with baby wearing is they have yet to make one big enough for someone to carry me!  I am telling you, if you have not tried this please do, and if you have but have forgotten the magic, go dig your carrier out and calm the beast, for you and your kids!

photo credit: Post-bottle bliss via photopin (license)