The best thing I have learned as a second-time mom…
Is how many wonderful options there are out there for baby carriers. Sure, I had one of those “snuggli”-type carriers with Madeline, but it hurt my back after she weighed about 12 lbs. I had seen ring slings, but mostly only ugly ones!
A couple years ago at Faithwalkers, I met a woman who had a daughter about Madeline’s age (this is when Madeline was 7 months or so old). She was wearing her baby in a wrap (basically, a long piece of fabric) on her back. She told me all about it and gave me a website where I could learn more, but I was really intimidated at the idea of using just a long piece of fabric to wear my already good-sized little girl. But, I made a promise to myself to check into it for my next baby.
Fast forward two years and to make a long story short, I did check into it and discovered that there are a lot of great ways to wear your baby from the time they are born until they are a big toddler! Wearing a baby is a great way to get more done with your hands free, go crowded places without a stroller, comfort a crying baby (that you would be walking around carrying in your arms anyway), keep your little one close while you chase a bigger kid around the park, and more.
The two new kinds of carriers I have tried are pouch-style slings:
And Mei Tais (this is a “BBO”-style Mei Tai I made myself!):
Both of the these kinds of carriers have multiple positions you can use them in (cradle, tummy-to-tummy, hip, and “kangaroo” for the pouch; tummy-to-tummy, forward facing, hip and back for the Mei Tai) — hence the ability to use them for so long.
When it comes to these alternative styles of baby carriers, there’s something to fit every budget — from a do-it-yourself homemade carrier that might cost you a few bucks to make if you get fabric on clearance, to “rare” or trendy imported styles that cost hundreds of dollars.
I think this really must be an up-and-coming trend, because even Target is getting into the act. Many stores now carry “hotslings” in the baby section, which are a popular type of pouch-style sling. If you go to the Target website and search for “sling” in the baby section, you will now find quite a few options, including a couple different brands of pouches and ring slings, as well as one Mei Tai.
Here are a few great websites to check out if you want to learn more:
www.wearyourbaby.com (wearing instructions, do-it-yourself instructions, and more)
crafts.sleepingbaby.net (do-it-yourself instructions for baby carriers and other baby-related items. I used instructions from this site to make my first Mei Tai recently).
www.thebabywearer.com (reviews and info on all kinds of vendors/brands of baby carriers as well as discussion forums — almost more info than you might want to know!)
There are also a lot of local babywearing groups popping up, where you can go and learn first hand about different kinds of carriers, try them on, learn how to use them, and even sometimes borrow a carrier for a month or so. There are groups in the Twin Cities, Des Moines, and Iowa City (just to name a few areas where I know some of our readers live!).
Happy Babywearing!