Why I love Baby Wearing!

While pregnant last year I along with some Moms-to-be from my Bradley Class attended a baby wearing demo led by Amber from Heavenly Hold.

There were so many options to choose from and I happily tried them all on over my rapidly expanding baby belly. I went in thinking I wanted a sling because honestly that's all I really thought there was to baby wearing. But Amber opened up a whole new world of soft structured carriers, wraps, mei teis & more. I ended up purchasing both a Sleepy Wrap & Organic ERGO carrier. I went with these two because I wanted something that would work well for both myself and my husband who at 6'5 is over a foot taller than me.

Fast forward a few months and I gave birth to the sweetest boy ever. I ended up with a c-section and despite recovering from major surgery I was able to wear my almost 9 lbs baby in the Sleepy Wrap on day 5. It was Mother's Day and we met my family for lunch and a quick shopping trip. He slept the entire time snuggled close to me. During the weeks that followed I wore him often around the house because he did not like to be put down at all. I wore him while sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and even hanging clothes outside. Daddy even wore him at my 6 week check up!

Here is a picture of us on my 1st Mother's Day. I look a little rough, but he was as happy as can be.



I have to admit I didn't have love for my Ergo at first. But when he hit about 5 months old that all changed! Now I don't know how I would survive without it. I wear him everytime we leave the house whether it be grocery shopping or a trip to the zoo or museum (which we did yesterday and let me tell you he loved it!). The ERGO allows him the feeling of being held while leaving my arms free. But my absolute favorite thing about the ERGO is being able to nurse in it. This is why I say it is a lifesaver! I have nursed him a million places in the ERGO all without having to stop what I am doing and without people around me knowing what's going on. The sleeping hood makes the best nursing cover! The pouch in the front is good size for a clean cloth diaper and small wet bag which is perfect for most outings. I never leave home without my ERGO and even Daddy enjoys wearing Charlie (especially on his back).

A picture of a sleepy Charlie in his ERGO in a corn maze this past fall.



There are so many reasons why I love baby wearing. I love that he feels calm and secure in unfamiliar places. I love being able to whisper things to him and explain the world around him while exploring both inside and outside our home. But I guess my biggest reason that I love baby wearing is because I love having my baby close to me.