Wearing my beautiful girl (and her big sister, too)

I have decided to write a bit about my experience with wearing my children, mainly my daughters since I didn't discover the great carriers till then.

I hope to put a picture or two of me wearing my kids, but right now I don't have any on this computer, and I feel I should write right now.

When Zach was tiny, someone gave me a snugli or some similar front pack. He liked it much more than a stroller, but it was not extremely comfortable for me, and I gave it up before he was one. Choosing instead to carry him in my arms or hope he would accept the stroller when we were out and walking.

Then I came across a ring sling at the D.I. (Deseret Industries), and decided to try that out. I didn't have a clue how to adjust it or get him in there comfortably. I didn't use it much. It was winter, Zach was a year old, and there was not much time we were out for very long.

Around this time, I had a visiting teacher who wore her little boy in a wrap all over the place. She did not know a ton about how to do it, but I know from what she said someone was giving her pointers. She also looked at how to do back carries and just figured it out. I remember her figuring out how to get her son off her back somewhere other than at home in my living room on my couch. I thought that must be comfortable, and sometime after that started looking at websites for how to make and use different carriers.

When Zina was tiny, I read how and made a pouch sling from a tight old t-shirt. She love to be in it looking out at the world. She looked like a little kangaroo joey looking out like that. And I loved it till she got a bit heavier and the stretch of the t-shirt pouch put her farther away from my body than was comfortable.

Then I learned how to make and use a wrap. I practiced in front of my husband putting Zina on my front mainly for a long time. I felt so great being able to wear her and chase my son. Plus, I only had a single stroller, and my son turned 2 just after Zina was born. I loved my wrap and ventured to put her on my back. She loved it! It was so comfortable for both of us. I remember spring of 2009 wearing her in my homemade wrap on my back and letting her eat off my plate. She felt secure, and I didn't have to worry about her falling off the bench (we were in a school cafeteria). Some people thought it was wierd, but she was safe.

This last summer I attended the International Babywearing Conference in Rigby, Idaho. I was 30-some weeks pregnant and feeling huge. I brought my 2 1/2 year old Zina and decided to try one of the carriers from the lending library. I tried a Baby So Smart mei tai, and LOVED it. I hadn't worn Zina much lately because she wanted up and down so much, and that was a lot of tying and untying the entire wrap. She loved the mei tai, but wanted up and down a lot, too. It was easier for me to do the up and down with it. And I hardly felt like I was carrying her that way. I was sold on mei tais!

Now, with Eliza, I made a pouch sling that I really like for more short term wearing. She is about 12 lbs, and that feels better on both shoulders. I also use my wrap, but it is not my favorite. I bought a mei tai like the one I borrowed from the lending library this summer and am loving wearing Eliza. At 2 months, I am working on getting her on to my back by myself so I can do everything I need to do truly hands free. I wear her on my front quite a bit. We go for walks. At under 1 month I discovered how to nurse her in the wrap. And just this last week I figured out how to nurse completely hands free in the mei tai while walking through wal-mart and not flashing any breast while I was at it. That was amazing to me. How else would I be able to take both my new baby and toddler to a crowded store and meet all their needs? How else would I be able to exercise and chase the other two so easily?

I am so thankful to those that have taught me to wear my babies. I am grateful that I am not the only one that feels the need to keep their child near and still be able to do day to day things. I know that not everyone will choose this way of parenting. But this needs to be able to be a choice for others.

For more information on babywearing and others experiences, please visit here and here. If you want to share your babywearing story, post a blog and link it to these two sites. It may inspire others. And at "Adventures in Babywearing", there is a giveaway for one of those that links there story.

*Edited to add: Also share it at Wrapsody to win a microfleece wrap. I would have posted this without the chance of a giveaway, but with it makes it even better!