Round Two and I'm Digging Some Babywearing

Howdy folks and Happy International Babywearing Week! I bet you didn't know that was a thing, did you? Yeah, me either.

In spite of my recent ignorance about an entire week dedicated to wearing one's offspring, I decided to write a post this week on that very subject!

Niamh's 1st Notre Dame Game

I received an Ergo carrier from a very dear friend when I was pregnant with Niamh and used it on a pretty regular basis with her. It was just so handy to tuck her in her carrier next to my body while I was out and about grocery shopping, cooking dinner, or even walking the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5k. She seemed so comfy and cozy and almost always fell asleep when I was wearing her.


Now that we're doing Round Two with Baby Ro, I am digging the hell out of wearing that little nugget! While I do some stereotypically "hippie mom" things like cloth diaper and make my own baby food, I certainly don't consider myself to be a full-blown crunchy granola organic natural mama. Babywearing tends to be one of those things that those hippie moms do, as it is one of the principles included in attachment parenting. For me, babywearing is just SO practical and handy that it makes having a baby so much more enjoyable.

Hiking with Baby Ro

 Let's face it, for all the joys a little on brings there are certainly plenty of inconveniences, especially if your nugget is breastfed...frequently. I only nursed Niamh in her carrier a few times and, since I'm fairly discreet about breastfeeding, I often felt like I was missing out on fun things that were going on because I would need to find a quiet corner to sit down and feed her.

This time around, I have worn Rowan everywhere. And, let me tell you, throwing a nursing cover around my neck and dropping that carrier down has allowed me to nurse on the go and not miss a thing. Just this week I have nursed that kid while cooking, shopping at lululemon, picking out a rug, buying groceries, hiking at George Bush Park, and drinking a glass of wine during National Night Out with my neighbors (don't judge). It has been such a liberating feeling this time around to not worry about waking the baby up to feed her before I go out to run errands - I'll just nurse her while I run errands. Let's face it, any time I can multi-task and save a little time I'm a happy camper.

Aside from the selfish reasons that I would encourage any mom to try out babywearing, some studies have indicated that babies who are worn for three hours a day cried 43% less (54% less in the evening hours) than babies who were not worn.

Have any questions about babywearing? Want to share your favorite carrier or babywearing practice? Leave a comment below! Happy Babywearing!

Mama Must-Have: Hands-Free Nursing

For those of you breastfeeding moms out there who have never nursed you little one in a baby carrier, oh my goodness. Drop what you are doing and try it. You will be amazed at the whole world of opportunity and productivity that opens for you.

I bought two baby carriers when Niamh was born: a Baby K'Tan for the first couple months and then an ERGObaby for later on. Over her first year of life, I really enjoyed wearing Niamh. Not in a super crunchy, granola hippie momma way, but for the sheer practicality of it. I was able to put her in the wrap at a few weeks old and do things like get myself ready to leave the house if I needed to. There were certainly other benefits: she was always likely to take a stellar nap when in her carrier and she seemed to maintain a very laid-back personality with little fussiness.

I nursed Niamh a few times in the ERGObaby carrier and it was a breeze. Just loosen up your backpack straps to drop the baby down to milker level and have at it. However, it was a truly a game changer for having two under the age of two. I can keep Baby Ro content and nursing while fixing Niamh lunch or playing. It has really helped our transition to a family of four because I'm able to give Niamh the time and attention that she needs without continuous breaks to nurse Rowan.

I have only attempted nursing in soft-structured carriers, so I can't give any recommendations for slings. For those of you in Houston, Nurtured Family offers free Saturday classes and has a baby-wearing expert that could give you all the basics on nursing in a sling. (Check out their class schedule here).

If you're in the market for a soft-structured carrier, I was a HUGE fan of our ERGObaby. I once borrowed someone's Baby Bjorn carrier when Niamh was about a year old and could only carry her for about 15 minutes before my back was screaming; with the Ergo I could carry her for hours and stay comfortable. My only complaint about the Ergo was that the forward-facing front carry position wasn't an option, but the new Ergo 360 has solved that problem and still offers a great ergonomic position for baby's hips. Keep in mind that you need to use an infant insert with the ERGObaby 360 and, if you live in a hot climate like I do, you might want to find something that won't be as hot for you and baby. I recently purchased the Beco Gemini carrier and LOVE it! I have used it every day since I bought it and couldn't be happier! I even discreetly nursed Ro in it during a family walk around the neighborhood the other night!

Of course I had to buy this in camo. Duh.