the babywearing series | confessions of a baby carrier hoarder

Part 7 of 8 of the Babywearing Series.
Guest post by Melissa of Hi, Baby.

Babywearing comes in all sizes around this house; Tim wears Stella(2) and Rowan(4) in the big manly packs, like the hiking Kelty kids or the Ergo since we bought it in black/maroon. Mommy wears just Stella (Rowan? ouch.), in whatever suits my mood, outfit, or the temperature outside, which means I have the Moby, the Ergo, the Kelty, Peanut Shell sling, or the Bjorn (well, not for over a year) to choose from.

While I am sure either big sis would stand right up and volunteer to wear Stella, they stick to their doll sized Moby wrap or the occasional stuff of a doll into a backpack. You could say were baby carrier hoarders.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t do it a little just because it is trendy – but trendy is trendy cause it works, and why argue with that logic? And plus also, it is convenient, relationship building, a good workout is some cases, the only option on some terrains, and how cute are some of the carriers available today?

On a good day, I promise I will forget to transfer the stroller from one car to the other – I learned my lesson years ago and always either keep our compact Moby in my diaper bag or the Ergo in the trunk of my van. The Bjorn is in Tim’s car, but ow – so that is always a last resort when the squirmy toddler MUST be contained. Speaking of strollers though…when Stella was first born Rowan was still a force to be reckoned with; she was too old to waste money on a double stroller but too young to always be allowed to walk in crowds on her own, so sometimes I babywore out of plain necessity. I could easily strap Stella on and then navigate the crowds with Rowan in the stroller.

Let’s get real here, I have three kids, t-h-r-e-e, which means bonding time is precious and hard to come by with any one of my kids. Finally, I got it right with Stella and learned I could have her as close to my heart as possible and in optimal mama snuggle position with the Moby and still have two whole hands free – one to cook dinner and the other to french braid Rowan or Zoe’s hair – this was a epic discovery for me!

We’re hikers, campers, go-see-do’ers and that leaves little room to pack bulky strollers. Being able to fold up a baby carrier and tuck it into the car for quick convenience reinforces for us why we feel ok about spending a little extra money on a good carrier here and there.

Hiking with our Kelty has become a favorite, with all its adjustments it provides a great hike and an even better workout with all the resistance of carrying a child up and down a mountain side. It usually goes Tim carries it up, I get to carry it down. Such a good husband.

So now that I have rambled on about, what really? Bottom line, babywearing rules! It isn’t for everyone and I think it is a lot about finding the right carrier that fits you comfortably, but I think everyone should try it at least once. I have gotten tons of friends hooked on the Ergo by loaning it out, it is always love at first wear. Thanks for listening to my babywear rant!

###

Dear friends, I hope you’re enjoying this babywearing series so far. Tomorrow is the last day AND the link-up!! For today, please make sure to say hello to Melissa and visit Hi, Baby. (Thanks Melissa!!) How about you? Are you a baby carrier hoarder? Do you have carriers and wraps tucked away into your trunk and stroller basket and diaper bag? (I totally do!)

P.S. We are camping out bush all this week! That means unplugged, baby!!! No internet, or even phone access for me. (Crikey!) I’ll do my best to respond to your emails and comments when I return. 🙂

Join our Babywearing Carnival tomorrow!!

Do you have a post on Babywearing – why you love it or which is your favorite type of carrier or maybe just a photo post of you wearing  your little one? At the end of the Babywearing Series, I’ll host a link-up for you to add your link. Prepare your post (or freshen one up from your archives) and keep your eyes open for it to go live tomorrow on Saturday, March 10^th. Please use a text link or the image below on your carnival post.