Tag Archives: Babywearing

My Number One Tool

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Wearing Twig on my back all weekend while doing flooring in our house. Couldn’t have accomplished much without wearing her!

I’ve had multiple people ask me how I do it. How do I keep my toddler and infant happy? How do I keep my house relatively clean? How do I make dinner? How do I stay sane?

Babywearing. Period.

I mean, there are lots of things in my tool belt that make life a little more easy. Most of them are nice things to have, but not necessary. This iPad I’m typing on is nice for being able to function while standing in the kitchen waiting for the soup to boil so I can turn it down to simmer. My car is awesome for getting places outside of the house. The bouncer is nice for letting Twig stay occupied for a minute. None of it is necessary.

Babywearing is necessary.

I wish that they sent every mom home from the hospital with a sling. I wish that certified babywearing instructors (yes, there are such things) were employed by hospitals to show new moms how to use said sling. I wish that crotch-danglers were outlawed. I wish babywearing wouldn’t have gotten such a bad rep from a few irresponsible manufacturers making bad carriers that killed babies.

Babywearing is so vital that I’m considering putting a carrier in my earthquake emergency kit. It’s how I accomplish everything and anything. Sure, I can occasionally leave the girls in the room for 30 minutes and have them having fun and laughing at each other, but usually Twig rolls herself into a corner and cries or Peanut decides she’s bored and leaves little sis alone and she cries. Then there are times when Twig just requires being held. She’s heavy! I really can’t carry her for more than a few minute without switching arms. Even then, she’s so grabby that I can’t accomplish anything without risking her injury.

That’s where putting her on my back comes in. Yes, you can wear a 6 month old on your back. You can wear a newborn on your back if you’re using an appropriate carrier. This is something I wish I would have known with Peanut. I don’t think I cooked dinner from the time she was 6 months until she was over a year. If I did, it was few and far between. I’m convinced that the reason she’s still afraid of the vacuum is because she was never exposed to it as a baby. Granted, she was an especially high needs baby, but still. If I would have known about wearing her on my back, I think I would have been able to accomplish a lot more than I did.

If I had to sell all of my possessions, my Boba would be the last to go. If my house was destroyed in a fire, I would go out and purchase a new carrier the next day. It is the one “parenting essential” that I truly believe is essential. I could live without so many things that the ladies at Babies R Us were chastising me for not putting on my registry. I have chosen to get rid of a great majority of the things I did actual think I needed before having kids. My carriers though, I would chose to buy again and again and again.

What’s your parenting essential? Is it babywearing or something else? Do you have one thing you just don’t want to parent without? Maybe multiple things?

Boba Review

I. Absolutely. Love. My. Boba!!!

That’s it. Review fin. Alright, I guess I can elaborate. :-P

I’ve wanted a Boba carrier for a long time. A friend of mine had one and kept telling me how great it was for back carries, but I kept putting it off. Truth be told, they’re kind of spendy and being a young, one income family, money is tight around here. I tried a mei tai, but it wasn’t very comfortable. I tried a back carry in my SleepyWrap, but it didn’t feel as secure as I’d like. So when I was given the opportunity to review an organic Boba Carrier for my blog, I was estatic.

Having already done back carries with the mei tai, it wasn’t difficult at all to get Peanut on my back. Actually, now that I’m used to it I’d say it’s the easiest carrier to put on out of all five we own. Right at the same time that the Boba arrived in the mail, Peanut was having some major issues with falling to sleep at night. With me starting school full-time, she’s been really up and down with naps and night time sleep. So I decided that I would start getting her into a nighttime schedule again and since it was the end of a nice summer, that schedule would include a walk.

She fell asleep before I even made it around the block.

Oh my goodness this thing could work miracles! She was excited to get into the carrier and fell asleep on my back every night for a week. I did have to have my husband help me get her out, but it was great! Sadly, the weather started getting cold quickly and she stopped falling asleep in the carrier, but Peanut’s Mema has gotten her to sleep multiple times on her back for naps while I’m in class and I’ve done it for naptime too. One time when she wouldn’t sleep and we were at my in-law’s, I took her for a walk around the block, then came back and just walked around the house like normal until we decided to leave. I kind of have to walk awkwardly with her head on my back until I put the hood over her head, then I can walk entirely normal! It just feels like I have a backpack on my back and it’s not even as heavy as the one with all my books!

Speaking of Mema wearing Peanut, this is the first carrier we’ve owned that anyone—including my husband—has used besides me! And I’ve gotten three people to use it! And they all liked it! It’s amazing how easily this carrier can be switched from one person to another. All three of these people just watched me put Peanut in a couple times, then did it. Minus figuring out how to balance a toddler on your back, really zero learning curve. Daddy has even gotten Peanut to sleep in it!

This carrier has quickly become my favorite. We bring it everywhere we go and Peanut stays happy in it for extended periods of time walking around Target or the grocery store. It’s easy to put on where ever we’re at and easy to get her out of if she wants to walk. I’m excited to use it with future children when they’re younger because I think it would be super convenient during that age where you aren’t allowed to set them down to make dinner, but they’re old enough to grab things if they’re on your front. I’ve also worn my friend’s daughter (and my friend has worn her daughter in it too) in it who is 3.5 years old and about 35 lbs, and while she’s definitely heavier in it, it’s really not bad at all and she loves it too! If I would have known how much I would absolutely adore this thing, I would have definitely spent the money on it a long time ago!

But you don’t have to spend the full price! Use the code “Adventures” and you get 10% off of your Boba order until (approximately) the end of November! Hurry up and get one!

Wordless Wednesday: Every Babywearing Photo

Welcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival!

This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe’s Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today’s post is Wordless Wednesday: Babywearing Photos! Please read the other blogs in today’s carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st! 

 

I would have thought that wearing her nearly every day of her life would produce more photos. We also don’t have any from our non-Sleepy Wrap carriers. Guess I have a new assignment for myself!

 

 Here are more posts by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.

Our Babywearing Journey

Welcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival!

This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe’s Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today’s post is about babywearing. Please read the other blogs in today’s carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st!

I had something of a high-needs baby. Actually, that high-needs baby has turned into a still relatively high-needs toddler. From the day she was born, she wouldn’t tolerate being set down. When she was two weeks old, I took her to The Lactation Station in Salt Lake City, Utah and bought our first Sleepy Wrap.

She pretty much lived in that thing for the first few months of her life. It was how I kept blogging, playing WoW, cleaning my house (sometimes), and especially leaving my house. I remember seeing moms carrying around babies in their car seats before I was even pregnant and thinking of how inconvenient it looked. Actually, it turns out that carrying your baby in their car seat lowers their oxygen levels. So every time I was going somewhere—which was very frequently as I tried to leave the house every day to keep myself from getting depressed—I would put on the Sleepy Wrap before I left the house and she would go in when we got to our destination.

For a long time, I didn’t use anything besides the Sleepy Wrap (and I actually still use it when she’s asleep and we’re out and about). I even got a second Sleepy Wrap (organic even!) to review for my blog and it’s seen quite a lot of use itself. I made a sling from the Maya Wrap website (which was really easy by the way), but didn’t use it while she was still little. Now that she’s older, I use it all the time for a hip carry and occasionally for a back carry. I also have a pouch sling I use for hip carries too.

I would like to do more back carrying, but I can’t really figure out my Mei Tai. There’s a babywearing class at the Cafe this year that I’m going to go to and get some help. I’m planning on getting a Boba carrier soon. I think that now that Peanut is getting older and bigger, back carrying will become our main carrying position. Hopefully I can figure it out soon.

It’s such a shame that babywearing has gotten such a bad rap lately. I like to take every opportunity to teach other moms about babywearing so that they can do it right and safely—which definitely includes avoiding carriers sold in big box stores.

All-in-all, babywearing just makes sense. If I didn’t babywear when Peanut was little, I would have never gotten anything done and would have had a screaming baby much more often because arms can only hold eight pounds for so long. Babywearing has kept me going on nights where Peanut just wouldn’t sleep. Babywearing has helped me to continue to have a life with a high-needs infant. Babywearing has even made taking mass transit more convenient! Babywearing rocks!

 

 Here are more posts by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.

Sleepy Wrap Review

I’ve heard many moms say that if you’re only going to get one carrier, you should get a sling. I can see the convenience in one and I even made myself a Maya Wrap from the pattern on the website. I really, really wanted to like a sling, but for me, it was always the Sleepy Wrap.

Peanut has always been one of those babies that Has. To. Be. Held. ALWAYS. So when she was just under two weeks old, I dragged my postpartum self an hour away to go to a breastfeeding store called The Lactation Station. The lovely lady who owns the store (and is a lactation consultant who has many-a-times given me free advice may I add) explained all the carriers to me. I was immediately drawn to the Sleepy Wrap, but at the same time, horribly intimidated.

Tip #1: Have someone who knows the wrap show you in the beginning. They have wonderful tips online that I used multiple times in the beginning, but I don’t think I wouldn’t have figured it out (or it would have taken a lot more effort) without her physically putting it on me and Peanut into it.

The biggest reason why I love the Sleepy Wrap more than any sling is comfort. Slings make my shoulder hurt after a half hour. The Maya Wrap eventually makes both my shoulder and my hips hurt. I have literally—on many occasions—worn Peanut all day long in the Sleepy Wrap and it never hurts.

Tip #2: Breastfeeding in the Sleepy Wrap is difficult at first. To be more correct, breastfeeding is difficult at first. I got frustrated when I wanted to breastfeed her in it when she was just a couple months old and couldn’t figure it out. I think size plays a big part in the ease of breastfeeding in the wrap. Bouncing to get her down helps too.

I think holding her head up played a part in it. She has always had a strong neck, but there comes a point where she can hold her head up for long periods of time and not tire at all and that is where breastfeeding in the wrap suddenly got easy. Now I commonly breastfeed her while walking through the grocery store or the like.

As I said, I’ve had my Sleepy Wrap since Peanut was a newborn, but they were nice enough to send me an organic one for this review. I would definitely recommend spending the extra twenty dollars for the organic if only for the piece of mind. If your babe is anything like Peanut, you’ll be carrying them around in this constantly and their little baby skin will be touching the wrap all the time. Why not splurge a bit so you know that only the best is touching your bundle of joy? Also, I noticed that the organic Sleepy Wrap just feels softer. Softer = better for baby, right? lol

Tip #3: Dry on low heat! One thing I didn’t expect to notice with the organic versus non-organic is the elasticity. I think this has less to do with organic materials than the fact that I was drying my old wrap on normal in my dryer. With this new wrap, I’ve been drying it on a special mode that doesn’t actually heat, just blows air. Yes, it takes longer, but it’s worth it to preserve my wrap so I can use it with future children.

Have I talked you into getting one? I sure hope so, because I love it! And I have a coupon!! Use the code “Adventures” (get it, because I’m The Adventures of Lactating Girl?! hehe) at check-out on the Sleepy Wrap site and get 10% off your entire order! Yeah, I’m cool like that. I get you coupons and stuff. Coupon is valid until March 27th 2010.

Breastfeeding and Holidays

Welcome Carnival of Breastfeeding readers! This month’s topic is taking care of yourself during the holidays. Be sure to read the other Carnival posts listed below.

Before my La Leche League meeting in November, I hadn’t even thought of the possible difficulties of breastfeeding during the holidays. Even when they mentioned that “holiday weaning” would be the topic for the meeting that day, I thought it was kind of silly. Why would my baby wean just because it’s the holidays? It’s just like any other time of year and if anything moms might have more time to be around their babies during the holidays. The information I learned in my meeting invaluable and entirely changed my perspective on breastfeeding during the holidays. I feel I am now equipped with the tools to prevent holiday weaning. Here are some of my favorite tips.

Sling, sling, sling! Of course wearing your baby is a great idea where ever you go, but during the holidays it’s especially useful. You know how it is when you’re with family and everyone wants to hold the baby and next thing you know it’s two hours later and they baby comes back to you screeeeeeeeaming bloody murder. Quite often the baby has been hungry for a while, but which ever family member that had the babe at the time thinks “Oh, I can soothe this baby. I’ve soothed my babies. No need to inform the baby’s mother.” No, you can not soothe my baby. I can’t even soothe my baby without the boobs, so don’t even try. Wearing the baby means less people take them away from you. I’ve noticed that it means less touching too which is always an advantage during cold/flu season.
Bring babe with! This kind of goes along the same line as the first one because you’ll probably wear them in a sling while you’re out. Christmas shopping with a baby in a car seat or stroller sounds awkward, bulky, and stressful. I wear Peanut in my Sleepy Wrap all the time when we go shopping. It may feel tempting to leave the kiddo with someone else while you go shop when you have to drag all the gear with you, but in a sling it’s no big deal for them to tag along. Personally, I like having my little Peanut tag along. She’s mah sidekick!
Babies make perfect guests! What do you do when you’re invited to a no-children holiday function that you really want to go to? Bring them anyway! Well, to an extent. Most of the time when the invites say no kids they really mean no kids that walk and talk and run around like idiots and break things. If you show up with a little baby in a sling they’re just going to say awwwww how cuuuute. If you’re really worried about it, call ahead and talk to the host(ess) about bringing the baby and express that you’re only showing up babe in arms. If you do need (or want) to go to a holiday party sans baby, just keep it short enough that you’re back before the next feeding.

So good luck with your babe and the breastfeeding adventure. There’s no reason you should be tricked into weaning before you’re both ready. So remember breastfeeding is all about the supply and demand. Happy holidays!

Read these other Carnival of Breastfeeding posts:

Cave Mother: A Mother’s Christmas

Mama Knows Breast: A Breastfeeding Holiday Poem

Chronicles of a Nursing Mom: Don’t Forget the Pump!

Breastfeeding 1-2-3: Breastfeeding and Dehydration

Mommy News & Views: The Holidays and Being a Breastfeeding Mom

Hobo Mama: Breastfeeding and The Holidays

The Accidental Pharmacist: Motherhood Statement

Happy Bambino: How To Take Care of Ourselves During the Holidays

Breastfeeding Mums: Breastfeeding and the Holidays

Motherwear: Taking Care of Yourself During the Holidays]

Breastfeeding Moms Unite: Taking Care of a High Needs Baby During the Holidays

Blacktating: Advice for the Holidays

Can You Have Too Much Grey?

I would like to start off the post with the word “grey.” It bothers me that is can be spelled grey or gray. It also bothers me that my blogger is telling me grey is incorrect.

Peanut and I have been having mucho-funzo with our Sleepy Wrap. Serious. Godsend. Here is a horrid picture of us in the wrap. I’ve found that I’m never happy with pictures I actually try to take of myself.


Peanut has learned the wonders of mimicking. I stick out my tongue a few times, then she copies me. It’s quite wonderful actually. Though it does bring me to contemplate “When did Peanut turn into a baby?” She coos, she stands (with help), she smiles. It’s lovely.


In other news, we got Peanut’s birth certificate. And *drum roll please* they messed up. Can I say I’m suprised? No. Disappointed? Probably. So apparently Curtis delivered her (Birth Attendant: Curtis Lindstrom, Other) and it was even in West Haven (the city we live in), but it was at McKay Dee Hospital. For those of you who don’t know, that hospital is in Ogden. This is the hospital we went to after the delivery, but she was very much not born there. (see this blog) And, of course, it is incredibly difficult to get such information altered. Must have both parents signatures AND they must both be notorized. We’re going to just go into their office instead… assuming we’re allowed to do that. I did find it quite amusing that they ask why this change is necessary. Umm… because it’s WRONG? lol

OMG I’m A Mom!

As I sit here typing this blog, I have a 6 day old strapped to my chest with my Sleepy Wrap. She loves to be on my chest and so this thing is great.

She is wonderful. I wont say that I haven’t been frustrated at times, but I’m so amazed that I can love this little thing so much so quickly.

She is breastfeeding wonderfully. She was having some spit up problems in the beginning, but now she just does it a little. My milk has come in with a vengeance.

We had some problems with her sleeping at night. I’ve pretty much figured out that she needs to feed and then fall asleep on me. This means we’ve been sleeping on the couch. I’m kind of scared about her sleeping on me because she’s on her stomach and there’s blankets around and stuff, but my mom said she did it with me and my brother all the time. I just gave up trying to go to the bedroom last night and we actually got like 8 hours sleep (of course we woke up every few hours for feeding).

She has bacteria in her eye that the pediatrician gave us eye drops for. He said it’s not a big deal at all. Her skin is peeling around her eyes because he said the white blood cells go to her eyes and then she cries them out and they eat her skin. He also told us we need to start giving her vitamin D since I’m breastfeeding exclusively. And she sneezes and gets the hiccups a lot–both are normal. Also, she was born at 7 lbs 4 oz. At discharge she was 7 lbs even. Monday (3 days old), she was 7 lbs 2 oz. Tuesday she was 7 lbs 6 oz (not sure about this measurement… seems like a lot).

Her cord fell off yesterday. I don’t know what to do with it. I don’t exactly want to keep it, but I don’t want to throw it away either. We were doing disposable diapers until her cord fell off and were going to continue to do them until she gets to 8 lbs, but I tried one on her today. They’re cute.

As for me, I feel pretty good. My stitches itch a ton. I’ve only cried a little and it’s mostly when I really want to go to sleep at night. I also feel a little overwhelmed when we try to leave the house. I think that’s pretty normal. I also wish I had more Curtis time. It makes me sad that we can’t cuddle at night. We can both fit on the couch together though. Holy crap my belly is shrinking fast. It’s at about a month (of pregnancy) per day. If I went in public right now, people probably wouldn’t even think I was pregnant. I’m trying to watch out for depression though. Everyone around me is. I think I’ll feel even better once I can go on walks outside. The weather has been bad though.

Over all, things are good.