International Babywearing Week 2016
Starting from yesterday, it's the annual International Babywearing Week.
Last year we were doing it actively (I can't believe I had a 4 month old baby back then! :)), and I wrote about it too.
This year, in some way you could say we are having a babywearing pause (I am not babywearing Adelaide anymore due to my growing pregnancy), but.. not really, because - there is still Husband, who can and does babywear! :)
I love, when he does it, as it is so nice.. When a father can be as involved parent as the mother, and enjoy it too, as a result they have a great bond, and Adelaide is equally attached to both of us. I'm saying equal, but it doesn't mean identical - probably mother always is the mother, and daddy has a different role, but they are equally important and active. And this makes life easier and more pleasant for everyone as well - she sometimes needs and wants one of us, other times the other, we both can put her to sleep and so on. This definitely will be a big plus, once the second baby arrives.
But back to babywearing..
We don't do it often now, not on a daily basis.. As there really is no need. She gets plenty of cuddles and closeness anyway (just sitting in our lap, or laying with us) and we don't go out anywhere much - mostly we are at home, going in our yard or taking toddler walks.
When going out more - yes, that's when babywearing comes really handy for us. Especially in trips or walks, then it's the best. To shops.. maybe less, we don't go often, but when we have, we have used the stroller.
And she loves it. :)
I think we still will carry her around for some time, like in trips or hikes, possibly still in the next summer, we'll see.
So, but even though I am taking a break at the moment, it's just for a moment, as I am prepared to babywear soon and a lot, again. Babywearing with the second child - that's one thing I'm counting on a lot! It was very useful and actually irreplaceable already with the first one, but with the second.. (And especially with the age the difference they will have!) I think it will be a question of survival.
As much as I hear, it can get very difficult, when children have such a small age difference, especially in the beginning - the older one is very jealous of the little thing taking away mommy, they can try to pull them away, hurt them, make breastfeeding, for example, almost impossible! And you need to breastfeed the little one.. a lot! And hold pretty much all the time as well.. So, how would it ever be possible, when there is a little toddler, who also needs almost constant attention?! My answer is going to be, I hope - babywearing! I'm prepared to have the new baby wrapped up all day long, every day, if that's what will be best for everyone. Also breastfeeding is possible, while baby is in the wrap, I didn't do it very much with Adelaide, but I'm prepared to do it a lot this time, as it might upset Adelaide less - out of the sight..
I have even quite a few wraps prepared - in the beginning mostly planning on using the same blue Ellevill Zara wrap that I used with Adelaide, it was good for a newborn. Then I bought a Yaro linen wrap, which I'm planning to use, once the baby gets bigger and heavier, perhaps - in the summer (as linen also helps to keep temperature cooler)! I also have two ring slings, which might be good for breastfeeding in them. And the carrier.
Let's hope it going to go as smoothly as I am hoping.. :)
But for now - happy babywearing to everyone, it is the best! If you haven't tried, do it.
P.S. Once finishing this, I remembered I actually have wanted to write about correct (ergonomic) babywearing.. As, no matter how nice it is to be babywear, it is equally important to do it correctly, to not hurt the child's health. Sadly, too many people, wishing well, do it.. wrong. Yes, wrong, as there are many carriers (it's harder to do it wrongly with a wrap) out there, that are actually NOT ergonomic (meaning, bad for your child), no matter what the producer says on the box.
I will not get more into it, but - all of the Baby Bjorn carriers are BAD. Do not buy them, do not use them. They do not provide a correct positioning for the child. Also, carrying, when child is facing out, is BAD. It does not and cannot provide a correct positioning, even though many parents believe their children like it (there are alternatives - carrying correctly on the hip, on the back or high up, so that the child can see better). These are two of the biggest mistakes.. I do not say it to offend anyone, just if you have done one of them or have any doubt - search more and perhaps consult with an ergonomic babywearing specialist! :)
Last year we were doing it actively (I can't believe I had a 4 month old baby back then! :)), and I wrote about it too.
This year, in some way you could say we are having a babywearing pause (I am not babywearing Adelaide anymore due to my growing pregnancy), but.. not really, because - there is still Husband, who can and does babywear! :)
I love, when he does it, as it is so nice.. When a father can be as involved parent as the mother, and enjoy it too, as a result they have a great bond, and Adelaide is equally attached to both of us. I'm saying equal, but it doesn't mean identical - probably mother always is the mother, and daddy has a different role, but they are equally important and active. And this makes life easier and more pleasant for everyone as well - she sometimes needs and wants one of us, other times the other, we both can put her to sleep and so on. This definitely will be a big plus, once the second baby arrives.
But back to babywearing..
We don't do it often now, not on a daily basis.. As there really is no need. She gets plenty of cuddles and closeness anyway (just sitting in our lap, or laying with us) and we don't go out anywhere much - mostly we are at home, going in our yard or taking toddler walks.
When going out more - yes, that's when babywearing comes really handy for us. Especially in trips or walks, then it's the best. To shops.. maybe less, we don't go often, but when we have, we have used the stroller.
We are using our Tula Baby Carrier at the moment, I was afraid it will be too small for her (they have a Toddler size as well), but actually it's not. It still fits perfectly. We are really, really happy with our Tula, it is comfortable, fast and easy to put on - for example, in Georgia, if she had fallen asleep in the car, we could take her, put her in the carrier, and she wouldn't even wake up.
And she loves it. :)
I think we still will carry her around for some time, like in trips or hikes, possibly still in the next summer, we'll see.
So, but even though I am taking a break at the moment, it's just for a moment, as I am prepared to babywear soon and a lot, again. Babywearing with the second child - that's one thing I'm counting on a lot! It was very useful and actually irreplaceable already with the first one, but with the second.. (And especially with the age the difference they will have!) I think it will be a question of survival.
As much as I hear, it can get very difficult, when children have such a small age difference, especially in the beginning - the older one is very jealous of the little thing taking away mommy, they can try to pull them away, hurt them, make breastfeeding, for example, almost impossible! And you need to breastfeed the little one.. a lot! And hold pretty much all the time as well.. So, how would it ever be possible, when there is a little toddler, who also needs almost constant attention?! My answer is going to be, I hope - babywearing! I'm prepared to have the new baby wrapped up all day long, every day, if that's what will be best for everyone. Also breastfeeding is possible, while baby is in the wrap, I didn't do it very much with Adelaide, but I'm prepared to do it a lot this time, as it might upset Adelaide less - out of the sight..
I have even quite a few wraps prepared - in the beginning mostly planning on using the same blue Ellevill Zara wrap that I used with Adelaide, it was good for a newborn. Then I bought a Yaro linen wrap, which I'm planning to use, once the baby gets bigger and heavier, perhaps - in the summer (as linen also helps to keep temperature cooler)! I also have two ring slings, which might be good for breastfeeding in them. And the carrier.
Let's hope it going to go as smoothly as I am hoping.. :)
But for now - happy babywearing to everyone, it is the best! If you haven't tried, do it.
P.S. Once finishing this, I remembered I actually have wanted to write about correct (ergonomic) babywearing.. As, no matter how nice it is to be babywear, it is equally important to do it correctly, to not hurt the child's health. Sadly, too many people, wishing well, do it.. wrong. Yes, wrong, as there are many carriers (it's harder to do it wrongly with a wrap) out there, that are actually NOT ergonomic (meaning, bad for your child), no matter what the producer says on the box.
I will not get more into it, but - all of the Baby Bjorn carriers are BAD. Do not buy them, do not use them. They do not provide a correct positioning for the child. Also, carrying, when child is facing out, is BAD. It does not and cannot provide a correct positioning, even though many parents believe their children like it (there are alternatives - carrying correctly on the hip, on the back or high up, so that the child can see better). These are two of the biggest mistakes.. I do not say it to offend anyone, just if you have done one of them or have any doubt - search more and perhaps consult with an ergonomic babywearing specialist! :)
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