We never used our first carrier. In fact we owned it for less than a day. We received an Infantino sling (which we had registered for) as a baby shower gift, and then found out that it had been recalled, so back to the store it went!
Between the time we had registered and when we received the sling as a shower gift I had learned a little more about babywearing and the options available. Our next carrier was a Moby wrap. The first couple of times using the Moby with Addisyn were awkward and intimidating, but I persevered and loved the results! On several occasions I nursed her, put her in the Moby where she fell asleep, and then she slept while we ate and watched a movie with friends.
I had also been told that Ergobaby carriers were fantastic and very comfortable, and learned how much better they were for baby's skeletal development than so-called "crotch-danglers" (carriers where baby is basically suspended by their crotch, with legs hanging straight down, as opposed to being in a more seated position with knees above their bottom). When Addisyn was around 2 months old we ordered an Ergo carrier and infant insert just before I was taking Addisyn on her first airline flight. It was a fantastic investment! I used it around the house, at the store, at the zoo, on trips and hikes. Lifesaver!
But, we were living in Texas, and during the summer it is hot, hot, hot. So when spring rolled around again and the temperature started to rise I wanted something a little cooler. We traded in the original Ergo for a Performance Ergo - much cooler and lighter. The Performance carrier itself is 1/3 lighter than the original, but I was surprised at how much lighter Addisyn felt in it.
In the In the babywearing community, the Moby wrap is affectionately referred to as a "gateway wrap", and it was. A friend of mine peaked my interest in woven wraps (a much better wrap for 15+ pound babies, with more wrapping options than the stretchy Moby wap) and I really wanted to get one for our second baby. My grandparents got us a size 6 Girasol at a baby gift - I was thrilled, and a little intimidated. It was beautiful, and 4.6 meters (again, size 6, and the standard length for a woven wrap)- so much fabric! I began searching YouTube for instructional videos (there are plenty) and tried out some basic back carries with Addisyn. It didn't work out so well... Addisyn wasn't all that interested
in being wrapped and I was a newbie. On top of that I was 5 months pregnant, and being bent over with a 28+ pound toddler on my back for extended periods while I fumbled through a wrap wasn't the most comfortable thing. So I decided to just wait for the baby to arrive. Instead of wrapping, I set to
work breaking the wrap in. Washing, braiding, and just generally manipulating the fabric to soften it up and make it nice and flexible for the easiest wrapping when I did try it again.
Babywearing has been invaluable with Elizabeth! She is a much higher-needs baby than Addisyn was, and gets unhappy quickly if she's put down (though she tolerates it more and more as she gets a little older). I also have a 2.5 year old to keep up with, meals to cook, and general odds-and-ends things to do at home. The Moby was the go-to carrier for the first few weeks because it was the easiest for me, and excellent for carrying newborns. Then one day we had a regurgitation event and therefore laundry day for the Moby. Time to put the Girasol, and myself, to the test!The first rule of wrapping is that you can't wrap too tightly. My initial attempts were too loose, but practice makes perfect, and it's improving. There really is a pretty substantial learning curve that comes with using woven wraps. It's a lot of material to work with and there are so many different
ways of wrapping. There are relatively few "poppable" carries (carries that allow you to pop baby in and out while the wrap remains tied on you) so most of the them require holding the baby while beginning the wrap.After a few weeks I worked up the nerve to try a back carry - an intimidating thought, but relatively easy as I had had plenty of practice putting Addisyn on my back in the Ergobaby carrier. Wearing her on my back definitely makes it easier to play with Addisyn and do things around the house. It will be several more months before I will be able to carry her on my back in the Ergo carrier as she has to have very good head control. I think Addisyn was around 6 months when I started doing back carries in the Ergo with her.
As I've become more confident with wrapping I find that the wrap is all I want to use most of the time. Then we had another regurgitation incident with the Girasol, and I decided then and there that I wanted to get a second woven wrap as a backup, and began looking around. I settled on a Storchenwiege Leo Turkis, and requested it as a birthday gift from my husband. It came, I wrapped, I love!This time around I have definitely been bitten by the babywearing bug - I want to try them all! But good baby carriers aren't cheap. So, I've delved into making some for myself! I started with a mei tai, which turned out well, though there are some changes I'd like to make. I also made a podeigi, more for curiosity's sake than anything. I intend to buy some linen in the future to make and dye a couple wraps myself as well - spring/summer is approaching, and a lighter weight, more breathable wrap without the triple digit price tag would be nice.
