Consider Babywearing Your In-Arms Child

With my older children, who are now four and five years old, I wore them in a carrier for a time, but they never really took to it like my son.

In the house, I don’t usually babywear. I’m satisfied with him being in arms as much as he likes, but as he’s becoming more mobile, he likes to have time on the floor frequently and taking him in and out of my Moby sounds like too much work. But when it comes time for our daily walk, he pants like an excited puppy. He is so excited to get in the wrap, that if I need to take him out for some reason, like to adjust the wrap or change his diaper, he gets rather upset.

I am an all-out advocate for providing nurturing touch. I think touch is important for everyone, whether young or old, but I think it’s often overlooked in child development. I also think that if you’re looking to get a little exercise, it doesn’t hurt to have an extra 20 pounds in baby strapped to you. I owe losing most of my pregnancy weight to breastfeeding, but I’m certain that carrying my baby is the key to great muscle tone at only six months postpartum.

For those new to babywearing, there are lots of different carriers available and slings and wraps usually have many different positions to put baby in. When my son was a newborn, I had him facing in with his feet tucked under, but now he will not tolerate any other position rather than facing out with his legs dangling. He wants to see the world!

I prefer the Moby wrap. I have three wraps – one for around the house and farm, one that rides around in the car for visits to the park or a friend’s house, and one that I keep clean and stain-free for church and family functions. These least expensive was $30 on sale online. One I received as a baby gift, and the other I purchased at the hospital where I gave birth for only $40.

Some people don’t like the Moby because it’s pretty much a very long piece of cloth and it can be a bit unwieldy in certain situations, for example windy days. That’s why there are many other brands out there. Any babywearing mom swears by her favorite brand of infant carrier.

Many natural parenting or attachment parenting stores or parents’ groups give the option of trying on and testing out different brands. Your friends may be able to share some pros and cons with you, too, on certain ones that they’ve tried out. For example, I love my Moby now but a different carrier would’ve worked better for me when my son was itty bitty. He didn’t like to nurse in the Moby, so I was constantly taking him out and putting him back in. Other mothers have no problem in nursing in the Moby. You have to know your child and respect her preferences, as well as your own.

But if you try out babywearing and your child prefers being held, that’s OK, too. You’re not doing anything wrong. Some mothers new to babywearing may give off a vibe that a baby will pick up on and then reject the carrier. But some babies just don’t like the carrier – they want to be in your arms. It may not be as convenient, but I know from personal experience that you’ll have great-looking biceps!