When Did You Stop Wearing. . .

your child?

I'm 17-weeks pregnant today and I still wear my 3-year old fairly often.  Yes, I know he can walk.  Yes, I know that he's not a "baby" any longer.  Yes, I know that several people think I'm totally bonkers for wearing him at all - especially while pregnant AND in the hot Summer months.

Why do I still wear him?  Mainly because wearing him is sometimes the safest and easiest option when we're in public and he's only 3-years old so his legs tire far easier and earlier than mine.  Also, he's pretty tall and it's becoming impossible to find a stroller that he can comfortably ride in for any long periods of time.  And, I confess, whether at home or in public, both my son and I like the closeness that wearing him provides.

I weighed him today and he's finally 30-pounds.  I realize that he's far from being a heavy load, but I know that my back will only continue to ache and it will get worse as this pregnancy progresses.  At this point, however, it's not that big of a deal to toss him on my back in the Ergo or the Boba or to let him ride on my hip in the pouch or the ring sling.

But the clock is ticking and I will have to decide pretty quick when I'm going to stop wearing him.  I don't want to bar him from riding on my back or hip too close to my due date because I don't want him to draw the connection that his loss of ridership privileges is the baby's fault.  Depending on how I deliver this baby, I may not even be able to pick him up for weeks afterward - let alone hitch a ride for extended periods on my body.  Besides, I'm assuming that I'll be wearing the baby all cozied up in a wrap so that only leaves my back available for toddler rides anyway.

So, back to my original question, when did you stop wearing your child(ren)?  Did you wear your kiddos during pregnancy?  When did you stop wearing them if you wore them in pregnancy?  Was your older child jealous that the new baby was being worn and they were not?  If you had a c/s, did the older child ever want to be worn again once you were able to wear them?

The Bloom Hasn't Worn Off Sakura Bloom

Have you ever quietly lusted after an impossibly unpractical object?  I've been doing that for months now over Sakura Bloom ring slings.  I'm partial to their Artisan silk ring slings (like the one on the left), but they are all incredibly beautiful.  Check out their website to see for yourself.

I may stay home with my son, but we are not rich.  I'm not in a financial position to purchase such an extravagant baby item and I really don't need another baby carrier.  I'm not a fancy dresser and I certainly would have little reason to show off such a delightfully lovely sling.  But, geez, these are so gorgeous that I can't stop myself from dreaming about how pretty I might look toting my little Tot in a sweet silk sling.

Somehow in this daydream, I don't have messy eyebrows in desperate need of plucking.  Grey hairs aren't winning the battle on my head.  The wrinkles on my forehead miraculously disappear.  I'm thirty pounds lighter and four inches taller.  And I'm wearing my boy in an utterly stunning ring sling.  Yeah, I guess you could say that I've thought about these slings a lot! 

My eyes popped out of my head when I realized that I might be able to win one.  And, if you're interested, you might be able to win one too.

Nurture Baby Naturally has a giveaway for three Sakura Bloom ring slings once they hit a certain amount of Facebook fans.  They will be giving away two Pure slings, which are a single layer of Irish linen, and one Simple sling, which is a double layer of dupioni silk.  Check out Nurture Baby Naturally on Facebook to find six ways to enter to win.

It's already blazing where I live and, as my readership knows, I've been belly-aching over how hot it is to wear my son in the ERGO or the pouch.  However, a ring sling of linen or silk. . .ah, how refreshingly light it must feel!  Oh, Sakura Bloom, how I covet your slings!

Warm Weather Babywearing

Summer is nearly here and the heat is on!

I was looking over my stash of baby carriers to find the coolest possible solution for wearing my toddler during the hot Summer months. My son weighs between 25 - 30 pounds, but I still wear him a lot. I haven't used the stroller in weeks because, between the ERGO and the Maya Wrap Adjustable Pouch, he's perfectly content to hitch a ride on my back or on my hip.

I'm sure that some are surprised that wearing such a heavy toddler is possible without breaking the wearer's back. I think it's totally comfortable if you use the correct carrier in the correct carry. I can only tolerate front carrying, for example, for a few minutes before my lower back begins protesting. On the other hand, I can carry him on my back or on my hip for HOURS without experiencing any pain. Similarly, using a crotch-dangle baby carrier (like the Baby Bjorn) wouldn't be comfortable for either of us for any long period of time. Using a wide-seated carrier that allows the child to "frog" out their body (legs spread, knees bent & drawn up higher than their bottom) is comfortable for hours at a time.

My only complaint about babywearing at this point is that it is already hot in my neck of the woods and our combined body heat just slays me some days. The ERGO and my Maya Wrap Adjustable Pouch, while supportive and comfortable for the two of us, are constructed of a canvas-like material and they don't exactly breathe easily. My ring sling is made of a more gauzy material, but I just can't wear him for hours in the ring sling. However, I'm still learning how to wear and adjust the ring sling, so I'm hoping that it gets more comfortable in time. At this point, I can only wear him in it for about an hour or so.

I'm tapping the knowledge and experience of my readership to help find a Summertime babywearing solution. What are your favorite baby carriers for warm weather babywearing?

A Looong Day of Babywearing

My son stepped on the digital scale this morning and I mentally made a note of his current weight. 26.6 pounds. This is interesting because I wore my son in the ERGO for six hours today. He spent four hours on my back and two hours in front while I desperately tried to get him to take a nap.

I have to say that I am more impressed with the ERGO each time I use it. Initially, I didn't care for it and I found back-carries to be difficult at best. Somewhere along the line, I have become very good at hoisting my kiddo over my head and onto my back. I still feel like a weirdo when I bend over at the waist so I can reach the straps, but I can't figure out another way to grab them. I've also learned that it is far more comfortable for me if I wear the waist strap down at hip level.

I'm excited to report that my back doesn't hurt. My shoulders don't hurt. Nothing hurts at all even though I wore a 26.6 pound toddler for six hours!

I still love my pouch and I'm still enjoying my ring sling, but the ERGO is definitely one of my three favorite carriers for toting my toddler. Here is my order of preference: pouch, ERGO, ring sling.


What carriers do you like for toting your babies or toddlers?

A Couple of Milestones

Milestones are always exciting to me. They break up otherwise typically predictable days and they are solid evidence of growth. Today was a day of milestones!

I love wearing my son. I've worn him since he was a newborn and, though he's a toddler, I still wear him now. My favorite carriers and my favorite carrying positions have changed as my son has grown. My formerly favorite stretchy wrap has long since been retired - at least until the next little one comes along. Front carries (always facing in toward Mama) in soft structured carriers (SSCs) didn't last much longer.

I know most people associate pouches with wearing tiny babies, but I prefer to wear him in a hip carry in a pouch these days. The pouch is remarkably simple to use and I've comfortably worn him in it for hours at a time. I also like the ERGO because back carries are also comfortable when wearing a 25- to 30-pound child. My main problem with the ERGO is that I find it difficult to put him on my back without help. Well, something clicked today and, for the first time ever, I was able to put him in a back carry all by myself!

My son also did something new today. He was asking about the box of goodie bags on our dining room table and I replied that they were for his birthday next month. I asked if he knew how old he was going to be and let him know that he'd be two. He threw his arms up in the air, similar to a prizefighter's victory pose, and shouted, "TWO!" That's a new word for my little guy! When I began to sing the Happy Birthday song, he added in the "cha, cha, cha" at the right spot. That's another first!