People have been wearing their babies for centuries. Babies love being held, and baby- wearing allows parents to satisfy their baby’s needs while still having the use of their hands. Whether you are a baby-wearing pro or haven’t tried it yet, you may have questions about the huge variety of carriers available.
Which type is best for you? Is there such thing as “the best carrier”? I recently talked with Meredith of Baby-Wearing Connecticut. She shared some of the benefits of baby-wearing and how their organization is making baby-wearing more accessible for families.
Why Baby-Wearing?
I love baby-wearing. As a postpartum doula, when I’m wearing a baby it’s because I need my hands free. I’m letting mama sleep or do what she needs to do while I’m tackling other things. “I found it really, really helpful when I had my young kids,” Meredith agrees. She started Baby-Wearing Connecticut to share her love and experience with other parents. “I think people come into baby wearing in different ways. Some people get hand-me-down carriers and they’re like, what do I do with this? And then other people know that they want to carry their babies but are kind of overwhelmed by how many options there are out there,” she explained.
Baby-wearing is about so much more than just having your hands free to get things done. “The carriers can be so helpful in mental health ways, like being able to get things done. But it can also be really nice and bonding. You know, just holding your baby and carrying them is so nice sometimes,” Meredith said. Baby-wearing can also be helpful if your baby is fussy or dealing with reflux or colic. “A lot of times when they’re held, they’re quiet, but then you can’t do anything. Or also some babies even struggle with holding,” Meredith explains, “Sometimes the carrier kind of like cocoons them in, and you know, some people say that they have sleepy dust in them. It doesn’t always work for every baby, but sometimes they can be really great too.”
Baby-Wearing Connecticut Meetups
Baby-Wearing Connecticut was born out of a desire to help parents and caregivers learn more about the benefits of carriers and how to choose the right one. There are so many different styles, and each one can be the “right one” for someone. The meetups help you decide which is right for you.
“We’re a nonprofit organization and our goal is just to help people with wearing their babies, either their own carriers or figuring out what carriers they want. And to do it safely,” Meredith shared. You can visit their website or Facebook and Instagram to see when and where the next meetups will be. “Anybody can come. It’s free and you don’t have to just be a parent too. It can be caregivers, it can be, you know, grandparents, babysitters. Everybody is welcome to come to our meetings,” she says. The meetings are low-key and tailored to meet the needs of those who come. Even if all you want to do is run in, get fitted, and run back out again, that is totally fine! Maybe you have a carrier you love for yourself, but it just isn’t working for your partner. They can come and get fitted for a carrier. Depending on who shows up, the meeting might be a full one-on-one demo of different types of carriers and how to use them, or it might be a question-and-answer session about particular carriers.
“We have the library of carriers so people can try them on, test them out. We have all
types of baby carriers, including wraps, ring slings, Meh Dai, Onbuhimo, buckle
carriers,” says Meredith. They also have one hiking frame carrier, “but we don’t bring that to every meeting because it’s very bulky. So, if somebody wants that, they can specially request it and then we can figure out everything after that,” she explained. They do bring all the other carriers to the meetups, and you can also see them on their website.
While the meetings are all free, Meredith explained that people can also become members. For just $30 for the year, you can check carriers out for a month at a time to see if you like them. Are you trying to decide what carrier you want to buy? Are you going on vacation and need a specific type of carrier? Simply don’t want to commit to one type of carrier? Then membership might be perfect for you! So when should you come try out carriers? Should you wait until after the baby is born, or can you come while pregnant? Meredith says, “We do have people that come in during pregnancy and I think it’s really helpful. We see a lot of people put carriers on the registry and then afterwards, they’re like, actually I don’t like it. Like I didn’t realize what this one was, or somebody just told me to put it on, but I don’t actually like it.” If you are expecting, attending a meetup will be a valuable experience before choosing what carriers you and your partner want.
Different Carriers for Different Purposes
As Meredith and I talked, we got into the features we really like in carriers, and she showed some of her favorite carriers. Be sure to watch the full interview to see the carriers in action. Just as there is no one carrier that is perfect for every family, you may find that you prefer a different style carrier as your baby grows. “I do love a stretchy wrap for the early days, but I don’t know that I really have a preference on the brand itself,” Meredith says. I like the Solly wrap, which Meredith says is great for summer babies since it is made of thinner material. “The rest of them are all so similar though,” she said. Stretchy wraps also have a more limited usage life. “The stretchiness is really great when they’re little because it makes them so cozy and cuddly. But as they get bigger, that stretchiness pulls their weight away from your body and it can cause a lot of things like back issues, not comfortable. So, I usually find by like 3 or 4 months, they’re outgrowing it,” she explained. Stretchy wraps are easily found in secondhand stores and through Facebook Marketplace or other communities because they are outgrown so quickly.
Ring sling carriers are similar to wrap carriers in that they are basically a large piece of fabric. Some find the ring sling to be intimidating, but that is where coming to a meetup can be so helpful. While we were talking, Meredith demonstrated how to use a ring sling and made it look so easy. “I love the ring sling for quick ins and outs. Because they’re stretchy you can tie it on you and then just like put baby in and take baby out. The hardest part about the ring slings is learning how to make a seat. But once you do it a few times, it’s literally just pulling it up in between you and baby, and that’s it. So, once you figure it out, it’s very easy.” Once the baby is a little bit bigger, you’ll want a carrier with a little bit more support. Buckle carriers can fill that role. There are many different models on the market now. “I like one that has the ability to adapt to an infant. Some of the older carriers you had to use an insert. It’s big and bulky and it gets kind of hot too. But I prefer one that goes down to an infant or can go bigger,” Meredith shared. She says one of her favorite brands is Kinderpack. They have carriers in a variety of sizes from infant to preschool age. Their infant carriers can be used from infant to 18 months. “Kinderpack is probably my all-time favorite buckle. I think I have one in every size for my kids. That’s the only carrier I still have and still use for my now five-year-old sometimes,” she said.
Don’t be Intimidated!
Don’t be intimidated by carriers. “Sometimes something can seem a little overwhelming, but then as soon as you do it once or twice, you’re like, ‘Oh, this wasn’t so bad.’ So, I would say, don’t be afraid to try new things,” Meredith says. Whether you are still on the fence about baby-wearing, or you are ready to give it a try, check out Baby Wearing Connecticut to find the meetup closest to you.
You can watch my full interview with Meredith on my Instagram.
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