Babywearing

What is Babywearing?

Babywearing is a means of carrying your baby against your body as opposed to a stroller or other impersonal means of carriage that are on wheels. It is a wonderful way to continually bond with your baby as you go through the day engaging in different activities. Since your baby is always with you; you are continually aware of his or her safety and needs. Also, they provide you with freedom and flexibility to accomplish more in your day.

There are several babywearing options available to carry your baby in style and comfort. The following are a few such available options:

• Mei Tais: The Mei Tai (pronounced "may tie") is a modern take on a traditional Chinese baby carrier. It is designed with wide comfortable straps that keep your baby in place in a face-to-face position with you.
• Pouch slings: These resemble a messenger bag type design. The extra large over-one-shoulder pouch with strap holds your baby close to your torso. The pouch sling can be adjusted in several ways to move the baby closer to your face, breast or to simply position your baby in different ways. We love the convenience factor of pouch slings - easy to use and take up little space in a diaper bag.
• Ring slings: These are similar in design to pouch slings and are also fully adjustable to enable easy feeding, as well as changing the baby's positioning. In this design, rings are used instead of knots/seams...you can think of it as a shawl with rings on the end. Some have padding for your shoulder, while others don't. We like ring slings for newborns and toddlers (in the up-anddown phase).
• Soft structured: These are worn like a backpack (forwards or backwards) and we love them for their body-to-body contact. Some designs have the added versatility of pockets for storage and hoods (for shielding baby from the elements). Soft-structured carriers are great for babies 4 months through toddler age. They can be used with newborns too, but may require a special insert.
• Wraps: Also called "wrap-arounds", these slings do not have any buckles, buttons, or straps. It is a simple and easy to use one-piece adjustable wrap made from comfortable fabric. After a few practice rounds, you'll have mastered a wrap. Natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, hemp, wool, and silk are the best, most breathable option.

At The Baby Grocery Store, we can help you choose what wrap will best work for you and your little one. We even have "Babywearing" classes where you can learn and practices the basics.