Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Baby wearing

I am an advocate of baby wearing! Fun and convenient.
We have two types of baby carries right now. One is a Snugli. It is rugged with buckles and straps and is very easy to put on. Greg has a strong preference for this particular one, and it is the one that was deemed acceptable for my Fitmom classes by the instructor.
Our other type of carrier is a wrap. The one I have is basically an extremely long piece of semi-stretchy fabric in a spit-up friendly shade of tan. It is soft and can accomodate a variety of tying techniques. It is called the cuddly wrap and is made by Peapod creations (which is a Canadian company). I picked it up at the Extraordinary Baby Shoppe which happens to be located only a few blocks from my home. They stock cloth diapers, slings, shoes, breast feeding pumps, maternity and breastfeeding apparel and the store is run by a very friendly and helpful lady. When I decided I wanted to purchase a soft-type carrier (alternating carriers ensure that I don't always get sore in the same locations), I had an idea in mind (based on online research), that I would get a pouch style carrier. Basically, a pouch is the simplest style of carrier. It is worn like a purse and you just drop the baby inside. I decided that I would try carriers on with Rebecca rather than just order online. I was so glad I did. She detested the pouch and I wasn't particulary fond of it either. I also tried a sling with a metal ring, but again, we were not big fans. Ultimately, we went with the wrap despite the fact that I was really intimidated by it initially. The lady in the store brought out this incredibly piece of fabric which she tied about me in what appeared to be a very complex manner. While the idea of something simple appealed to me, in the end, I had to admit to myself that both Rebecca and I prefer the wrap. It didn't put any strain on my back, neck or shoulders, it was comfortable and she was quite snuggly and happy inside it. I decided to brave the learning curve and I am so glad I did! Now I have converted my Dad to the wearing of the baby. I will post a picture of this as soon as I can get Greg to upload images off our digital camera.
More info on babywearing:
http://wearyourbaby.com/

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