A few of my friends have been asking me questions about how I carry Hannah. I’ve been responding with lots of emails and pictures and links. Finally, I decided maybe this was worth a nice huge blog post. Maybe it will help my friends get some answers – and maybe, just maybe it will help some of my family members that are still trying to figure all of this out.

The Beginning – a Pouch
When Abby was 6 months old I decided to try a pouch. My friend Lynn had been using one and I wanted to see what it was all about. At the time, this wasn’t something you could buy in a local store. I had to purchase it online. This meant that I would need to do some research since I couldn’t just try it on at the local Target. I didn’t really know 100% what I was looking for. I had no clue what was available to me. I didn’t even really know the terminology to do a proper search.

I think Lynn had sent me a couple links to different online shops and I pretty much made a selection based on what I thought was pretty. And so began my infatuation with green. My very first pouch was made by Lucky Baby.

The very first one I purchased was too big. I took a picture in the mirror and emailed it to the company. They were fantastic to work with! They agreed she was hanging too low. In all reality she should be more “stuck” to me rather than hanging on me. We did a nice little exchange and I was set.

Abby was six months old and able to sit “Buddha” style. Her legs were crisscrossed in front of her.

At seven months she sat more in a cradle carry. Her legs were positioned out to the side.

The pouch crosses my back and curves around at my hip. This type of carrier spreads the babies weight all across my back and one shoulder. Pouches can be bought at WalMart, Target and Babies R Us now. You can get them as low as $20 and as expensive as over $50. I still think you will find the most variety at online shops.

This was a nice carrier. As time passed I started seeing other moms in the stores with pouches. I even got so gutsy as to offer assistance to a mom in the grocery store. She didn’t have hers on properly and I could see her struggling. I asked her if she wanted to know any tips that helped me get more comfortable and she was hugely appreciative. I did notice on that specific day though what a great carrier I picked! She had a different brand and it really felt like a sheet to me. It was very thin and only one layer thick. The Lucky Baby brand was two layers thick. One layer was a thin cotton – but the outer layer was a heavier fabric. One of the many lessons I’ve learned is that the heavier fabrics are nearly always more supportive.

I have done a shoulder flip in the first picture of me with Abby Buddha style. The black (lining) on my shoulder gives this away. I have not done a shoulder flip in the second picture. That is why the shoulder looks entirely green. The shoulder flip tightens the pouch just a bit. This pulls the baby closer to you. When your baby is closer to you it feels more like you are carrying your own weight rather than having the weight hanging on you. This could be compared to gaining 10 lbs and climbing the stairs or carrying a 10 lb backpack and climbing the stairs.

At this point I had found an addiction. It was so nice to be able to toss Abby in the pouch rather than pull out the stroller – especially for short in and out type things. Of course I could have carried her on my hip or in my arms – but I was realizing how lovely it was to have BOTH of my hands free.

Finding “My People”
When Abby was about a year old I started researching even more. I found an awesome website for babywearing. www.thebabywearer.com It was a bit awkward at first. I got the feeling that many of the moms that did this were just a little more crunchy than I was. All I did was carry and nurse my baby. I had the impression that I had to be into Attachment Parenting to feel like I could join this community. So, you know me, I simply asked. I started a thread to introduce myself and put it out there that I was carrying my baby for convenience. I waited to see the responses. And they were GREAT! I was welcomed by everyone! Of course there are tons of parents on this site that do Attachment Parenting and cloth diapering and cosleeping… but there were also others just like me. Just parents looking to ditch the stroller and get their hands freed up! Woo Hoo! I had finally found a pool of information. Thousands of people giving tips/advice/information every minute of every day!

More Support – Ring Slings
It was through this site that I first learned about ring slings. They allow you to carry the baby in the same types of positions as a pouch, but you can tighten them. This site also has a great Do It Yourself section. I did some more research and felt confident that I could make my own ring sling. There are a few very important things to remember if/when you make one. The rings are NOT craft rings. You cannot buy them at the craft or sewing store. You should buy them from a vendor that sells them especially for the purpose of carrying a baby. I purchased mine from www.slingrings.com Fabric is the second thing to pay attention to. It can’t be too thick/thin. You don’t want it too slippery or it will slide in the rings.

Jamey’s parents were coming for a visit to STL and they wanted to see the caverns. I was so excited that my rings arrived the day before they got there. I ran to JoAnns and bought a linen blend and started sewing. It wasn’t pretty, but it was functional. This is Abby in my DIY black ring sling at 15 months old. She could walk – but she could never walk the caverns. And they did not allow strollers in the caverns. This was my perfect solution!

When I got home and had a little bit more time I decided to make it a bit more pretty.

I also want to point out at this time the way Abby is seated in the pouch of the ring sling. You’ll notice that the sling comes all the way up to the back of her knees. You’ll also notice that her butt is lower than her knees. This puts the baby in a seated position. There is quite a bit of press about how this position is better for your baby and their spine rather than having them hanging by their crotch in a Bjorn type carrier. I just think I would rather sit in a carrier like this rather than hang??

Ring slings were quite a bit more supportive than the pouch. I could still carry on my front or side. I could even move her around to my back for a bit. But I noticed another carrier on the forum that would allow her to be totally on my back.

Tied Up in Mei Tai Love
A Mei Tai, pronounced MAY TIE – or MT for short – is the next carrier I decided to try. It really is quite intimidating when you see it.



The straps are super long. But once I tried one of these – I thought I had found my dream carrier. They are so supportive and spread the babies weight out over your entire back. I made this carrier as well. This is where I really learned the importance of heavy fabric. They recommend using a decorators fabric – like something you might upholster a chair with. They even recommend denim and duck cloth. I found that the very heavy fabrics made a world of difference in how much I loved the carrier. For instance this carrier is the first one that I made.
Now I love that I made it with an interchangeable panel — but unfortunately I didn’t use a heavy enough fabric. This carrier is only comfy for about an hour. Definitely not something I would take to the zoo with a toddler. It would work lovely for a small baby though.

So then I tried again. This time I made one with a decorators fabric on the outside and a heavy brown twill on the inside. Perfect! This is my perfect MT. I can carry a baby or a toddler for a very long time.

And finally I wanted to make one more with a bit different body style. This ones body is shaped more like a violin. I loved it. However, when I washed it… the fabric really lost its stiffness and I didn’t feel it supported Abby’s weight nearly as good as the polka dot MT. I really loved this fabric. This may be the reason we had a second child! I needed to carry a baby in this carrier

I think it was around this time that I converted my cousin to using MTs. We went to the zoo and did the stroller thing for a bit – but then I threw Abby on my back. She had brought a Snuggli type carrier.
The next day I made her an MT. After she got the hang of it – she loved it. The next time we went to the zoo, her baby was on her back and everyone was a tad more happy.

I used an MT even while I was pregnant with Hannah. You can tie the straps above or below your belly. I probably carried Abby until I was 6 months prego. I’ve seen women do it much longer – but I really only “needed” to do it a couple times while I was pregnant. So it wasn’t a big issue for me.

New Baby – New Carrier – Finding the Wrap Love
Along came Hannah. I had plenty of time to research new carriers while I was pregnant. I decided that I really wanted to try a stretchy wrap. Everyone raved about how supportive the wraps were. I wasn’t sure how on earth anything could be more supportive than an MT – but I wanted to try. I knew you could buy a Moby at Babies R Us. But they were nearly $30 or more. So I decided to buy some knit fabric and try it myself.

Hannah was born and she was wrapped! I have no clue why I don’t have any pictures of her any younger than this. But this is what I could find. What you see… and what I see

I think a stretchy wrap is the most lovey, squishy, perfect wrap for a newborn. You can tie it before you go out and just pop the baby in when you get to your destination. I think this is especially nice for moms that are worried about tying their baby over concrete in the parking garage and such. You can wrap their feet right up against you. They tuck right in and rest their head right on your chest and fall right to sleep. It is so peaceful.

I think where the stretchy wrap falls short is in how warm it is and how short of a time you can use it. It is pretty warm to have that much knit fabric wrapped around you during a St. Louis summer. And I don’t think I’d carry a baby over 12 lbs or so for very long. This carrier is also only safe when used on your tummy. I would never put a baby on my back in a stretchy carrier. I also think this is the carrier I see misused the most! There is a comfy way to use it and a very uncomfy way. Maybe the moms are just freaked out about being new moms? Maybe they think carriers should hurt your back a bit? I dunno? But when used properly, a stretchy wrap with a newborn is butterflies and rainbows

Wrapping with Gauze
So, as spring was approaching I decided I needed to try the gauze wraps. The biggest issue I had in switching to gauze was that it is no longer pop-able. I mean, I couldn’t wrap at home and then just pop her in in public. I had to master all of this fabric when I was out in the public eye. I also wanted Hannah on my back so I could have my arms/chest free to help Abby at the park. We all hopped in the car and drove back to JoAnns. It seems spring is one of the best times to get some nice gauze. I picked a blue color. I love this wrap. Super light and pretty supportive. Because gauze doesn’t stretch like a knit I could put her on my back. I think she was about six weeks old in this pic.

Once again, all snuggled next to Mommy, she went right to sleep.

As she got older and her legs got longer, she started stretching them out more. So wrapping changed a bit to accomodate this. Remember earlier I mentioned that the fabric should be spread out to their knees and their knees should be higher than their bum to put them in a seated position… ah! Perfect!

I could also put her on my front. My mother-in-law got some awesome shots when we went to visit at the campground.

Here she is sleeping. So her head is tucked in. This also kept her safe while I demolished a s’more.

She even went for a swing.

Oldie But Goodie
Oh! Remember that MT that I needed a second baby for? Here’s Hannah at one week old. This was a fantastic day with the entire family at the park!

Here we are trying it out at home. She’s under the hat.

And while we are off of wraps for the moment. I still grab a trusty ring sling for quick visits or if I know she’ll be getting in and out a lot. Here we are on the 4th of July.

Okay, okay, back to wraps. I was really impressed with a gauze (non stretchy) wrap. I thought I was getting pretty good at wrapping. It was also even more comfy than an MT. The fabric just seemed to curve around my shoulders. As long as I had a good clean wrap job I didn’t get pressure points. I had read that gauze wraps require some pretty good wrapping skills. Since the fabric is so thin, it needs to be placed just right so that everyone is comfy. But it can be comfy even with a big kid. I would never carry Abby in this wrap – but every once and a while she wants in on the action. So…

Learning About GSWs – Simon
I decided if I was going to wrap I was going to get the wrap that everyone was talking about. If you visit the babywearing forums, you’ll see them called GSW or German style wrap. All I knew was that they were super expensive, came in hundreds of different color/fabric combos, and they were measured in meters. Once I decided on a brand, Didymos, I had to find a color I liked. Most wraps are named by their colorway or how they appear based on color. The Didy I chose was named Simon. You have to remember that since these are German, you can’t just run out (even when you live in STL) and go find one. I had also read that it was best to buy one used!! Used?!?! Really?? Not only would I be buying it used… I would most likely be paying for the price of a new one! Okay, let me explain. You know how your favorite blue jeans are really really nice after you wear them for a day? Well that is how these wraps are. The more they are used and loved the softer they get. The softer they get the easier they are to manipulate when you are wrapping. So, now my search is narrowed even more! I’m in search of a Didy, colorway of Simon, around 4.6 meters, used! It was seeming impossible to find. Jamey was even helping me try to find a new one. We thought it might be our only hope. When all of a sudden, a fantastic mom on the babywearing forum sent me a private message. She said she had been reading my posts and thought the wrap she had might be perfect for me. And it was. She sent Simon to me on my birthday! She even sent a nice birthday card. I got Simon in the box with all of his instructions and manuals. Notice that it is in German… big help

Simon was out of the box and Hannah was wrapped! I tried every carry I knew that afternoon! She was on my back:

On my front:

On my hip:

Abby even wanted in on the action. So, I had to prove it to myself that I could do it! Up she went!

Hannah and I instantly fell in love with Simon. He is squishy and supportive and just plain wonderful! I think Hannah bonded with Simon, kind of like a blanket. This particular day she would not rest in her swing. I tried light blankets, heavy blankets, no blankets… then I tried Simon

Curacao
So now what? I love GSWs. The support is amazing. The options for carrying are endless. I typically use 3 different carries. I probably know 6 or 7 but there are tons more to learn. I decided to get one more wrap. A shorter one. This would be nice for the shorter carries that require less fabric – and great for summer. I decided on a different brand, a Hoppediz. I chose the colorway named Curacao. Once again, I was able to purchase this one used. This is super important because it can take months to break in a new wrap. Which is fine if you have other wraps to use daily while you break one it – but I wanted it already soft

My Favorites
I ran across so many pictures that brought back great memories as I was searching for different pics for this post. Here they are!

I love going to the zoo. I often go alone with the girls during the day. It is free and a beautiful place to have a nice walk. While I was looking at the pics I realized Abby wouldn’t have had this moment unless I was carrying Hannah. She isn’t big enough to ride on the carousel alone – and they don’t let you drag a stroller up there

And this year:

Another moment for Abby was at the Castle Park (it has a real name that I can’t remember) by SIUC. This is a HUGE wooden castle. It has so many tunnels and traps and stairs. Abby had a blast running through and I was right behind her – and Hannah was right behind me

We went apple picking with Aunt Weezer! We all rode on the tractor and then filled our bags. No strollers out there!

We like to do things as a family too! Those things don’t always include room for a stroller. Here we are returning from the lake at the campground:

We took Abby for a train ride on the Metro. It sure was easy hopping on and off with Hannah wrapped.

She slept for a bit and was awake for a bit.

We do the parks.

Hannah slept through a hayride!

We played in the hay at the pumpkin patch.

We went to a very special baseball game.

We hiked in the autumn leaves.

We cooked Thanksgiving.

Took a walk along the river…

I got to take Abby up into the train!

At the balloon festival Hannah slept while I had fries:

And she was awake when they lit the balloons. This particular day she was in numerous carriers.

The Fire truck Rally.

A birthday party.

I Still Love My Stroller
And after all of that you might think that I’m a stroller hater. Nope. I love my stroller. But I don’t want to be stuck to it. If Abby wants to walk we are up and running! Here we are at the zoo. A nice place to have a stroller for at least one of them

How Did I Learn To Do This?
How on earth did I learn to use all of these carriers? Well the forum that I mentioned earlier is great! The parents there make videos and step by step instructions. You can also see hundreds of videos on youtube! I practiced a lot with a doll in my front room over the couch. I also tried to teach Jamey and Kelly (this is the mom I typically hang out with during the week) what to look for while Hannah is in a carrier. This helps everyone feel more comfortable.

In Public
Usually I hear positive things like, “your baby looks so comfortable” or “snug as a bug in a rug” or “I wish they had those when my kids were small” or “that looks so much more comfy than a Bjorn”. I think that some people just don’t know what’s going on so they say something like, “I’ll bet that kills your back” or “I used to have one of those” or “That’s an interesting way to use a beach towel” and my favorite, “THAT BABY’S HEAD IS SNAPPED BACK!!” Ah yes. I love the haters! I try to remember there was a time I knew nothing about this too. These people are most likely just wanting to know more about what I’m doing so I try to give them a short and sweet answer and then go on with my business.

Wrapping in public, or putting a baby in an MT in public is something you have to be very careful with. It seems the world is filled with people wanting to help. I never noticed how many there were until they thought I was balancing a two month old baby on my back over concrete with a beach towel. Hehe. There is really no “balancing”. I’m either holding on to a part of the baby or she is tied against me with a part of the wrap. There are no crossed fingers in this game. This is my baby and I’m taking every precaution I can to ensure she doesn’t get hurt. But be warned. Total strangers will run up to you and grab the baby or your carrier and try to “help”. I’ve started scoping out the lots before I start wrapping to make sure that no one is running for me. When they actually do get a hand on me, the wrap or Hannah. I do my best to calmly (or not so calmly) tell them that I know where everything is. The moment they touch something I’m blind! I tell them they are more than welcome to watch but please please please do not touch me, the wrap or the baby. Also, as soon as I feel someone touch Hannah, I usually have her down and back into my arms in half a second. That in itself usually shocks the tar out of people. LOL

And for those of you wanting to learn. I’ll be happy to help. I’ve made videos for friends and family addressing their specific needs. Just let me know

Anything Else
What else can I add? Have I forgotten anything?