BabyWearing - Why You Should Do It

With my first child, Gabriel, I could sit and hold him all day. I was able to do everything I needed to while he was napping. I tried to use a sling I bought from the local store, but he never liked it and I was never comfortable. Plus, I really didn't need it, I could hold him all of the time. When I wasn't holding Gabriel, my husband or any of his many grandparents were happy to do it for me.

Along comes my second child, Carys. Gabriel was two and a half and toddling around like crazy. I thought I would need something to help me keep up with the him. I knew I wouldn't like the same sling I had bought before and I had found a front loading pack from a garage sale. This worked pretty well, once Carys was holding her head up at about two and a half months. It was still really hard on my back though, so I resorted to holding her a lot also. The thing was, Gabriel was pretty independent. He never needed me to hold him. I could keep him confined to a space really easily with the use of gates, and we had an easy time.

When I found out I was pregnant with a third child, the idea of wearing my baby came up again. I knew this time I would need to be able to wear my baby. First of all, my daughter, who is now three and a half, is very much a mommy's girl. She still wants to be held a lot. And she wants to be next to me at all times. I knew this would be a challenge when the new baby came. Another problem I thought I would experience is getting out of the house. I would be a women with three kids and only two arms. I was worried about going to the store or the playground and keeping up with the two older kids,.

So I started doing my research. I wanted to find something that would be comfortable for me and the baby, easy to use, and supportive. Little did I know there is much more to choose from than the few selections you will find in the store.

I ended up getting one sling and one wrap. Here is how I came up with these choices:

• Word of mouth - I asked around. I talked to all of my mommy friends. I even stopped moms in the store and asked how they liked their slings or wraps.

• Searched the internet - This is was helpful. Some websites I looked at were thebabywearer.com, theslingstation.com, and babyinasling.com

• Tried them out - After finding several I thought I would like, I went to some retail stores that carried them and tried them out. I also made sure when I bought a sling or wrap, I would be able to send back if I didn't like it.

• Searched for deals - I had decided I wanted to try the hotsling brand sling and a moby wrap. There was one place in town that sold them and they were pretty expensive. I looked online for deals. Some of the websites have buy, sell, trade forums. I also checked ebay and eventually bought both from an ebay store. They were new and The seller assured me that I would be able to send them back for a refund if I did not like them.

Now that my third child, Lena, is one month old, I can tell you that wearing a baby is the way to go. Right now, I use the Moby Wrap more than the hotsling. It supports her head and we can go just about anywhere - the grocery store, the playground or even the mall - without worrying about my oldest two running off. I can have them both holding my hands and have Lena in my wrap. I am sure I will use the hotsling more later, as Lena learns to hold her head steadier.

There are many different types of slings and wraps you can get to wear your baby. My advice is to do your research. Ask around, search the web, try them out, and look around for the best deal. I think that there is a perfect wrap or sling for everyone.