"Baby wearing" as it's called, only came to my attention after the hospital gave us a booklet on how to comfort your crying child. This was accompanied by a pamphlet called "42 reasons to hold your child". The booklet pointed out that many modern parents tend to over use prams, bouncers and bassinets in their daily routines. It seemed that the hospital was concerned about busy modern parents letting their babies "cry it out", when research indicates that this is not appropriate for children under one. Parenting philosophies aside, if there was a way to comfort my baby and have my hands free at the same time, I was interested.
A stroll around my local shopping centre proved that I was not alone. I quickly lost count of the number of happy moms wearing baby wraps with content little ones. We also spotted our friend overseas on Facebook, holidaying in Egypt and wearing a Moby baby wrap with her three-month-old son. We asked her about it and she wholeheartedly recommended one to us.
I was also interested in the baby wrap due to the soft wide material. It does not dig into your body like the straps of a backpack. It gently wraps around your body instead, going around your shoulders and hips. It creates a pocket for baby that evenly distributes their weight, and avoids the sensation of your shoulders being pulled forward and thus avoiding neck pains.
There is a small learning curve to get used to the wrapping procedure. I had to watch a number of online videos and study the step-by-step instructions before I mastered the technique. The length of material means it can be awkward to get on while you are out, therefore I always put the wrap on before leaving the house. Eventually it becomes as natural as tying your shoelaces. You can wear your child in different positions as baby grows and develops leg and neck control. It's just a matter of tying a different "knot".
There are many different brands and they only cost about $50. After reading all the positive testimonials from doctors, online reviews, and trusted friends, we ended up buying the Moby Wrap, and it has turned out to be one of the most useful items we own.
Since baby was born, I have always taken him places in the wrap and left the pram at home for power walking only. As a baby wearer I am hands-free, able to fill out forms, carry shopping, push the trolley, answer my phone, breastfeed, or eat a meal myself. Baby is safe and with me at all times. He goes off to dreamland quickly and heavily, which is a fabulous gift after a long day.
