BabyWearing

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a penchant for carrying my children around in cloth carriers, on my front when they are tiny and then on my back.  I discovered slings when my eldest son was born.  He was a little bundle of frustration who cried almost constantly it seemed.  those early months were a far cry from what I had imagined motherhood to be like.  I'd thought I'd be a real yummy mummy,  sauntering around in high heels with our silver cross pram and a baby gurgling contentedy in it while people snuck a glance in to admire how lovely he was.  Of course I thought he was lovely (some of the time) but a lot of the time he was a red faced, screaming little person who seemed quite cross about being on the planet.

He was born around Christmas time and our first trip out he started screaming, that heartbreaking cry that newborns do...and I've vowed that I would never let one of my babies cry on their own without cuddles so I picked him up.  I couldn't figure out how to carry a floppy screaming, distressed newborn and push his pram and I was getting stressed because being Christmas time it was madly busy and we were getting in everyones way.  I dived into mothercare and the shop assistant showed me how to put on one of their front pack carriers.  Instantly he settle in there and was asleep.  Amazing!...and what a revelation.  I put the pram back in the car and carried on my shopping with  a baby snuggled contentedly on my chest. 

We only gave that pram one more outing before giving up on it in favour of the sling and it was then relegated to my grandmothers spare room where 2 more children later, we realised we weren't going to use it - ever..and it was passed on to someone in need. 

The trouble with the sling I bought on the highstreet was that as soon as my son got to about 10lb in weight it started to hurt my shoulders, plus all those buckles were so complicated, getting him in and out again was not easy- so I turned to the internet for more comfortable, easy to use options.  I was pointed toward a wrap sling made from jersey material that you could pop the baby in and out of easily, that held them close and which distributed their weight so well accross my back that I could carry my son the way he needed all day in comfort...and my sling obsession grew from there. I've carried all three children in lovely slings that are easily available over the internet but sadly don't often appear in highstreet stores.

I was thrilled when a friend returned from her travels in Africa with a traditional baby carrier - a beautiful rectangle of material called a kanga.  It has an inscription on it that says something like 'a happy house is a happy family'.  My friend said she saw them being worn all over on one shoulder - like this .

and here is my version of that carry - apparently they wouldn't spread it out at the shoulder like I have done, no idea why not as it distributes the weight so much better and is so much more comfy.  My daughter is 21 months old and just starting to want to walk, or rather to run lots of places.  It will be really handy to keep this carrier at the bottom of my bag - I can keep up with her while she explores, without having to maneuvre a puschair as well and then when her legs get tired I can pull out the carrier  and she can be carried while I have my arms free to continure doing what I'm doing.  She can safely watch the world from this great vantage point she has or even have a little snooze.