This is a group shot of the Northwest Babywearers, a local non-profit. I am working on their website redesign, and (slowly) processing photos from the shoot. I am hoping to get some more photos of the group at Greensprouts this weekend.
Babywearing is what has given me the ability to run a business while raising my daughter. Over the last 7 and a half months, I have spent countless hours with my daughter sleeping on me in a carrier while I bounce on a yoga ball and work. The yoga ball keeps a little bit of motion going which seems to help her sleep.
Babywearing is something I read about during pregnancy and around 25 weeks I bought a Moby wrap. When I had Mackenzie I couldn’t quite figure out how to get her in the wrap and ran to a nearby resale shop on a Sunday, 5 days after she was born. There I found an Organic New Native sling. This was much easier and she seemed to love it. Thus it began.
Mackenzie only wanted to sleep on laps and I (despite how much I should have been resting) didn’t want to just sit around so sling napping began. The New Native was a bit big on me so it would fall off my shoulder if I tried to get anything done around the house. It, however, was great for sitting and working on my computer.
Around 3 months, I showed up at a Le Leche League meeting with the sling and the women there introduced me to ring slings. I went searching online and found a great deal on a discontinued Maya Wrap Ring Sling. Once again, I had much trouble using this but it really helped my back (since she was getting heavy by now) by supporting more in the right position.
I had seen the LLL women breastfeed in their rings slings and eventually, terrified but determined, I tried it. Learning this was a huge freedom and still is to this day. I have walked around the beach, shops, groceries stores and even dined while Mackenzie nurses and naps on me.
Around 4-5 months, with 2 to 3 hour naps still being common, I tried out the Moby wrap and this time loved it. I used it until just a month ago when with her pushing 20lbs it became just too stretchy. I wish I had taken the time to figure it out earlier. Over the months there have been many carrier trades trying out mei tais, soft structured carriers (Ergo types), more slings, and finally a woven wrap.
Overall my babywearing has been a trial and error process but I can’t imagine being a new mom without it. Through a local attachment parenting meetup group, I found www.thebabywearer.com, a great site for trades and advice, and LLL was a big help. I didn’t find out about the Northwest Babywearers group that I’m now working with until recently. Thanks to them, I’m now learning how to carry Mackenzie on my back. Wearing her on my back means a new world of possibilities such as actually getting household tasks done, and on a much more fun note, hikes together.
The best part is, she loves it too.
