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7 things I miss about babywearing + {giveaway}

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Last Sunday we headed out on one of our favourite weekend activities: flea market shopping! I just love exploring these markets and get a real kick out of finding great bargains and treasures from other people’s junk.

We set off bright and early that morning so we could catch all the good bargains. It was only after we arrived there that we realised that we had forgotten to bring Nathan’s stroller! So we ended up taking turns carrying him and letting him toddle around a bit whenever we stopped at a stall.

The weather was getting pretty hot and Nathan was starting to get tired. Thankfully I keep a spare pouch sling in the car, so we got it out and I slung Nathan on against my hip so we could continue exploring the market.

imageThe sling certainly made the job of carrying him a little easier. Still, carrying a 12kg toddler is no walk in the park. But as he leaned his tired head against my shoulder and snuggled against me to get more comfortable, it brought back memories of my babywearing days with him as a baby.

As much as I love my toddler to bits and enjoy the fact that he’s growing more and more independent, there are moments when I look wistfully back on his baby days and reflect on some of my favourite things during that stage of his life that I miss now – one of which is of course Babywearing.

 

Here are the Top 7 things I miss most about Babywearing

The Convenience
Being able to be freed-up to do other things while bubby watches contentedly whist perched on my back/hip/chest. People always ask me how I was able to be so productive at home with a baby… and my answer? Babywearing!

The ease of mobility
Being able to easily pop bub on quickly while out and about instead of fiddling with the stroller for short errands. At parties and gatherings, I was always the mum with the funky carrier, munching away at food and moving about chatting to people.

Having a consistent place of comfort
No matter where I was, I could always count on my sling/carrier as a sure-fire method of calming baby if he’s tired or fussy. When people see baby sleeping peacefully in the sling they will often remark “Your baby is sooo good! How did you manage to do that?” And my answer again is: Babywearing!

The trendy fashion statement
I don’t deny it, my sling/carrier is intended to double up as a fashion accessory. Motherhood is the big trend now. And nothing beats wearing funky or beautiful sling/carrier to make a big trendy motherhood statement. I wear my baby proudly!

The hot daddy babywearer
I confess, one of the sexiest things to me is seeing a great looking dad out and about donning a baby in a carrier. I always loved the look of my man in babywearing mode.

Treasuring the little-ness of baby
When I look at photos of me ‘wearing’ my baby boy, it always makes me look back wistfully on how tiny he used to be. My boy will never be a little baby again and I’ll always miss the ‘littleness’ of how he was during my early babywearing days.

The close physical intimacy with baby
As tough as it sometimes felt during times when baby just constantly wanted to be carried or held, I realise now that it was such a brief period of his whole life. I will always treasure that stage of constant close physical intimacy and baby snuggles.

Babywearing was definitely a key tool that enabled me to stay mobile, active and productive, especially during the early stage of constant breastfeeding and carrying baby. And it allowed me to enjoy this great privilege as a mother to be a place of comfort and safety for my little one.

 

Celebrate Babywearing!
This coming week is Australia & New Zealand Babywearing Week. There will be plenty of babywearing events, activities, prizes and giveaways happening throughout the week.

 

Sharing some Babywearing Love {Giveaway}
To celebrate Babywearing Week, Babes In Arms is giving away this ERGObaby doll carrier to one of the readers of Living Serenely to get your little one sharing in on the babywearing love!

dollcarrier1

For a chance to win this, all you need to do is to leave a comment about
your favourite thing about babywearing.

The winner will be selected based on the most thoughtful and insightful comment submitted. Entry is open to anyone with an Australian or New Zealand address. Entries close by midnight (Australian WST) on Friday 12th October 2012 and the winner will be announced on Sunday 14th October 2012.

Good Luck!

For more babywearing prizes and giveaways, you can check out the Australia & New Zealand Babywearing Week website and Facebook page for details on other various events and contests in line with this event.

UPDATE: Giveaway now closed – winner announced here.

Comments

  1. Haven't done any babywearing before but I like the part about it being a fashion statement. Maybe should try this in future! Love the pic!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't have a New Zealand address. LOL but I just want to show my support (of you and babywearing). Favorite memory: I think wearing Emeth in the Moby and going outside for frequent walks was my turning point in my postpartum depression. =) and yes to the sexiness of my husband wearing Emeth. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. opps. My address is neither Australian nor New Zealand.

      Delete
  3. I don't actually own a baby carrier/sling before. But I've got one being lent to me during Shern's time and I've since returned it to the owner.

    Well, what I love most about babywearing is the utter closeness between me and my baby. And I love smelling my baby, so being this close does makes me very happy. And not to mention the bond that we share. Besides breastfeeding my baby, babywearing is the next closest way to achieve the bond between baby and me.

    And of course the fact that my hands are free, and I can get a gazillion things done while keeping my baby safe and happy is the solution for any mothers.

    There was even once I forgot to wear a bra when I went down my apartment, and then I saw a neighbour who seems like he wanted to do some friendly top. Luckily, I whipped out my friend's pouch sling and quickly babywear my baby. Gosh..it totally nailed it and saves me from embarrassment! :)

    I hope to win this ERGObaby doll carrier for my little one, for him to nurture his own 'babies'!
    Gosh, how i wish there is a contest for the ERGO carrier for me as well, since I've already returned the pouch sling to my friend. ;(

    ReplyDelete
  4. My favourite thing about baby / toddler wearing is that we can off track, to places we can't go with the buggy e.g. walk back to the car via the beach, or walk right over the headland with our toddler and have the ergo with us just in case she can't quite manage the whole route - no need to drag a buggy along for the ride. Would LOVE to win this for my toddler as we have another due in 6 weeks, would be so cool to have my new baby in her ergo and my 2yo with her baby in hers :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. My third baby (a girl after 2 boys!) is now 6 months old, and after having 3 children that I have all used slings and carriers for, I have to say there is multiple things I love about baby wearing. First and foremost, it is so easy. Mums are truly busy enough so to be able to have an option where not only your baby is close to you but your hands are free is a god-send. If your baby is sick or unsettled for any reason it is an essential to have them close to you rather than putting them in a pram or cot or bouncer. When visiting the shops I rarely use a pram, just pop bub in my carrier and off I go without having everything + the kitchen sink! I just adore that baby carrier and can certainly see my little daughter using in the not-so-distant future. Thankyou so much! Monique x

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love wearing my baby, who could not get enough of it either! The day I bought my Mei-tai sling, the Beloved commented that it seems as if I had a new lease of life! What were two weeks of endless carrying, walking around the house trying to eat, clean and balance a bubby at the same time finally transformed into simple bliss of having my bundle of joy bound close to my heart. Sleeping issues and feeding ones became easier to manage and the Beloved and I still believe that our Mei-tai is the best purchase for Bubby ever. We would not have managed to live in London and go about that bustling city without our trusty helper. Now that the bubby in question is 2 years old and is eagerly anticipating the arrival of bubby #2, our Mei-tai has been washed, ready to ressume its all important role in our lives. Interestingly, one of my little's girl's favourite activities is baby wearing all her soft toys - down the front of her clothes no less. I wonder where she got that idea from?=)

    ReplyDelete
  7. My favourite thing is having my bub close, and being able to do things around the house and out, and having bub happy and content at the same time. I wrap my bub(in my girasol) when i do the shopping.

    Im another who also loves how pretty they are. I have a dark rainbow girasol and its beautiful, but i received a Ellevill Zara trigreen linen today and i cant wait to show it off.

    ReplyDelete
  8. To have him close to me is the main reason I babywear him. While he's still small, I want to wear him as often as I could. Him being attached to me physically gives me a peace of mind. I don't worry about him falling down or getting something fall onto him. Hence I can concentrate doing my work. Babywearing also gives me the opportunity to get things done. Another thing that I like about babywearing is no one can snatch him when I'm holding him. I've had strangers snatching him from my arms just because they want to cuddle him.

    ReplyDelete
  9. To have him close to me is the main reason I babywear him. While he's still small, I want to wear him as often as I could. Him being attached to me physically gives me a peace of mind. I don't worry about him falling down or getting something fall onto him. Hence I can concentrate doing my work. Babywearing also gives me the opportunity to get things done. Another thing that I like about babywearing is no one can snatch him when I'm holding him. I've had strangers snatching him from my arms just because they want to cuddle him.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love baby wearing because it gives my children the opportunity to be close to me. It allows them to sleep or be comforted when otherwise it may be impossible. I love it for myself, but I have to say that my favorite part about baby wearing is that it's about them and not me.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I loved carrying bub in babywearing style,
    I could see every single little smile.
    No constant bending and breaking my back,
    Baby carrying picked up the slack.
    To have them snuggle nice and near,
    The comfort they have is so sincere!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have a really bad back, and my babies were huge!!!, so I didn't really get in to babywearing that much. I enjoyed it when they were newborn (not too heavy) and thy could just snuggle in on my chest and be settled between feeds.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks everyone for sharing your comments and stories! It was really wonderful reading every single one of them.

    ReplyDelete

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