Babywearing

I've been meaning to post this for a while. During pregnancy I became acquainted with Attachment Parenting. A part of that is wearing your baby a lot. At first when the baby was born we had so many visitors that I was barely even able to hold him myself. When everyone went home and my husband went back to work, the baby and I were all alone. It was difficult to do anything but take care of the baby. Incorporating babywearing into my day has made life much easier for me and Dylan.

I have a ring sling and a Sleepy Wrap. The ring sling has been difficult to figure out. I took it to a La Leche League meeting and my leader helped me put him in it. He only wants to be upright in it but it doesn't support his head at all. We really don't like the ring sling.

I love the Sleepy Wrap. It is very supportive of his weight and evenly distributes it across my back. Dylan loves it even more than I do. When he's awake he happily looks around as I clean the house, knit, shop or go for a walk. When he's tired he snuggles close to me and immediately falls asleep. When he's fussy I put him in and start cleaning and he calms down. When he's fussy I have to be busy and moving around or he'll get mad again.

A few things I don't like about babywearing is the attention it attracts. For some reason here in South Carolina the southerners have never seen anyone wear their baby. It's all positive attention, but I'm a very shy person and I don't like it, but I'm getting more used to it. It's one thing to discuss it with the occasional mom, but when it's every single person you walk past it gets a little tiring. That's the only drawback I have found.

Attachment Parenting is a lot of work, but today I realized something that makes it all worthwhile and more. I realized that he doesn't use a Binky, have a favorite blanket or toy, and he doesn't attach himself to any material object. He's attached to me. He needs me to hold him and rock him to sleep, to make him feel better when he's scared or feeling insecure. I love this, it's so much more rewarding that I could have ever thought possible.

Happily Domestic is holding a giveaway for the Ergo Baby carrier. I would really like to win it, but I know it's a long shot. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though!