thankful #14 – babywearing
14/100
Oh boy am I thankful for babywearing. I don’t exactly know how parenting two this close in age would be possible otherwise.
I am so thankful I live in an age where quality and ergonomic carriers that don’t kill your back like the Ergo exist. I often have older women raise their brows and say to me “Well. We didn’t have those in when I was having babies” and I normally smile and say something like “Oh” because I am socially weird. But what I want to do is lean in and say “HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO IT?!!??!”.
Babywearing is my lifesaver.
Babywearing is useful for: bonding, accomplishing household chores such as washing, cleaning, cooking, walking, catching trains or buses, keeping Theo and his grabby hands out of harms way, going out without an ugly and bulky pram, being able to put Theo to sleep while out, being able to breastfeed while walking about, going out to places that are not pram or child friendly, mowing the lawn with my toddler fast asleep on my back (seriously, I’ve done this) and pretty much any task I like do that requires both hands.
I can’t even express how lucky I feel to have these amazing implements that enable me to enjoy all this freedom while keeping my babies close and happy.
Brilliant! Could not live without mine either! You forgot working out on the cross trainer and even bike riding! He he
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Georgia Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:31 pm
Oh – YES! Silly me. I have done both of those two! The cross training one was a particularly useful way to burn extra calories!
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Oh, I’ve always been tempted to mow the lawn with the baby in the mei tai!
That photo of you with the babies in the Ergos is GREAT! I’m dual ring-slinging mine now and I call them my third and fourth arms!
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Georgia Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:29 pm
You should mow the lawn with your baby! It was so easy and I wondered why I’d been waiting till my husbands day off to make him mow the lawn and miss out on spending the day with us! I got it all done in 2 hrs and Theo napped! It was great. I was concerned about the noise level for him though and put a beanie with padding over his ears.
Go you dual ring slinging, I can barely handle on ring sling. I don’t know how you do it!
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Ok so wearing your lovelies may be easier, but I am still in awe of you being able to carry the weight! SO impressive!
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Georgia Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:27 pm
STRONG WOMEN STAY YOUNG
or at least – that’s the title of a book that floated around my house when I was growing up. it’s forever burned in my subconscious. anyway – I guess this is merely a testament to the powers of Ergo’s and their weight distribution – it doesn’t feel like I was carrying that much at all!
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I’m with Amy. That’s impressive! I would topple over, ha ha.
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Georgia Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:26 pm
Well… with one on the front and one on the back you sort of counteract the weight and toppling over is actually harder to do than you might think!
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So glad to see I’m not the only crazy mama who wears two! Are you using two ergos? How do you make the straps work? I usually use a structured carrier in the back (Beco) and a ring sling in the front.
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Georgia Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:25 pm
Um, I don’t know? I just strapped one on my back and then one of my front? I have double straps across my shoulders… It’s not exactly streamline but hey, it works! I am using one Ergo and one that isn’t an Ergo but looks awfully like an Ergo and works just the same too!
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Yeah- that is really impressive! (carrying them both!)
I am just starting to struggle to wear Eli. I was wearing Cass on my back right up until Eli was born, but my back can’t take it anymore! Having said that, I use a ring sling- so maybe I need to look into getting and ergo or something that distributes the weight better.
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Georgia Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Eli is a big boy! How heavy is he now? You absolutely do need to look into getting a carrier that distributes the weight better! I can’t imagine carrying Theo in a ring sling at his size! You should look out here because I just might be giving away something along those lines in the coming weeks… SHHHHH.
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Lauren Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Around 11 kilos I think
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They must make mums stronger now… I am sure I would have fallen down dead if I had tried to mow a lawn with a baby on me.
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Georgia Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:22 pm
I doubt that mum. You’re capable of anything.
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I love my ergo, but at almost 12kg Emilie is too heavy for me most of the time now! Glad to see someone is out and about, showing other mums how to do it!
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Georgia Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Yes, miss P is 14.5 kg and I am not too fond of wearing her around these days. I find wearing her on my back is better and she often asks to be worn so I do comply. I know she must fight it a reassurance that she’s still small (which she is) and that it’s not only Theo that gets to be worn. Apparently you can use the Ergo up to 4 years! I can’t imagine that weight :S Though… when I carry two like this I am at 35kg! AHHHHHH
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So cool! I’m worried about wearing two, but hope to figure out the best way to do it (esp. since my little guy is a lightweight). Do any of you mama’s have advice on what language to use to explain to friends with new little ones (or expecting) that a Baby Bjorn is just not worth it, and to go straight for the Ergo/Beco/other high quality carrier? I’m frustrated b/c I don’t feel I am explaining the differences well, and sound like a snob. But seriously, carrying a few-month old facing out, or a 22 lb baby on your front with all the weight hanging from your shoulders? NOT a good idea. Any tips would be very welcome!
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Georgia Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 7:08 am
Jennifer,
I think the best way to go about wording this is to speak for your experience. Talk about your comfort, how easy it is to wear your baby in the Ergo, Beco, whatever. Even let the mama try yours out. Maybe ask them how they feel wearing the Bjorn, does it pull their shoulders? I mean, who can wear those things and be comfortable? NO ONE. Haha. If you give them a turn of your carrier they’ll be able to see the difference right away!
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I completely agree with you about baby wearing. I had 2 when I was 18 and 19 and was young and never bothered with wearing them because I thought it would “spoil” the babies. Boy, fast forward 11 years and I wished I knew then what I knew now.
Now that I have 2 more, a 3 year old and a 3 month old…wearing my 3 month while I tend to my 3 year old makes things so much better! I don’t even own a double stroller like a lot of my friends who have a toddler and small baby. I just have a cheap umbrella stroller and then I will carry my ring sling or wrap with me for the baby. Saves so much space at the mall and so much easier to navigate.
I tell you, 99% of people I pass at the mall or at the park etc. still give me the strangest look like I am from another planet when I am wearing my baby. I don’t care though because when I look at them struggling with those huge strollers, I just smile and keep on walking. The biggest joy was one time, at the mall, another baby wearing mama saw me, grabbed me by my arms (gently) and said…”us mamas are a special breed” pointing to my baby and my wrap and walked away with me smiling from ear to ear.
Yes, indeed we are a special breed of mamas…:)
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Georgia Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 9:11 pm
That is the sweetest story Gao. I love it when strangers share a little something with you like that. Yes, we are a special breed of mamas I suppose!
I totally agree with you about not wasting space bringing the pram everywhere. I do have a double pram but I only bring it along so that I can stuff one of the seats with towels/bags/whatever if we’re out for the day. One of the babies is nearly always being worn. Often I just have the pram carrying stuff and the babies out and about.
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Baby wearing is the best!!!!!
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epic. two kids at once. your amazing!
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Georgia Reply:
April 26th, 2011 at 9:03 pm
haha. not amazing. just stubborn. i refuse to take a pram unless i absolutely have to.
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http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e26/apple_a_day/P1180360-1.jpg
I did this the other day, AND pushed a double with another toddler-infant pair. When I added up all the weights that my body was pushing or carrying, I had well exceeded my own body weight by 30lb.
Sure makes you feel like you can do anything, doesn’t it?!
I’ve never been stronger than I have been since becoming a mother.
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Georgia Reply:
May 4th, 2011 at 12:30 pm
You always look so adorable.
I took four out and did something similar (except I made the toddlers walk/sit in pram and wore the babies). People kept stopping me to gawk and say “HOW DO YOU DO IT”. One lady grabbed my arm and said “4 under 4? YOU DESERVE A MEDAL” to which I could happily reply “I already got one!”
We mothers are pretty strong stuff.
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I am so glad I found this post. I have been wearing my #1 until the day #2 was born and now that she is 3 months old, I am ready to double wear but cannot figure out whom to settle first- impatient toddler on my back (he is 19 moths old now) or baby first on my front. I have a Beco. What would make the most sense to buy? Thanks so much for your advice and tips!!
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Georgia Reply:
July 4th, 2011 at 10:19 am
Hi Tessa, I don’t know much about Beco’s – my friend had one and I used it once and it was great – but that’s it. I always settle my toddler first because I find it easier to put the second carrier on the front and I like to keep the baby nearest the boobies
I hope you find a system that works for you.
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[...] posted before about how much I love Baby Wearing but todays post is specifically about how much I love my ErgoBaby [...]