Like many new moms, I spent countless hours in the early months of my first pregnancy researching the most essential items for my new baby. There seemed to be hundreds of top ten lists with the best bottles, binkies and bassinets. I was overwhelmed by the vast amount of things that were essential to keeping this kid alive!

I added nursery décor, breastfeeding essentials, teeny tiny socks in every color imaginable, and two different high chairs to my baby registry, then, on a whim, I added the one thing that I have used more than any other item. I have used this thing during bedtime, nursing, vacations, on the beach, at the zoo, grocery trips, at restaurants and at home for hours on end each day. This item has helped me to shed my baby weight, foster a secure attachment for my baby, be successful at breastfeeding and have the freedom to not be tied down by distances or naps. The item? A baby carrier designed for baby wearing. 

 

When my daughter was four days old, we realized that we needed to make a trip to the store for some necessities. My husband fit the carrier of his choice, an Ergo, around his waist, and snuggled our tiny girl against his chest. She was protected from germs and slept soundly listening to the familiar sound of his heartbeat. From that moment on, we were hooked.

We have proceeded to wear her, in one wrap or another, every single day for the last 15 months. We rarely lugged around a sleeping infant in a heavy car seat, because one of us would wear her when we were out and about. Which also freed us from having to lug around a stroller or use all of our valuable shopping cart space to hold a carseat. Once she was four months old, I figured out how to breastfeed her while wearing her - a much better, more private option than taking a break from our errands to nurse her in a public bathroom.

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I had read several articles and books outlining the benefits of baby wearing for the baby, but I had no idea how much baby wearing would benefit her daddy and I. Baby wearing has helped me to burn additional calories while doing the things that I would normally do anyway, and ultimately it helped me to lose all of my baby weight. When I found the time to exercise, I just wore her while I went for walks around our neighborhood. It has given me a peaceful option when I could do nothing to soothe my teething baby to sleep - with the carrier, I am able to literally “wear” her down. 

Baby wearing has also given my husband a source of comfort to provide her with, since he has yet to figure out a way to nurse her. Most of all, baby wearing has given me the chance to hold my baby without limit and treasure her tiny heartbeat next to mine. Reminding me daily that this time with her is limited, and that before I know it, she will be running, dancing and someday wearing babies of her own.