Boba Giveaway- 3 Parents Will Win! - Page 8

[FordGirl027]

I wanted to be a baby wearing Mom because I believe that our babies should be kept close to us. It always soothes her, and she takes her longest naps when I wear her.

And I already liked Boba and Mothering on FB :)

[mamakris]

I love babywearing!
an amazing friend sent me a letter when i first got pregnant telling  me that i didnt need much for a newborn and a carrier/wrap was one of her suggestions . I also had seen my friends wear their children and thought it was beautiful! and as a child i hated strollers my hatred continued into adulthood and parenting wearing babies is so amazing in every way!

[megd]

mama to 4 - baby carrying because it feels natural - and it is a necessity - 

I have been using a ring sling throughout the years, but would love a new

more ergonomical carrier for my youngest (4 months) thanks for the chance!

[ampslp]

I knew I would be a babywearer when I was pregnant with my first son, and my sister offered to buy me one of those "travel systems" with a matching stroller and carseat.  The thought of my tiny newborn strapped into a carseat which I could just put in the car and pop into a stroller, then pop back into the car made me realize I would never get to touch him and he would never get to feel the warmth of his mother when we were out and about.  I couldn't stand the thought of that and told her I didn't want the package.

We started out with a hand-me-down front-facing carrier (I won't name any names) which was uncomfortable for both me and baby.  Then we used a ring sling which was also uncomfortable with the pressure on one shoulder.  I finally found a really cheap well-used ergo carrier on Craigslist and gave it a try.  Wow, heaven!  I wore my first son for three years in that carrier.  I wore him in the house doing chores and out of the house hiking mountains!  Now it is aged and falling apart, but we still put our new LO in it.  It would be wonderful to have a new carrier for him, though. 

My favorite part of wearing my babies is being so close to them.  I love feeling their breath on my chest and their little heartbeats.  I also enjoy the convenience of breastfeeding while walking around a store, with no one the wiser :)

[LeighPF]

I ;oved the new features at ABC. fgh

[JennyKochhar]

My high needs baby who screamed every time I set her down decided that I would be a baby wearing mama! That was 4 years and soon to be 3 kids ago, and I'm so glad she introduced us to baby wearing. Some of my favorite benefits: happy babies, less spit-up, hiding the post-pregnancy belly with a super cute baby, weight bearing exercise with no extra effort, and being able to use two hands to care for my toddlers while still holding my baby!

[AKA75]

STASH ENVY!  Haha!  Let's face it, we LOVE it when another mother checks out what we're wearing and how we're carrying! 

[3harpersunder3]

When my 2nd was born my first was only 15 months old so babywearing was a MUST. I needed both my hands available to take care of a toddler! :) My 2nd was a very fussy baby and one of the only ways she wouldn't cry was if i wore her in a wrap. I took her everywhere that way (grocery shopping, out to eat, etc.) Now I love to wear my 3 month old and she loves it as well! Babywearing is the way to go!!

[bananika]

As a new momma, I was so fortunate to live in a community where babywearing is considered normal and beautiful.  Because of this, I knew I too would wear my babies.  I didn't do it because the parenting books told me to or because I had read some ground-breaking study on the practice.  No, I chose to wear my babies because I wanted them to feel as close and secure as they did in my womb.  I treasured the nine months I was so blessed to carry my baby and wanted to continue that very special, intimate bond between us.  Furthermore, I wanted to share that precious feeling with my husband. So when it came time to gather items we would need for baby, a baby carrier was at the top of that list.  We went on to wear our daughter until she decided she would rather walk than be carried.  Our daughter is now three years old and full of independent spunk, but I believe her sweet, snuggly personality is due, in part, to the fact that she was carried so close to our hearts for such a long time.  As I write this, I'm nursing our brand new little bundle, a boy this time.  I'm loving babywearing all over again with him.  There is no greater feeling in the world than that of having a tiny, warm body pressed against you, or smelling that sweet baby smell right under your nose.  Babywearing isn't about finding the easiest ways to schlep around our little ones, it's about fostering strong, connective bonds between parent and child.  

[JenniferBam]

with four kids it is great to wear one of them. it is one less to worry about their whereabouts. jennifer

[JenniferBam]

with four kids it is great to wear one of them. it is one less to worry about their whereabouts. jennifer

[bluedaisy]

        Before I became a mother, I spent several years living in East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania).  I always saw mothers with their babies and toddlers tied to their backs with a simple piece of cloth.  These babies always looked very content and often fell asleep on their mama's back.  I don't think I ever saw a baby crying who was being carried like this.  Babywearing just made so much instinctual sense to me - it seems obvious that babies would be happiest nice and close to the person who makes them feel safest and most secure.  It also made so much practical sense - after seeing so many mothers in the US navigating grocery stores, malls, roads, and sidewalks with cumbersome strollers, it seemed so much easier and more convenient to just have the baby strapped on and have both hands free.  I often commented that when I had my own kids I was definitely planning to tie them to my back even if people back home thought it was strange.

     When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was excited to learn that babywearing was not too unusual in the US and lots of mamas carried their babies just like the mamas I had seen in East Africa.  Once I began babywearing with my own daughter, I discovered even more benefits than convenience and a content baby.  My mei tei was a lifesaver when I really had to get dinner ready and my daughter just had to be held.  It was easy to nurse discreetly in meetings, church, and in other public places with my baby curled up in her sling.  Keeping my daughter warm in the winter was much easier when she was snuggled next to my body rather than under layers of blankets in a car seat or stroller.  And most importantly, it created innumerable opportunities for closeness and bonding with my sweet baby girl.  I am now pregnant with my second child and am so much looking forward to those moments of connection and bonding with my baby content in his carrier close to his mama.

[Michelletp]

I have a very active 32 month old daughter who needs alot of my attention and a newborn daughter as well.  Babywearing just seems to be the best thing for me so that I can give each child the same amount of attention from myself and my husband ! :)

[blue mama]

When I first found out I was pregnant, six years ago I couldn't wait to babywear. I worked at Whole Foods and saw all the cute mamas strolling around with their babies snuggled against their chests and daydreamed about all the places me and my new baby would go. Then I found out I was having twins! I did have a couple of mei tai carriers that I used for walks when my husband was home but anytime I wanted to take both babies out I had to drag around a giant stroller. Needless to say I didn't get to fulfill my babywearing fantasies.

I just gave birth to my third boy six weeks ago. I have been using the mei tai that I used with my boys because I can't afford a fancy new carrier. I haven't gone out too much but I would love love love to win one of these carriers (the 3.0 looks amazing!) to go places with my little man. :)

[Brandy Van]

I learned about babywearing through moms at my local La Leche meeting. My son refused to latch for his first week and I was exhausted from pumping and spoon feeding him and all of my efforts to nurse him at the breast had failed. He would get too wound up and I'd get stressed and flustered. We saw an LC who said that my son was a "classic bottle-fed baby." I was almost ready to give up. The women at LLL suggested that I put him in a wrap carrier and carry him skin to skin for a few days. It was that comfort and closeness that enabled us to finally become a breastfeeding team. He latched a few days later and is still nursing today, at almost 2 and a half. :)

[mama2soren]

I had always thought I would try babywearing, but after my son's unexpected complications at birth, it became a necessity.

My sweet son was born 9 weeks early.  He spent 7 weeks in the NICU's of two different hospitals.  During that time he endured many scary and painful procedures, including a blood transfusion, a spinal tap, IV antibiotics, a naso-gastric tube, a catheter, weeks of breathing assistance, and countless heel pricks.  Because of his fragility and the limitations of the time we were able to spend by his side at the hospital, he did not have the close comfort of his mother's touch that he deserved to have 24 hours a day during this scary time.

At the time of his discharge, he was still having occasional bouts of apnea, during which he would stop breathing for an indefinite amount of time.  He was worn almost every minute of the day after his discharge from the hospital.  When his breathing became irregular or stopped altogether, I was always instantly aware of the problem and could help him without delay.  In fact, our babywearing relationship helped my body be so in tune with his that I could sense an apnea episode coming before it actually happened!  I am convinced that babywearing saved my son's life more than once.

I also believe that babywearing helped heal his body and spirit of the traumas he faced during his first weeks of life in the NICU.  The nine weeks of constant comfort and closeness in my womb that he should have had were replaced by nearly two months of separation, pain, and frightening sounds.  Babywearing helped recreate the peaceful, calm environment he deserved and was robbed of.  Snuggled close to his mother or father's hearts helped my son to understand that the world could be a loving, safe place.  It helped him settle his body, reduce his stress, and focus all of his energy on growing and thriving instead.

Today my son is three and a half and still asks to ride on our backs in the Ergo.  He is a confident, happy, healthy, loving child.  There is no doubt in my mind that babywearing played a significant role in this outcome.

[CharityCMcD]

As a nursing student, I have seen so many NICU babies improve with kangaroo care. I have seen other babies deteriorate when they were not able to be close to their mother's or father's heart. There have been numerous research studies, all with proven benefits of skin to skin and being closely held. We know that societies who carry babies chest to chest have a decreased incidence of hip displasia. But even without all the science, we as mothers know what is best. Babies have been carried in slings, wraps, and in our arms since Adam and Eve. The more we hold our babies, the stronger our bond. Babies need the smell of their mother's and father's to feel secure. They need to snuggle into our chests and hear our hearts, our breath. A plastic seat with synthetic fabrics and cold straps might hold our baby securely, but can they sense when a child becomes soiled? Will the stroller tell you if your baby is fevered? With a baby so far away, how will you pick up on their early hunger cues? How fast can you protect them from coughing strangers? Give me a carrier, a wrap, a sling, and I will keep my baby safe, warm, dry, fed, healthy and comfortable.

[Amy Schillinger]

Babywearing was a natural choice for me. I have two girls 14 months apart. I carried my first in a carrier and when the second came along the carrier was my only option if I wanted to do anything or go anywhere. We chose not to get an infant car seat and went with the carrier out of the car instead. I think it helped bonding, discreet nursing, and playtime with my older child. Wouldn't have done it any other way. I'd love to win a new carrier because my kids are still little and mine has gotten "lots of love" and has seen better days :)

[amanda c]

Quite simply, I wanted my daughter to learn, from the very beginning that I will be there for her--ready to comfort her, nurse her, or hug her. Building  trust from the beginning can only help make her teenage years go more smoothly! ;)

[koscira]

We first discussed babywearing in our Bradley birth classes & it just made sense.   Since then I have learned that babywearing allows me to do SO much that "stroller moms" are hindered at. Most important among these things are keeping both my 2 yr old & 2 month old safe and happy at the same time!