We LOVE babywearing in our house! I've worn both kids, but I wear my son far more often than I did my daughter. De is almost six months old and has been worn since day one.
So to break it up most efficiently....
Why babywearing is good for -
Me!
- Easy to hands-free nurse, or nurse discretely in public
- Great bonding between me and baby
- I have both hands free to do whatever I need!
- Great exercise
- Easy to keep son safe and sound and really cue into his needs
- Much easier doing things like grocery shopping, walking older kiddo to school, ect
- Strollers are, quite frankly, a PIA to maneuver around stores and such. Babywearing is a total cinch in tight spaces, crowds, ect.
- Son can fall asleep in ERGO quite easily, meaning I can enjoy activities with a sleeping baby on my chest and not have to worry about waking him up.
- Carriers in general are super cute! Really. They jazz up any "I just had a baby" outfit. Yoga pants and a tank? No one will notice with your adorable carrier and adorable baby strapped on the front of you!
- Easier to pop kiddo in and out of than getting a stroller in and out of the car at each stop (I don't know about ya'll, but I do a lot of errands around town and a car is a must in my city)
- Totally portable! I keep a carrier at home and one in the car. I can fit one in the diaper bag if I need to, travel easily with one, ect.
- Makes any activity pretty enjoyable because I get to bond with my baby!
- Way easier to do physical stuff - hiking, walking bumpy trails, walking through brush, ect.
- My six year old doesn't try to take off with the stroller. Babywearing allows me to keep baby safe from her eager, maternal hands and keep two hands open for her! She feels more included when she has a two-handed mama.
- I often see mamas pushing a stroller with one hand and carrying a baby with the other because the baby got tired of sitting in a stroller away from mom. Babywearing eliminates this debacle
Partner
- Provided a way for my partner and our son to bond
- Gave DP an efficient way to soothe our son, which in turn was way better for us as a couple.
- Allowed him really personal time with our son that helped them get to know one another and helped my DP become more intuitive to DS' needs.
- When I'm away, DP is able to put the baby to sleep really, really easily in the Ergo. It's less stressful for both us knowing that DP has it covered, and frees me up quite a bit.
- It eliminated a lot of jealousy DP had over DS when he was a newborn. Once DP was able to join in, he didn't feel so distant from DS and I.
- Alright, vain, but...women love a babywearing man, and my DP loves the attention
He got stopped at Renn Fest by a woman who said "you are SO SEXY with that baby on your chest!"...what man wouldn't love that?
Son
- Gives him great bonding time with both Mom and Dad
- Allows him to see the world from the safety of Mom or Dad's body
- Makes him feel more secure going into new situations
- He is able to withdraw if he feels overwhelmed, and he also gets his needs met far more rapidly than if he were in a stroller.
- He has a safe place to fall asleep in a strange or new place, or even just out in public.
- He isn't pushed head-first into a crowd
- Instant breastraunt access
I'm definitely not a stroller hater (we have one somewhere!), but honestly, we just never need it. Babywearing suits everyone's needs and wants and keeps us pretty happy as a family. It makes baby happy, which makes mom and dad happy, which keeps us happier as a couple. It's a lifesaver to be able to share a lot of responsibility with DP and it helps keep us in check and feeling like we both chip in to help care for DS. It eliminated that power struggle between us, wherein I was resentful that I was doing so much and he was resentful that there was nothing he could really do, thus he felt left out. Now it's kind of DP's responsibility to wear him when he's around, and my responsibility to wear him when DP is not around. That means that I actually get a few free minutes ON MY OWN and don't have the guilt of my baby being left unattended or alone somewhere. Babywearing really is a win-win for everyone!