Motherhood: Sharing Baby Carriers Starter's Read

This post is just going to be a brief sharing of websites with regards to baby carriers which I came across and found useful.

Believe it or not, babywearing[1] is not as simple as just popping the baby carrier on and putting the baby in it. There are actually consultant giving babywearing lessons overseas. One whom I am following is Frisian mama in Germany[2].

I am actually glad that there are so many researches being done in this area because it concerns the development of our little ones. At the same time, it can be overwhelming for new parents like us.

For a start, the most crucial thing you need to be aware of is to ensure that the baby carrier is ergonomic. Your baby carrier should support the knee-to-knee or a.k.a. M position to avoid hip dysplasia[3].

You would probably know that are many baby carriers out in the market. Some which I have heard of are baby woven/stretch wraps (BW), mei tais (MT), ring slings (RS), soft structure carriers (SSC), pouch slings (PS), etc[4][5]. Here is their classification from what I gathered thus far:

I found out that selecting a baby carrier can be quite interesting and not a simple process as many factors/criteria[6][7] will affect your decision making process: For example, your little ones' weight(age) will affect the decision making process[8], personal preference, etc. Each has their pros and cons[9].

Some may even own more than one type of baby carrier. I am one of them. Fortunately for me, I am blessed with a RS and PS, I own a SSC and I am waiting for my first woven wrap to arrive.

At the current moment, I do not have a personal favourite. If I want both my hands to be free, there is a higher chance that I use SSC because it gives me the confidence to do so. But on the other hand, I do not find the waist band comfortable (especially when I sit down). If I am running a quick errand, I would probably use PS or RS because of its lightweight. I do use RS or PS when I head out for longer durations when hubby is around to be my helping hand.

Maybe the woven wrap will become my all time favourite because it is lightweight and (if wrapped properly) would probably give me the confidence of being hands free. For now, I am just waiting in anticipation~

References:

1. Babywearing International - What is Babywearing?
2. Wrap You in Love
3. International Hip Dysplasia Institute - What is Hip Dysplasia
4. Rucking Marvellous - Types of Slings
5. Facebook - Babyvibes: Types of Baby Carriers
6. BabyWearing Institute - Baby Carriers 101
7. Babywearing International - Choosing a Baby Carrier
8. Facebook - Babyvibes: Selecting the Most Suitable Carrier for Your Baby
9. Babywearing 102 - Beginner's Guide to Wraps