Breastfeeding Carnival Day 4: Babywearing (also a guest blogger today :) )

This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe's Blog Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Timbra Wiist landslidephotography {at} hotmail {dot} com. Today's post is about Babywearing and Breastfeeding. Please read the other blogs in today's carnival listed in the comments section at www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com The Carnival runs July 16th through the 31st!  

You can also find this post as a guest blogger on the Cafe Blog!  Make sure to comment there and here :)!


Ashley Barrett is a wife of a graduate student working towards a PhD in Nuclear Chemistry and a mother of two busy little boys (ages 4 years and 18 months) and three angel babies who she never got the opportunity to meet.  She is also homeschooler,  a WAHM (owner of Monkey Bunns), LLL leader in Oregon, and founder and leader of Corvallis Babywearers.  She got in to babywearing because of an online birth board and had a few carriers when her first son, nicknamed Monkey, was born April 2008.  She has become an addict and has a wide variety of different types of carriers.  She wants to become an official certified Babywearing Educator in the next year or two. 

I got in to babywearing because of an online birth board (a support group through pregnancy and later for our growing baby, infant, toddler, etc).  I became very curious about it and started researching it.  I ended up purchasing a couple of sized pouch slings and a stretchy wrap (but not a very good one).  I planned to start wearing Monkey from the beginning.  I tried but he wasn't a fan at first and I eventually figured out neither of us liked sized slings.  I eventually got a stretchy wrap and my love grew from there after it cured his colic.

Kangaroo in a Sleepy Wrap (now known as Boba Wrap)

I have since gained quite the collection but I also gave some away to my friend that didn't work so great on me but I knew they would on her since she's quite a bit thinner than me :).

Monkey was never really able to nurse in any baby carrier due to being on a nipple shield through our whole nursing relationship.  I was able to work it a couple of times in a ring sling when I needed to have a hand free.  Kangaroo on the other hand has nursed several times in different carriers but I think the easiest to nurse in is the Boba for me.

Kangaroo in the Boba-obviously not nursing :)

All I have to do to nurse him in it is loosen the waist and pull it down lower to lower him, loosen the shoulders a bit and scootch him down a bit.  This is my favorite tutorial of how to do it. 

Even though I wasn't able to nurse Monkey in a carrier it really helped our breastfeeding relationship to keep him close.  I remember wrapping, unwrapping, rewrapping the Sleepy Wrap a billion times a day so I could nurse him and then snuggle him.  Keeping him close helped me see his hunger cues a lot faster than if he were laying somewhere or tucked away in a carseat (I ALWAYS use a carseat in the car when the car is moving-please practice safe babywearing).  When we would go out somewhere it was much easier to put him in a carrier than to lug a big bucket seat around.

I started wearing Kangaroo earlier because I had more options.

Kangaroo, 3 days old

My favorite was a ring sling in those early days.  I was able to spend more time with Monkey and while I didn't nurse in a sling for the first little bit I was able to watch his hunger cues and be able to keep him close and safe (Monkey was a normal rough 2 1/2 year old that REALLY loves his brother!).

Even at 18 months I still believe babywearing helps our breastfeeding relationship because it's all about trust and him knowing that I'm here for him when he needs me.  It's also very handy to get through a grocery store because my boys LOVE to run two different directions!

And just one more for fun!

When my wrap arrived Monkey really wanted to try it out.  He was only in it for a few minutes but is 35 lbs and was super comfy in it.  This is a Wrapsody Stretch Hybrid wrap and I did the double hammock carry.  It's my very favorite toddler carry.