Like I said earlier, my sister in law introduced me to babywearing and I'm so greatful she did. She gave me my first two ring slings and I was just hooked. The first was a linen sling her son had out grown and she passed it along to me to see if I liked it. Obviously I loved it. Shortly after that she bought me a mesh water ring sling, for when I was going to the beach with my family, as a welcome baby gift. I have used them so much it is unreal and I never thought I would love it so much. I love being close to her, having her involved with all the the things that I'm doing, being able to practice on demand breastfeeding and how comfortable and aware of everything it has seemed to make her. Later my sister in law added me to a babywearing swap and introduced me to wraps and my husband ended up buying me two of those that arebso functional and give me so much more support wearing her all the time. Now a good woven wrap is about the same price of a higher end stroller and I can do everything any parent with a stroller can do and more and be closer and more interactive with my baby. These early months and years are so important and precious and I don't want to miss out on one sleepless moment.
Honestly, I get a lot more negative reactions to babywearing than I do positive. It doesn't bother me and it doesn't change my mind about it and I'm sure many parents around the world get the same thing. There are times when I want to just clean or do something and not wear her and she doesn't agree. My husband argues that I bring it on myself and that I shouldn't wear her so much and she's not going to want to walk or crawl because she doesn't have to since I wear her everywhere. Well she's 7 months old crawling well and standing and walking along edges. My mother thinks it has it's purpose as something that has a function and for a small window of time and after the newborn/infant phase it's time to move into a stroller to get more aquainted with the world. She sees more an interacts with more when she is being worn, I believe. Every debate and conversation makes me more aware of the benefits to me and my baby. It makes me learn more and become stronger in my beliefs of babywearing and attachment parenting.
I wear my baby when I coach my older daughters soccer team, I've worn and nursed her through airports across the nation. I've encountered many that have let me wear her through security and some that wouldn't. I wrap her close to me when I walk my older daughter to school, which she frequently falls asleep during and sleeps snuggled in her wrap quite frequently. Sometimes it's the only way she'll go to sleep! She gets worn at home and cleaning and while I'm out at my nursing mothers group. Wearing her had significantly helped since birth when she had an immature esophagus and it was hard to keep her milk down when she laid down or was any way other than straight up and against my chest, even during feedings helping me hold her. I have no idea what I would do if I didn't wear her. She knows her wraps so well she will get excited as soon as she sees the fabric and she loves cuddling and rolling around on them when we play on the floor. It means as much to her, I believe, as it does to me.
Babywearing led me to a whole new world and life. When I started babywearing it led me to researching about it more and more especially on the benefits and how to's of wrapping and wearing. When I was looking I stumbled upon attachment parenting and all it entailed. I was already co-sleeping and breastfeeding and knowing all that was a big packaged deal made it feel all the more right. Attachment parenting then led me to a woman that also provided child birth education and was a doula. I began looking more into it and found out my sister in law was as well. We began a journey together and took classes and read so many books on child birth, attachment parenting and gentle birth and becoming a labor coach. It became so clear that this is where I was meant to be in life. My doula studies led me to DONA which then led me to CAPPA for their pregnancy fitness instructor training since I've always been a health and fitness junkie, my in laws actually poke fun at me about that all the time. So that was the creation of Nurtured Beginnings. Now I've found Dancing for Birth which also incorporates babywearing into their workouts and I have always loved danced as well and I've been venturing into learning more about Midwifery. So I'm excited to see this grow, to see myself grow and to see my children and families grow.
And it all started with one simple green linen ring sling..
Honestly, I get a lot more negative reactions to babywearing than I do positive. It doesn't bother me and it doesn't change my mind about it and I'm sure many parents around the world get the same thing. There are times when I want to just clean or do something and not wear her and she doesn't agree. My husband argues that I bring it on myself and that I shouldn't wear her so much and she's not going to want to walk or crawl because she doesn't have to since I wear her everywhere. Well she's 7 months old crawling well and standing and walking along edges. My mother thinks it has it's purpose as something that has a function and for a small window of time and after the newborn/infant phase it's time to move into a stroller to get more aquainted with the world. She sees more an interacts with more when she is being worn, I believe. Every debate and conversation makes me more aware of the benefits to me and my baby. It makes me learn more and become stronger in my beliefs of babywearing and attachment parenting.
I wear my baby when I coach my older daughters soccer team, I've worn and nursed her through airports across the nation. I've encountered many that have let me wear her through security and some that wouldn't. I wrap her close to me when I walk my older daughter to school, which she frequently falls asleep during and sleeps snuggled in her wrap quite frequently. Sometimes it's the only way she'll go to sleep! She gets worn at home and cleaning and while I'm out at my nursing mothers group. Wearing her had significantly helped since birth when she had an immature esophagus and it was hard to keep her milk down when she laid down or was any way other than straight up and against my chest, even during feedings helping me hold her. I have no idea what I would do if I didn't wear her. She knows her wraps so well she will get excited as soon as she sees the fabric and she loves cuddling and rolling around on them when we play on the floor. It means as much to her, I believe, as it does to me.
Babywearing led me to a whole new world and life. When I started babywearing it led me to researching about it more and more especially on the benefits and how to's of wrapping and wearing. When I was looking I stumbled upon attachment parenting and all it entailed. I was already co-sleeping and breastfeeding and knowing all that was a big packaged deal made it feel all the more right. Attachment parenting then led me to a woman that also provided child birth education and was a doula. I began looking more into it and found out my sister in law was as well. We began a journey together and took classes and read so many books on child birth, attachment parenting and gentle birth and becoming a labor coach. It became so clear that this is where I was meant to be in life. My doula studies led me to DONA which then led me to CAPPA for their pregnancy fitness instructor training since I've always been a health and fitness junkie, my in laws actually poke fun at me about that all the time. So that was the creation of Nurtured Beginnings. Now I've found Dancing for Birth which also incorporates babywearing into their workouts and I have always loved danced as well and I've been venturing into learning more about Midwifery. So I'm excited to see this grow, to see myself grow and to see my children and families grow.
And it all started with one simple green linen ring sling..
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