Sometimes, you find a company that blows you away. You know what I mean.. those companies that just seem to hit the nail on the head with their products – and their products do exactly what you expect them to? Malarkey Kids is one of those companies.
Note: The following products were provided to us free of charge. Regardless, this is my own honest opinion.
I was first drawn to Malarkey Kids when I saw their Munch Mitt. My babies all decided that their hands were the perfect “first teether” – and they tended to start this hand gnawing before they were developmentally ready to hold onto a traditional teether toy to chew on.
With my youngest, this constant sucking on her hands exacerbated her eczema. I needed something to protect her hands, and traditional cotton mitts just ended up soaked making things worse. When I heard about the Munch Mitt, I knew I needed it, and for about 3 months, we never went anywhere without it. (You can read more about my love of the Munch Mitt here)
As she began to get older and more coordinated, new products came out. Perfect with her new development, we were sent their Buddy Bib. I SO wish I had this with our other kids. Bandana bibs are not only trendy, but so cute on. Add a removable, chewable teether that doubles as a wrist rattle? MAJOR WIN.
This became our new staple. And the detachable “buddy” was the perfect solution for car rides. It entertained her, it gave her something other than her hands to chew on, and it even attached easily to our baby carriers to help discourage her from chewing on the straps. Bonus that it is adorable.
Once again, Malarkey Kids has expanded their line and we LOVE it. We recently received two of their newest products, the Munch-it Blanket and the Chew Cube. I expected to tell you they were a hit with our little girl, but honestly? Our 3 youngest kids ALL fight over them.
When I first unpacked them, our little girl would NOT put down the Munch-It blanket. She toted it around the house, outside in the snow, in the car. Pretty sure it’s her new BFF. I’m assuming the incredibly soft fabric and snack-inspired print helps. Pretzels are her favorite past time, after all.
You best watch out when her brother sees it and tries to take it for himself. It never ends well. Luckily, I can usually give whichever of them doesn’t have the blanket our new Chew Cube and it will instantly distract them enough to prevent a fight.
The Chew Cube is a great developmental toy, more than just a teether. While the outside is definitely perfect for chewing, the cube itself is so multi-purpose. A toy to roll around or throw -like dice for babies, a rattle to shake, and a sensory stimulating block lies in the center.
With mirrors and bold black and white patterns, it keeps my kids entertained for several minutes trying to free this small block from the confines of the teether cube. (Rest assured, try as they might, that cube has yet to be liberated. It is constructed well!)
Over the years, and between our numerous children, we have come across many teethers.. so trust me when I say these Malarkey Kids products are most definitely worth having. All of them.
[Note: This product was provided to me for this post. All opinions expressed are my own]
Let’s be real — Teething isn’t fun. The copious amounts of slobber and seemingly equal amount of tears is enough to have any drool covered, sleep deprived parent on a coffee induced search for just about every product out there that may bring some relief… ANY relief… to their otherwise happy little baby.
I’ve been there. With 6 kids.. I think I’ve tried almost everything that said “teething” on it.. most did nothing. Some worked alright.. but never have I found one I have appreciated as much as my newly found love — the Munch Mitt by Malarkey Kids.
Is it an affective teether? Yes. Does baby like it? Definitely.. Is it cute? Of course it is. But none of these things are what make me love it as much as I do. So, what is it exactly that has me crazy about Munch Mitt? It helps her eczema.
Now, I’m sure you’re sitting there, with one eye brown raised and your hand with a thoughtful grasp on your chin going “uhhh, how exactly does it *help* her eczema?”
No, this isn’t some miracle moisturizer that heals her eczema.. it obviously does nothing to treat eczema.. but what it does do is provide a barrier. This Munch Mitt gives her something else to chew on.
Saliva irritates the skin, as does going from slobbery wet to dry over and over again through the day. We treat most of her eczema prone skin with moisturizers and creams, but she’s a baby. Her hands are not somewhere I am comfortable putting topical ointments – especially with as often as she’s putting them in her mouth. So, her tiny little wrists and hands end up chapped, red, and covered in patches of eczema. That is, until I put this mitt on her hand. She immediately went straight to chewing on it, just as she would her bare hand — but when I removed it after about 15-20 minutes – her hand was dry. It wasn’t covered in saliva. She was happy, and her hand was protected. Win. Total win.
What else makes it a great tool for eczema prone babies? It’s a razer sharp finger nail barrier. She has eczema on her face.. her cheeks are possibly one of the worst areas she has it. Any time I put her in the car seat, she starts chewing on her hands, slobber sits on her cheeks, then they itch. She gets irritated with it’s itchiness and starts clawing at her face. Now we’ve got eczema and claw marks. Not awesome. This mitt, while it’s crinkling offered a distracting toy for her, and it’s silicon soothed her urge to chew on everything — this adorable little mitt also contained her slice and dice happy finger nails. Hooray!
If you’ve been on the fence about getting a Munch Mitt, hesitate no more! Go get it! I only wish I had found it sooner.
I had a very fun opportunity this past week. I recorded a segment for a podcast!
This all came about a couple weeks ago. I noticed I had been tagged a couple times in a post in the gDiapers Facebook community. I clicked to see what I was being called out for, and I instantly laughed upon seeing the post. They were looking for parents of large families (5+ children) to interview for their podcast.
After laughing, I sat and thought for a minute. I’m really the person my friends think of when asked if they know any crazy people who can’t seem to stop having babies?!? Yep. I am. *insert more laughing*
The focus was a lot about how you know when and if you’re done having babies. There were a lot of questions regarding this.. but one actually made me think. What would I say or what advice would I give to someone trying to decide if they’re done.
Considering only ONE of our SIX babies were planned, and one was a birth control baby when we thought we were finished, I have no advice to give on deciding whether you’re done or not. We have been blessed beyond measure – but with very little deciding. (Until now, that is..) That said — I do have a lot of insight on having a large family. So, if you’re sitting there, staring at your all-too-quickly growing baby, trying to decide if you want to set out to procreate like rabbits.. here’s a few things to think about:
•On your worst day, how do you handle the chaos? Large families come with a lot of chaos, even on the good days. You often find yourself running in circles. Like you’re in one of those revolving doors and can’t seems to figure out how to get out of it. Round and round you go. Same stuff, different kid. Over and over until you hit the mattress. (And then a couple times after you’ve hit the mattress. Kids, they just KNOW when you’ve attempted to relax!)
•Do you enjoy shopping at Costco? Costco is one of those things that is no longer a luxury. A trip to Costco used to be one of those “Oh! I can buy our entire months worth of groceries!” Nope. It’s basically a necessity just for a week’s worth of feeding 6 kids. Especially when almost all of them are growing boys with giant appetites. (Have you seen how much a preteen boy can put down?!? And WHERE does it go?????)
•Are you willing to size up your vehicle? Our particular dilemma when we found out that number 6 was on the way was that we would require 5 car seats or boosters to be installed. My gripe is that most large vehicles don’t feel the need to accommodate car seats like they should. We upgraded to a full size van just to fit the amount and types of seats we needed to install, plus give room for all the STUFF that going out with 6 kids requires. It also allows us to not fold our giant stroller (Uppababy Vista) so, yay for being lazy! I mean, uhhh, saving time!
•Are you one of those people who loves doing laundry? Here’s an equation for you. Smelly, sweaty preteen + sticky, snot nosed toddler + slobbery, poop filled infant = A LOT OF LAUNDRY. Along with upgrading the vehicle, you may need to upgrade your washer and dryer capacity. I used to love laundry. I no longer love laundry.
•Cold and flu season.. when one goes down… the entire forest is going down with them. I’ll never forget when I was about 7 months pregnant.. our toddler vomited as we were getting him ready for bed. We thought it was a one off, as he seemed fine after. Put him down to bed and moved on. An hour later, our 3 year old followed suit. Oh no. Okay.. two was tolerable. By 3 am, we had 5 vomiting children and a pile of towels and sheets covering beds and the floor. (Which goes back up to “do you like laundry?” Ha!)
•Are you willing to become best friends with your local baristas? Let’s face it – coffee is my life line. Drink the coffee, do the things. Fairly certain my baristas know what kind of day I’m having based on how many times I roll my giant van through the drive-thru (also a necessity!) and how many children are crying as I do so. They know my drink based on time of day. No joke.
In all seriousness, though..
Do you want a lot of kids? This is probably the only thing that matters. Everything else works itself out. If you want a large family, if you love being a parent and want to keep doing it.. do it! We have our people, our tribes or our villages, whatever you want to call them.. and that’s great. They will all have an opinion on whether you should or shouldn’t have several kids. They’ll probably voice those opinions, too. But as nice as it is to have a support team, this decision is one only you can make, and you shouldn’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.
We love our big family, and our children love our big family. Did we set out thinking we’d have 6 kids? No. It’s been amazing, though. We did make the decision to be done-done (or as done as you can be.. they say nothing is 100%) after baby girl.. We thought we were done after number 5, and she is the whipped cream that topped off our mocha.. We felt ready to make that decision of completion.
Half a dozen kids, one kid, no kids. We all have our ideas of what OUR perfect family is. None of us are right or wrong. Make the decision that works for your family. Also, keep an open mind. Sometimes surprises or tragedies happen and our ideas get changed a bit. Embrace your family, and never apologize for your decisions.
I’ve been babywearing for a long time. What began as a means of parental survival when our third baby was born, quickly became a passion. Eventually, I ended up with quite the extensive collection of carriers. I recently joked to my husband that I almost have enough carriers that I can wear a different carrier (be it style, print, brand, etc..) every week for an entire year.. He made the challenge, and so I will!
Introducing the Diaper Bag Confessions #whowhatwearweekly — Every Friday of 2018, I will post our weekly carrier on my Instagram. Who made it (spoiler alert- most of my collection is LÍLLÉbaby) – what it’s called – and a different carrier (be it a different style, color, print, or brand) every week for a year.
Im super excited to show you my carrier collection, have an excuse to grow it a little more, and answer any babywearing questions you might have! I’d love to have you follow along!
Raising five boys has definitely taught me a lot. I became very accustomed to “boy mom” life. Obviously, as a woman raising 5 future men… I have strived to instill values in them that I feel are important traits to make them not only good humans, but men of integrity who value the importance of women.
Thinking about how we raise our boys and the example my husband sets for our boys made me think about raising our baby girl. The differences, the priorities.. She’ll be a little girl in a boys world — which, I’m hoping, prepares her for being a woman in a man’s world.
I want her to grow up knowing that she is not weak. I hope that if her brothers tackle her (and they will!) — she gets up, brushes off her tutu, and pins them to the ground. Stand up for yourself, baby girl! On that same note — I also want her brother’s to know that it’s perfectly okay when she wins, and ONLY encourage her to try to do so! While I do want her brothers to feel protective and defensive of her, I also want them all to realize she needs to be confident enough to hold her own.
I want her to know that she deserves just as much respect and equality as her brothers, and she should not hesitate to go for it! At the same time, however, I want her to realize that she is not entitled to anything simply because she’s a girl – just as her brother’s must also understand that they aren’t more deserving of anything based on their anatomy.
I hope that having all of these brothers helps her realize that she has value much greater than her looks. As a girl, people will surely remark on her outward appearance – and I don’t want her to focus on that. Be them positive or negative comments. Strive for strength and confidence before beauty.
I hope she challenges and encourages her brothers to continue to grow their views of what “masculine” and “feminine” mean. Showing that she can pretend to be Darth Vader and they can sit down in pint sized chairs for tea parties and both are entirely acceptable!
My biggest hope for her? That she realizes that even though everyone keeps calling her “The Princess” (Ugh…) there are MANY variations of “Princess.” I hope that living with these boys is empowering for her. I want her to see that Queen Amidala battled right alongside the Jedi. Princess Leia became General Organa. Mulan saved her country. Merida challenged tradition and chose her own path. I want her to see that she is more than capable of conquering whatever she wants. She can be strong, be confident, be brave — and she can do it all in a crown if she wants to.
When we found out we were pregnant with baby number 6, there was one thing my husband and I were sure of. We were going to wait to announce our pregnancy until after we knew the gender of our baby. Quite honestly, I didn’t want to hear what people thought I must need/want/be having.
Waiting 16-20 weeks to announce a pregnancy is not always easy. Especially when it’s number 6. You tend to be showing much earlier and if children notice — children talk. This meant we also had to keep it a secret from our kids. There were a few “mom, you’re belly is kind of getting a little big..” from our very blunt 5 year old.. but overall my boys were oblivious.
The day came. As I sat in my OBGYN’s office 16 weeks pregnant, he wheeled in the ultrasound machine and declared “we’re going to look..” and look he did. Very closely. As the words came out of his mouth, there was a pause. I honestly was waiting for “and there’s another boy!” — but that is not what he said. “You know, It’s not what I am seeing, but rather what I’m not seeing.. ” Then, we stared intently for more than 10 minutes. Poking, prodding, getting images of every angle baby would cooperate for. We knew his verdict wasn’t 100%, but because hiding it was getting increasingly difficult as each week came, we decided that his “95% positive” was assuring enough to do our announcement. We could always amend our photos later if our 20 week anatomy ultrasound happened to show something otherwise. Haha.
We messaged back and forth with our family photographer, Olivia of Yah Yah Photography here in Portland, Oregon. She has been photographing our family for over 10 years and her excitement over this uncharted territory was equal to ours. Together we knew we needed to do this big and obvious. The photo shoot would not only be telling the world we were pregnant AND having a girl — but the shoot itself would tell our boys they were going to have a baby sister. Something they have begged for. She invisioned a lot of pink – and together our Pink Tea Party “Baby Sister Boot Camp” came to fruition.
We were a little worried our boys would figure it all out before we captured it.. but lucky for us, our kids don’t think twice about the color pink or the random things we do for photo shoots. As the pink treats and balloons came out, they just assumed it was for Spring. Olivia set up the tea party at a park and then she waiting as we all walked over to join her. It was the perfect way to get the little details captured before making the announcement obvious. She then proceeded with a seemingly normal photo shoot at first.
We then walked our boys over to the table, where they began to get confused by the tiaras on the table – but brushed it off fairly quickly. I mean, there were cookies, cupcakes and jellybeans to be had.
After a moment, Olivia declared that she had forgotten something in her car and needed Dad to go retrieve it. He came walking back with “It’s a Girl” balloons and two chalkboard signs. One said “Baby Sister Boot Camp” and one was adorned with baby sister’s name. That’s when it hit them — and we captured their reactions both on video and in these amazing photos.
The hardest part was the week after we did this photo shoot, having to keep our children away from anyone they may spill the beans to. Hahaha. Proud to say, we managed that nicely and it was a very successful surprise for everyone.
By the way — We have since had 2 more ultrasounds, with a total of 5 people in all telling us she is, indeed, a girl. I guess I’ll believe it. Hahaha.
How and when did you announce your pregnancy and/or the gender of your baby?
If you following me on social media, you’ve likely heard the news already. Our family is expanding once more this coming September!
A little different, however, is that this BOY MOM is about to have a GIRL. *insert nervous, freak-out emoji here* As a boy mom, I was very much the type who would say things like “Boys can do and wear whatever they want.” and “Colors don’t have genders.”
While I have nothing against pink and purple, and do wear them.. I’m really not an overly frufru girl. Neither my house, nor my closet, is full of throw pillows, scented candles, and ruffles.
When we found out we were expecting, I was firm in my thought.. if by some crazy obscure chance this baby is a girl, she will be more “Princess Leia” than “Sleeping Beauty” — and I honestly still feel that way in an empowerment sort of way.. (trust me, baby girl will hold her own!!) but the moment the ultrasound tech confirmed “OMG IT IS A GIRL” all of my gender neutrality flew out the window like a tornado had engulfed it. “Pink! All the pink! We need pink. And purple. And flowers. And metallics. Gold and silver and rose gold and sparkles!!!”
This photo courtesy of the amazing Yah Yah Photography in Portland, Oregon!
My husband just laughed.. then handed me the car keys and sent me on my way. I entered the store, about to make my first purchase for my baby girl.. and I shocked even myself. Bows. Headbands. Pink. (Bright pink, soft pink, neon pink.. I did not descriminate.) Purple. Florals. *blink*
Who is this person? What?!? It’s like this dormant girly girl had unleashed itself. I never felt like I needed a girl, but apparently my inner self was just waiting for the chance to explode in a puff of glitter — and here I am.
As parents, we try very hard to give our kids the best we can. We want them to grow and thrive and be happy. What we put into their bodies is an important factor in that.
We try to give our kids the healthiest variety and options – which is why Stonyfield Organic YoBaby Yogurt has always been a staple in our first foods journey.
Not only is it organic, it’s made from whole milk, low in sugar, a variety of flavors, and now — they’ve added the probiotic BB-12! This means baby’s already healthy yogurt will promote good gut health as well.
YoBaby yogurt is the number 1 pediatrician recommended refrigerated yogurt for babies between 6 months and 2 years. I know that it’s the yogurt our pediatrician has been recommending to us for the last 11 years, for all of our kids. We know it, we trust it, and now it’s even better.
With five kids, someone is always coming down with something.. a snotty nose, a stomach bug, an ear infection. If any of those instances require an antibiotic, or just leave them with an unhappy stomach, the added benefits of probiotics in yogurt they already love to eat makes my life much easier. I can rest assured they’re getting what their bodies need when it needs it most.
Available in several flavors, you are sure to find one your baby will love! (Vanilla, Banana/Mango, Blueberry/Apple, andPeach/Pear) You can even buy a non-sweetened Plain yogurt version. What better to add to other foods for bab – or even to make dips out of without losing any of those benefits that make YoBaby so wonderful. (A ranch dip made from plain YoBaby is the perfect exploration dip! A little bit of that, some chicken nuggets and a few fries. Baby is in artistic self-feeding heaven!)
For more information on Stonyfields commitment to healthy food for babies, or to find YoBaby near you, click here!
Note: This product was provided to me for this post. This post also contains affiliate links.
Hip seats are nothing new in the baby carrier industry. They’re extremely popular in Asian regions and are starting to make their way here to the States. They have always intrigued me, as I’ve never used one and I’m very much a fan of floppy SSC’s (soft structured carriers), ring slings, and wraps. You know, the carriers that conform to myself and to my baby. When I saw that LÍLLÉbaby was planning to release this new carrier, I knew I had to try it.
First, I am slightly obsessed with learning the ins and outs of new carriers.. fitting carriers on people is sort of a niche of mine, and I enjoy feeling confident in doing that by knowing a carrier through and through. Second, it just seemed so different than what I was used to, that I had to find out for myself if it was worth the hype. (Spoiler alert: it is!)
Let me start by talking about the feature that makes the SeatMe so much different from LÍLLÉbaby’s standard SSC lineup — Complete and Essentials. That notable feature is, of course, the structured seat insert. It’s exactly what it sounds like it is. A hard (yet slightly padded.. it’s still comfy for baby!) insert that forms a physical seat for baby to sit on. It’s like having a small stool attached to your waist for baby.
On the SeatMe, with 2 very simple steps (one zipper and 2 buttons), you can remove the back panel and straps and use this sturdy seat all on its own as a hip seat, or on your front. I have been asked “but why?!?” about this feature a lot. My answer is simple. Parents are not ignorant to the toddler on the hip.. swing one hip out to the side and stand/walk at an awkward back and hip tilt so your child can essentially sit on your hip bone as you carry them around. This simple hip seat ability of the SeatMe eliminates the need for that swing of the hip and bent back. It basically gives you a hip bone for your child to sit on while you can stand normally. Woohoo!
Another added benefit to this structured seat is, if you choose to face baby outward, that structured seat gives baby a nice seated position that so many struggle to get when outward facing in other SSC’s that support that carry style. It even gives a supportive seat to bigger children when outward facing, as well. I will say, wearing a larger child (over 25 pounds) on the front, especially in the outward facing position, does put a lot of pressure on that structured piece, which can push into your pubic bone area a bit. For short amounts of time, it’s neglegent, but I wouldn’t suggest it for a larger child on front for extended periods of time. Stick to the hip seat, or back carries.
Below the structured seat insert of the SeatMe is another A+ feature. It’s essentially a built in fannypack, without the 80’s stigma and neon colors. This deep belt pocket is in addition to the now-standard large LÍLLÉbaby front pocket so many of us know and love. Yes! Twice the storage!! (I’d actually almost say more than twice.. the bottom pocket definitely holds a hefty amount of stuff!) it’s easy to access, even with baby on you.
You may have noticed, when talking about the structured seat, I used the word insert. The hard seat structure is, indeed, an insert that can quickly and easily be removed and you instantly have a standard SSC to use. Its a fabric and padding covered hard plastic structure that securely velcro’s into the zippered pocket on the belt. It’s like the magical carrier that transforms itself into 3 different carriers. A structured seat carrier, a hip seat, and an SSC! Amazing. Removing the structured seat also gives you even more space in that belt pocket!
One of my favorite features of the SeatMe is most definitely the adjustable panel width feature. The panel is already more narrow than the other LÍLLÉbaby carriers, and then the simple sliding adjustment ability expands its flexibility for baby’s size and makes going from inward to outward facing carries so much easier! Because of the way the slider works, you can essentially customize the panel fit for the size of your baby. Not just two set sizes, wide and narrow. As someone who’s toddler stayed between the wide and narrow setting for a long time, I think this particular ability is a fabulous! You can also, for back carries with larger children, unclip the sliding seat adjuster, since you would use the panel on the widest setting in that scenario anyway.
A small but notable detail that the SeatMe has that other LÍLLÉbaby carriers do not (but I wish they did!!) is a lovely, soft, and plush lining along the inside of the neck support seam. It was one of the first things I noticed when I was examining the carrier, and my baby loved laying his cheeks against it.
The SeatMe, like the Complete, has the tell-tale LÍLLÉbaby neck support that is a very popular feature! It was definitely a selling point for me when I first discovered LÍLLÉbaby, as I know it is with many LÍLLÉ lovers. Along with this neck support is also the nice and large, and easily removable, hood that is also a well known LÍLLÉbaby feature. Same snap attachments as the other LÍLLÉbaby carriers. It also had the same two-way strap adjusters, making adjusting your strap tightness easy in both front and back carries.
A difference you will notice, probably immediately, is the belt. This is not your typical LÍLLÉbaby webbing buckle belt and lumbar support. It’s, instead, a wide canvas belt with sturdy Velcro to secure it around your waist, followed up with a webbing belt and buckle closure. I am not typically a fan of Velcro.. however, I definitely see why this structure is made the way it is. Especially when the SeatMe is used as a hip seat only. The thick, all the way around belt makes it very secure and supportive. It reminds me of those pregnancy back support belts, or the heavy lifting back support belts people buy. (Bonus.. it’s also a bit of a tummy hider! Hahaha)
The SeatMe can be used for the following:
Front inward facing carries
Front outward facing carries (only once baby can hold head in upright position)
Back carries (Minimum 6 months of age)
Hip Seat only (front or hip positions, 12-45 pounds)
As an SSC with no structured insert (front carry position)
These are the ins and outs of the new LÍLLÉbaby SeatMe. I am impressed and highly recommend it! Especially if you are looking for something new and different. It most definitely feels and fits differently than the SSC’s I’m accustomed to — but in a good way. I am thrilled to have it as part of my collection and know it will be used often.
If you have been a reader of The Diaper Bag Confessions for a while, if you follow me on Instagram, or perhaps know me from my days as a babywearing group admin on Facebook — you know I am an avid babywearer. When you have five kids, you’ll do anything you can to free up a hand or two.. but especially when you have kids with special needs. I always wore my babies. It allowed me to shop easier, vacation simpler, and even do chores more efficiently. I really delved into it, though, when our 3rd baby was born and had physical impairments that delayed a lot of milestones. (He was hypotonic and had a muscle fatigue syndrome.) Babywearing became my “thing” very quickly. It is something I am passionate about, and it’s something I do well. (Have a fit question? Feel free to message me!)
With our two youngest kids, babywearing became a tool beyond just freeing up hands. It assisted with bonding in the most amazing way. Skin to skin time was crucial. One of the best ways to help a baby thrive early on is skin to skin time. Wrapping was my favorite way to facilitate this practice as much as possible. (The stretchy wrap pictured is the LÍLLÉbaby Tie-the-knot wrap) Even through the most basic activities. My woven ring sling was the best carrier when our baby was too small for other carriers. (Pictured is the Tekhni Wovens Adelphi Gothic Wrap Conversion Ring Sling) It allowed me to wear him close and safe. I will note.. I sought out the advice and safety opinions for wearing from the hospital staff before bringing our low birthweight baby home, as well as our pediatrician. This is important if you want to wear a baby that is small and especially if baby is a preemie. There are safety concerns you need to be mindful of.
Along with skin to skin, another benefit of wearing babies — especially newborns and medically fragile babies — comes the ability to help shield them from the affects of cold and flu season. I love the clip up neck support on the LÍLLÉbaby Complete (Pictured below! *aff link*) especially for this!! It puts a nice shield, of sorts, around baby’s head. This stops (most) people, especially strangers, from attempting to touch baby or get in their face. A nice little buffer. We almost always wear at the grocery store and the doctors office mostly for this reason!
Wearing baby also provides a safe space. It doesn’t take long for baby to realize the comfort and security of being worn against mom or dad’s body. Crowded places, loud and chaotic surroundings.. even family gatherings when you don’t want baby passed around. Baby is snuggled up to you and calmed from the chaos around them.
When doctors starting altering our baby’s diet, I found myself leaning on my carriers even more than I did before. Playing with his diet meant one huge thing for me — He was suddenly breastfeeding less than he was used to, and not nearly as much as I would have preferred. (It also resulted in an abrupt halt to our nursing journey in the end..) I longed for those snuggles. I found myself hooked up to a breast pump multiple times per day, mixing bottles frequently, and just getting frustrated. I wanted to feel that closeness that we had when we were nursing. Babywearing. Cheek to chest. Sleepy snuggles. Was it the same? No.. I can’t even pretend it was the same thing.. but I was something we were both needing. Craving, even. That bond never broke.
Then came our time in the hospital. I wore him throughout our stay. The staff was very supportive of it, complimenting me for my choice. One of the doctors even did her entire morning exam while he was in the carrier. As she walked in the room I said “Oh! I can take him out for you.” With a smile on her face she said “No. You leave him right there where he’s comfortable. There isn’t anything I need to do that requires him to be out, so you just leave him where he is.” Heart melted. You see, his world had just been rocked upside down. he now had a tube in his nose. His feedings were all clinical. It gave him what he was familiar with. He would lay his head down on my chest and quickly fall asleep. If you find yourself in the hospital with your infant or toddler, ask the staff if wearing is a possibility for you!
As the weeks with his tube progressed and our new normal began to shape, babywearing was our constant. His wraps. His SSC’s, his ring sling. His happy place. It also greatly helped me keep his graspy little fingers away from his tube. If you can’t reach it, you can’t pull it out.
Babywearing has given me so much. It has given me a passion, made my life easier as a mom of five, allowed me to continue the physical bond with my baby through his medical challenges, and helped keep my kids safe, healthy and comforted. For that, I feel blessed. I enjoy using my experience to help other parents. Embrace your circumstances and explore how wearing your baby can help you and your little one.
