Guest Baby Wearing Post from Amanda over at My Show

Hey everyone, I'm Amanda. I blog over at My Show and I have a 6 week old baby girl named Fynn. While I may be new to this whole mommy business, I've already learned a lot about babywearing.

At 6 weeks, Fynn loves being held. In fact she still struggles to sleep without being in someones arms. Something about the warmth, smell and comfort of being held just works for her. I however, can not spend 24/7 holding her. Though I love every moment of a sweet, cuddly newborn in my arms, they get tired and I do occasionally need to do things such as clean my house, eat, etc. That's where babywearing has been great for us. We've been using two different types of baby carriers that each serve their own purpose and each have pros and cons. 

The Sling:

About a year ago I bought a pocket sling from SevenSlings. Why, you ask, did I buy a baby sling about a year before actually having a baby? Glad you asked. 1) It was free. Had a coupon, and only had to pay shipping and handing. 2) I'm weird and was going to use it for my dog. Up until Miss Fynn came along my dog was my only baby... and things may have gotten a little out of control. She's a very sweet, loving dog... but she's also rather needy and she LOVED riding around in the sling with me.

Clearly she wasn't impressed
in it this morning

Back to the topic at hand. I had the sling when Fynn was born, so obviously I used it. It's meant for use with infants to toddlers up to 35 pounds, so it has a nice, long life for your baby. It's fantastic for when she's sound asleep and I want to take the dog for a walk or just give my arms a rest when chilling on the couch (or blogging!) However, it's not convenient for trying to get things done. While the sling cradles her well, it's not as secure as I would like. I end up with my arms underneath her most of the time when she's in it. I also can't do any cleaning with her in it because she could very easily fall out if I bend over. While the sling is great, it has limited uses and doesn't really free up my hands, which is the main thing I need in a baby carrier. 

The Sash:

For one of my baby showers I got the Mei Tai Sash baby carrier from Infantino. This bad boy can be worn as a front, back OR side carrier which makes it much more versatile than the sling. It says it's for babies 8-36 pounds, but I started using it with Fynn when she was a little less than that and she still fit great. What I love about this carrier is how snug and secure she is. She gets strapped all in and can't go anywhere, making it great for doing chores around the house. I also like it for being out in public because people can't really get to her. In the sling she's right out there, so people feel the need to try to touch. With the sash she's bundled right in so they can't get their nasty germy hands on her. The other thing I love is that it holds her right against my chest in a way that is very calming for her. Often when she gets tired and fussy, but can't manage to fall asleep, I'll put her in this and walk around. After a few minutes she's out like a light, which is amazing! 

While I often prefer this carrier over the sling, it does have its drawbacks. Mainly... it's much more difficult to get on. The sling pops over my head and baby plops in. This thing has to be tied around my waist, then wrapped around. To be honest, it was a little intimidating at first. All these straps to be wrapped and tied. However, after actually reading the instructions, it was really easy. It's also useful to watch the video on the website to really see how it all works. So far I've only used the front carry, since she's so little, so I don't know how well the side and back carry works. The other drawback is how long it takes to wrap her into it. If I need to go somewhere quickly, it's not worth the time. 

Babywearing in General:

I love baby wearing. It just feels natural and lets me be closer to my baby without always having my arms tied up. That being said, it's important to have the right carrier for what you're trying to do. I love both of mine, but they each have their pros and cons.