Why I Love Babywearing

When I first became a parent I was, shall we say, a blank slate. A terrified blank slate. I was nothing short of desperate for somebody to tell me how to do this. And, as any parent knows, the world was happy to oblige.

I was ready to follow every rule, every "best practice" that studies might show. So, among other things, I decided I was going to wear my baby on my person as much as possible.

To be honest, now I could not care less about everybody else's rules for parenting, but I still *love* babywearing for completely selfish reasons. I've become a "babywearing evangelist" so let me sing the praises on my blog. :)

1. No better way to cover the post-pregnancy pounds. Why does nobody talk about this??? It's fabulous.
   
2. No lugging a car seat. We hated the "baby bucket" car seat so much with Lilia we didn't even get one with Evan. That thing is ridiculous. It's not even meant to be carried. There is no graceful way to do it.
3. No lugging a stroller. I think Lilia was 6 months old the first time she went in a stroller. Evan hasn't been in one yet. Do you know why? Because they're a pain. Opening and closing and loading in and out of your car and trying to navigate everything differently is no fun. With a baby carrier, just strap your baby on and you're done. No need to remember which stores offer a "handicapped button" to open the door.
   
4. Way less worrying. When I was a new parent and checking if Lilia was breathing every 10 minutes it saved a lot of energy and concern. I still feel that way, especially if Evan is sick.
5. Easier to go more places. Like "off-roading" or places it would be hard to get a stroller.
6. Quieter life. I don't have a super high tolerance for crying and you usually don't get much of it if you wear your baby. That goes for public places, too. We get comments all the time about how content our babies are, because basically we just strap 'em on.
7. People stay out of your space. Especially when you have a newborn, people don't keep trying to touch and hold them if they're on your person.
8. More snuggle time with your baby. It's just a great feeling to hold a happy baby. Or a sleeping baby.
9. More shared perspective with your baby. I know what they're looking at or "talking" about. Also, they see the world from the same perspective as an adult so it's easier to point out things I see.
10. Nobody notices whether you remembered to wear makeup.
    

So, these are my own personal reasons for babywearing. If you haven't tried it, give it a shot, but if you don't like it you'll find no judgment here.

**Special note: If you're gonna wear your baby, grab a backpack diaper bag so you can be truly hands free! Much easier. My favorite is the Baby Pak. Got mine on Ebay for like $13.**