“You will make a clingy baby”
“Doesn’t that hurt your back?!”
“What if you fall over?”
“Can’t you afford a pram?”
All of these questions and more have been asked whilst I have carried Tilly.
I didn’t carry Dylan for long, after a hideous labour and the fact he was nearly 11lb it never really happened also I was unaware of the correct way to carry him. I had a forward facing carrier which he dangled in which not surprisingly he was never happy in and it destroyed my back.
We moved into the county and I really wanted to be able to carry my second baby comfortably without having to push a buggy over hills and through mud so I started researching carriers. You can choose from hundreds of different makes and styles. I started with a ring sling and wrap but my favourite is the buckle carrier. This probably sounds confusing already, and it can be! I would highly recommend going to a sling libary. Have a search for a local one to you. Sling libaries have lots of different carriers in stock for you to borrow and try out, this way you can work out which one suits you and baby.
Once you have your carrier you will wonder how you would of ever managed without it. Things like food shops in those early days become so much less painful with baby snuggled up against you. If you have older children you can look after them whilst baby is content next to you. Cooking, cleaning, walking the dog, mowing the lawn, washing all of these things and more can be done hands free whilst baby sleeps again you.
You have carried your baby for approx 9 months so the place they will be happiest is against you, feeling your skin and hearing your heart beat. Why would they want to be in a pram?!
If a new parent asked me now for one piece of advise with a new baby without a doubt it would be to get a good carrier. Test them first and find one that suits you then start carrying.
Nothing beats holding your baby and you will wonder how you ever managed without a carrier.
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