Hello Wishpot Baby readers! As a new “Wishpot Expert” I’d just like to say hello and to let you know a little about myself. I’m a proud Canadian mama, living in Ontario with my partner and our daughter, who just celebrated her 1^st birthday last month! I’m a freelance writer & photographer aka WAHM who wishes the day had 50 hours and about that many cups of coffee. I’m looking forward to being a part of the Wishpot team.

As a new mom I can say for certain that babywearing is one of the most important skills I’ve learned. Without it there would have been some very miserable outings, bedtimes & social occasions. Babywearing has gotten us through many stressful situations by creating a calm and happy atmosphere for my daughter – a place where she always feels safe. It’s also helped with breastfeeding on the go, and maneuvering myself and my babe through all sorts of places where strollers just don’t go.

Over the past year I’ve tried out many different styles of carriers and I’d like to share a little about my three favourites – the stretchy wrap, the ring sling & the soft structured carrier.The first carrier that I used the most with my daughter was a stretchy wrap. The tying of this particular type of wrap took a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, you’re golden. Your baby is so close, cozy and secure, and, if you’re like me and have a winter baby, it can tuck right inside your coat! We used our stretchy wrap nonstop until my daughter was about five months old and started getting heavy enough that the fabric wasn’t staying as tight during our outings and would need to be retied if I wore her for a lengthy period of time. That’s when I knew it was time to start looking into soft structured carriers.

(Examples of stretchy wraps: CuddlyWrap, SleepyWrap & Moby Wrap)

A soft structured carrier generally has these features: a padded waist belt, shoulder straps, and a soft body enclosure for your baby to sit in. I find this type of carrier to be incredibly versatile as many can be worn both on your front, back and hip, for maximum utility. My daughter is absolutely at peace when she’s in our carrier and its design ensures minimum fatigue for the babywearer. One drawback is that they can be quite bulky and expensive; however, I believe that the use I get out of mine far outweighs any minor inconveniences.

(Examples of soft structured carries: Ergo, Beco, BabyHawk)

The third way I love to wear my baby is in a simple ring sling. These types of slings are very easy to use and super convenient to toss in your bag and go. I almost always have a ring sling on me for those moments where I’m not anticipating needing to wear her – like an impromptu walk, a grocery trip where she doesn’t want to sit in the cart, a time when she’s feeling overwhelmed and wants to nurse or snuggle. Ring slings are easy to get on and easy to get off – perfect for if you’re in a hurry or even just bumming around the house.

(Examples of ring slings: Sakura Bloom, Heart to Heart)

I hope this information has inspired you all to give babywearing a try if you haven’t already! If you’re a veteran babywearer – we’d love to hear about your favourite way to wear your baby!

Thank you!

(Image sources: Sakura Bloom Blog, BecoBabyCarrier.com & MobyWrap.com)