HAPPY HAPPY FRIDAY!!

I hope you all had a great week and here’s too a fun and nice Friday! it has been a minute since I put up a blog post and I have had this one in the works along with a few others for about a month. with having three young kids – one being a newborn – it has been super challenging getting anything done so of course the blog has to be on the back burner for a bit. hopefully not for too long. baby Noah is three months old and has a better schedule, but he still does like being held for naps during the day, making it really hard to get anything done. but I am not complaining since he is my last baby, I am soaking in alllll the baby snuggles and cuddles as much as I can. I still can’t even believe he’s three months old – like how did that happen and why why why does time have to go by so fast?!!?

anyway, little update on life – just been hanging out with the kids, both Justin and I got out Covid Vaccine so we feel more comfortable seeing more people and doing more things besides taking the kids to the park and occasional target run. really hoping to get a Disneyland visit in and maybe a little family weekend vacay! the weather has been so weird lately – I mean, not all that weird for us – but every year I’m like what is this?! LOL – MAY GRAY and then JUNE GLOOM will hit I’m sure. I am SO ready for summer dress season – honestly because it is the only type of clothing that I can find that fits and looks cute haha! other news, I am going back to work in about two weeks – just to make out lives that much more stressful and challenging. I was able to stay out with the other kids for about 6 months, so this is about 3 months earlier than both my hubby and would’ve liked. I don’t want to get into it too much, but basically my job changed the way I can use my hours off and now have to go back. so we’re trying to wrap out brains around that and figure out how to do it since my hubby has always watched the kids while I work – but with three kids, and once basically a newborn it will definitely have its challenges. FYI – I am a nurse in case you’re new around here, and I was working 2 days a week 12 hours per shift, but just changed to 3 days a week, at 8 hours. it was hard to decide since it’s nice only working two days a week but I am literally done all day and don’t ever see the kids when I work. with the 8 hour shift I can help my hubby in the mornings, take my daughter to school and be home for dinner time and bedtime. if you’re a parent to toddlers or young children, then you know how hard that time of day can be. haha! so we’re just going to see how it goes! of course the Type A in me has everything planned out perfectly in my mind, but I’m sure there will need to be adjustments and what not. SO wish us luck!

WOW! SORRY! that got super lengthy…

but I every once in a while I like to give an update on what’s going on in life. maybe someone can relate and it just helps to get to know me better. BUTTTT let’s get to the main reason for this post:

B A B Y W E A R I N G

I am hoping by reading this post, you can see why I love babywearing so much, the benefits of baby wearing and some of my favorite carriers to wear baby. SO KEEP READING!

I LOVE LOVE L O V E WEARING MY BABIES!

it is one of my absolute favorite things to do with baby! I just love the closeness especially when they’re brand new and so tiny. it’s such a sweet feeling. there are a bunch of different ways you can wear baby – so many kinds of carriers, wraps, etc. there are so many different brands that make some version of another, some slightly different but pretty much the same, and it just depends on what style best fits your lifestyle and which one is most comfortable for you to wear. I have friends who are afraid of wearing wraps because they think baby can fall out or get hurt, and of course there’s always a risk, just like with anything but if you watch instructional videos and follow the steps, they’re actually very secure and comfortable to wear. I have tried the traditional carriers with all the buckles and straps, the wraps – basically long pieces of stretchy faring – and the ring sling – basically fabric on two rings. these are three types of carriers are what I will be sharing here and these specific. brands that have trusted and used over the last few years, and NO, none of this is sponsored.

My Favorite carriers are Solly Baby Wrap, WildBird Ring Sling & ErgoBaby 360 Carrier

[ SOLLY BABY WRAP ]

Let’s start off with the SOLLY BABY WRAP – I have been using their wraps since Charlotte was a baby. I love them! there are a few other brands I’ve used, but Solly Baby is always my go-to favorite. their fabric is lightweight, soft and stretchy plus they always come out with pretty designs. The Solly Baby Wrap is probably my favorite for when baby is tiny like newborn to 6-7 months. you can definitely wear them longer in the wrap but usually they’re more active around 7-8 months so with my kids they just don’t like being so snugly held anymore. I definitely think this way of baby wearing is the best when they’re newborns because they’re small and so cuddly and you just feel so close to them and I feel like you still kind of get that skin-to-skin that is so beneficial for babies. having new babies close and snug in the wrap can instantly calm them down and help with naps, especially in the beginning where there is no sleep schedule and you’re just trying to survive. like I mentioned the fabric is lightweight and soft so no issues wearing the wrap for longer periods of time, and even when’s it’s warmer out. the only downside, I find with the wrap style carrier is having to wrap & tie it up every time you want to use it. the wraps are also very long, touch the ground sl it can be cumbersome to put it on each time, especially when you’re in a rush to calm an unhappy, fussy baby. I have worn it loosely wrapped so I can just put baby in right away and adjust once baby is in, but I never perfected this or tried it enough times to feel comfortable doing it this way. also for the fabric touching the ground, you can braid the ends so it doesn’t hit the floor then just pull as you’re putting baby in, it does work but takes practice.

[ shop solly baby wraps ]

[ WILDBIRD SLING ]

The second type of carrier that I really like is the RING SLING type of carrier, I have tried a couple brands that do this type of carrier, but my favorite is WILDBIRD. I first started using WILDBIRD with my second baby when a couple friends gifted one for me after having the baby. I have to say I was intimidated by it, even though I had tried one before. I never used it regularly so getting used to the rings and how to adjust the wrap was a bit intimidating. But once I got the hang of it with Jax it was fairly easy. I used it a bunch with Jax but not as much as I thought I would have because he was kind of always on the go. I just didn’t wear him as much after he hit 8-9 months. However with Noah, I plan to use it ALL THE TIME until he’s like two! haha! the WILDBIRD RING SLING is super easy to use once you put it all together and take a few times to practice, plus they always have tips and instructional videos on their website and their instagram. I have been gravitating towards the ring sling much more this time because it is so convenient, I usually have it in my bag and I can just grab it and put it on, put baby in and go. it is super quick to put on once you have the fabric through the rings, as long as it is not tangled, you can tighten and loosen once baby is in. it sounds like a lot, but I assure you, just watch a video and you will see how easy it is to use the ring sling – perfect when you have a crying baby or if you just want to keep baby close. its also great for toddlers because you can wear them on your hip like you would naturally when you pick them up. like the Solly baby wraps, the WILDBIRD ring slings come in so many colors and pretty prints. most are made with high quality linen fabrics so they are sturdy but still soft enough ti be comfortable and they kind of stretch and conform to you when worn a lot. they also have some slings in modal – a lot softer fabric, and personally for me it has taken me time to get used to because I feel like the fabric is softer so I can’t get a good hold on baby, but after getting some tips and practicing I am liking the modal slings much more!

[ shop Wildbird Slings ]

[ ERGOBABY 360 ]

The last carrier that I will talk about is one of the ones I used a lot with Charlotte and Jax especially once they got bigger, after one year old. it is also the ONLY carrier my hubby uses. The ERGOBABY 360 carriers are great for carrying baby for longer periods of time because it has better back support. it is sort of like a backpack, so I know for a lot of people it feels more secure when carrying baby. I think that people find the ERGOBABY intimidating because it does have a lot more straps and buckles, but again once you figure all that out it really isn’t that difficult. Also, I love the ERGOBABY because once baby is bigger and has good head control, it has the option for forward facing, which I know my babies always enjoy so they can see what’s going on around them. For my babies, I also purchased the ERGOBABY INFANT INSERT so that I can start using the carrier when they’re newborns. it works great and it basically just sits in the carrier to prop small baby up and safely. it is what I am using in these pics with Noah. Last thing about the ERGOBABY 360, once baby is big enough, you are also able to wear baby on your back, which I’ve done a few times, works great if baby wants to be held during cooking time or something, keeps them away but still close to you.

[ shop Ergobaby carrier ]

babywearing is definitely a great way to stay close and connected to your baby, as well as make life easier by allowing you to be hands-free. I have had lots of days where baby wouldn’t let me put him down for naps, so using a carrier and wearing baby while I did things around the house was so helpful. I truly enjoy it! lastly I am going to share some helpful tips to babywearing. above all, make sure you’re following the carrier’s instructions and making sure baby is safe.

if you’re a mama, did you wear your baby/babies? which carrier do you love?

if you’re expecting, which baby carrier would most fit your lifestyle?

thanks so much for reading! hope you found this post helpful in some way! Have a beautiful Friday and an amazing weekend!!

xo, Steph