- Babywearing can be daunting when you're a new mother
but once you get the hang of it is so convenient
and there are so many benefits for you and your baby.
So in today's video, I'm going to talk to you
about why I love it, how to do it,
and show four different baby carriers.
And before we jump into the video,
if you're new to my channel,
hello, my name is Emily and I'm a mom of three
and I post three different videos a week
on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 pm.
If you're not subscribed to my channel already,
I would love for you to subscribe and stick around.
So anyway, babywearing has been around for centuries
and women all over the world will wear their babies
so they can get stuff done.
That's the biggest benefit for me
is that I have my hands free
and once you become a pro at it,
you can even nurse your baby in secret.
I actually found babywearing because my first son
was very windy and suffered from reflux
so it was good to have him upright as much as possible.
Other benefits are that it's great for bonding
and even dad or other family members
can wear babies as well.
By having your baby at such close proximity to you as well
it actually helps you produce the hormones that you need
to boost your milk supply.
There are also loads of physiological benefits to you
and your baby in babywearing
and they are less likely to develop flat head.
Studies have also shown that babies that are worn
cry up to 43% less than other babies
and if you think about it, it kinda makes sense
because they've been inside your tummy for nine months
so they are very used to being jiggled about inside there,
hearing your voice, hearing your heart,
and being nice and warm.
So once they're born and we stick them into a buggy
or a cot or on a playmat,
it's little bit different for them
but whereas if they're in the sling,
it kinda mimics the womb:
they can hear your heart, hear your voice,
they're nice and close to you,
it even helps them to regulate their own temperature.
So there are so many benefits for them
and they can feel more secure, I think, in the wrap.
Yes, so as you can see, I'm a big lover of babywearing
but I never actually thought that I would be.
I kind of thought babywearing was for moms
that were a bit more like hippy than myself,
but it's so convenient and it doesn't mean
that you have to wear your baby all day long
just whenever it's convenient
but I did find it so easy in the early days,
the hours definitely added up.
But anyway, I will now get on and show you my favorite wraps
and the four different ways that you can wear your baby.
Right, so the first type of wrap that I wanted to show you
is my absolute favorite type of wrap for a newborn baby,
but it's also the most daunting
because when I got this massive long piece of material,
I was like, how on earth am I going to learn how to do this?
They all do come with instructions though.
This is the AmaWrap and I really like it
because it's cotton, it's really, really soft and stretchy,
and easy to use but I don't think it really matters
what brand you have
as long as it is one long piece of material.
I promise once you get the hang of it,
you'll be able to put this on so, so quickly.
All you have to do is find the center,
and they are normally marked with like a seam or a badge
like this one is, and you want
to match that up to your belly button.
So you just put the wrap like that around you,
take it around, cross it over like this and bring it up
over your shoulders like so.
Then you're left with these two really long bits
like that over each shoulder so what you want to do then
is just cross them over like this and then tuck them
through the band.
So you kinda put them through and make sure they are crossed
like this and then all you have to do is take it
around the back and you can either tie it right there
around the back or I like to bring it to the front
and tie it there and that is literally it.
Yes, so then you'll look like this
and then to get your baby in you want to put one
of their legs into the cross that is closest to you
so the cross on the inside stick one leg
through there first, then stick their other leg
through on the other side and then use that band
around your waist to bring it up around their back.
I used to like to tuck their under one of the crosses
as well so that they are really, really secure
and close to you.
The next type of baby carrier I'm going to show you
is perfect for when your baby is six months plus
and they're able to have good head control,
they want a bit more stimulation,
they want to look around a bit more.
So this one I actually bought on Amazon
and it's called the Ecosusi,
but I don't think it really matters.
Babybjorn looks very similar to this as well.
All you have to do to put this one on
it's super, super simple.
You just put it over your head like this,
you put it through there and then you have what's left
like this and then there are two buckles around back.
Bring it 'round to under the leg and clip it.
And then again on the other side,
bring it around and clip it.
And that's it, all you have to do then is put your baby
into the middle and then you can either have the front part
underneath their arms or over their arms, either way.
And the best thing about this carrier
is you can wear it three different ways.
You can have your baby forward facing, so they can see out
and see lots of things.
I only really like to do this
for about 10, 15 minutes or so.
And if I think my baby is tired, I will face them towards me
because then they always have the option
of resting their head on my shoulder.
So as I said, you can wear them towards you as well,
and you can even wear this type of baby carrier on your back
like my husband likes to do so then they can have
a little ride along piggy back as well.
Yes, so those two ways that I showed you
are my personal favorite ways of wearing my baby.
The next two I'm going to show you I like less,
but I know some people get on really well with these ways,
so I thought I would show you them in this video anyway.
Yes, so the next baby carrier that I'm going to show you
is a ring sling.
As I mentioned, I actually like this less,
I feel like it is a little bit less secure
and when you put a newborn in it,
I didn't feel very, very safe that their airways
and everything were as safe as it was
in the first wrap that I showed you.
But I know lots of people get the hang of it,
it's super simple to put on.
All you have to do is stick it over your shoulder
like this and then you can put your baby
into the this part.
I think this would suit a baby from six months plus though,
especially on those days when they're really teething
and you cannot put them down, you could carry them around
in this or you could even carry a much older child in this.
I tried it out with my three year old and he seemed
to quite enjoy it and it definitely helped
to distribute his weight.
So basically once your baby is in the wrap,
you'll want to pull all the material,
any slack that is around, and then adjust the ring
and then that's basically all you have to do.
The fourth way of babywearing that I'm going to show you,
I personally think is absolutely ridiculous
but I found it on Amazon
and I really want to show you all the different ways
that you can wear your baby.
And who knows, this could suit someone, even though for me,
I think it kinda defeats the point.
Basically this is from Angelcare and it is like a seat
that put around your hips like this and there is velcro
and also a buckle that you do up and you wear it like this
and then your baby's bottom on this little seat.
So the idea is that it really helps
to distribute their weight and a baby could go on this
from about six, seven months.
But in the instructions when you get it,
it does say to never take both hands off of your baby.
So for me, the biggest benefit of babywearing
is the fact that you can have your hands free.
So if this does not allow me to have my hands free,
I kinda think, what's the point?
Yeah, but anyway, this is quite funny
so I wanted to show you,
let me know what you think in the comments below.
It even comes with this little purse
that you can put your money in it.
It's basically like a massive bum bag.
Right, that is it for this video,
I really hope you found it helpful
and I'm actually going to give away
all the baby wraps that you've seen in this video
to one of my subscribers.
Now this isn't sponsored or branded at all,
I just want to give something back to you guys.
So if you want to win these for yourself
or for a friend that you know is pregnant,
all you have to do is like this video,
make sure you're subscribed to my channel,
and comment down below why you'd like to have them
and I will announce a winner on the 30th of June, 2017.
So yes, comment away and I will make sure
that I announce a winner
and send it out to you and get in touch.
But yes, good luck, and again, thanks for watching
and I will see you really soon, bye!
No. (laughs)
(laughter) You like it; he likes it.
(laughter)
(laughs) Have we taken it too far?