Wearing My Baby

I was given a second hand baby carrier after The Little Man was born but after I using it a couple of times I got excruciating back pain. I have a bad back anyway and using the carrier made it much worse. For a little while I just forgot about baby carrying, partially because I thought all carriers would hurt my back and also because some carriers are REALLY expensive and as I didn't really know what I needed I didn't want to waste any cash.
Then I came across the North East Sling Library on Facebook. The sling library covers the whole of the North East and offers both privately consultancy and sling hire. The lady who runs it, Rachel Coy also offers sling hire by post. The sling library has regular meets where you can try different slings and carriers and find out which one is best for you and your little person or you can meet Rachel by yourself or a more private basis.
Thankfully I managed to book a 1-to-1 appointment with Rachel so she could try some different options out with me and see what was going to work best with my dodgy back.
I wasn't very up on using slings or carriers or baby wearing as it's also sometimes called but I really liked the idea of it. The Little Man likes to be close to me and would happily be attached all day if he could. That often means I struggle to get anything done and housework is either extremely hard work or just not possible. I also like the idea of being able to give him a constant cuddle while he's in the carrier.
There are SO many questions you need to consider when baby wearing.

What carrier is the best? What are the cheapest options? What size do I need? Are they safe? They're all questions that you're likely to consider.
There's so much choice when it comes to baby wearing, you can use - stretchy wraps, woven wraps, ring slings, soft structured carriers or Mei Tai's.
I tried a couple with Rachel and instantly fell in love with the Connecta Solar Weave. (review to follow) It was an instant hit, both with my dodgy back and The Little Man, who snuggled in and looked extremely happy.

I would definitely recommend looking into baby wearing and using a carrier with your baby. There is a carrier to suit everyone and there are sling libraries similar to the one I used, all over the country. They can that can help you choose the right one, hire them out and give you support in learning to use the carriers. If like me you're uncertain and don' want to spend a fortune on a you lack the initial confidence to start baby wearing.
Some safety aspects you should consider -

• You should always be able to see your little person's face. Don't take any chances with blocked airways.
• Your little person needs to be high enough so you can easily lean and kiss his head.
• Knees should be higher than babies bottom, you don't want to damage his hips.
• If you have any concerns or worries visit your local sling library who'll be able to show you how to wear your baby properly and safely.

Baby Wearing works really well for us. I can pop The Little Man in the carrier and get on with most household chores. I've become a dab hand at cleaning whilst attached to my son. He drifts off to sleep really quickly when he's in the carrier. I'm not sure whether it's my heartbeat, the warmth or just that he's super comfortable but he appears to like it!
Whilst I wouldn't feel comfortable going somewhere too far from home without our pushchair (how on earth would I manage to hook and carry all my shopping bags) I do think a carrier is really practical and simple for walks, quick trips to the shops or just nipping out and about.
Do you use a baby carrier?