How to Help a Baby Like the Baby Carrier, Tips to Help Your Little Like Babywearing
Hello friends, and welcome back! So something I've noticed is that a lot of times online when you see all these women homesteading, homemaking, running their own businesses, or whatever it might be when you ask them how they get so much done (especially when their baby is little) they say "babywearing." However, I've noticed if you ever ask them "Well what do I do if my baby doesn't like babywearing" they typically answer with "Well all babies like babywearing" or "They fuss for the first few minutes, but then they're good" or "you're probably not moving enough after you put the baby in, try bouncing her" or something along these lines. However, here's the reality: Some babies just don't like babywearing. It has nothing to do with getting adjusted or not moving around immediately, like they will full-on scream and cry after you put them in, for no reason. So, my little girl hated babywearing, however, I really needed that to be an option for us since I was going back to work. And since there is virtually no information online on how to help solve this problem, I thought I would share with you what we did and how she went from hating the baby carrier to loving it. I want to note really quickly, that these are tips beyond the basic troubleshooting: incorrect fit, incorrect hip placement, not moving after putting your baby in the carrier, not being high enough, etc. This blog post is just, if your baby hates babywearing what to do. So if your issue is your fit or your carrier, you should check out Let's Talk Babywearing on Instagram and she has lots of great pointers on how to babywear correctly.
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1. Try Starting with a Baby Stretchy Wrap
So when I first started trying to babywear I had about three different styles of carriers. I had the BabyBjorn Mini Baby Carrier, the Egrobaby Embrace Baby Carrier, and the Mushie Organic Cotton Baby Stretchy Wrap. All three of them she hated (the BabyBjorn especially). Now, the reason she hated the BabyBjorn carrier is because that is actually a pretty bad carrier in general. It doesn't put your baby in a hip-friendly position which causes discomfort, and it's overall kind of clunky. However, she hated all of them, and I had verified that I was wearing the other two correctly. I decided then to set aside trying to get her to like the Ergobaby carrier and just focus on the wrap. Babies tend to prefer the feeling of the wrap since it's soft, flexible, and comfortable. So my first tip is, if you are having trouble getting your little one adjusted to the carrier, try starting off with a stretchy baby wrap.
Now for some people, the stretchy wraps are too intimidating and too much to have to deal with after having a new baby and going through postpartum. I get that, and I have some alternatives that are like "easy stretchy wraps" that essentially fit the same but are much easier to put on. My two favorites are the K'tan Baby and the Moby Fit Slip-on Carrier. I have also used the Momcozy Baby Wrap Carrier Sling, however, I find that unless you have broader shoulders that carrier doesn't really fit well on me. There are a couple of other styles on the market for you to try that would all probably make great alternatives to the traditional stretchy wrap design.
2. Try Only a Few Minutes at a Time
So because my little girl hated the baby carrier so much, what I would do is put the baby wrap on and just stick her in it for about five minutes at a time. I would be sure to bounce her, reassure her, and just try and show her that everything was okay. If she was unconsolable, I quickly took her out, if she was happy then I tried keeping it on for about five minutes before taking it off. I did this several times a day when she was happy in order to help her get used to it.
3. Loosely Tie the Babywrap and Rock in a Rocking Chair
So if you've tried tip one and tip two doesn't seem to be getting you anywhere, try putting on the baby wrap much looser than normal. Please note you do NOT want to use this to carry your baby, this is just a step in getting them used to the baby carrier. Once the carrier is on very loosely, place your baby in. You will want to be seated, preferably sitting in a rocking chair or something so you can rock your baby. Rock back and forth while holding the baby in your arms (in the carrier) helping them get used to having all the fabric around them. Once I did this I was able to start practicing tip number two by spending a couple of minutes each day with the baby carrier on while sitting in the rocking chair.
4. Try Nursing in the Carrier
This one can be especially difficult if you are new to babywearing, however, if you are already doing tip number three it'll be a little easier. I did this a couple of times while rocking her and it made my little one much more receptive to being worn. It's going to be a little difficult and uncomfortable at first, however, it definitely helps them out. Once I graduated from the rocking chair and started wearing the wrap properly, I continued nursing my baby as soon as I put her in the carrier so that we could get our five minutes of practice in throughout the day.
Baby Carriers I Love
Some mention resources. This can be products, articles, sources, curricula, etc.
- Favorite Newborn Wrap: Boba Serenity
- Boba Original
- Mushie Organic Cotton Baby Wrap
- Best Wrap for Going on Walks: MobyWrap Classic
- Best Custom-Sized Stretchy Wrap Alternative: K'tan Baby
- Best Stretchy Wrap Alternative (Narrow Shoulders): Moby Fit Slip-on Carrier
- Best Stretchy Wrap Alternative (Broad Shoulders): Momcozy Baby Wrap Carrier Sling
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