As I was packing for nearly two weeks away I knew I was packing too many clothes. But I kind of couldn't help myself. Not clothes for myself - I just packed the bare essentials for me - but clothes for the baby and the 3 year old - definitely. Baby and kids clothes are kind of my weakness. If I have a choice between buying clothes for myself or buying clothes for them I will always buy for them because it is always more fun. I left most of the toys at home - just a few puzzles and distraction devices and although I knew I would have to take a car seat with me I decided to leave the pram behind.

As we were packing up my mother's small car with all the stuff I did bring, I was very glad that I didn't bring it - there's now way it would have fit - not with two car seats in the back of her car!

1. I Didn't Miss It

I thought after about a week I might regret my decision not to bring it but I didn't miss it or even really notice that I didn't have it. Unlike the times I'm at home and I forget to bring the carrier. That I always regret.

2. It Made Christmas Shopping Easy

I managed to buy 6 Christmas presents in about 45 minutes for the part of my family I was visiting. I'm a big fan of speed shopping. Get in, get out, no fuss. Speed shopping with a wriggly 8 month old baby is definitely improved by her being asleep in the carrier.

3. Overstimulated Babies Like to be Worn

Being on holidays around a lot of keen relatives who hadn't had much of a chance to see the baby previously, means that the baby missed out on some of her sleep. And she was often far more keen on checking out all the new people than having a rest. Which is all well and good until she hit the wall of tired and needed to sleep but was too overstimulated and overtired to do so. It was nice to know that I could just wear her to sleep while still spending time with my family.

4. A Birds Eye View is Better Than Looking At the Sky

My baby far prefers to be perched up in the carrier looking at everyone, checking out people's faces and in general surveying her domain rather than being in the pram. Instead of looking up at the sky if she's in the layback position or looking at the people's legs if she's in the upright position, she gets to see the way everyone else does. It is possible that this is why strangers told me that my baby was a flirt. She learned all about peek-a-boo while we were away.

5. Country Towns Don't Always Have Footpaths

I was staying in the country so not everywhere is guttered or has foot paths and some of it could have been annoying to navigate with a pram. It was much easier being on foot without having to push anything. My pram handles off-road pretty well but I don't think it would have been a smooth ride for the baby. I doubt she would have gotten much sleep.

Now if only I could convince the flight crew that the carrier is superior to the infant seat belt I'd really be on to something . . .

Hug-a-Bub is looking to draw from our community and feature reviews of both the hug-a-bub wrap carrier and ring sling on our blog and on our facebook page.

We are looking for people to submit their reviews in words, pictures and video (you can use some of these mediums or all of them it really is completely up to you!) to share your babywearing experience.

Hug-a-bub has a great resource on our YouTube channel and we would love to add to it. An example of some testimonials that we have received in the past is here:

It dosn't have to be a traditional review (although it can be!) feel free to be as creative as you like. We can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Suggestions for a video review include:

1. Demonstrating how to put the baby in the carrier in a particular position

2. Settling your baby in the carrier

3. Doing an activity with the carrier

4. Talking about specific ways you use the carrier.

As a thank you to those who have reviews featured on our Blog and Facebook page, you will receive the following discounts on your next purchase with Hug-a-Bub:

20% for a written review

30% for a written review with pictures

50% for a written review with pictures and video

As an example here is a sample review:

Hug-a-Bub, a Review

Every now and then, after my three year old has gone to bed and it's just my husband and I awake with our little one in her hug-a-bub wrap, we look over at one another and exchange a look. Sometimes we verbalise it, sometimes we don't. But what the look says is 'thank god for the wrap'. With our first we became accustomed to hours upon hours of endless rocking in a darkened room, creeping around, not making a sound. So to be able to have some dinner, watch some TV, get some work done or just relax with our baby happily sleeping away in the carrier has been such a blessing. It has taken so much of the stress out of baby sleep that it has left us to just enjoy the baby. And she is a delight.

At first I was intimidated by the single length of fabric, and that's one of the main comments I get about it from people who are unfamiliar with it - that it seems complicated. But it's not. After a couple of times trying it out, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. And if anything it only looks complicated because she is so securely wrapped up.

There are very few things that I couldn't do with her in the Hug-a-Bub. I can go for a brisk walk for exercise or for enjoyment, take my preschooler to the park, clean the house, do work on the computer, make dinner, go shopping, watch a movie or have something to eat. And it is such a relief to me to know that no matter how fussy our baby is, whether she's teething or overtired or just having a hard day, no matter what she will go to sleep in the Hug-a-Bub.

I own a structured carrier and I have put her in it from time to time but as yet she's not keen. She likes to have something to push against, have a bit of a fight before going to sleep and the fact is that a structured carrier gives her too much room to thrash about. She's always knocking her dummy out. She likes the containment of the wrap carrier and she likes that in the heart-to-heart position her head is held to the side so she can have her dummy comfortably.

When people used to ask me what my number one baby purchase was I used to laugh and say a King bed, now I'm much more likely to say my Hug-a-Bub although the King bed is still firmly in second place!

If you have any questions or would like to submit a review please email us at email@hugabub.com.

My baby is now 7 months old. And even though she is generally a very easy baby and goes to sleep on her own most of the time in her bed, I still put her in the wrap all the tme. As you can see, she's a pretty keen traveller this way. And although I own structured carriers, she doesn't really like them and they are far more cumbersome than the wrap.

1) Convenience

It's still so much easier to go shopping with my preschooler having my baby in the wrap than in the pram. It means I can push a trolley (and if I'm lucky the preschooler will oblige me by hopping in the trolley). It means I have two hands free for preschooler wrangling, although I confess my free hands are usually occupied with coffee. 

2) Happy Place

It's great because she's happy to have awake time in the wrap or go to sleep in there. So it really doesn't matter what she needs, those needs are met in the wrap.

3) My number one stress as a first time parent was sleep

Specifically, getting her to sleep. I used to rock her for hours and sometimes I was so tired I just wanted to sit down. But with this baby I know that if she doesn't go to sleep in her bed, she will ALWAYS go to sleep in the wrap. If she's teething it might take awhile, but she will go to sleep. Which means I never have to worry if she is having a hard time going to sleep because I always have a fail safe. In fact she's spent so much time in the wrap that I have a computer set up at eye level when I'm standing so while she's going to sleep I can be doing other things.

4) Good Excercise Option

I'm in the process of losing baby weight. To my horror breastfeeding didn't do the weight loss job for me this time around, so I'm having to do things the old fashioned way. On days when I can't get to the gym, I put my baby in the hug-a-bub and push the preschooler in an umbrella stroller and we go for a long walk. Of course the preschooler doesn't stay in the stroller the whole time but the option is there when she gets tired.

5) Even older babies need skin-to-skin time

As it happens the times of the day when she is most in need of cuddles and skin-to-skin contact are the times of the day when I have the most stuff to get done (hello 4:30pm and I haven't thought about dinner yet). The hug-a-bub wrap carrier is great for me to whizz around and get everything done, especially for those times when she's too overtired to go to sleep on her own

Do you love to wear your babies into their toddler years?

Congratulations to Kimberley Wheeler who has won this fantastic prize!

Hug-a-Bub is excited to be giving away a wrap and sling bundle to a lucky member of our Facebook Page.

Hug-a-Bub Organic Wrap Carrier

The organic wrap carrier is made from organic interlock cotton and is unbelievably soft, making it just as enjoyable for parent and baby. Our wrap carrier's pioneering design ensures peerless support for your baby's neck and spine, and distributes the extra weight evenly making sure it's just as comfortable for parents. The wrap is recommended by numerous professionals including midwives, obstetricians, physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths. This simple wrap style offers a firm and secure hold that allows you to have your hands completely free. And although many people will use the wrap beyond a year, it is ideally suited for Newborns to 6 month olds.

The wrap promotes skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, longer sleeping times for infants and the utmost mobility for parents and is often said to be the number one baby purchase that a new parent couldn't have done without.

Hug-a-Bub Traditional Ring Sling

The Traditional Ring sling is a lightly padded, modernised adaptation of the age-old traditional sling carriers of Asia and the Americas. It is fully adjustable through sturdy but lightweight aluminium rings and features a wide shoulder and back/weight distribution for parental comfort. The ring sling can be worn in 5 versatile positions that will suit newborns through to toddlers.

The ring sling is also easy to use and quick to put on and take off for both parent and baby. The long tail may be used as a sun-shade, as a breastfeeding cover or it can be tucked away entirely. The traditional ring sling is available in cool hand woven cottons and bright or earthy tones.

The competition is for our Facebook fans. To become a facebook fan click here: 

To enter leave a comment below answering this question: which carrier do you think you would use the most and why?

You may gain extra entries (please remember to come back and leave a comment for each additional entry so we know what you've done!):

1) Sharing the link to this giveaway on Facebook

2) Sharing the link to this giveaway on Twitter

3) Following Hugabub on Twitter

This competition closes on 8th December and the winner will be announced on the blog and on our Facebook page on the 13th December

Tenielle Reid is the mother of Ianto and Amelia. Ianto was sadly stillborn at 32 weeks in February 2010, and Tenielle's blog Sweet Soft Smudge was born of that loss. She's been called "brave" for being able to write through her grief, but she doesn't see it that way. She just plods on with life, takes what she gets, and tries to learn from it. Amelia helps. Tenielle is hopelessly in love with her husband Scott, her two babies, and her baby carriers. And chocolate. And Doctor Who. And...

1) When you were pregnant, did you plan on wearing your baby?

Definitely. When I was pregnant the first time, I didn't know much about babywearing, just that I instinctively knew it was the right thing to do. I bought a "bag sling" from eBay and thought that would be enough. I didn't get to use it because my son died, but it sat and waited for the next baby. When I was pregnant with my daughter (Amelia), I researched a few more carriers and bought another eBay dealie, a second-hand ABA carrier. Once she was born, I tried the bag sling and it was terrible. She hated it, I couldn't work out all the straps, it went straight to storage. The ABA carrier was great, but she got too big for it too quickly. That led to me buying my first Hug-A-Bub when she was about three months old. I agonised over the decision for ages - how does the baby stay in? What if I drop her? How am I meant to tie it? It's too complicated for me! - but it was one of the best parenting decisions I think I've made.

2) What do you love about babywearing?

I love being so close to my baby! I love that I can just walk straight up stairs instead of struggling with a pram or stroller, and I can move around small shops very easily. I love that she falls asleep on my chest listening to my heartbeat and knowing she's safe and warm.

3) What is the most common comment you receive when you are out and about babywearing?

"Oh, that's so cute!" or "Aww, look at the baby near her mummy!" I've also been asked "Where would I get one of those?" and (from a little boy) "Why did you buy that?"

Last Saturday, I had Amelia in our ring sling and was walking in a rather dark area. I was trying to work out why this woman was frowning and staring at me. She just kept staring, staring, and I was getting a little nervous because we were walking towards each other and I thought she might be planning to hurt me. As we got close to each other,she suddenly smiled and said "Oh! It's a baby!" - She'd been trying to work out what the "thing" hanging off my hip was!

4) Is your partner a keen babywearer?

Oh yes. When we go out as a family, I'm usually the one wearing Amelia, but I know he'll swap with me in an instant. He loves wearing her, though at the beginning he was very scared of dropping her. He didn't want to take his hands from around her until I prised them away! He's perfectly fine wearing her in our pink pocketless wrap, he loves it almost as much as I do. He hasn't tried the ring sling though. I'll get him one day...

5) How many carriers do you own? Which one's do you use the most?

Six or seven. I use the wraps more than the structured carriers (again, too many straps and buckles for my liking!), but since getting our ring sling a few weeks ago, that's been my carrier of choice. Amelia's started to be a lot more interested in the world around her, so a hip carry is great for her. I haven't quite worked out a cradle carry, so I make sure to have one wrap in (or hanging from) my nappy bag in case she gets sleepy.

6) What's the first thing you'd tell someone thinking about trying babywearing?

Do it! It's the best feeling, being so close to your baby but being able to do so many things around/with them. For a newborn, I'd recommend using just a wrap (only because of my aforementioned difficulties with cradle carries), then moving on to a combination of a wrap and ring sling. Maybe a structured carrier for back carries, but I haven't got to that point yet.

7) What activity are you most likely to rely on babywearing to get done?

Shopping, walking anywhere further than next door... I suppose if I ever did housework, that would be one (haha), getting Amelia to sleep when I need to be up and active rather than able to lay down with her.

8)And lastly, what's your favourite babywearing photo.

I have a couple.

My husband wearing Amelia for the first time and rocking the pink pocketless.

Amelia sleeping soundly in the ring sling. I had half worked out the cradle carry, but was sitting down anyway so didn't feel the need to do it all properly.

And Amelia peeking up at me two minutes after the last photo with her big sleepy blue eyes.

One of the potentially intimidating things about the hug-a-bub wrap carrier when you first get it is how much fabric there is. This isn't just because it might take you a couple of times before you figure out how to tie it with ease, but because it might not be easy to get them in and out for short trips, errands or even if you just need to take them out to change a nappy.

The ability to take a baby in and out of a carrier easily is called it's 'poppable factor'. Cute word that basically refers to how easy it is. So what rates the highest? Pouches are usually regarded as having the highest degree of poppability, followed by slings. Wraps might take more time to get adjusted, but once tied they are just as poppable as a sling or pouch. And ranking as the least poppable are probably structured front and back carriers.

There are a few things that you can do to maximise the hug-a-bub's poppability:

1) I often tie it and adjust it before I get in the car. That way when I get to where I'm going I don't need to tie anything - I just adjust and tighten (if need be) and put the baby in. This is especially helpful if it has been raining and you don't want to get the fabric wet in the car park.

2) If you are only briefly taking your baby out (for a nappy change or a quick clean up) you can also leave the wrap tied on and ready for when they need to go back in.

3) Tie it nice and tight. You won't have to adjust it as much and it will still be really easy to get the baby out when you need to.

Getting them out - how easy is it?

Getting a baby out of a hug-a-bub is really easy. You just lower the pocket, pull both pieces of the wrap down and with a quick wiggle you can lift your baby right out. Which is great because it means (unlike with structured carriersp you don't need to have an extra surface to put the baby while you take off the carrier. The baby is out and your carrier stays tied, ready for the next time you want to use it or for when it is convenient for you to take it off.

What's the most important feature to you in a carrier?

1) You are creating negative sleep associations

If they sleep in the wrap or sling they will never learn to sleep anywhere else

The theory about sleep associations is not new. You hear it all over the place if you rock to sleep / feed to sleep / wear to sleep then the theory goes that your baby will never learn to go to sleep any other way, and may even have trouble going through sleep cycles at night. But the truth is that it doesn't matter how you get your baby to sleep, in their own sweet time they will start putting themselves to sleep. Sometimes that time is a bit too long for a parents liking and we might choose to give them a bit of a nudge along. But there is no rhyme or reason to it. My first didn't go to sleep on her own reliably until she was over a year old, my second by the time she was six weeks. It might not feel like it at the time, but you will not be feeding/patting/rocking/wearing your 10 year old to get them to go to sleep.

2) Babies should learn to sleep on their own

You are doing a disservice if they don't learn to go to sleep on their own.

The idea that babies should sleep on their own is a rather new one. Adults often have trouble sleeping in a bed alone, or need to have a hot drink, read a book or any manner of other routines to help them get to sleep. So the idea that a baby should be able to go to sleep without company, comfort or help is pretty unrealistic. It might be tempting to think that once a baby goes to sleep on their own, they will sleep for longer and will be better rested and in the long run better off. But it's no guarantee. My little one puts herself to sleep and regularly (very regularly) cat naps through the day anyway. 

3) Babywearing creates 'clingy' babies

The idea that babywearing will somehow stunt the development of independence and resilience.

In the 1950s baby experts thought that resilience was created by parental detachment. However, it is now known that a secure attachment leads to independence, emotional availablility, better coping skills, improved moral development, reduced stress and improved academic performance.