I'm easily lured by promises of one thing with multiple uses. Case and point. When I was shopping for my first baby I bought one of those convertible car seats. Great for the budget and efficacy. Newborn to four years. Problem solved. Except it wasn't solved at all. Unlike the mums I knew who had capsules I couldn't take my blissfully sleeping baby out of the car without waking her. Ever. I couldn't just duck into a shop and have her sleep through it. Or get her to sleep in the car and then bring the capsule inside while I sat in blissful peace. And it didn't matter how careful I was with taking her out, she always woke up. And she continud to always wake up until she was about 2. So my masterstroke was somewhat less than masterful.
Don't Choose One, Choose Two.
And so second time around when it came to choosing a baby carrier, I didn't choose one, I chose two. A wrap carrier and a structured carrier. And although the structured carrier can technically go from Newborn - Toddler it really can't touch the brilliance of the wrap carrier for those first newborn months. Not that it can't be worn for longer than that - I've heard of it being for up until 18 months! But generally a wrap carrier is most comfortable (for mum and baby) from birth to around 6 months.
5 Things A Wrap Can Do Better
My baby sleeps for longer
Because of the snug position of the wrap carrier - particularly how the head is tucked into my chest she is less likely to wake and more likely to continue to sleep through sleep cycles. With my structured carrier the most she will ever sleep at a time is about half an hour to 45 minutes.
My baby settles more quickly
I found in the structured carrier that because her head wasn't tucked into place she struggled to settle. She wouldn't just rest her head on it's side and because she has a dummy she was forever moving her head from side to side and dropping the dummy from her mouth. In the wrap, the close positioning means it is super quick to get her to sleep and should she want to have her head out, she can.
I can do more things while she's sleeping
The wrap carrier is perfect for getting housework done. Because it's a wrap my baby isn't going to move if I'm crouching, bending over, sitting or standing which means I can make dinner, tidy up, chase after the toddler or play with the toddler outside all without disturbing a sleeping baby.
I have increased visibility for toddler wrangling
I'm not as maneuvreable when I'm using the structured carrier and as it is just a little bit more bulky, outings with the toddler can be somewhat more challenging. I need all hands and all the movement possible when it comes to looking after my lively three year old!
I can have the wrap on when I'm not using it
Another great feature is that because it's all just fabric I can leave the wrap carrier on when I'm not using it. I can drive with it on and then put the baby in whenever I get out of the car. This makes for a much quicker process. And when it comes to getting around and running errands - the quicker the better!
Tell Us About Your Experience
What's your experirence with baby carriers - is it a a one size fits all solution for you? Or do you prefer different carriers for different purposes?
