elisabeth

Onbuhimo

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The onbuhimo babycarrier is the carrier I got introduced to last during my babywearing journey. My local babywearing library didn’t have one for a long time (now they do though), but I had heard about those types of carriers and wanted to try one. So, I bought one and then didn’t use it for a long time as I had other carriers at home which I was used to, and my daughter didn’t want to be carried much anyway.

But, when we flew to Canada in May 2019 for our one year abroad, we decided to take the onbuhimo with us as our only carrier. We made this decision mainly, because it the most comfortable carrier with the widest seat we own, it folds up nice and small and it is easy to use for both my husband and me.

Surprisingly, we have been using it a lot during our adventures. Especially, since we’ve been in Germany, where we don’t have a car and need to walk or use public transport.  

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Does babywearing make babies clingy?

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The short answer for me to this question certainly is a big and fat NO!

But then, I don’t believe in anything that makes babies “clingy”. In fact, I don’t like the word in itself. For me, it has a negative feel to it. As if your baby wanting to be close to you is a bad thing and should be discouraged because how on earth will your baby ever become independent?

Well, my own little girl loved to be close to me from day 1 (and hasn’t changed one little bit in the last 3 1/2 years). In the early days she only fell asleep while being held or carried and only stayed asleep in this position too. She still needs me now with 3 ½ years to cuddle her to sleep. And while this can be exhausting at times, I know that soon enough she won’t need me anymore and I will miss those sleepy cuddles.

Me and my husband have carried her most of the time when she was little, but when she started crawling and walking, she became more and more independent. I was sad, when she didn’t want to be carried anymore. Luckily, our current travels in Canada and Germany have allowed me to carry my not so little girl again. Reminding me of those early days of her life – just adding another 12kg to the initial 3kg.

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Babywearing safety

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If you are a mum like I am, I’m sure your baby’s safety is pretty high up on your priority list. It is something that is very hard to imagine, when you are pregnant with your first child: how your whole universe will all of a sudden evolve around this tiny human being and how you would do basically anything to keep it safe from harm.

Most mums (and dads of course) use a carrier to keep their little one close, without needing to use both hands all the time to hold baby. For this, carriers are amazing. Suddenly you can go for a walk, chase after your toddler, play with your older children or even get some of that housework done.

But even the best carrier is only as good as the caregiver who knows how to safely use it. You will find lots of “rules” for safe babywearing in the world of babywearing. However, I prefer to use guidelines as rules can’t cover all possibilities and may not work for some situations.

Because sometimes it is nice to have a visual reminder (hello early foggy babybrain days) I have created a simple PDF, which you can download for FREE at the end of this post.

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Meh Dai

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A meh dai was the second carrier I have used with my daughter after I stopped using the stretchy wrap. I remember that my husband and I went to a meeting from our local babywearing library and tried a couple of different carriers. We both liked that the meh dai had some structure to it but was also flexible for different caregivers because of the wrapping.

This was our main carrier for at least half a year, before our daughter got too big and heavy for this particular meh dai that we bought. But meh dais can be used for a long time and I’m currently contemplating getting a toddler meh dai to carry my 3 ½ year old daughter.

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Woven Wraps

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Woven wraps are quite often seen as the type of carrier that only caregivers with a lot of babywearing experience and knowledge use. However, I don’t think that this needs to be true. A woven wrap can be an ideal carrier to start with right away if the caregiver isn’t afraid of a little learning in the beginning. A woven wrap can also be an ideal follow on wrap from a stretchy wrap. If the caregiver has enjoyed the benefits of a stretchy wrap it is not such a big step to learn how to wrap with a woven wrap.

I personally started using a woven wrap when my daughter was about 10 months old and my aunt gave me her woven wrap, which she had first used more then 18 years ago with my cousin and which had been used with countless other babies in between.

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5 benefits of wearing a toddler or young child

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I’ve been wearing my daughter since she was only a few weeks old and I just couldn’t imagine not wearing her anymore. But then she learned how to walk, and she got more and more confident and stronger too. And suddenly, she didn’t want to be carried anymore. For a long time, I thought that our babywearing days were well and truly over. However, something shifted again, and now walking is not so important anymore.

I certainly don’t wear her as often and as long as I used to when she was a baby, but there are still lots of opportunities for me to wear my little girl now that she is 3 ½ years old. And I can see quite a few benefits in doing so.

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Ring Slings

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When I was pregnant with my daughter, I went to a friends’ house. She showed me a ring sling that she had used with her children made from a beautiful light fabric and asked me if I wanted it. At the time I wasn’t quite sure how and if I would use it, but I couldn’t resist this gorgeous carrier.

A few months later after my little girl was born, I gave the ring sling a go, but couldn’t quite work it out how to use it properly. So off I went to my first babywearing meeting and the lovely volunteers there helped me to position my baby correctly. However, for some reason it felt uncomfortable and I put the ring sling to the side.

Then Summer came and my stretchy wrap was getting too hot to wear. I reached for the ring sling again and luckily this time I was able to position it comfortably. From then on, this ring sling became my favourite carrier to use for quick carries and in particular around the house.

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5 areas when babywearing on holiday comes in handy

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When I get asked if it is worth it to take a carrier with you on vacation I always answer with a big YES.

For me, a carrier makes life so much easier and when going on vacation I find it even more useful. My daughter is three years now and so far, I have always taken at least one carrier with me when we’ve gone on vacation. As a baby it was one of the best tools to keep her close in a new environment as well as settling her to sleep more easily. But even as a toddler and now a three-year-old I wouldn’t have wanted to be without a carrier on vacation.

Last year we flew from New Zealand to Canada and I was so glad that I had a carrier in my hand luggage. We had to make our way through Vancouver airport with a very tired little girl who luckily fell asleep right away as soon as she could make herself comfortable in our carrier.

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Soft Structured Carrier

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Soft Structured Carriers (SSC) or Buckle Carriers are the most common type of babywearing carrier and the type that is the most diverse. If a friend tells you that a specific carrier is “the best” it doesn’t necessarily mean that this carrier will also fit you and your baby. With so many good companies out there selling great Soft Structured Carriers it is not easy to choose the one that is best for you and your baby. And apart from all the great functions those carriers come with you may also want to consider the looks.

I started relatively late using a Soft Structured Carrier, my daughter was already 8 months old by the time I tried one from my local library. I also had friends suggesting carriers that they have liked and after trying different carriers found one which works best for my husband and myself.

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5 helpful tips I give at workshops

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Shortly after I started volunteering for my local babywearing library, I also started to hold babywearing talks (mini workshops) at different mums and bubs groups in the region. I love sharing my passion with other new – and not so new – mums, but I’m also aware that lots of mums have been thrown into this whole babywearing thing without or with only very little information.

Besides talking about different styles of carriers and safety guidelines that should be followed, I love to share some tips that I have discovered or learned. Often it is those little tips that are remembered and give new confidence to the mums on their babywearing journey.

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