**Scroll to the bottom for the winner.** Babywearing Made My Life Easier + a Beco Carrier Giveaway!
I wasn’t very knowledgeable about the benefits of babywearing when I was pregnant.
My mama raved about the baby carrier she had in the early 1980s and a close friend of mine recommended her Moby Wrap when she had her son in 2006. I loved seeing how snugly she was with her little boy in the Moby Wrap, so I added one to my baby registry.
I was blessed with a newborn who wouldn’t sleep anywhere but right on his mama, so I started babywearing pretty early on… if anything, to save my sanity.
When he was a little guy, I wore him for naps, every time we went to the store, for a walk, or whenever I needed to get out of the house.
Because TJ was born in early October, wearing him whenever we went out once the temperature dropped made the most sense. Having him right up against his mama kept both of us warm.
Around Christmas, I loved the smiles we got as we walked through the local mall with him wrapped up tight.
More importantly, I felt so connected to my son. I knew when he was hungry before he ever let out a cry of hunger, I knew when he sleepy and he was comforted by the sounds of my voice and my heartbeat.
He slept better, cried less, became so observant to everything going on around him.
This article discusses just some of the wonderful benefits of babywearing including how it reduces infant stress and encourages proper spine development.
Hiking in Kauai, 18 months old
When TJ started outgrowing the Moby at around four months old, I looked around for a baby carrier that would last me for awhile.
I narrowed it down to the Ergo Baby Carrier and the Beco Butterfly 2 Baby Carrier (discontinued in 2013). Reviews for their awesomeness were pretty equal, and the price points were similar.
I wasn’t looking for a pretty pattern either, even though both companies have quite a few gorgeous patterns. I wanted a simple black carrier as I wanted my husband to be comfortable using it too.
In the end, the Beco won out because of its construction; I could move my baby from my front to my back or vice versa without taking him out of the carrier.
I could also take the carrier off and transfer it to my husband or someone else without taking my son out of the carrier.
The fact that an infant insert was included with my purchase was a plus, but by the time I bought it, my son had outgrown the infant insert.
Once I was able to get the straps adjusted to fit my 5’9″, long-torsoed self, it was wonderful. Our Beco comes with us almost everywhere.
Where babywearing has been the most convenient is when we travel. We fly a lot; often one to two times a month to visit our family in northern California.
Wearing my son when navigating airports has made flying with him SO incredibly easy, especially when it’s just the two of us flying.
I get through airport security with him safely on my back, quickly and with ease. And it always makes me smile when a seasoned flier or a businessman sees that I have a child and switches to another line… and then we get through security faster than them.
I talk a little bit about babywearing in an airport in my post about Flying with Babies and Toddlers.
Babywearing in Kansas City, 9 months old
Don’t get me wrong, I love my strollers too. I have a MacLaren Triumph umbrella stroller and an EasyWalker Sky all-terrain stroller.
I love them both for different reasons and find myself using them more and more now that my son is older and well over 30 pounds.
This month I had to go to the DMV with TJ and he was wonderfully behaved, strapped in his stroller.
But we still bring our Beco carrier every time we fly, just in case we need it.
This past Spring, we spent Mother’s Day weekend exploring New York City. Rather than bother with a stroller, we just wore TJ most of the time.
We walked a ton during that trip (over five miles on the first day!), my husband and I taking turns wearing our son as TJ got to explore the city with us, up on our level.
Leaving the stroller at home gave us a wonderful sense of freedom. Yes, we were both sore at the end of each day, but it was worth it and we had a blast.
Exploring New York City, 2.5 years old
Just last month we spent two weeks in Hong Kong, Macau and the island of Hainan, and the Beco came along with us.
In a city as densely populated as Hong Kong, the baby carrier was really the only way my husband and I were comfortable exploring with our son, who turned three just days before the trip and loves to run around… often with little regard for his own safety.
Hong Kong’s public transportation system is pretty easy to navigate, but we felt so much more at ease traversing the city with TJ safely strapped to either my back or my husband’s back. We visited many places where there just wouldn’t have been space for a stroller.
We are both aware that our days of babywearing are drawing to a close as TJ gets older and heavier. It makes me a little sad, especially since we have been struggling to conceive baby number two, when I KNOW babywearing will come in handy.
But I know we will have more days of babywearing in the future and I will get to snuggle a newborn in my wrap carrier again someday.
We have explored Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Hong Kong, Kauai and countless airports with our son in his Beco carrier.
It’s been an amazing babywearing journey and I can’t wait to do it with another.
In celebration of babywearing and my love for my Beco Carrier, Beco has graciously contributed a Beco Gemini Baby Carrier for us to give to one lucky reader!
The winner will get to choose from the patterns they currently have available: Austin, Dale, Genesis, Jared, Serenity, or Sunset.
Check out Beco’s website to see how gorgeous these patterns are and to see all of the features of the Beco Gemini. It can be worn in a front, back or hip carry!
There are many ways to enter to become the one lucky winner. Please make sure to follow the rules carefully. You MUST complete all of the mandatory entries for your entries to count.
We will be verifying your entries if you are the winner. Please see the Terms & Conditions of the Rafflecopter app for more information.
Best of luck to everyone and happy babywearing!
Thank you to all who have participated! This was an amazing giveaway.
Congratulations to Laura N! Please contact us at info@mamasaywhat.com to claim your prize.
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Featured image credit: Shutterstock
Tim Thomas is a renowned writer and entrepreneur specializing in finance, investing, and money matters. With his extensive knowledge and experience in the financial sector, Tim offers valuable insights into the world of personal finance, stock market trends, and investment strategies.
