Holidays are a stimulating, even over-stimulating, time for a baby. Especially if this is your baby’s first holiday season, there is likely to be a lot more going on than usual. Between parties and family, shopping and looking at lights, and other situations full of crowds of strangers, your baby may need a break. Here are a few tips to avoid an over-stimulated baby.

1. Keep Up the Routine
As much as you can, keep the same general structure that your baby is accustomed to. Don’t skip feeding and sleeping times.

2. Carry Familiar Items
If your child has a toy animal or doll that seems to spread calm, bring it. The more unfamiliar the surroundings, the more comforting familiar items and faces will be.

3. Explain What Is Happening
If your child is beginning to talk, the content of what you say might actually be helpful. For a baby who doesn’t yet understand your words, just the periodic sound of your voice will be reassuring.

4. Take Breaks
Before your baby gets anxious, take a break. Sing, talk, sway, or do whatever your baby finds soothing. If you will be in a noisy environment—a New Year’s Eve celebration, for example—build a relatively quiet break time into your plans.

5. Follow Your Baby’s Cues
Follow your baby’s lead. When your child starts pushing and getting restless, it’s time for a break. If you wait, you risk a meltdown, which could be far more uncomfortable for all involved. Just excuse yourself briefly for some rest time, to breastfeed, or just to go into a quiet place and talk face to face.

6. Wear Your Baby
When you wear your baby facing you, it is easy for you to face out talking while the baby turns in when she wants to. She isn’t stuck facing the unfamiliar with no way to make it stop. If she can nuzzle in your neck, she has a positive choice to make when facing out it too much.

Friends meeting your baby for the first time will want to hold and talk, but that during that phase at about 4 to 24 months old, most babies will not want to be passed around. Let this first introduction be at a distance if that is what your baby needs.

Give your child the best chance to be at his best when he meets friends and family for the first time. He won’t care about making an impression, but a lot of eager people really do have a genuine desire to get to know him. Help them both by bridging their expectations and being your baby’s refuge when holiday parties get to be just too much.

Image © Vanessa Van Rensburg | Dreamstime.com

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There are so many choices in baby carriers today that it can easily become overwhelming for someone just starting out. Add to that the vast amount of information available online, and it’s no wonder many parents just purchase the first or most well-known carrier they come across. Unfortunately, some carriers are not designed for extended periods of use or with an older, heavier baby, and they end up pulling mercilessly on your back and shoulders. Some have so many buckles, snaps, loops and straps that they dig into you, the baby, or both. We’ve been there, and we’re happy to compare baby carriers so that you can narrow down which carrier or carriers might work best for you.

For the next few weeks, we will give an overview of baby carrier styles. Despite the incredible variety of baby carriers on the market today, nearly all fall into one of four basic styles.

• Baby Wraps
• Baby Slings (includes pouch slings and ring slings)
• Mei Tai Baby Carriers
• Soft Pack Baby Carriers

Baby Wraps

Baby Wraps, also known as wraparound baby carriers or just wraps, are without a doubt the most versatile baby carriers available. Simple carrying cloths are also the most common traditional baby carriers around the world because of their simplicity and versatility. The caregiver uses a square, rectangular or long strip of fabric to wrap and tie the baby to their body. Knots are used to secure and adjust the carrier to the baby and to the wearer. Carrying scarves can be useful long after your babywearing days are over.

Carry your baby in unlimited carrying positions with a wrap, and one size will fit any babywearer, from Mom or Dad to Grandma or Grandpa.

Advantages

• very comfortable for baby
• most versatile, offering unlimited number of carrying positions
• ergonomic support for both baby and adult
• easily adapts to various baby weights and sizes for both front and back carrying
• one-size fits most baby carrier

Wraparound carriers are particularly suited for kangaroo care, the practice of holding premature and full-term newborns skin-to-skin for optimal neurological development.

Disadvantages

• lots of fabric can be confusing
• somewhat steeper learning curve – requires practice to become efficient in tying the baby carrier and adjusting to the baby
• can get warm in the summertime (but keeps baby warm in cooler weather!)

Wraparound Baby Carriers Compared

Moby Wrap Baby Wrap
Style: Baby Wrap Carrier – Stretchy
Age: Best for for newborn to 30+ lbs
Carrying Positions: Unlimited – Front, Hip/Side, Back
Fabric: 100% cotton double knit-interlock
Origin: Made in Thailand

Organic Cotton Cuddly Wrap Baby Wraps
Style: Baby Wrap Carrier – Stretchy
Age: Best for for newborn to 30+ lbs
Carrying Positions: Unlimited – Front, Hip/Side, Back
Fabric: 100% ORGANIC cotton
Origin: Made in Canada under fair trade labour practices

EllaRoo Woven Baby Wrap Carrier
Style: Baby Wrap Carrier – Woven
Age: Suitable for newborn to toddler
Carrying Positions: Unlimited – Front, Hip/Side, Back
Fabric: 100% handwoven cotton. Non-toxic, baby safe dyes
Origin: Handmade in Guatemala under fair trade labour practices

Blue Celery Baby Sling / Wrap Hybrid
Style: Baby Wrap / Sling Hybrid (2 pull-on loops + waist sash) – Stretchy
Age: Newborn to toddler (35lbs)
Carrying positions: Cradle, Kangaroo, Tummy-to-tummy, Forward Facing, Hip/Side
Fabric: Organic stretch cotton
Origin: Made in Canada

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I wore my first baby in a sling starting the day she was born. I knew no one else in person who owned a baby carrier, but another local homebirthing parent recommended that I read Dr. Sear’s Baby Book. I learned about babywearing from Dr. Sears, and my local baby store happened to sell ring slings with big, padded rails in pastel baby patterns.

I practiced wearing a 10lb bag of flour while I was still pregnant and had my husband do the same. I told him it was only fair he carry around the flour all day long since I was carrying at least twice that much baby weight.

By the time my daughter was born, my husband and I both wore her tucked up close to our chests.

This was a baby carrier lifetime ago.

Once I discovered Maya Wrap ring slings, I never wore another pastel nor padded sling. My daughter was close to me all day long. She loved facing out, seeing what I saw.

Several people told me that my daughter must be uncomfortable sitting in her sling, but I reminded them that she was, until very recently, quite a bit more tightly packed inside me and that I was quite confident that she was comfortable and happy.

And safe.

I carried my daughter safely and happily in a sling until she was a toddler and just stopped asking to be carried. She often slept nuzzled into my neck, hid in my hair, and watched my students as I taught university classes. The sling made my life easier and kept my baby close to me when she wanted to be close.

I can’t imagine how I would have parented my babies without a sling, but this is a real possibility for future parents in Canada and the U.S.

Baby sling safety has been called into question by consumer groups, Health Canada, and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. Most baby carriers on the market today are similar in style to traditional carriers around the world. These are time-tested carriers that give mothers freedom to carry on with their work while giving a baby closeness that helps with physical, mental, and emotional development. Unfortunately, the CPSC “has mistakenly lumped all carriers together and inadvertently tainted our industry as a whole.”

“Baby slings are the optimal place for babies to spend time safely developing and bonding to parents in a nurturing environment. Research shows that this caregiver attachment and stimulating, safe environment are critical to early childhood development. Parents, educators, advocates, manufacturers, and our civil servants need to stand together to maintain the rights of babies and allow parents to buy, make and use baby slings.” From “Position Paper on Babywearing and Kangaroo Care,” Baby Carrier Industry Alliance, October 2010.

The Baby Carrier Industry Alliance (BCIA) has gathered 50 years of scientific research showing the benefits of infant carrying and kangaroo care in their recently published “Position Paper on Babywearing and Kangaroo Care.” They are working to ensure continued “access to the safe, quality baby carriers that emulate in-arms carrying, providing the greatest benefit to both caregivers and children.”

If you care about the future of babywearing, the BCIA can use your donation and your offer of help now at http://babycarrierindustryalliance.org

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Some new mothers won’t have considered babywearing, so giving a baby carrier as a gift could help them to change their whole approach to parenting. Rather than looking down on the baby in a stroller, they will be face to face or chest to chest with their baby. Babywearing is a much more intimate way to move a child around. By giving a baby carrier, you are giving an opportunity.

That said, which baby carrier works best for a particular parent depends a lot on lifestyle. If you are going to make such a kind investment, be sure to consider how and where the parents will likely use the baby carrier most.

Is she a hiker?

A new mother can sometimes worry that having a baby will interrupt an active lifestyle, but babies can easily come along on many outdoor adventures. While the Ergo Sport Baby Carrier is often thought of as The Outdoor Baby Carrier, I’m going to suggest an even more versatile soft pack baby carrier because you want to be sure that a gift can be used in as many ways as possible.

FreeHand Baby Carrier

The FreeHand Baby Carrier (shown above) has a cross-over support system that can be adjusted for babies and toddlers to give each the support they most need. As a first baby carrier, this is easy to get on and off, easy to understand how it is meant to fit. It is padded and adjustable to give a parent a comfortable fit.

Will she be mostly around the house?

For simply working around the house, washing diapers, and cleaning up, I think the simplest slings work the best as baby carriers. An Upmama Hybrid Sling may work for many, but I am going to recommend an all-cotton ring sling for cool, breathable comfort.

Maya Wrap

The lightweight cotton of the Maya wrap ring sling is very soft and it hugs a baby without pressing too hard. I like how easily it can be adjusted by pulling on the front or back of the tail. Though a new mother may need a little practice to create a pouch with the sling, it won’t take very long before she is moving the sling from front to back to hip to accommodate whatever she needs to do with baby. The vivid colors are also refreshing in a world of pastels.

When you are looking for the best new mother gift, look at your own experience and offer the new mother your best advice through your gift. See our suggestions for cloth diaper packages as gifts for new mothers.

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Maya Wrap

Susan Gmeiner first created a sling when she was a first-time mother trying to get things done while keeping her baby close. She preferred the adaptability of a ring sling. When she created her own pattern for a ring sling, she had a hit with neighbors and friends. She’s been making Maya Wrap baby carriers since 1996.

UpMama

Corrine Mahar-Sylvestre is a mother of two children. She used baby carriers with her babies and promoted babywearing to others. She was still frustrated by what she had available. Since 2002, she’s been creating her own baby carriers. “I became determined to create a better baby sling, something attractive to mainstream parents and easy to use correctly, comfortably, and safely. My pouch-ringsling hybrid fit the bill.”

Catbird Baby

Beth Leistensnider created her first baby carrier in 2004 when she was planning travel with her 7-month old daughter and she needed a carrier that would be very comfortable and very compact. When she made her own carriers, “people on the street were offering to buy them off my back, so I thought I might be on to something.”

Sakura Bloom

Lynne Banach is a mother of two children. When her daughter was born in 2005, her sister gave her a custom-made silk baby sling. She and her baby fell in love with babywearing. She made a sling for a pregnant friend, and a business was born. Now, her sister is her business partner, and they make gorgeous silk ring slings in a variety of colors.

Scootababy

Audra Meng is mother to two children. Keeping her first child in arms was the only way she found to soothe him, and baby carriers helped her to meet his need for closeness as well as working with her busy lifestyle. She really wanted a carrier that allowed her to carry her baby in the position that felt most natural to her, on the hip, so she applied her engineering experience gained earning her doctorate to babywearing.

Be sure to see our extended profiles of these baby carrier manufacturers:

• Peapod Creations – Shirley Phillips, Debbie Phillips, Jennifer Field, and Andrea Phillips, makers of the award-winning Cuddly Wrap. Peapod Creations is a mother affair. Shirley is mother to Jennifer and Andrea and mother-in-law to Deb.
• Beco – Gabby Caperon, designer of the Beco Baby Carrier, is mother to one son.
• TogetherBe / Peekaru – Melissa Radcliffe founded TogetherBe, which manufactures Peekaru babywearing vest, Peekaru ozone cover, and FreeHand Mei Tai baby carriers. Melissa is mother to three children.

Many baby products are created by mothers who are meeting their own children’s needs. This week we will focus on those mother inventors of byNature.ca products. Monday we covered Mother-made Cloth Diapers.

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This following post was an entry in our Blog to Inspire contest. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of Eco Baby Steps or Parenting By Nature.

Blog to Inspire entrant Hobo Mama is Lauren Wayne, writer and mother. Riding the rails with her husband, Crackerdog Sam, and her hobo baby, Mikko Lint Picker, and their trampin’ kitty, Mrs. Pim. Trying every day to parent intentionally and with grace.

When my son was born, babywearing was a necessity. Mikko emerged weighing an astonishing 12 pounds, and he was not amused at being ousted from his soft, liquid home. The one thing that made him feel better? Snuggling close to a warm body, feeling loving arms around him, and hearing a gently beating heart — and bouncing. Parents have instinctively known for centuries that newborns respond well to the rhythms of a mama’s walk, because of course that’s what the baby’s been experiencing these long nine months within.

But our little guy hit 20 pounds at nine weeks, and we couldn’t manage the continual walking and bouncing he demanded without something to hold him up and give our arms a break!

I was glad I had invested so heavily in a babywearing stash during pregnancy. Out came the ring slings, the stretchy and gauze wraps, the structured carriers, and each had its place in our babywearing repertoire, depending on task (long walk? chores around the house?) and mood (do I feel like green butterflies or fuzzy brown?).

What didn’t change was the give-and-take at the heart of babywearing. We poured out love and security into Mikko, we offered the lovely memory of those free-floating days in the womb, we wrapped him warm and close and spoke into his ear. Mikko in turn gave us his trust, and before we knew it he could reach out his arms to us to signal that now, again, was the time to pick him up and hold him close.

Sometimes, as babies turn into toddlers, babywearing falls by the wayside or is given over to the next sibling to arrive on the scene. Once a baby can walk, it seems that we as parents are not needed as much for transportation, and we give our young a chance to stretch their legs and their freedom.

This autumn, we moved house. Since our new digs were just down the street, we frequently took advantage of the short distance by walking back and forth between the two places, to look for something we couldn’t find, to transport a bulky object that didn’t fit in the cargo van we rented, to free up more passenger space in our tiny car to fit that many more boxes for a trip.

I needed a way to accomplish all the tasks that come with moving, but our 2-year-old whirlwind was making getting anything done a bit of a challenge. I plucked the Ergo off the coat tree and turned to Mikko. “Want a ride on Mama’s back?”

His eyes lit up, his arms shot out, and once again he was lifted up close to me. At this vantage point, as we walked along the beach toward our new home, he could see from our perspective, he could feel snuggled against a loving body, and I could hear his voice chirping sweetly in my ear and reach back to give his feet a squeeze.

I’ve made an effort to put babywearing back into our everyday lives, even though Mikko is a hefty 35 pounds and change, and even though he sometimes prefers to walk on his own. There’s a lot more up and down than when he was a newborn, but babywearing is adaptable. If he wants to walk, he can, and if he wants a piggyback ride, I’m available.

Even once your child is too big or too heavy or too old for you to babywear, there are still ways to carry forward the spirit and intention of babywearing.

You might not have the kangaroo-care skin-to-skin bonding of those first few days, but you keep that contact alive by giving regular, nurturing touch: holding your child’s hand, cuddling him close for nursing, giving a back rub as she falls asleep, and pooting that tempting soft belly.

You might not always be carrying their full weight against your body, but you can still find chances to physically interact: saving a seat on your lap, wrestling on the floor, twirling around the room, and squeezing in a great big hug.

At some point, you might not be able to pick up your child anymore. It’s an observable truth that most kids eventually outgrow their parents’ ability to haul them around, even in a really sturdy back carry! But we can still respond as attached parents when they lift up their arms, either literally or emotionally, and ask for our help, our connection, or our awareness.

If you keep in mind the reasons you chose babywearing in the first place, you will always find ways to hold your kids close to your heartbeat.

I’m curious: What’s the heaviest or oldest child you’ve worn in a sling or other carrier, and do you have carrier recommendations? How do you physically connect with your children?

Read about the Blog to Inspire contest and read posts by the finalists and by the rest of the entrants. Forty-four bloggers reached out to inspire on the topics of cloth diapers, babywearing, breastfeeding, and natural parenting.

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The art of babywearing is very old, but, through new products and innovations, baby carriers are made new over and over again.

Ancient Art of Babywearing

Mothers have always had the same reasons for keeping their babies close: baby is happy and mother is free to move.

Wearing a baby carrier made of cloth or leather is an ancient tradition that is still widespread throughout the world.

The Rebozo from Mexico and Guatemala is made from a length of colorful, woven cotton tied around baby and mother. The baby can be worn in a front, back, or side carry. The Kanga from Kenya is a large, printed cotton scarf that is tied in the front with the baby on the back. Many Native Americans carried babies on their backs, either on a leather-covered wooden cradleboard or in a carrier more closely resembling today’s baby slings or rebozos.

Sacagawea, Lewis and Clark’s early 19th-century Shoshone guide to their exploration of North America, was six months pregnant when she set off. She gave birth along the way and carried her baby for the rest of the journey. When the U.S. Mint researched Sacagawea for their Golden Dollar coin, in production since 2000, they determined that “she could reasonably have learned to carry Jean Baptiste slung from her shoulder, as was the Hidatsa custom.” The final design of the coin shows the infant nuzzled into the back of her neck as she looks back over her shoulder at the viewer, the baby sling a prominent part of the design.

Baby Slings, a Popular Style of Baby Carrier

Ease and simplicity make the sling a popular baby carrier. Slings, baby carriers that go over over the shoulder and the opposite hip, change traditional knotted designs like the rebozo very little. A ring sling takes that simple shape and makes it more convenient by making adjustable the overall size and the snugness.

When the length of fabric is threaded through two large rings, a pouch is formed where your baby will sit. Baby can be worn snuggled in, facing out in front like a kangaroo, on the hip, or on the back looking over your shoulder.

Sakura Bloom Baby Ring Sling

One of the newest baby carriers Parenting by Nature has added to our line up is the Sakura Bloom Pure Linen collection.

These rings slings are adjustable to any size baby and to most parents. They come in beautiful colors that are interesting yet neutral enough that either a mother or a father would be happy to wear the Sakura Bloom baby carrier.

These finest Irish linens are breathable, wicking moisture away from a hot baby and a hot adult to ensure that the sling stays cool even in tropical climates.

The Sakura Bloom sling is machine washable on cold and hangs to dry very quickly. Flax linen is a strong fiber that becomes softer and stronger over time.

Each sling comes with a detailed booklet of instructions, tips, and many photos. Whether a special treat for yourself or a gift for a friend or loved one, each Sakura Bloom baby sling is beautifully packaged and sent with care.

Ancient Art Is New Again

The reason Sacagawea wore her baby was the same reason you and I wear our babies.

Mothers strap their babies on their backs so they can have their hands free to work and play. It’s simple! Baby is safe and happy, and mother has freedom of movement.

Throughout March we will offer guides to getting started with some of the basic practices of attachment parenting. This is Babywearing Week with coverage of benefits, products, resources, and personal experiences.

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Less bulk

Especially if you are travelling without a car, it is much easier to move around without a stroller. A customer of ours who goes to Europe a lot mentioned how terrible the cobblestone roads are for a stroller. She was very pleased to have her baby carrier with her. Getting on and off public transit or a subway is a breeze when you have baby secured in a sling. When my first child was born, I travelled by bus and train a lot. It was easy to get up and down stairs without having to lift a stroller. I wasn’t the least bit inconvenienced with my daughter in her baby carrier, and I always knew she was safe and secure. It also helped keep unwanted strangers from touching and poking at her. A carrier is great in crowds!

When I did have a stroller, it was often filled with my carry on luggage, which is quite convenient, so don’t let me convince you not to take a stroller anywhere.

Restricted access

Some places aren’t suitable for strollers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t suitable for babies. If you are into serious family hiking – the Grand Canyon, for example – you won’t be able to use a stroller. With a baby carrier you won’t be restricted in any way, and you can explore all the areas a destination like this has to offer.

But which baby carrier?

When you consider which baby carrier to take on a trip, decide your highest priority. Do you need to pack light? If so, a sling is very compact compared to a structured baby carrier. Will you be walking or hiking for long periods? If so, a structured baby carrier may offer more support. Match the carrier to the specific needs of your trip.

I never went on a trip with a small child without a baby carrier – usually, in my case, a Maya wrap ring sling. If you need to choose between your baby carrier and a stroller, there is no contest. Take the baby carrier.

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