Babywearing Mama Profile: Gretchen
Each week I’ll be introducing you to a babywearing mama (or papa!) during A Little Bit of All of It’s Babywearing Series. Find out more about this mama at the end of the post.
When did you start wearing your baby/young child? I started wearing my daughter very early on. Definitely within her first few weeks. We alternated between the Moby, Baby K’Tan and Ergo with the infant insert. With my son, I wore him mostly in the K’Tan and Maya Wrap.
What is your favorite carrier? What a hard question?!? Almost like, “What is your favorite food?” – it all depends on the day/activity/child. For my 2 1/2 year old, I adore the Boba 3G Carrier in a back carry. For my 7 month old, I alternate between my Maya on my hip and our Ergo/Boba when out and about.
What is your favorite carry? With my first baby I was super scared to pop her on my back, not sure why, but I rarely did it and was never very confident. But, with my son, (maybe because of necessity) I’ve become much more comfortable with wearing him on my back while I’m bopping around the house. He seems to like it too – especially when we walk by the mirror and he gets a glance of our profile 🙂 So, all that to say, I’m lovin’ the back carry right now. Then again, nothing beats a sleeping baby snuggled up on your front!
How did you first learn about Babywearing and what were your initial impressions of it? I live in the Northwest so you see a lot of babywearing out and about. I think I first saw a mama carrying her little one at the Farmer’s Market while I was in high school. It totally made sense – two hands free, baby close by, no bulky stroller – what a win for everyone!
How many carriers do you own and what are they? Eek – the truth comes out! Here’s the tally
1 Performance Ergo
1 Boba 3G Carrier
1 Beco Butterfly II
2 Maya Wraps
2 Baby K’Tans
1 Umi Sling (Check out this awesome company! They have a buy one, give one mission that supports babywearing in Papua New Guinea.)
1 Sakura Bloom Pure Linen Sling
I’ve doubled up on some when I run across a good deal so if/when my sisters and I have babies at the same time no one will be without their favorite 🙂
Do you have a favorite babywearing story/scenario? Almost every time my husband babywears he asks me to take a picture of him “being AP”. It’s usually accompanied by a little song and dance about how he’s an awesome dad. I agree, any dad that babywears gets a thumbs up in my book!
What is the strangest or funniest thing you’ve done while wearing your baby? Not very glamorous, but I’ve definitely mastered going to the bathroom while babywearing.
What is your favorite thing about wearing your baby?I love being close – being able to smell their hair, kiss their head and feel their soft breathing. After spending 9 months of being connected inside, it’s reassuring to have a way to stay connected.
Wanna catch the inside scoop of Gretchen’s life in yoga pants with a handsome husband, chatterbox daughter and dashing little mister? Stop by her blog, That Mama Gretchen, where she chronicles her days as a natural parent who loves her slow cooker and prays for the afternoons her children decide to take a nap snuggled up next to her. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Photo Credits: That Mama Gretchen