Originally published on: May 10, 2016. 

As a doula, I get asked about a very large variety of topics.

Taking my doula and LLL leader hats off, I think the biggest thing I get asked about is babywearing. I wear my own kids daily and I love spreading the babywearing love and teaching others how to use this wonderful tool. My first baby was extremely high needs. I didn't babywear for fun... It was necessity! She needed it to soothe her and really, looking back, I needed it to soothe me too. Babywearing helped me to be a grounded mother who could still feel like she accomplished something even with a cranky baby. Doing life with her on my back, peering over my shoulder, learning her new world was a gift. 

Over her first year, I experimented with pretty much every babywearing device I could get my hands on. I got on the Facebook groups The Babywearing Swap and Babywearing on a Budget and would constantly trade my carriers or sell and buy something new. It looked like I had some huge stash from all the different carriers and different patterns I had but it really wasn't the case. Just a ton of trading. It became a hobby and I became a product tester for a few different wrap manufacturers. 

YouTube resources on how to babywear safely can be found here and here. This is how I learned and both of these ladies are incredibly great teachers. 

Since I am pretty experienced with wearing babies, I decided to write this blog post as a beginners guide to wearing your own baby! 

Basic Carrier Options: 

Stretchy Wrap- Best for newborns or younger babies. Made of stretchy material. 

Woven Wrap- Best for all ages. Can be made of cotton, linen, hemp, wool, and more. 

Soft Structured Carrier (SSC)- Best for older babies to preschoolers. Has easy to use buckles.

Mei Tai (MT)- Best for all ages. Has structured body but long straps to wrap around wearer. 

Ring Sling (RS)- Best for newborn to toddler. Has two metal rings that you feed woven material through. Front/hip carries only. 

Check out Part Two to this post here: Part Two