In honor of International Babywearing Week, here are the top 5 things I learned about babywearing since my son was born. Note, I am not a certified babywearing educator, but I am a mom who has worn a lot, and tried a lot of different carriers, in the past 2.5 years.

This little guy might have been happy with facing out, what do you think?

1. Just because a carrier is currently popular does not make it necessarily a better carrier. There are lots of great carriers out there, and just like anything else, their popularity grows and lessons. It’s best to find the carrier that works for your needs rather than just going with whatever is most popular.

2. Whenever possible, try on a carrier before buying. Before I found our local Babywearing International chapter, and its wonderful lending library, I did a lot of buying and returning carriers that did not fit comfortably. Save yourself the expense and hassle and try them on first!

3. Carriers are like jeans, each one fits a bit differently and everyone has their favorite. This is why you should try on first whenever possible. Everyone has their most comfortable carriers and what works best for me isn’t necessarily what will work best for you.

The husband rockin a ring sling! Bright red no less...

4. One carrier can work for all your babywearing needs, but having variety has definite benefits ;) Although you can definitely make one carrier work for wearing from newborn to toddler, particularly woven wraps and ring slings, one carrier might not be perfect for every stage and situation. And that’s ok. Each type of carrier has their pros and cons, and the stage of a baby’s life in which they shine. There’s nothing wrong with wanting variety, but if money is tight, don’t feel like you need a bunch of carriers to wear your baby.

5. Babywearing can become expensive, but it doesn’t have to. I was just going to have one carrier…until I had two…and then three… Just like some of us like to have lots of shoes or bags, some like to have lots of carriers. But carrier variety is not what makes a babywearer. So, have fun with different carriers if it works in your budget, but don’t feel pressured if one or two carriers is what works for your family.

Check out Beltway Babywearers, our local Babywearing International group.

Five Babywearing Lessons