Babywearing

Frankly, I was looking forward to outdoor stroller walks with my son when it's already safe to go out of the house. I just bought the baby carriers just in case we need to travel by public transport and it's more convenient to carry him rather than push his stroller (particularly in train stations without lifts). However, I definitely enjoy babywearing. It's such an easy way to move around with an infant! Even a squirmy one, like my son! I am definitely a convert! 

The carriers I got is the Moby Wrap while the framed carrier is the Ergobaby Omni 360. I was mulling whether the KTan is worth the investment but I backed off when I learned that it has to be bought according to the size of the user; that is, each of the baby's caregivers must have one if they are of different sizes. Case in point, Val and me. I recently discovered Konny carriers but I might not be able to use them enough because the Ergobaby is our workhorse.

Anyway, after more than six months of babywearing, I can say that I prefer this to a stroller system for short walks. When we venture far from home, I bring both just to have options depending on my level of exhaustion. 

Here are some of my thoughts about the babywearing products that I use.

Moby Wrap

The Moby Wrap is a long and stretchy piece of fabric that I have to wrap around my body before putting my son inside. There is quite a bit of a learning curve: it took me a while before I figured out how to wear this. Because my son was born when the weather was still cool, this wrap was very useful in keeping him warm while I carried him around the house. It definitely made him feel cozy enough to fall asleep during those times when he would only sleep for 15 minutes at a time during the day.

I think that the Moby Wrap is capable of carrying babies up to 30 lbs but I didn't continue using it when the weather became too warm because it might contribute to overheating my child. It's now in storage, ready for the coming cold; hopefully, we can walk outside without worrying about catching the COVID-19 by that time (I thought... Fast forward to winter and the San Francisco Bay Area is hunkering down for what appears to be a serious surge of cases).

Ergobaby Omni 360

I waited for my child to reach the minimum weight limit before trying this out with him. Unfortunately, he didn't like to be in it at the beginning, strongly preferring the coziness of the Moby Wrap. But when he reached three months, something clicked and he was no longer complaining about being in the Omni 360. This was definitely a welcome change because it's so warm at that time that I didn't want to take him out in the infant car seat atop the stroller frame or on the Moby Wrap. Thanks to his acceptance of the Omni 360, we were able to walk around our neighbourhood every morning during the summer and fall seasons (except when the wildfires caused unhealthy air conditions outdoors and we had to stay inside). It felt comfortable because of the mesh frame, which allows air to circulate.

I enjoy using this carrier a lot because the baby's seat can be adjusted based on his height. There's head support that can be repositioned when my son is sleeping while I carried him, too. I like using it so much that it's always with us when we go out of the house though I also bring the stroller with me. I just feel awkward using the bag that's attached to the carrier because it's too short to hold my phone or my wallet. I can put a burp cloth in and my keys, yes, but its positioned below my son's bottom that I can't reach the bag when I need something. Thankfully, this bag is detachable; I moved it to the strap that goes under my right arm and the bag has become more functional. During the winter, I still use Omni 360 but I use a winter coat to keep both me and my son warm.