Last week in Baby-Wearing in Las Vegas Part 1 I wrote about finding and buying the Mei Tai.
That carrier is the very reason I fell in love with baby-wearing. Here is the reason why: That carrier gave me more freedom then I had had since my son was born.
You see, nursing didn’t come easy to me, and once we finally corrected his lazy latch, things still weren’t “easy”. My son was constantly, on/off/on/off… leaving me exposed. Nursing under a cover would upset him; he had to see what was going on in the world.
So nursing out in public was uncomfortable to say the least. While I have never disapproved or been uncomfortable around women who can nurse with no cover, no worry of being exposed, that was never something I could do. (I wish I was more comfortable.)
If we were out, I needed to know there was a place for me to nurse my son, I can’t tell you how many times I have nursed in a fitting room, or the backseat of my own car (in the dead of summer air cranked, sweating my butt off…) or beseeching my hubs to hold a blanket up while I got my son latched.
And then I got my Mei Tai. Once I got the hang of the front carry, I took to the Internet looking for instructions on how to do the back-carry. But what I found was instructions for how to breastfeed in the Mei Tai.
It was so simple. I immediately picked up my son, and tried it. (Okay, not immediately, but when he was ready to eat the next time…) I latched him on, and he went to town. I then threw on a nursing cover, and stood in front of the mirror, and loved what I was seeing. NOTHING. Nothing was exposed! I could nurse in public, and no one would be the wiser!
I took my son to a Baby Bonanza not to long after that, and I would be holding conversations with people and they had no clue what was going on. And those who figured it out (Squish would inevitably make some sort of coo, or want to be moved to the other side.) were so impressed that I was nursing that whole time and they had no clue.
I felt free. I no longer said no to staying out longer than a few hours, or worried about where I would hide to feed my son. I have breastfed in the airport, in an airplane, at an outdoor festival, at family events, in the mall of America, in the park, in museums, and so many more places all while wearing my baby. It really changed my life with my infant.
Now one major note. While learning to breastfeed in a carrier was the tipping point for me, I have friends who love baby-wearing and don’t nurse. They love it for so many reasons. Some had colic-y babies who cried, but when they were being worn, they were happy as clams. Others who every time they tried to get something done around the house, their child would melt down. Carriers have been lifesavers for them as well. Still other friends love baby-wearing simply for the bonding time it gives them.
Next week I will share the top ten reasons I love baby-wearing, and the week after that I will have a special guest poster vlogging about her Moby!
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Brenna @ Almost All The Truth says
Babywearing is such a wonderful thing! I loved the different carriers I used with each, found something new each time and for each little personality. 😉 I always wished I could learn to nurse in one, but it never quite worked for me. Love the photos of your sweet babe!
Emily says
Thank you Brenna! It really is a wonderful thing. I wish everyone would try it. What carriers did you use? I am asking bc I am going to be highlighting a few of my favs, and I always like more imput. 🙂
Sarah Thacker says
Two cheers for baby carriers! It’s funny, b/c I had a dream last night that I had a baby (we are done with babies, any more additions will be through adoption) and the baby was a surprise, but the most important thing to me in my dream was to find my sling! 🙂
I bought my carrier years ago before there were ones to choose from. It was an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder and I loved it. Last year when we adopted my son, Reese, from Haiti I wore him in the sling quite a bit. Sometimes holding him wouldn’t comfort him enough, but as soon as I put him in the sling, he would melt. There are tons of benefits of wearing adopted babies/toddlers in a carrier.
Thanks for the great post!
Brenna @ Almost All The Truth says
Hi Emily! My favorites were the Moby Wrap, or any good stretchy wrap, for when they are tiny. Then when they got bigger my favorites were the Ergo, the Calyx, and the Beco Butterfly. Mine were never into slings no matter how hard I tried!
Emily says
Brenna! A fellow babywearing addict!! LOVE it! What is the Calyx – I am off to google. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Kim Winson says
One of the ladies I used to work made Mei Tei style baby carriers…and it caught like wildfire among the mothers for the very reason you love it…they could breastfeed in public with no one the wiser! I’m so glad that you found a solution that worked out for you and Squish!
Cheers,
Kim @ Incandescent Blue Flame
From the Kludgy Mom SU thread
Emily says
Thanks Kim!! They are just so easy to use. Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
ashlee says
CRAZY! They did not have this last time I went through all of this. Brilliant. I have always nursed while walking around and working on things, but it ends up hurting my arm by the end. So having something that held him in the right position would be GREAT!