You Shouldn't Lift That
This is one of the most common lines that I hear right now. I'm only 21 weeks pregnant but once you start growing a little person everyone assumes that you are basically useless. I keep reminding everyone that I have a toddler. That means I have to pick up at least one little cutie who is over 25 pounds on a regular basis and I don't really get a choice about it. Sometimes I would prefer not to have to hold her but she is a toddler and demanding at time. I prefer my sanity. So, a few tips for babywearing while pregnant.
Choose Comfort
Seems simple right? Well, if you don't have a lot of choices in terms of carrier options this may not be as easy as it sounds for you but there are some modifications that you can do with carriers to help out a little. My first trimester I preferred to carry with a wrap because I HATED anything around my belly. With a wrap, I would tie off around my chest and avoid most pressure on my belly. With a wrap I can also use multiple layer carriers so there is more support for my shoulders and chest since all the weight is resting on that area. My preferred wrap at this stage was actually a double hammock with a candy cane chest belt. Just so comfortable. Now that I'm well into my second trimester I can switch it up a little more. I have always preferred to do a high back carry in buckle or mei tais. This works on my favor with pregnancy because you either have to wear really low or really high. I'm used to wearing high so this is the route I go and it works wonderfully. Curious about how I do this? You are in luck because I just made a video in conjunction with my local babywearing group showing 5 ways to get your baby on your back in a buckle carrier and it's all using a high back carry while 20 weeks pregnant! You can view the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFFYzwrTdtY. Know Your Limits
Now, I like to push things to the edge as much as the next person. However, you also need to listen to your body when it's telling you enough is enough. Pretty quickly in my pregnancy I learned that front carries were a no go anymore. I can do a hip carry for a short time but when I have a large toddler on my front even without the belly showing yet I could really feel it on my back. It was very uncomfortable and so I just don't do front carries right now. I did go for a really long walk the other day with Hannah on my back. I'm not going to lie, I know it was good exercise for me and I took it slow but I was dead by the time I got back. So, another note to self, don't go for 1.5 long walks by yourself in case you can't make it back. I did but I took a nap right after and wasn't sore at all so I know it was fine but I wouldn't push myself any more at this point. Just know when to call it quits is all I'm saying. You may be taking care of the baby on the outside but you also have to take care of the baby on the inside as well.Let Others Help
Probably one of the hardest things to do at any time is let other people help you. However, I try really hard to rely more on my husband and let him wear Hannah when we are out and about or use the stroller when we are walking vs wearing her during a walk. I LOVE the closeness of babywearing but I also love feeling ok and not being in pain. So, I try to limit my babywearing more than I would like at this point. Do I still babywear on a regular basis, yes. Do I do a lot of physical activity while babywearing, no. Since we are at the stage of wanting to go all the time as well, I take the opportunity to have as many outings and play dates with friends as I possibly can so that Hannah isn't as needy at home and is super tired out when we are home. This has helped as well and although it may not be the traditional help you are thinking of these friends are still saving my sanity because I don't have to sit and watch or play with Hannah all day and I get to spend a little time having some adult conversation while the kids are playing.What Have We Been Up To?
Well, it's been a while since we updated so here is what has been happening. We got the first and only ultrasound of the baby. It's so different the second time around because it doesn't feel as alien. We almost
caved this time and found out the gender but luckily we held strong and are now proud parents of who knows what! I think it makes the process even that more fun with a huge surprise to look for at the end. I have had to draw some clear boundaries at work so I'm not super stressed out. That also includes drawing boundaries on my sewing business. I have stopped taking large custom orders and am just sewing as I can which is a lot less than before but again, I have been trying to be good at focusing on taking care of myself and my family first.
I have been pretty involved in the babywearing community as well lately and am taking the opportunity while I can go to events and play with all the pretty carriers. I have had the luxury of playing with some crazy epic high end wraps as well as help new moms out on the fly. Yesterday we took pictures of most of the library carriers for our chapter which was fun, crazy and exhausting.
Our house is back to being a complete disaster because we have been spending so much time being gone. As a mom, I have worked really hard at letting this expectation go that I can be perfect in all areas of my life. I do become super guilty a lot but I still try to not let it get me down or stress me out that the dishes aren't done or that I can't see the floor because of all the toys and unfolded clean clothes there.
We also got back my brothers wedding pictures! So awesome. Although I do love my brother and his wedding was fun, I cherish the pictures that we get as a family, especially when it involves babywearing. So I wanted to share a few of those as well since I can't get enough of them.
Oh and one more update, you should not be able to leave comments below as I changed the privacy settings so leave me some love! Hope your weekend is starting off well!!!
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