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Baby wearing. I am ALL about it.
There is nothing better to me than snuggling up to my sweet little chunk, and also getting something done!
I’m an enneagram 3 and productivity is basically my love language. Baby wearing makes me be able to snuggle my baby all day long and also be productive! It’s seriously the best of both worlds.
I have often asked my mom and my mother-in-law how in the world they got stuff done without baby carriers and wraps! They said that they just held babies with their arms!
I could not imagine. A normal day in newborn life for us looks like me mopping the floor while a 5 week old baby snoozes away on my chest. You name it, I can do it while baby wearing.
Well, maybe not everything, but I can get a heck of a lot done with a baby wrapped or strapped to my chest. All while building that bond that comes about with physical closeness. It’s the best.
Baby wearing has been huge in my motherhood journey.
Solly Baby Wrap
My sweet MIL bought me a Solly Baby Wrap before Rosy was born, and I honestly just wanted it for the pictures.
I had seen other mama’s put their baby’s in a wrap and take the CUTEST pictures. I wanted that too!
Little did I know that I would use it ALL of the time, and even more with my 2nd baby! We have definitely gotten our money’s worth out of this wrap!
My Solly quickly became a necessity when leaving the house. I would use it to go grocery shopping, to go to church, or to guarantee she could take a nap when we were at someone else’s house.
Right from the start, my daughter was super comfortable in this wrap. She could snuggle in, I would tuck her head behind one of the straps and she would go right to sleep.
It’s seriously like magic.
I didn’t know how much I would need the magic of the Solly with my second daughter! You can read all about our journey with her reflux here!
Our youngest daughter could not sleep comfortably from the moment she was born. There weren’t any newborn dozing sessions in the bassinet at the hospital, and sleep was hard to come by for months for all of us.
Except in the Solly wrap.
Since she was completely upright, sleeping in the Solly Wrap was the only place she was completely comfortable. She would sleep for hours and hours.
I was completely exhausted for months, but I was comforted knowing that at least my baby was getting some good rest. It was seriously a magic wrap, and I don’t know what I would have done without it.
A Solly Wrap may be good for you if…
You have a newborn.
There is nothing better to carry your newborn around in than a Solly Wrap. It makes sense because they’re tightly strapped to your front. They can hear your heartbeat, hear your voice and feel you breathing.
Just like they can in the womb.
During the first 3 months, the Solly wrap is all that I even attempt to use.
Being productive while your baby is napping is a priority.
The Solly Wrap is one of the only carriers that really lets me get stuff done.
I like to use the shoulder straps over my shoulders so that the weight is more evenly distributed (a lot of people pull the straps up on top of their shoulders). When it’s comfortable like that, I can go on throughout my day and cook, clean, play with my older daughter, go for a walk.
My babies both have been able to snooze away when in the Solly no matter what I’m doing.
Your baby has reflux.
Seriously. This thing is amazing when you have a baby with reflux. When a baby is struggling with reflux, they can’t be laid flat or they’re in crazy pain. For us, an incline didn’t even cut it.
Having her straight up and down in the carrier provided a perfect environment for her to get good sleep between feedings. All of the milk goes down instead of back up and her esophagus stays pain free.
Major Pros and Cons of the Solly Baby Wrap
Pros:
- This wrap is SUPER comfortable for little babies.
- It’s really comfortable for all day usage for a mom (trust me, I basically wore this thing for 6 months straight.)
- The Solly lightweight so baby doesn’t overheat (not true for all fabric wraps.)
- Super easy to clean. I’ve washed mine in the washing machine probably over 50 times and it’s still like new.
- They’re really cute!
Cons:
- They do take about 30 seconds to wrap to you before you can put baby in.
However, I would just tie mine once in the morning and wear it all day just pulling baby in and out. It also is really easy to tie to yourself when you get the hang of it.
- They’re not as comfortable for mom or baby past the 6 month mark.
We definitely used ours up until the 12 months point, but it just isn’t as supportive as baby carriers (like the
9.5/10 The only reason it doesn’t get a perfect score is the price. At $65 it’s quite a bit more expensive than other baby wraps on the market. I have noticed that they have warehouse sales a couple times a year and you can snag one for well under $50. If you can get one then, it’s a no-brainer. Pick up a Solly Baby Wrap and enjoy those baby snuggles! I didn’t have the WildBird Sling with my first daughter, but just like with the Solly Wrap, I had seen pictures of other mama’s holding their babies in one of these and I wanted one! My mom gifted it to me for Christmas the month before Lucy was born and I was SO excited to try it out! We got a ton of use out of the WildBird sling, but not nearly as much as we have out of our Solly Wrap. My newborn was NOT excited about being in the ring sling at all. She would sleep contentedly in the Solly wrap and anytime I tried to use the ring sling she would protest LOUDLY. So, we didn’t use it for the first 3 months despite me trying almost everyday. After the 3 month point, she would happily walk around the house in the Ring Sling but not sleep in it. If you just want a hands-free way of carrying around your baby while they are awake. This is the ticket. I couldn’t carry my babies around in the Solly wrap WITHOUT them going to sleep. So using the WildBird Ring Sling when I needed them to stay away (hello baby schedules!) was a good thing! Once the WildBird Ring Sling is adjusted to your liking, you don’t have to touch it again. until your baby grows. You just put it on and take it off within a matter of seconds. That was handy when I just needed somewhere for my baby to go quickly and didn’t have time to wrap the Solly Wrap to me. Pros: Cons: 7/10 If I had to pick one baby carrier, this definitely would not be it. However, it is super convenient to have as an extra. It definitely serves a purpose, it’s just not as all encompassing as the Solly Wrap or even the Baby wearing is a way of life with a newborn (or 6 month old)!
Check out these cute pictures of my 12 month old (what in the world!?) getting in some of her last baby wearing snuggles.My mom review:
This brings us to the next baby carrier I have used a ton…
WildBird Ring Sling
A WildBird Ring Sling may be good for you if…
You have a bigger baby.
You don’t want a baby carrier for baby napping.
Being able to put it on quickly is important.
Major pros and cons of the WildBird Ring Sling
My mom review:
