Babywearing Triplets: Each Baby is Unique

One of the first questions that people ask me when they come to a babywearing meeting is “What carrier should I get for my baby?” They are often looking for that magical answer that will work perfectly for their baby and their life. I also come across many parents who have a carrier but feel that it is not working for them and their child. There is no one size fits all answer for any parent and child or a particular carrier that is just right at a certain age. The right carrier is the one that works for a parent and their child and their lifestyle. When parents come to meetings we are able to teach them to adjust their carrier, often one that they thought did not work for them, to meet their needs, or give them a chance to explore their many options. Knowing your baby and the many ways to use your carrier can be the best tools for successful babywearing.
All these things have become blatantly obvious now that I have three very unique babies in my house. We always talk about how different our children are but it is amazing to see three babies, born on the same day from the same mom, and realize how they truly are individuals. I wear all of them in the same carrier but I wear each child differently, as they have different preferences.

E is an active little boy who loves to kick his legs and wants them out of the carrier, but he was still a bit too small to comfortably have them out of my Mei Tai. However, a good friend taught me a little trick, which was to put a hair elastic at the bottom of the Mei Tai to pull it in so it wasn’t so wide. That made it perfect for little E’s legs to be out and comfortable and still snuggling with mom.
Now R, on the other hand, is awake the most, very social and wants to see everything that is happening in our busy house. So, I put her forward facing (more on the controversial art of forward facing in a future blog). She went back and forth between liking her legs in or out of the carrier, so I continued to use the trick of synching the carrier with an elastic. And yes, I was changing her sister’s diaper while she was in the Mei Tai. That’s how life works when you have 3 babies!

S has remained a feet in the Mei Tai type girl, when in a front carry. My children have also begun to appreciate the back carry- as have I. Sometimes they enjoy it for the great view, and sometimes they just like to snuggle in and take a nap. And of course, around here, sometimes I am doing more than one carry at a time. It is so helpful to our budget to know that with just one carrier I can meet the individual needs of three sweet babies. It even works for big kids too! So stop by a meeting and we will put you on the path to babywearing success. 


Posted by Carolyn