Lovin' my Moby Wrap

I thought I'd share another one of my fav. baby finds. It's called the Moby Wrap (www.mobywrap.com) and is made out of the BEST soft and stretchy cotton fabric. I was hesitant at first to use a baby carrier due to past strains in my back, but this has proven to be very comfortable. I'm also thrilled to find a way to still bond with my son while having full usage of my arms again!

One of the hardest things about being a first time parent is all of the guesswork involved in decoding baby's cries and understanding their needs. Over the past 2 months we've learned that our son is quite the cuddler and while he didn't seem to care too much for swaddling, he loves cradling, motion, and feeling the repetition of breathing. The Moby is so great for that because it allows babies to get closely nestled in to the carrier's chest and even fall asleep in it without any uncomfortable straps or buckles getting in the way.

The manual that it comes with explains how a mother's chest is designed to change in temperature to meet her baby's needs by responding through biofeedback. It therefore rises if the baby is cold, and decrease if the infant becomes too warm. How cool is that! It also comes with a series of exercises and Yoga poses that are safe to do while carrying the baby in the wrap.

I also thought I'd share Marnie Ko's (author of Carrying Your Baby) top 10 reasons to carry your baby:

1. Baby-carrying provides the elements of pressure, motion, pleasure, warmth, security, and sound that are found in skin-to-skin contact and are essential to the development of the vestibular nervous system.

2. Carrying infants lowers the level of stress hormones and adrenalin circulating in the blood stream of the infant.

3. Carrying helps the baby develop balance and trunk and head control. Infants who are carried sit independently and walk sooner.

4. Baby-carrying enables parents to be acutely responsive and aware of baby's cues and signals. Parents become so sensitive to their baby that they can anticipate hunger needs, waking, and the need for a clean diaper.

5. Baby carrying reduces crying and fussiness (one study found by 43% during the day and 51% at night). Parents therefore feel more competent and nurturing toward their infant.

6. Baby-carrying gives healthy messages of touching to children and they learn to give and receive affection and touching in healthy ways.

7. Babies who are carried cry less, smile more, are less prone to vomiting and spitting up. They also experience reduced or little incidence of colic.

8. Baby-carrying allows the baby to be an active participant in the walking, talking, laughing, movement, and working of the parent.

9. Babies sleep comfortably and for longer periods of time while carried.

10. Babies who are carried have a solid sense of self-esteem and independence. They are also said to initiate separation faster and become more self-reliant.