Colleen from Mommy Panda – Sling Fling Babywearing Week!

It’s time for Sling Fling! Mommy is running a babywearing even this Friday and Saturday with her moms’ group (so if you’re local, come check it out!), and I thought we’d coordinate a sling fling week here! When I put out the call for fabulous guest posters, Colleen was one of the first to respond; she blogs over at Mommy Panda, and she’s on Twitter @retrokitty, but mostly I know her because her son tweets, too (@EatSleepTwit). He’s one of the few other tweeting babies I know! You all know how Mommy and I love our Moby – and it’s nice to know it’s not just us.

My name is Colleen (from Mommy Panda) and I babywear at Church. Every time I go. I don’t know how other parents don’t. I see them every[ish] week, with their squirming, antsy offspring, and I look down at my calm, quiet little man and beam.

I use a Moby wrap that my aunt bought me as a baby gift from Target. I put it on over my clothes before I leave the house, and I throw my jacket over that. I may not be the most fashionable mama walking into Church, but it is waaaay better than having to mess with all that fabric in the coat room. Once our coats are hung up, I put my son in the carrier and we’re ready for service!

I love that my hands are free because I keep my little man in the Moby the whole time. I can read the sheet music for the songs we’re going to sing, or russle through my purse to find toys or the donation money with ease. The wrap also allows my son to be involved; he rises when everyone else rises, he sits when everyone else sits…he even holds the sheet music with me! He doesn’t get bored or restless, which is what I suspect happens with all the other babies that start needing to be distracted or removed half way through the service. I can sit in the pews with everyone else w/o a problem. The only time I’ve ever been to the baby viewing room if when I took these pictures, lol. It’s wonderful.

The wrap is also a good ice breaker. Not a week goes by where someone doesn’t comment on how comfy he looks, or how they’re amazed at how quiet he was through the service. Last week, (When these pictures were taken.) I was even asked if I could demonstrate how I put it on, which I had no problem doing. Hopefully, I’ll see more babywearing mommies at Church soon!

If you’re on the fence about babywearing, I encourage you to give it a try. It can be a little intimidating, (Especially the Moby, with its MILES of fabric!) but is totally worth it in the end. I don’t have to mess with carrying his car seat, he is happy the entire time, and I’m pretty shy; so an ice breaker is always nice. I have met a lot of new moms that I probably wouldn’t have talked if I wasn’t wearing the wrap. Yay babywearing!

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Thanks so much to Colleen for setting off my Sling Fling week with an introduction to some of the benefits of babywearing – the Moby was Mommy’s and my “gateway” baby carrier and now we are seriously addicted. Remember to check out her blog AND come back for the rest of our babywearing guest post series this week!