The Beginning of Our Babywearing Journey

I am amazed by what a huge part of my life babywearing has become over the last six months.  I had a difficult pregnancy, which ended with a month of bed rest followed by delivering six weeks early via an unplanned c-section due to severe pre-eclampsia.  My amazing little premie, Zoey, was in the NICU for just under two weeks.  This was actually a much shorter stay than the doctors had predicted when she was born.  We were very blessed with how well she did, how quickly she was able to come off the oxygen and how quickly she was able to start eating on her own.  Still the trials of having a baby born and whisked straight away to the NICU can be a very emotional and difficult thing to deal with.  In the moment, I didn’t realize quite how much I was struggling with it all.  I was still having my own health issues as well, while Zoey was being treated in the NICU.  For most moms, delivering stops the pre-eclampsia symptoms.  I was one of the minority who continued to have issues for several days after delivery.

Looking back on it, I can easily see that I was becoming depressed from a combination of my health issues, going home without Zoey, dealing with the daily stress of the NICU and post-partum hormones.  At the time, I continued to insist I was fine.  I eventually listened to my husband’s concerns about my frequent crying spells and I talked with my doctor.  She was able to put me on a medicine that helped me.  When Zoey was about two months old, I discovered babywearing through a small facebook group of new mom’s.  The babies looked so happy in the wraps and it looked so convenient for the moms.  I ordered my first wrap off of Amazon within a few days of learning about babywearing.

My first wrap was a hot pink Boba, which is a stretchy wrap (similar to a Moby).  I loved my Boba and how close it helped me to feel to Zoey.  I hadn’t admitted it to myself, but I had been struggling to bond with her.  I’m not saying that wrapping her up and snuggling her suddenly made everything perfect, but it was certainly a step in the right direction for us. 

I am so grateful for all of the wonderful babywearing moms I have met both in person and through facebook groups.  My first few attempts at wrapping were not the best, but with constructive criticism I improved my technique and we enjoyed hours of safe snuggles in our Boba.  We have since moved on to woven wraps and soft-structured carriers (SSCs), but the Boba will always have a special place in my heart for leading me to an activity that has brought so much joy to my life.