Becka's Babywearing Story
By: Becka Buttermore
My Babywearing journey began 10 years before I had children of my own. I used to nanny and my mother runs a daycare that I worked for several years while I was in college. I started carrying those children with stretchy wraps and didn't really enjoy them but they worked. The "babies" were definitely over 15 lbs and you could feel the weight in the stretchy wrap. I didn't know there were other carriers out there at the time. Fast forward to 2019 and I did a lot of research on carriers for my own pending baby. I decided to "splurge" on a carrier not knowing if it was going to be worth the cost.
I bought a Tula Explore and used it every day for the first 18 months with my son. In the beginning it seemed so expensive for one carrier but I used it so much that the cost was worth it. Tula came recommended to me and I now own one of each of their carrier styles. My Tula's are now my hiking carriers and get used for longer Babywearing excursions. I became pregnant with my second child when my first was just over a year old. He still wanted carried daily, and life was just easier to wear him while out and about, but the waistband on the Tula was no longer working with my growing belly. I found Little Zen One through a local lending library reference and fell in love with the Integra apron style carriers. I bought a rose flower printed one (special because I had just found out that we were having a girl, who was going to be named Rose) and it was a game changer for baby wearing while 6 months pregnant. I carried my toddler in the Integra up until the day before I delivered. The apron waistband was comfortable above my baby bump and it introduced us to back carries. I loved it so much that I purchased an Integra Solar just after my daughter was born to be able to use that one for lake days.
The Little Zen One community introduced me to the Try Before You Buy program and all different types of carriers and wraps. I was dead set on sticking with soft structured carriers until all the TBYB posts convinced me that wraps weren't difficult and that the program was set up for the sole reason to try different carriers with out the pressure of buying it and not liking it. I had the opportunity to host a Didyklick, Didytai, DidyGo, and all the wraps available. I fell in love with the Didyklick and it is the carrier my daughter has preferred to be carried in since she was 2 months old (didn't have it before then). Shortly after trying the Didyklick the mystery bundles were available and Allie chose the most perfect Didyklick and DidyGo for me. I enjoy trying out all the wraps and have bought a couple of them from the program because we liked them so much. Now my collection of baby wearing items has grown like wildfire and gets used on my own children, my nieces and nephews, and my mother's daycare children regularly. I love the welcoming community that Allie has created through LZO. Now I'm a moderator for the chatter page and I get to share my love of Babywearing with other members. Babywearing has helped my connect with my children and it provides a safe and comforting space for them.