Kaile Hunt 0:09
You are out of the newborn stage and grew to love baby wearing your infant. Did you know that there are benefits of baby wearing your infant and even toddler? Today, we are chatting about all the benefits for both mom and baby, for extended baby wearing. Thanks for joining us. This is newbies.

Welcome to newbies. My name is Kaile Hunt, and I'll be your host today. If you haven't already, be sure to visit our website, at New mommy media.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, which keeps you updated on all the episodes we release each week. Another great way to stay updated is to hit that subscribe button in your podcast app. And if you're looking for a way to get even more involved with our show, then check out our online community. It's called Mighty moms. That's where we chat more about the topics discussed here on our show, and it's also an easy way to learn about our recordings, so you can join us live. So like I mentioned in the intro, our topic today is about baby wearing and extended baby wearing, and this one is so near and dear to my heart, because I have an almost two year old guys, and I still baby wear her, she's on the back. Sometimes I have a very large dog, and so when I take him to the vet, when I take him to daycare, I'm popping this girl on my back because I need two hands to hold my dog anyway. So let's introduce our expert for today is Azja prior, a cbws trained baby wearing educator with six years of experience who is passionate about supporting parents in this journey by introducing them to the transformative benefits of baby wearing. So thank you so much for joining us. Please tell us where you are located and more about your family. Hi, Kaile, thank you so much for having me. I too, this is so near and dear to my heart, I could talk about baby wearing all day. Yes, I am located in Los Angeles, California, and I have a seven year old daughter who was on my back as well until probably a year or two ago. How fun. I've got a lot to say about extended baby wearing. It is such a special experience that you know for families to to enjoy, yay. Well, I'm excited to get deep into this topic, but first, let's take a quick break.

Welcome back today, we're discussing the benefits of extended baby wearing. So first, I want to get a picture, paint a picture of you when you first got introduced to baby wearing. So how was your postpartum experience like, and how often did you baby wear your new board? And I'll say for me, my I had a full term baby. She was born 39 and five, but she was really small. She was barely six pounds, so I was afraid to baby wear her, because a lot of the baby Wear devices, there's like, a certain weight limit, and so I actually didn't really baby wear her until she was an infant. Anyway, taking the spotlight from you, what was your possible Spartan experience like? And when did you start baby wearing? If you did your newborn slash infant? Yeah. So I started wearing my daughter probably two weeks after she was born. My daughter was born close to eight pounds. So she hid many of those, you know, recommended weight recommendations. And so we started about two weeks after, and this was a brand new experience for me. It's something that I had definitely researched I knew I wanted to do,

Azja Pryor 4:04
and so I couldn't wait to jump right into it. It was literally just about feeling comfortable enough to do it, because, you know, they're so tiny, and you know, it can be a little overwhelming for a new parent. So once I did, finally, with the help with my husband, you know, read the directions and figure out how to do it. We did put her in the carrier, and after that, it was just a game changer. So my postpartum experience was pretty normal. I guess you could say

Azja Pryor 4:38
I really took that time to bond with my daughter. I do have an older son, so I was essentially starting all over like my son. My daughter was born like one week before my son went to his senior prom. Oh, wow. I was starting all over and. But, you know, it was just a really special time for me, because, you know, again, having an older child, I realized how, just how fast this time goes. And so I just completely threw myself into being a mom, you know, throwing that, that image of perfection out of the window, and just accepting, you know, each day as it was, so, yeah, we had a pretty great experience. And you know, during that time, I came to love baby wearing. And, you know, wanted to eventually help other families learn how to baby wear and feel confident and just soak up all of the benefits.

Kaile Hunt 5:41
I love that. So let's distinguish a little bit between baby wearing a newborn and then maybe baby wearing an infant. So I know I am still breastfeeding my daughter, but in the early days, they always say, you know, keep your kid, keep your newborn clothes. Do skin to skin. I know baby wearing was suggested to me when she became of more weight to help that. But what's the difference between baby wearing a newborn and then, you know, baby wearing an infant, which I can imagine some might not do, because breastfeeding, for some might be more established, or they, you know what I mean, are more wiggly. So what's the difference between the two?

Azja Pryor 6:19
So the difference between the two. Like you, Kaylee, your daughter was born fairly small, and so as a newborn, you weren't jumping into the baby wearing so you know, once those parents, once parents feel comfortable baby wearing their newborn, they can go ahead. I certainly tell parents that I'm working with, go ahead, bring your carrier to the hospital. Smart. As long as your baby is born at the recommended weight, then it is completely fine to start wearing your newborn right away and really enjoying some of the benefits of it. And that's not only just for mom. That's for dads and grandparents as well. You mentioned the skin to skin, skin to skin is such a powerful, transformative moment between mother and child or father and child, and there's so many benefits, just in helping to regulate the baby's body temperature, and, you know, to help regulate mom's milk, and just all of the things so doing that while wearing your baby in, let's say, a Stretchy Wrap, is something that you can enjoy as you're moving around, or just that can be used as a tool to assist with some of the other things that you're doing while you're in that newborn phase. Now, as you get to the infant phase, you baby wearing by now is normally in full swing, usually around two or three, four months, people are more comfortable holding their babies in the carrier. You know, babies are getting curious. They have stronger neck control. By this time, they can hold their heads up. They're looking around. All is well, you're going to the farmers market. You know, you're out with your baby and you have more confidence. I will say I was a long term not only did I do extended baby wearing, I did extended breastfeeding as well. I also nursed my daughter until she was almost three years old, right? Wow, that's awesome. I will say that probably 80% of that happened while she was in the carrier, because that's another huge benefit of baby wearing, is that you don't need to sit down for the 30 minute feeding session. You know in your chair. You can actually, once you're comfortable, take your baby in your carrier and nurse them or feed them with a bottle. However you're feeding them while they're in the carrier. So that's a major benefit. Now, I will say that there is a learning curve to both baby wearing and to breastfeeding. So you know, you want to master each one separately first, before you try to do them together. I

Kaile Hunt 8:55
love that. I so agree, and I do notice, because, like I said, my daughter is almost two, and we're almost weaned on her own accord, which makes me kind of happy little sad at the same time. But I do notice that when I do baby wear her, she's right next to my boobs, and she's Oh yeah, time, booby time. So I love that. I do love that. And we also have a bunch of moms who are listening, who are interested in this, but they also are. Maybe they're going to have two under two, right? And so they have, you know, another baby on the way, and that might decrease milk supplies. That's a great way. I love that, that you could continue with your milk supply if you can right by baby wearing if you are pregnant. I love that

Azja Pryor 9:35
Absolutely. It helps with that, with that breast, with the milk production, it also helps you to pick up on your baby's cues right away, you know, as they're doing their mouth. And I mean, there's so many benefits. Because your your stomach is against their stomach, it's actually massaging babies stomach muscles as well, which is helping to get some of that gas out. So we're seeing babies that are worn more free. Frequently are less gassy, less colicky, you know, and so that's another huge benefit that we're seeing with very young babies.

Kaile Hunt 10:09
I love this. So my next question is kind of, I'm going to throw some questions at you. I don't believe them, but I'm sure some people have heard this. It's basically, why might someone be discouraged from Baby ring? So, like, a question I could see someone saying, and probably a family member who shouldn't say anything, is, oh, my goodness, let that, you know, toddler crawl, or let that baby crawl, let that toddler walk. So why might someone be discouraged from Baby ring? And I kind of want you to, like, break that stigma of, like, No, it's okay. You know, it's a whole dear kid anyway. So what do you have to say about that, why someone might be discouraged, and why? And what, I guess, what I'm trying to ask is what they should say in response to that, you know, they feel comfortable baby wearing their child? Well, let's

Azja Pryor 10:53
start with what you just said. I think you're spot on. I think that a lot of you know, well meaning family members, or, you know, friends may inadvertently shoot down the idea of baby wearing, because they think that one you're spoiling your baby. How many times have we heard that you don't hold maybe too much don't spoil them, which we know is ridiculous, you cannot spoil a baby, you know, or that you're going to prevent the baby from learning to crawl or walk, or you know that they somehow, by baby wearing, they will hit those milestones later in life, which that has been debunked. And so to that, I say one you have to this is your baby, and you really have to trust your intuition. Now, as a baby wearing educator who has studied baby wearing, the benefits the origins of baby wearing. Babies are hardwired to be close to their mothers. They are hardwired you put a baby down, especially in that fourth trimester, which is the first three months after they're born, and leave them, and they're going to eventually start to scream their head off because they just want that closeness. Babies want to be close to their mothers. They're hardwired to so as you wear your Baby, which is something that mothers have been doing since the beginning of time, right, just for survival, is we've seen the babies on the back we've seen, you know, babies in different type of wraps and things. Holding your baby close closer to you again, helps you to tend to your baby's cues a lot faster, to regulate baby's temperature, to help you just feel more confident that your baby is close by. So to all of those well meaning family members and friends, I say, you just have to drown out the noise, because it's going to always be there, and just really trust that you're doing the best to your baby. For your baby, I'm sorry. Now the second part to that is, babies are we hear from the time we have the baby on day one, do 10 minutes of tummy time each day, baby wearing. And a lot of people don't know this, baby wearing is vertical tummy time. Why is it? Because the babies are still very much using their muscles, the same muscles that if you were to lay them down on their tummy. Because if you think about it, over the past decades, right, we've now become more accustomed to putting babies in strollers and laying them down and putting them in bouncers. And so yes, when babies are laying in that position, they're not necessarily using their muscles as they would if they were being worn upright in a carrier. So that's why tummy time became this big thing. But vertical, wearing your baby vertically in the carrier is a form of tummy time. They are using their their trunk muscles. They're using their their neck to stabilize the head. They're using all of those muscles. So that is a form so many times. Actually, I I've talked to many parents who do extended baby wearing, and they find that their babies, who are worn more, are actually hitting milestones a lot sooner than other babies. They start

Kaile Hunt 14:16
loved this. Yes, this

Azja Pryor 14:18
makes me feel better too. Yeah, they're rolling over. They're crawling, you know. So I don't see that. I don't see you hindering your child's development at all. I actually see the opposite, and I work with a lot of families. And the other part to that is that, you know, we also see babies who are typically laid down in strollers or on flat surfaces, you know, they maybe are more prone to the flat head syndrome, and babies who are worn in the carrier are less prone to it. So that too is another benefit when we're talking about young and. And newborns and infants, that is

Kaile Hunt 15:03
so neat. I love that you shared that perfect well. We have more questions coming up, but first, let's take another break.

Welcome back. We are continuing our discussion of extended baby wearing, and so this question should be easy, right? Is, let's chat about the different baby carriers slash wrap. So I will say, when my daughter was finally of weight, we used like, and I don't remember the terms. I should have looked this up honestly, but it was the wrap warrior carrier. It was like the big, black, long wrap, and I loved it. It did take a long time to put on. And as long as, then, I don't know, maybe, maybe a minute, you know, not a really long time, because you kind of get it down quicker the more you do it. But I remember I used that. And then she got a little bit heavier. I don't want to say the wrong weight, but then we were able to baby wear the one where it snaps on the front and the back, and that's what I still use. That goes up to, I think, like 25 pounds, or something crazy, like 35 pounds. I still use that anyway. So break down just a few different baby carriers that some of our listeners might be interested in. Sure, well, you

Azja Pryor 16:13
again, are spot on. I say, I would say that 90% of parents start with the Stretchy Wrap, which is what you were referring to, that would be like a Moby Wrap, right? Yeah. And so most people, for their baby showers, or, you know, while they're pregnant, they go out and get this Stretchy Wrap. Those are great. I love stretchy wraps. Those are, like you said, the long piece of fabric, one long piece. They pack down really compact, so you can just toss them in your diaper bag. You know, they're really great. Yes, there's a learning curve. You need to do some tying and folding once you get it. I mean, it's a complete game changer. So most parents will start with a Stretchy Wrap or even a ring sling. The ring slings are, again, they are also the long piece of fabric that have the two rings at the top. And those are great for especially once your children start to get larger, toddler, baby wearing, because if they're doing quick ins and outs, all you're doing is just simply taking down the piece of fabric that's on their back. And, you know, you can keep that wrapped around you. So that's a really convenient one as well. The soft, structured carrier would be the, I think, the one that you're using now, which would be another popular carrier, that's the company that I work with with, which is Lilly baby. We actually are known for our soft, structured carriers. Those are the ones. They have buckles. They have some straps, and for most people, that's going to take them from newborn through the toddler years using that carrier. There's also something called a may die, which is an Asian style carrier. It's not as popular here in the States, but they're really cool to look at. They are a little the learning curve is a little bit more steep on that one, but those are really nice carries as well. And then there's a toddler carriers. And you know, the toddler carriers are for those who want to do extended baby wearing. And there's so many benefits in extended baby wearing, which means wearing your baby beyond infancy into the toddler years and even into the preschool years. It's a very big audience, who, who, who participates in toddler baby wearing? I was one of them. And there are carriers that will go from, let's say, 25 pounds to 60 pounds. Oh, wow. To accommodate those larger kids. I

Kaile Hunt 18:49
love that. So I know once your child is a little bit bigger and depends on, honestly, the child, because my toddler is still very small anyway. So what is the um? I guess, what's the difference between baby wearing forward facing or on your back? I know there should be benefits to both. Can you kind of talk about the two different ways to baby wear

Azja Pryor 19:10
Sure. So when we speak of forward facing, so I don't know if you mean front facing. So basically wearing your child on your front or wearing them on your back. So if we're wearing them on our front, right, they in their facing us, which is usually the preferred way that's called for front inward facing, right. Just to be very specific, there is front forward facing, which is the world view where your baby is facing out and facing the world, which is great. You know, babies usually, typically when they're around six months old, they're old enough to do this and for short periods of time, but when babies are facing inward, because if you have a newborn or a young infant, let's say three to six months, they should be facing. Knowing the wearer. They are using your body still to activate their muscles. They're not quite ready to turn to the world facing view yet. But the benefits in that is that you're snuggling your baby also. They're watching you. They're hearing you. They're they're watching the movement as you're speaking. We see a lot of babies who are worn in carriers. They are picking up speech very early, because they are right there. They're watching you. They're watching the movements of your mouth. They're hearing the words babies again, going back to that tummy time, that vertical tummy time, you know, we're seeing them hit those milestones somewhat earlier, in some cases, not every case, but we are also seeing that. So wearing your baby on your front, that would certainly be a benefit, where you can also see your baby right if your baby's on your back, you have a little less visibility as to what's going on. But as they get older and heavier, you know, wearing them on the back is sometimes it helps to to balance that weight a little bit better. Because, you know, once these ones, especially once you get into the toddler years, they start to get a little heavy, and it's like wearing a backpack, you know, you're gonna wear on your back. So it becomes more convenient, especially when you're doing like some kind of extended time of, say you're out on a hike, or say you're out at a theme park, and those little legs have gotten tired, and you want to put them on your back. You know that would be, that would be an ideal situation. I think I started wearing my daughter on my back when she was around 11 or 12 months, is when we started. And of course, there were times when she just wanted to really snuggle, or if she was upset, I would put her on my front. And you know, you know, could just carry her that way. So there's definitely benefits to both. I wouldn't suggest putting a small baby on your back, I would definitely wait until they're inching close to toddlerhood or

Kaile Hunt 22:05
beyond. I love that. I vividly remember my daughter was, I think about to turn one, and, like, just, it was just, I know, witching hours for newborns, but there was just a fussy period, like, right before dinner, where I wanted to make dinner, but she wanted to be held. It was like, I don't know, like, four to six weeks, every single day, from like, five to 6:30pm give or take, you know, a few minutes I would just baby wear her and cook dinner, like, that's just what we did. And it totally worked, and I absolutely loved it. And it reduced the fussing time, and it reduced my stress, which isn't funny.

Azja Pryor 22:38
Oh my gosh, you're bringing back so many memories. After that, that watching hour, it's like, what's going on? Yeah, yeah. And then it passes, right? Isn't it amazing how these phases happen, and then they're gone, and they're like, a distant memory. So yes,

Kaile Hunt 22:56
and then you talk about something, and it comes back. And so my next question is, some baby carriers, I looked up the brand I have. I have Ergo baby, which is kind of pricey. It is. It was an investment. I did my research. I liked the reviews that I saw. So why kind of talk a little bit about why this is a good investment, right? Because these carriers are for some can be up to a couple 100, and I've even seen some for like 500 which is kind of wild. And I know you want to do your research before getting the carrier, I knew I would wear my daughter for a long time, and so I wanted the carrier that had a higher weight limit. So talk a little bit about the investment of baby carriers and why it kind of pays off,

Azja Pryor 23:38
right? So yeah, so you're gonna find carriers in all the different price ranges. I too, I did a lot of research. I read the reviews. I went on to Amazon, I read the reviews. I was in, you know, Reddit threads, reading reviews. So do your research. Not every carrier is going to be right for every person. So you know, if you have an opportunity to maybe try on a carrier at a store, or maybe a friend has one, I say, go for it, because this is something that this is a tool that can potentially be used again all the way through toddlerhood. It is definitely an investment. Again. I know I sound like a broken record, but there are a ton of benefits that, you know, I could literally talk all day about when it comes to baby wearing, but at the end of the day, it's that piece of equipment that is going to be used, not only just for bonding, especially if you really take to baby wearing, even as your child gets older, they'll come and bring you that carrier. I don't know if your daughter is doing that, but sometimes, when they're not feeling well, they'll grab that carrier and they will come for their uppies. You know, we say that these carriers come loaded with sleepy dust. Sometimes, when that baby just won't lay down, go down for a nap easily, and you still have things to do. But. Put them in the carrier, I promise you, that is priceless. You cannot put a price tag on that. Knowing that your baby is safe, they're comfortable, and now they're sleeping. You know, when you're traveling a baby where a baby carrier is a really great piece of equipment, as is a stroller. I'm not saying that one is better than the other, but sometimes there are. You might be, you might be in a busy in, you know, environment, and a stroller is just going to be a little cumbersome, so you'll want to grab that carrier. I would all we had multiple carriers, but we definitely had a carrier that we kept in our car at all times. I never wanted to be, you know, stuck out in that moment, and not have one, and then we had one in the house, and, you know, that's just what worked for best for us. So I say, do your research. You don't have to get the fanciest carrier out there, but you should definitely get one that is ergonomically correct. That's going to, you know, offer a safe and comfortable ride for your baby and for yourself. I think also, look at the company, see what they offer. I know our company offers free one on one fit checks. We have, like, a entire community where, you know, it goes beyond baby wearing. So, you know, I think that with that investment, also you have to look at like, What the The company is also offering to the consumer that

Kaile Hunt 26:35
is so helpful. And I so agree. I remember I actually did a little bit of research when I was pregnant, and that's when I got that wrap one. And then, yeah, once my daughter was just like, kind of getting too big for the rap, in a way, I was like, Okay, we need something else. Like, I need to do my research and get something else. So I absolutely love everything you've shared. Yeah, well, we have a few more questions coming up, but let's take one of our last breaks. You. Aja, welcome back. We are continuing our discussion with Asha. And so really, as we wrap up this episode, where can our listeners find you? Do you have social media you want to share? And then can our listeners work with you? If they're listening to this episode and they're like, Hmm, I want more tips about baby wearing Absolutely

Azja Pryor 27:21
I love this Yes. So your listeners can reach me on Instagram. I am at love Aja, a, z, J, a, l, o, v, e, a, z, J, a, and I am happy to if you send me a DM, I'm happy to respond. You can see, you can find some of our tutorial videos that I've done that cover newborn baby wearing on YouTube, on the little baby channel, and yeah, I am available for fit checks. I'm available to if you are wondering which carrier type is best for you, whether you need a Stretchy Wrap or a soft structure carrier. I love talking baby wearing, so I'm more than happy to help.

Kaile Hunt 28:13
I love that, yay. Well, I like to end the show on some positive notes. So what helpful tips do you have four moms, right, who just love baby wearing and are nervous to continue it into infant hood and toddlerhood. What tips do you have for them to kind of, you know, leave them with some happy thoughts about how awesome it is, because I have a two year old and I still do it So absolutely,

Azja Pryor 28:37
I say take it one day at a time. You know you may try baby wearing because you've heard this podcast, which is confirmed, like, I need to try this, and it may not work for you the first time. Don't give up. I am available to help if, if needed. There are lots of resources out there. YouTube has a an abundance of videos and tutorials, but just take it one day at a time, because baby wearing is something that everyone can do. Okay? We we see a wide range of body types. We see caregivers, grandparents, fathers, mothers, uncles, wearing the babies. Okay, so just don't give up. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself some grace, some practical steps. I always say when you're trying baby wearing for the first time, do it in an environment that's very comfortable for you. You know in your home, don't like go into Target and decide you're going to do it like right then and there, you know. So work on it at home. Make sure that baby is fed, burped, you know, that they have a clean diaper, they're not overly tired or cranky, and give it a go. And if it doesn't work out, like I said, just, you know, try again another day. But it can work. Now, if you're feeling uncomfortable, some discomfort again, go ahead and reach out to a baby wearing educator like myself where we can help you, but you've got it, mama and just, just keep going. I

Kaile Hunt 30:12
love that, yay. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. This has been a wonderful episode, and I'm excited for our listeners to hear it. Yay.

Azja Pryor 30:20
Thank you so much for having me. It's been, it's been a pleasure speaking about baby wearing with you. Ah,

Kaile Hunt 30:26
you are awesome. Well, thank you again, and be sure to check out new mommy media.com where we have all of our podcast episodes, plus videos and more. You music

that wraps up our show for today. Thanks for listening. If you love newbies as much as we do, please consider checking out the amazing businesses that sponsor our show week after week. And we'd also love for you to tell another new mommy about this resource, which, of course, is absolutely free. If you want to check out some of the other podcasts we produce, such as preg pals, parent savers, the boob group and twin talks, then visit our website at New mommy media.com, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram for more information, giveaways and more. Our handle is at New Mommy Media. Thanks for listening to newbies music.

Disclaimer 31:24
This has been a New Mommy Media production. The information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of New Mommy Media and should not be considered facts while such information and materials are believed to be accurate, it is not intended to replace or substitute for professional medical advice or care, and should not be used for diagnosing or treating healthcare problem or disease or prescribing any medication if you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified health care provider you.