About Snugglez
How did I get into baby carriers? Well, it happened shortly after my first baby was born and I was having difficulties with my milk supply. At 5 weeks, my son Romero was getting too much foremilk. His tummy was often sore and he had to be held upright, soothed and walked to sleep. After 4 weeks of holding him upright over my shoulder after every feed, I had very sore arms and wrists. After convincing my partner that $75 is not too much to spend on something that will save my arms and get Romero to sleep, we came out of our nearest baby store with a front-pack. This worked well until he was 4 months old when my lower back started to hurt after carrying him for 15 minutes. I loved carrying him around but thought there must be other alternatives. What did people use before plastic buckles were invented? I started investigating traditional cloth carriers such as wraps and pouch slings. I loved the simplicity of pouch slings so I tried creating my own. I experimented with a few differnt types of fabrics before I came across some beautiful stretch cotton sateen that provided just the right amount of give and spread the weight over the shoulder better than 100% cotton.
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| 3 year old Romero still loves to be carried in the Mei Tai |
After making and trying out wraps and pouch slings, my Mum came back from her trip to China and brought back a traditional Chinese carrier called a Mei Tai. As a two-shouldered carrier, it was easier to use than the wrap, but not as comfy because it was made of a thin cotton fabric and the shoulder straps were very narrow. What I liked about it, however, was the sleeping hood. After trialling different ways of contruction, weights and weaves of cotton, I have finally found a combination that matches my original expectations.
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| Mandy, Aria and Romero at Haruru Falls |
Baby carriers are essential parenting items. Babies grow up fast and will want to run around being independent in no time. By the time they're teenagers/adults, it'll be too late to try and give them hugs and kisses all the time. Also, our children are most needy and attached during their first few years of life. Before baby grows older and less dependent on us, we should try and give them our 'loving touch' as much as we can. With the use of babycarriers, I believe we can achieve this while still letting us get on with our lives to some degree. Romero is 3 now and still asks to be carried in the Mei Tai when I tie it on to carry Aria (15 months). He actually feels lighter than Aria when I carry him on my front because he would snuggle up against my chest and straddle my waist taking most of his weight off my shoulders.
Here we are, the work-at-home team on holiday (my Mum's not included in the picture but she does a lot of the sewing) at Haruru Falls.
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| Romero with his Dad at Purakaunui Falls |