THIS BABYWEARING MOM IS NOT ALONE!

(Photo courtesy of Benz Co-Rana of MimmaBenz.com)

I attended the Babywearing Meet 2 at Starbucks BGC last Saturday. And for the first time since I started babywearing, I didn't feel so different. So alone.

By now, I'm used to being stared at whenever I go out with Basti in a SaYa, my ultra favorite  infant carrier. I've received various comments ranging from "Di ba siya naiipit?" to "Para kang Muslim sa Quiapo!" (As if there's something wrong with that! Oh, but these moms are great! They found a good way to take care of their children while working.) 

It was good to see a lot of moms (and even dads) who practice babywearing. Everywhere I looked, there were moms and moms-to-be wearing pouches, ring slings, and SaYa. I even saw a dad with a "gear" that looked like a mountain climber's backpack babywearing his oh so cute baby. Cool! 

I also got to see my MBA friend Grace, a SaYa convert, with her adorable baby G.

(Photo courtesy of Grace)

I guess the Starbucks staff felt like there was a babywearing invasion! 

And if you think that babywearing is only for moms and dads, think again. My own tatay loves to babywear his first and only grandson Basti! He even knows how to use the ring sling.

Cool babywearing lolo using a pouch.

Babywearing is for Ates, too! I stumbled upon this picture taken by my hubby in Batad, Ifugao.

For sure, with more and more babywearing moms, dads, lolos, lolas, ates, and kuyas, this babywearing Mom is alone no more!

P.S. For attending the Babywearing Meet 2, I got these uber cute pins for free!

(Cute pins courtesy of Benz Co-Rana)

My MaSaYa Nights

Last Saturday, my almost 9-month old baby had his measles vaccine. This was an attenuated (live) vaccine so I should expect Basti to have fever, the doctor told me.

For 4 days and 3 nights, my usually happy baby turned into a "cry-baby". Suffering from fever, he wanted, nay, demanded to be carried all the time. Worse, he wanted only me to carry him. And he made his demands known by screaming at the top of his lungs. (Looking at the bright side, I now know that he has healthy lungs.)

This is not my first time to take care of sick babies. My firstborn had colic. And a colicky baby meant sleepless nights (and dawns). 

But I'm no longer used to sleepless nights. Prior to Basti's bout with fever, he never had trouble sleeping at night. All I had to do was hold him in my arms and breastfeed him. And voila, he was fast asleep. No fussing. No crying. Just a baby having a good night's sleep.

What made my ordeal bearable was the SaYa, a locally-made infant carrier that I wrote about in a previous post. During the times when I felt like a walking zombie carrying a 9-kg baby, the SaYa helped me ensure that Basti was safe and sound asleep while I was mastering the art of semi-sleeping while standing. 

And for that, the SaYa deserves another post.

(Picture was taken 3 months ago)

THE SEARCH IS OVER

This is the story of my search for the perfect infant carrier. And how it ended the day I got the SaYa.

Before the SaYa, I bought a Chicco carrier, a ringsling, and a Hotsling (pouch). All of them are now collecting dust in the closet.

I used the Chicco carrier probably thrice (or not even). Putting in and removing my baby from the carrier was so tedious that it required the help of another person. Worse, it created havoc on my back. I had to say goodbye to it.

Next came the ring sling. They say that "ring slings have longer learning curves than the pouches". I guess mine never ended. :( To this day, I've never figured out how to put the ring sling properly. And since I was not sure if I got it correctly, I never tried putting my baby in it. 

So there went my thousand bucks.

Then came the Hotsling pouch, which is made in the US. I was able to use it several times using a modified version of the cradle carry. Basti hated having his head inside the pouch and his legs folded. Hence, he stayed in the Hotsling for very short periods of time (read:  less than 20 minutes). It was not a totally hands-free carrier; I had to support Basti with my right hand all the time. While the fabric is cottony and soft, it's still a little thick and is not advisable to use outside an airconditioned room.  

(Basti in a Hotsling)

Finally, I read about the SaYa carrier in one of those Mommies' groups.  Since the showroom of Indigo Baby is near my office, I decided to go there personally instead of ordering the SaYa online. (Indigo Baby's showroom in Makati has a very small signage. Drove back and forth that street three times and got to see so many Jaguars along the way. :D)

I bought a teal/floral SaYa together with a number of other items (but this is another story).  Upon arriving home and reading the instructions manual that goes with it, I was able to put Basti in less than a minute.  Another great thing about it is that since it's locally manufactured, the fabric used takes into account our hot, tropical climate. 

More importantly, it carries the imprimatur of my tester extraordinaire!  After putting Basti in for the FIRST TIME, he was fast asleep in less than 5 minutes.  And he stayed asleep for more than an hour!

 (Basti's first time to use the SaYa)

So far, so good. 

But you see, I still have to test wear it. Over the weekend, I used it to carry Basti while malling. The verdict? I give it a perfect 10! No backpains after carrying my almost 8-kg baby for a total of 3 hours.

And now I can happily say that the search is finally over.

PS.  I so love this carrier that I got another one--the Versa teck (size 0 in cobalt).  

(Seeing Basti's big smile, there's no doubt that he loves it, too!)

and another one that looks like a fabulous blouse.

I so love the SaYa that it goes wherever I and Basti go!

(Four-month old Basti in a kangaroo carry)

(Basti is peacefully sleeping while his Ate is enjoying the Tree Top Adventure.)

 (Waiting for the sunset at a beach.)

And it's not only a good infant carrier. It can also be used as a breastfeeding cover.

I sooo love my SaYa! It really makes me maSaYa!

*I paid for all the products mentioned here. I do not know any of the sellers personally.