More Major Parenting Decisions, Explained

You guys really liked when I shared about the reasoning behind some of our most important parenting decisions. So, here's more major decisions and why we've gone the way we've gone. Again -- this is what WE do, not what I think YOU should do. There's no judgement here, so I hope you'll extend the same courtesy to me and my family.

I gave birth without pain medication three times.

But I elected to induce my last baby, so I'm definitely not sharing this as a holier-than-thou kind of thing. It's simply a fact. And I didn't do it out of the purest of intentions either. It was more selfish than anything else. I'm scared of needles and definitely scared of a needle in my spine. I don't like the idea of being numb. It actually freaks me out just thinking about it. I would also say that -- on the whole -- my labors were pretty short. I was pumped full of pitocin the last two times, making the contractions much more intense, but I would rather deal with that over and over and over again than get a needle in my spine.

Maybe that's weird, but knowing what to expect now . . . when the pain got so bad that I felt like I couldn't take it anymore, that typically meant it was almost over (except with Ada. Then it meant I had two more hours until she was out!)

We don't push tons of extracurriculars

I shared in my last post that we're pretty hands-off when it comes to academics in our house. The same goes for extracurricular activities. I have friends and acquaintances who put their kids in EVERYTHING. And I mean EVERYTHING. They're driving here, there, and everywhere. I both admire and pity them. Basically, I was involved in things as a child -- but not as a young child. My rule is one big activity at a time. If there are other things, they have to fit into the day and be really cheap.

Right now this means that Ada takes a gymnastics class on Saturday mornings. She's also in a school choir that is very inexpensive ($40 for 8 weeks) and meets at the school at the end of the school day. I decided instead of paying money for piano lessons that I'd try teaching her the fundamentals (and it's going well -- we just do it whenever we have a spare 20 minutes). Otherwise, we might do one-off classes . . . but generally, we are living the "slow life" in this respect.

I do combination feeding

Eden gets two bottles of formula each day, so I am no longer exclusively breastfeeding. We are combination feeding, and it's going great. When I shared my struggles with breastfeeding (I have a great supply . . . but mentally, I don't like being tethered to my baby 24/7), I got many well-meaning comments about how I should pump instead of offering formula. I hate pumping more than I hate breastfeeding.

I've finally learned by my second, but especially by my third baby that formula isn't some fluid sent to earth from Satan. In fact, Eden is doing great, and I love giving her bottles. Especially now that she's in the super distracted nursing phase -- with a bottle, she's all business.

We vaccinate

My kids get all their vaccinations on the standard schedule -- no questions. I haven't even done any research in this area because I trust my doctor and my life experience. For example, when Ada was in the pediatric intensive care unit, there was a boy in the next room dying of a preventable disease because he didn't get vaccinations. It was a huge eye-opener, and something that many anti-vax people don't actually see.

I don't love babywearing

OK. That's not entirely true. I do love it when we go out for the rare day. The snuggles can be amazing. But for me, babywearing isn't a way of life. I don't lust over Tula prints or tie fancy wraps (because I'm terrible at it -- I've tried!). I see women conquering the world wearing their babies, and I'm partially jealous. But I also love putting my baby to sleep in her nursery for her naps. So much as I have tried, I cannot get comfortable just wearing my kid all day during all activities. It's claustrophobic for me. I'd rather just wait to do what I need to do until I can do it quickly on my own.

This is one area where I feel like I WISH I was a different person, a different mom, but I'm just not into most attachment parenting things (and before I became a mom -- I was going to be THE attachment parent).

I don't do essential oils on my kids

Inevitably I run across EO conversations each and every day, especially in parenting groups. Jimmy has an ear infection? Try this essential oil in his ear! Sally has a chest cold? Diffuse this essential oil to clear her breathing! I know these people are trying to do what is best for their kids, but I feel like there's a lot of misinformation out there (on both sides) related to EOs. The safety for children hasn't been demonstrated in research enough for me to want to slather it onto my kids. I save essential oils for personal sniffing and for cleaning supplies. Maybe I'm ignorant, but I'm OK with that.

Want more parenting talk? Check out these posts:

My parenting strengths and weaknesses
My major parenting decisions, explained
Thoughts on picky toddler eating
Instant gratification + parenting
3 years staying home with my kids // thoughts

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DIY Wrap Carrier // No-Sew

In my all about babywearing post, I shared that my favorite carrier right now is the knit wrap. So many of you shared that you love woven wraps, so I really want to check one of those out sometime. Regardless, there are lots of wrap tutorials online. They're all the same. So, I thought I'd share the easy steps I took to make my own, lightweight wrap before we went on vacation.

Actually, these instructions will give you two wraps in the end. How awesome is that? The best part is that it only takes like two minutes to complete and requires zero sewing if you're OK with raw edges (that don't fray).

By the way: Go to your fabric store with a coupon! I was able to get 40% off jersey fabric that was normally $9.99 a yard, which means I made two wrap carriers for just $30. Babywearing can get pretty addicting, so it's cool to have different options and not have to spend a mint. I'm actually planning to do some tie-dye action on mine to make them fun.

Alright.

Here's all you need to do:

1.) Buy 5 continuous yards of jersey knit material (42 inches wide) -- with some stretch. The kind I found had 5% spandex + the rest was cotton.

2.) Fold the fabric in half length-wise. It will feel ridiculously long. Then cut down the entire length until you have TWO -- that's TWO -- wraps.

3.) Optional: Sew something at the halfway point (a tag, etc.) so you can easily find the center. I didn't do this, though.

Then you wrap up your baby.


I thought you had to start with the newborn hug hold. But when I posted on Instagram yesterday that Eloise is now legs out -- many of you shared that you do legs out from birth.

Here's that hold:



Have you made your own carrier? What tutorials have you followed?

PS: The winners of the Hello Fresh giveaway Helen, Eva, and Dana! Check your inbox for your FREE box. And read this post to get more juicy details (unsponsored) about this meal service.

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Babywearing // My Favorite Baby Carriers

Another highly requested post? Babywearing!

This is my second time around, obviously, so I've learned some of my likes, dislikes, and best practices for getting around with baby on my body. I started wearing Eloise just a few days after we came home from the hospital with my Moby wrap. Now that she's nearly eight weeks old (!), we've gotten into a great routine.

Here's what carriers I use and what I like/dislike about each.

Moby Wrap

By far, my favorite way to wear a newborn is with the Moby Wrap. I know people complain that it's hard to figure out how to tie it -- but that's just not been an issue for me. Not only do I feel like baby is snug and protected, but my back feels the best wearing a Moby wrap.

When Ada was an infant, the Moby was a big deal. I see that it's sort of faded away to other, similar carriers like the Boba and even the Baby K'tan (which slips on like a t-shirt with no need to tie!). There are even mesh wraps for really hot weather and easy packing.


Likes:

• Great back support
• Variety of ways to tie
• Wonderful for even tiny newborns
• Inexpensive
• Nursing is pretty simple

Dislikes:

• Difficult when on the go
• No pockets/storage
• Can be quite warm in summer 
• May not be as comfortable with large babies/toddlers

Maya Sling

I bought a sling this time around because all my friends rave about ring slings. I was on the fence because I didn't think it would be comfortable, but then I found the Maya sling with padding. I will admit that this carrier has taken some getting used to. Now that I have the hang of it? It's my go-to carrier when we're out and about.

Even better: If Eloise falls asleep on me after nursing or something, I can just slip this carrier over my shoulder and go on with my daily tasks with ease.

There are so many different kinds of slings you can buy! I love all the patterns with Mamaway slings and Tula slings. I've also heard good things about Sakura Bloom slings. And -- just like withe wraps -- there are mesh slings for really hot weather and even better portability.


Likes:

• Easy to take on and off
• Super easy to nurse
• Breathable, so comfortable in summer
• Maya has storage pocket and padding on shoulder
• Rolls up to fit easily in diaper bag 
• Variety of wearing positions once baby is older

Dislikes:

• Can be uncomfortable if you don't get it on correctly
• Sizing can be tricky. I got a medium, but it's slightly too big
• Tail can get in the way if not tied up correctly
• Can be expensive, depending on brand
• May not be as comfortable with big babies/toddlers

Ergo Carrier 

When Eloise gets slightly bigger, I'm sure my new favorite will be our ergonomic carrier. When Ada was a baby, I had a Beco Butterfly II (now old news). I used it so much that the padding got worn, so I decided to pick up an Ergo carrier when I saw a good deal on Amazon.

I actually just have an Ergo Original . . . but I see now that Ergo makes several new carriers, including the Adapt and the 360 with more carrying options. By the way, I have held E in this carrier and I skipped the infant insert because it's so hot (for winter, I probably would have bought one). What I do instead is roll up a few hand towels underneath her bum. Works like a charm!

Of course, I know that even Ergo is not necessarily the favorite in the ergonomic carrier world right now. My friends are crazy about Tulas, which come in both infant and toddler sizes. All the prints are super enticing, but I can't justify getting yet another carrier. If I could dream, I would get this Forest House or Shenandoah. One of my best friends says the LILLEbaby carrier is the best, and it has 6 carrying options with fun accessories. (And -- yup -- there are also mesh ergonomic carriers!)


Likes:

• Very comfortable with all that padding
• Pretty easy to get on and off
• Lots of storage pockets, depending on brand
• Lots of different prints and fabrics
• Fits babies and toddlers of all sizes very comfortably

Dislikes

• Can be quite expensive, depending on brand
• May need to wait till baby is slightly older
• Options can be overwhelming when buying

Ada asked to go in the baby carrier the other day. She still meets the weight rating -- but, sadly, I think her days of babywearing are over! Oh, who am I kidding? She's been more content to run around since she was two. 

Which carrier(s) should you buy?

Well, you certainly don't need many. I just have several because I've accumulated them throughout two pregnancies. I would recommend having something like a wrap for the early days + for wearing at home. And I love the ergonomic carriers for going out and stuff like that.

My best piece of advice is to try before you buy. Ask a friend if you can check out their carriers or even borrow one before you buy. You can even find gently used carriers on Ebay, local mom Facebook groups, or second hand stores. I was really close to buying a used Maya wrap, but the size wasn't the right one for me. Usually carriers hold their value quite well if you want to resell in the future, too.

BTW: What baby carriers do YOU use and love?

Tomorrow I'll be back with super simple instructions for how to make your own wrap carrier. There's no sewing required, and I was able to make two of these carriers for just $30.

Don't forget to enter the HelloFresh giveaway!

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