For the Love of Lenny

When I started down my parenting adventure I was finding that it was almost impossible for me to put my little lady down for several reasons.  As amazing as it was to hold my little squishy baby in my arms I started to feel the strain in my arms after awhile.  Then when it came to nursing I felt like I spent the majority of my day sitting in a comfy chair so she could eat.  By the end of the day I felt like I didn't get much done!  As little miss has gotten bigger I have become SO MUCH more appreciative of all of the benefits of babywearing.  

There have been so many amazing articles done on the research behind babywearing that it still shocks me sometimes that we don't see more parents and caregivers carrying little ones around.  The common conclusion behind these studies have found that babywearing isn't just a new fashionable trend!  Rather this is a very old tradition that has been passed down for generations.  At the end of the day babywearing is a natural answer for caregiver and baby needs!

So when I purchased NBO I knew I had to expand the Babywearing options.  The existing products from LILLEBaby, Sakura Bloom, Happy Wrap and Beco were amazing!  But there was one big thing missing from this lineup... Woven Wrap options!  I knew right away who I was going to bring in first, LennyLamb!!  Lenny Lamb is family business filled with people fascinated by the idea of babywearing out of Poland.  Their dedication to providing options for all types of moms and all budgets really makes them an amazing partner!

For those of you new to Lenny check out some information on their products as well as some great tutorials on finding the best type of carrier for you and different size options!  Then check out our Inventory of Lenny Lamb Carriers and Accessories!  We are ordering new products often so if there is a special print or size you want we will get it in for you!  Just give us a call, come on into the store or drop us a line at iloveshopping@naturebabyoutfitter.com!

I get asked often what type of carrier I have.  Well the answer is...I don't have just one.  I have a "stash" that I choose from depending upon the need.  My personal favorite for home and/or longer carrying sessions are woven wraps.  When my daughter was tiny tiny and seemed to want to eat every 30 minutes a Ring Sling was my go to carrier.  I also have an Ergonomic Buckle carrier in my car for those trips to the grocery store trips!  So don't be afraid to try different options for different situations!  Babywearing is a tool that is there to help you do what you need to do while giving your baby what they need as well!

Here are a few of the Benefits of Babywearing that I have found to be lifesavers so far in my parenting journey.  We would LOVE to hear yours!

• Comforting baby- There IS such a thing as the 4th trimester that I kept hearing about... the transition period for the baby as they
  transition from the nice warm womb to the outside world.  Holding my little baby close to me seemed to always be the fastest way to calm her down.  My scent, warmth, sound and rhythm of my heartbeat always seemed to be JUST what she needed to be mellow down.  At first my husband thought I was full of it and that a simple piece of fabric couldn't be "magical".  So I proved the point a few nights after trying so many things to calm our little one down to no avail.  I then would go and get my ring sling or my wrap and within minutes she was cooing and calm.  Eventually, if I wasn't around her father was able to provide the same comfort by wearing her.  I knew he was hooked when I started getting the "daddy selfies" when he was home with her.

• Temperature Regulation- Given that our little squishy baby was only 4lbs 3oz when we brought her home she was super tiny and needed some help regulating her temperature sometimes.  There seemed to be no better way to even her out than skin to skin contact!
  
  
• Productivity- When a baby comes into your life it is amazing how much more cleaning needs to be done.   Not necessarily because they are messy... but because you notice all the dog hair etc that
  you never noticed since you were not down at there level that much before.  Additionally, food didn't magically learn to cook itself, groceries didn't show up at our door and work deadlines still loomed.  I was able to go to events and get things done around the house so much easier by wearing our daughter.  I can't even imagine trying to navigate a stroller through crowded farmers markets, on some of the montana trails when taking dogs for walks or getting around on our family vacations.  Babywearing also made it possible for me to start a sewing business while working a full time job at home!!!  It's amazing what you can still do with two free hands and a baby on your front or back.

• Friendships & Confidence- Other babywearing moms are AMAZING friends and are always so helpful to provide you with tips on
  
  
  different types of carriers and different ways to use them.  Many of these moms will be lifetime friends for me and I'm sure our little ones will be too.  I'm not sure that I would have discovered these great women, or the art of a good woven wrap carry, without starting down the babywearing rabbit hole in the first place!

 

• One other component that I luckily didn't have to battle correcting for our daughter, but a friend of mine did, was hip dysplasia.  If you are using an ergonomic carrier correctly you can not only help avoid hip dysplasia, but you can also help correct it!