I bought two wraps simultaneously when I decided to try wrapping for the first time. One was a size 6 Girasol and the other was the size 3 Hoppediz Katmandu, pictured above in the bottom center position. I quickly came to appreciate my shorty more and more. It didn't drag on the wet, winter ground when I was wrapping E outside, it fit nicely inside my diaper bag, and I could do front, hip, and back carries. Slowly my wrap stash began to include more and more sizes 2 and 3 and my longest wrap became a size 4. 

Now as E gets bigger and heavier, I appreciate a longer wrap because it allows me to have multiple passes over her body and therefore the carry is more supportive. Longer wraps also allow for torso passes and chest belts for me which also adds support and stability. But shorties are still some of my favorites for quick trips to the park or to throw in the diaper bag for a dinner at a restaurant or grocery shopping.

Here are a few of my favorite shorty carries and variations, listed with the size wrap I feel is best for each one. Note that I am approximately 5' 5" and 125 pounds with a fairly small frame and my daughter is a very petite 12-month old at 16 pounds. You can adjust your sizes accordingly. Obviously anything listed as good for a size 3 can be done with a size 2, you will just end up with longer tails.

Ruck Tied in Front (RTIF) - 3
Ruck Tied under Bum (RTUB) - 2
Rebozo - 2
Rear Reinforced Ruck Rebozo (RRRR or Pirate Carry) - 2 tied at shoulder (TAS) or 3 with a Candy Cane Chest Belt (CCCB)
Semi-Front Wrap Cross Carry (Semi-FWCC) - 3
Double Hammock Double Rings (DHDR) - 2
Double Hammock Tied at Shoulder (DHTAS) - 3
Double Hammock Tied at Shoulder with Ring Finish (DHTAS w/ RF) - 2

I hope to add video tutorials for some of these later this week. Stay tuned!

There are a lot of choices in parenting. Sleep, school, nourishment, and healthcare all tend to be hot-button topics when talking about raising our kids. You won't find preaching here, or shaming, or scolding. Just testimony about what works for us and our family. I encourage everyone to come in with an open mind and take away whatever you feel might work for you and your little ones.

I believe very strongly in the benefits of wearing your children. The post quoted above details many of those benefits and I highly encourage you all to check it out.

Personally, babywearing has saved my sanity. When my daughter is held, she is happy, content, and peaceful. But mama sometimes needs to get things done and it's babywearing to the rescue! I can do laundry, clean the house, walk to get coffee, grocery shop, eat a meal, and lots of other things with both hands free and without tears or fussing (for the most part, she is still a toddler after all). She can fall asleep in any situation, even at one year old, if she is snuggled up in a wrap. It has enabled us to travel extensively and internationally without having to pack a stroller or drag one through the airport or on a foreign bus or train. My wraps double as changing tables, picnic blankets, nursing covers, forts, grocery cart covers, lovies, blankets, shawls, sunshades, and hammocks.

I've never been asked in person, but I'm sure people wonder if this much holding and carrying is going to create a clingy, needy child or a physically delayed one. How can they learn to walk without getting down on the floor?

To the point on social maturity, it's been my experience that my daughter is much more confident in interacting with others because she has spent so much time interacting with them face to face from the safety of a carrier. A strange adult looming over a child in a stroller can be a scary thing, especially if mom or dad is behind them and out of arms reach. Adults approach my daughter at eye level since she is riding high in her wrap. And having mama within snuggling distance means she has no anxiety about the unpredictability of others. At age one, she is now happy to toddle around a restaurant or other public place and smiles and waves at everyone she encounters.

As far as physical delays, I would argue the opposite. Being carried improves a child's vestibular (balance) system due to constant minute changes in position. It builds core muscles and improves a child's awareness of their body within space. Riding in a stroller only provides one position and balance is not a necessity. Carrying your child in addition to riding in a stroller can provide new and beneficial demands on baby's body. In our case, E was crawling at 6 months, pulling to stand at 8 months, cruising at 9 months, and walking by 10.5 months. At a year, she is now a fully independent walker and climber, much to mommy's exhaustion!

So, in short, babywearing is great for baby and great for mom and dad. I challenge you to try some new things and see if it can work for your family. Not every carrier is right for everyone, so see if you can find a local babywearing group where you can try many options and get experienced help and advice. In the Chicago area, join Babywearing International of Chicagoland and check out their monthly meetings in the city and suburbs!