Manduca Moments - Baby Wearing (Manduca Baby Carrier Review)

Baby wearing was not something I'd ever considered before having Ned, believing only those 'earth mother types' would do such a thing. Wow, how my opinion has changed! I've been using a different carrier since Ned was little which took him quite some time to warm to but it seems this little dude fell in love with the Manduca, gifted to us by the lovely team at Fertile Mind, seemingly straight away.

The manduca was designed by a clever German lady with a few key points in mind. There are only a few carriers on the market which allow the baby to sit in the orthopedically-recommended way to support their precious little bodies. This ergonomic position is called the "M" position {baby's bum is lower than the knees forming an M} and this is just one of the features the manduca offers. There are also a variety of positions that you can wear your baby AND the manduca is suitable from newborn stage right up to about four years of age {or 20kg}.

I love the range of colours and {limited edition} designs available and given the options, I made sure I chose a colour suitable for both genders so daddy can wear the baby too. Us women know there isn't anything much more attractive than a daddy wearing his son : )

The carrier is light, is made with organic cotton and has extra long straps/belts at the hip and shoulder to help distribute weight evenly, as well as making it quick and easy to adjust based on the wearers size and preferences.

To start off with, I definitely needed the instruction manual to understand the different carrying positions and how to get the baby in to position. The hip carry had me baffled for a while but I finally managed to comprehend the {quite simple} instructions and I kind of think Ned enjoys the hip carry the most. All positions are surprisingly comfortable {I have worn the manduca shopping for over an hour} but my favourite is the back hold. Ned feels secure in there and if I do a bit of skipping/hopping it turns in to a bit of a game with him. I also love the front hold when he is getting sleepy as the closeness and the cuddles are still so, so nice.

It's safe to say I LOVE my manduca and would happily pay for one as well as recommending them to anyone looking for a baby carrier {however hippyish babywearing might seem to some}

You can buy one of these fabulous baby carriers online here or find a stockist here.

A perfect day

Today has just been one of those super fantastic days where you are just so thankful for all that you have. We slept over at mum and dads as the rest of the fam are there and started the day with off with a BBQ breakfast followed by a bit of cooling off in the purpose-bought-for-christmas blow up pool. It was a scorcher here on the coast today so we sure did not stay out in the sun for too long. We enjoyed time in mum and dad's beautifully air conditioned lounge room to watch the last of the boxing day test and then returned home for Ned's first swim in our pool (he was a little unsure but didn't cry) and some more R&R. We finished off the day with a trip to Mudjimba North Shore with my bro, sis-in-law and their new baby Austin, the dogs and my nearly-forty-years-married parents. Finally, a delightful lightening storm has just finished. Sometimes life just is fantastic.

{beware ... photo overload but I couldn't help myself - today's sunset was truly spectacular!)

poor trainee daddy looked not so good in this one but it's our first full family photo and it's so cool

How has your day been?

Baby Wearing - Not Just for Hippies (BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One Review)

I used to think 'baby wearing' was only for hippies but then I also used to think that stay-at-home mums had no excuse not to have a completely spotless house. My, how things have changed.

Living in such a beautiful place it would be criminal not to visit the beach as often as we can. Nearly every weekend we take our dog Rocky for a run at one of the dog beaches here on the sunshine coast.

It is however not as easy as it used to be now that we have our precious little man. I was recently sent the new BabyBjorn baby carrier one to review and am so grateful that I was given the opportunity. I have used the carrier before now but I would only put Ned in it if he was asleep as he didn't initially love being in it. I would recommend to others to start your baby in your carrier early so they get used to it rather than trying to introduce it a bit later. My persistence however seems to have paid off though as he loves it now. Instead of having to put him in it while he was asleep he now puts himself to sleep in it!

Trainee daddy finished work early on Friday and we headed to North Shore as a family for a walk. I strapped on my baby carrier one and off we went. We were down on the beach for around an hour and were lucky enough to see the sunset.

The baby carrier one is super comfortable and lightweight (I have the mesh style) meaning no sore back or shoulders (even after wearing it for over an hour) and is easy to take on and off. I'm trying to convince trainee daddy to try a bit of baby wearing but he hasn't come to the party ... yet. The One is fully (and easily) adjustable AND can be used for newborns right through until three years of age making it very economical. I love the piggyback style but we're a long way off using the carrier that way.

Next time I'm going to try taking Ned shopping in it - the freedom of having two hands free whilst shopping is not something I've been able to enjoy since Ned came along.

Thanks again to BabyBjorn - this is another product that trainee mama loves!

The Baby Carrier One is available from a large variety of online stockists and brick and mortar stores.