I have really embraced babywearing since Arlo arrived, I wish I had done it more when Athena was a newborn actually! Arlo gets to have cuddles and snuggles all day as I find it easier to head out with a single buggy for Athena and him in a sling than wrestle with a double buggy! Plus I’ve not found the perfect tandem buggy, I doubt it exists! At the moment because Arlo still needs lots of closeness and cuddles during the ‘fourth trimester’ a stretchy wrap type sling is absolutely perfect for us, as I can keep it on during the day and pop in him it when needed. It means I have two hands free for whatever I need to do, like playing with Athena, cooking lunch, or blogging!
We’ve been using the Papoozle baby carrier recently and love it. It’s like a stretchy wrap/buckled carrier hybrid consisting of two parts. The main part as a super padded waist belt that buckles for a perfect fit that doesn’t need re adjusting like a knotted belt would. It has two wide pieces of material that you pass over your shoulders, cross at the back and bring back round to tie in front. There are padded edges for added comfort for baby at the neck/head and also around their legs. The carrying position puts Arlo in the ‘M’ position, or ‘frog legs’ which means that they are supported from knee to knee, rather than just their crotch. The wide straps and design of the carrier mean that his weight is distributed evenly across my shoulders and body so there is less strain, and I do hardly feel his weight, plus the padding makes sure nothing digs in.
The second part of the carrier is a separate wide piece of matching stretchy material that you wrap around and tie at the back. This gives added head support for wobbly-necked new babies and will keep older babies snuggled in. As it’s been so hot and humid recently for little journeys like the nursery run I’ve often left this off to keep us both a little cooler, and Arlo has just just as safe and snug, but occasionally I’ll get a little hand in my armpit!
Now the thing I was most excited to try out was breastfeeding on the go in the sling, as I’ve not managed to do it with my stretchy wrap or in a buckled carrier. I watched the video below to help me get to grips with it, and after two or three attempts (at home so I didn’t get flustered outside!) we got there! it’s not entirely hands free as I need to keep a hand on/under his head to make sure he’s in the right position but its definitely not as hard as I thought! You do need to make sure you are wearing something you don’t have to lift right up to get boob access though, so button down shirts or things specifically designed for nursing are best. There are several videos to show you how to put on and adjust the Papoozle, including a hip carry which we’ve not yet tried as Arlo is still a bit small for that! If you’re new to babywearing do make sure you make sure that you’re adhering to the TICKS!
You can use the Papoozle up to a weight of 35lbs, is machine washable and after a bit of a sick-up incident I can confirm it comes out good as new and dried overnight! It’s easier to use than a normal stretchy wrap, so Sam finds it much easier to put on too as it’s not fiddly in the slightest and at 6’6 it fits him fine! Available in three colours, black, stone and teal, the Papoozle costs £49.99 and comes with a 24 month guarantee. Mother and Baby even awarded it the coveted Gold Award for Best baby carrier!
We were provided with a Papoozle for the purpose of this review, all words and opinions are my own.
I used the papoozle with Jack, it is such a comfortable carrier and easy to put on. The only downside I found was that it got quite warm round the waist in the summer.