I love babywearing. It is one of my favorite parts of parenting - holding my baby close to me without wearing out my arms or my back. There are many types of slings: pouches, soft-structured carriers, wraps, mei tais…the list goes on. However, I truly believe that one of the best ways to get into it is a ring sling. Ring slings as a whole have a short learning curve and there are tons of tutorials on the internet on how to thread/use one, and there are a multitude of carries you can do (tummy-to-tummy, hip, back, cradle, etc.) without too much trouble.

I spent a lot of my pregnancy looking up carriers. I searched product reviews, read blogs, and lurked on TBW constantly. The conclusion I kept coming to was that I wanted to try a Maya Wrap sling, and oh am I so so glad I did.

It was great! The sling was made of a wonderful fabric that felt sturdy and supportive for my son, who was born at a whopping 9 pounds 8 ounces, and I used it comfortably until he was 4 months old (20 or so pounds). I could have used it for longer with ease, and only sold it because I’m a short, petite gal and the Medium size left me with a tail at my calves. *weeps* A small, on the other hand, would have been perfect. I’d gotten a Medium so my (tall) husband could use it too.

Maya Wrap’s colorgrown cotton is a natural, amazing shade that went with everything I wore. The rings they use are sturdy - not once did I ever feel like my son’s safety was in jeopardy. The lightly padded shoulder was great for a beginner like me, because it helped me adjust to a one-shouldered carry (which can seem quite daunting, especially for those with bigger kidlets).

The only downside to this sling was that I couldn’t fit it in my smaller diaper bag. I had to carry around a tote specifically for it, which isn’t really bad because every hard working carrier deserves its own special home.

Oh, and I can’t forget the pocket that Maya Wrap includes on the tail. This pocket holds keys, diapers, cell phones, wipes…whatever you need to take for a short (or long) walk. It saved me from having to lug around a diaper bag on occasion, which I was definitely grateful for.

If you are considering carrying your baby, do! And if you are considering a ring sling but don’t want to invest too much money for a quality sling, definitely give Maya Wrap a shot. I highly doubt you’ll regret it.

Mother’s Day isn’t exactly a year apart every year, but it doesn’t really matter. Today is the anniversary of when Joshua and I found out we were pregnant. I can hardly believe that an entire year has sped by…that I was pregnant for so much of it (43 weeks!)…but it has been such an amazing, blessed year. After we found out we were pregnant, we put everything in motion: doctor’s visits, buying things for Noah, jobs, insurance, future plans…we did so much in such a short period of time.

Noah will be 4 months old tomorrow and every time I hold him, I realize how big he has grown. At first, I felt I never had a small baby, but in hindsight I realized that I really did. I compare his older pictures to now and I see such a huge difference in size, development, milestones and growth. He is such a healthy, happy baby…smiles and laughs are abundant in our household. I have been given exactly what I prayed for.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. You are amazing, whether you know it or not.