If you follow me on Instagram (and watched my recent stories) you would have seen that the hubs, Jasper and I spent the last three weeks travelling to Melbourne and New Zealand. We had an awesome time, but I am very glad to be home. We also travelled to Bali early last month, just for a few days, so I thought I’d write a lil blog post on a few things that I have learnt travelling with a baby. It’s so much fun, but oh so different to travelling before we became parents.

[1] PLANNING IS EVERYTHING

Firstly, babies require A LOT of things, food, water, milk, toys, nappies, wipes, change of clothes, pain killers or medicine, teething toys, pram, portacots etc etc etc!!!!! It’s crazy how many things such a small human needs. Before you even leave for your holiday, I’d recommend that you start writing down things that you use regularly for you bubba, to make sure you don’t need it.

Then when you arrive at your holiday, everything you do revolves around your baby and their routine (or mood that day!). Jasper is in an awesome routine, so it was pretty easy for us to plan our days around him. After he sleeps, he’ll have some milk and then he’s awake for a good 3-3.5 hours, so we would try to go out during that time. Not super far, because when he gets tired, he is C.R.A.N.K.Y!!! But we did wonder out, and get to see heaps of cool things.

I say planning, because you have such a small window that you can actually go and do things, so if you’re organised, you can pack your diaper/nappy bag before baby goes to sleep, heck even load everything you need in the car (RENT A CAR GUYS, IT’S AMAZING AND SO MUCH EASIER!!) and that way, when baby wakes, you can feed them, and just hop in the car and go where you need to go.

Also, aside from planning everything you need to do for baby, it’s good to plan what you want to do while you’re away before you go. Seen a cool cafe on Instagram that you want to check out? Know the top touristy spots that you wanna get a pic at? Write it all down! Save the locations in Google Maps. How far is it from where you are staying? Is there parking there? What food are you going to eat? The more you can plan in advance, the easier your trip will be. Leave some room to be spontaneous, sure, but I found that with a baby, it’s a heck of a lot harder to be spontaneous.

[2] GO SLOW

This is something that we learnt on the road. Before Jasper came along, we road-tripped around the U.S and Europe, and we were driving 9-12 hour days, cramming in as many sights as possible! We wanted to see it all!!! And we love driving. But now that Jasper is here, we found that everything just takes longer. You have to stop to feed him, change him, you have to allow for his naps, he gets bored easily, so we needed to make sure we allocated time for him where we could play and give him attention. Everything just took longer, and we were okay with that – we got to see what we wanted to, it was just at a slower pace.

When we were in Bali, we literally did the bare minimum. We stayed at our hotel, we ordered room service, we went for mini walks, but everything was centred around going slow and just being present with Jasper. He enjoyed just swimming and playing and we enjoyed not trying to cram everything into the trip. Going slow is a way more enjoyable and less stressful way to travel. If you still want to see a bunch of things, I’d recommend that you make a list of your top 5/10 things you want to do, have a look at where they are and plan around them (see point one again!) you can still see and do everything you want to, as long as you plan accordingly and don’t try to cram it all int a short time.

[3] NAPS ARE THE KEY TO ROADTRIPS

We managed to drive around 2,000km in New Zealand, and the reason we were able to go so far is that we planned to do the majority of our driving during Japers naps. He sleeps for a good 90 minutes, sometimes longer in the car, so this allowed us to hit the road. We planned all of our driving around his sleeping schedule and we got pretty far! We were stoked with how much we got to see. there were times where he would wake up early out of a nap, and we would have to pull over to feed him and give him some time outside the car. If we still had some driving to do, one of us would get in the backseat with Jasper and play with him and talk to him. We’re not the biggest fan of iPads (he’s only 8 months old) so we try to entertain him ourselves, and he was pretty happy for the most part. If he did get grumpy, we’d follow his lead and pull over, eat something, have a play and a walk and then hop back in the car.

[4] YOU CAN’T BRING ENOUGH WET WIPES

Can we talk about how amazing wet wipes are. I don’t know how we would have travelled without them. We used them for everything, after he ate we cleaned him, we cleaned dirty surfaces with them, heck we even used them ourselves to wipe our hands and clean up messes we made. Seriously, they are the best thing that has ever been invented. I only packed 2 packs with me, and we ended up having to buy like 4 more! Lucky they’re readily available.

We also purchased some anti-bacterial wipes for the planes. We flew on 5 airplanes, and we once saw a documentary on the amount of germs that live on planes. So we were those parents that wiped down everything from the window, tray table to arm rest. Jasper still got sick after the first plane trip which was a bummer, but you can’t control everything. I’d seriously recommend that you bring some anti-bacterial wipes with you too – seriously, planes are gross. Also, at restaurants the high chairs never get wiped down, and there are a crap tonne of germs on there too – kids are grubby! So we used the wipes to clean these as well.

[5] BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR ROUTINE

okay, so I’ve basically said that Jasper is in an awesome routine and we planned everything around that – but let me tell you something, travelling can mix up a little bubs routine like nothing else. I had to learn very quickly to be flexible and change things up, because you know what, his routine became a lot less predictable while we were travelling than it is when we’re at home. He dropped a whole nap while we were away and it threw me out of sorts! But I didn’t stress too much, because hey, we’re on holiday and we were having a great time. His routine could wait and I knew that when we got home, I’d be able to get him back into good habits and back to what he’s used to pretty quickly. I’m used to Jasper sleeping through the night, maybe he wakes up once but that’s about it. While we were away, he was waking up every 3-4 hours. I was NOT used to this AT ALL! But he got a new tooth, and he went through a huge developmental leap. Instead of trying to get him to sleep through the night, I followed his lead and was flexible. If he seemed tired, I let him nap during the day (although, he was more on the wanting to stay awake side of the spectrum!)

We are home now, and the last few nights he’s been amazing. He has woken up maybe once or twice, but his sleeping habits are pretty much back to normal. I think if we went a bit earlier than 8 months, I probably would have freaked that he was getting out of routine and that I was screwing it all up. But I feel a  lot more confident as a mama these days and I trust that I am doing right by Jasper, even if it means mixing things up because we’re on a holiday. Trust your gut and your instincts, you were given your baby for a reason, because you’re the best person to look after them.

Jasper had a great holiday, he was super happy chappy and loved meeting some of his second cousins. It was awesome watching him interact with extended family. I loved watching him take in new sights, he was particularly fascinated with the seagulls – it was hilarious. He wanted to chase them and watched them so intently.

While we were away, Jasper mastered crawling, he can pull himself up now, and he is just much stronger in general. He’s getting super chunky, and eating solids like a pro. I love watching him grow and develop even if it brings some challenges along with it.

Have you guys been travelling with babies? What have you learnt along the way? I’d love too hear in the comments below xx

The post 5 Thing I learnt While Travelling with a Baby appeared first on Megzie.

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Motherhood (parenthood) is HARD. Add social media into the mix, where, from the outside, it seems like everyone else has their sh** together, and I haven’t even started with the mum guilt that goes on behind closed doors, because you feel like you don’t have it together when everyone else seems to be doing good.

Well guess what mama, we all have no clue what we’re doing. And even that perfect insta mum has days where she’s pullling out her hair and sobbing her heart out because there is no manual when it comes these little humans. There is a crap load of advice, conflicting advice, and opinions out there. But there is no manual made specifically for YOUR CHILD.

I have had many of these tough days; so I thought I’d put together a little list (mainly just a reminder for myself for when another bad day comes around) to help. These are a few things that us mamas can do to try and make things a little easier.

[1] Get out of the house (just you)

If you can leave your baby with someone, go to the shops and get a coffee and walk around even if it’s just for 20 minutes. The time alone will give you a moment to clear your mind, the coffee (or juice, or whatever your little treat is) is something that’s just for you. I dunno about you guys, but it can be so easy for everything to be about bubs, I mean we have to literally do everything for them (bath, feed, change, love, cuddle etc) it is always nice to feel treated and spoiled, even if you have to spoil yourself. I recently did just this, and I bought myself a new pair of sunglasses and some new makeup. Honestly, just having a little break was so needed. It’s easy to feel mum guilt for leaving your baby, but if you think about it, by taking care of yourself, your enabling yourself to be the best possible carer for them as well. And when you come back from your quick little break, you literally feel refreshed and ready to give it another go. There is no right or wrong in motherhood, there is just what is best for you, and your baby.

[2] Get out of the house (both of you, together!)

If you can’t leave your baby with someone, pop them in the car, and go for a drive. Stop at the shops and still treat yourself to a coffee. If you can’t fathom the thought of driving somewhere, you could always just take the baby for a walk in the pram, the fresh air will do you both good. I do this all the time. Going for walks has become my go-to for days when it’s tough. Jasp gets real quiet in the pram, and he starts to look around at the trees at the park, or I’ll give him a teething rusk or toy and he’s happy chappy. Something about the movement. It’s nice because I don’t have to do much, other than push the pram, to keep him happy. I also get some exercise and blood flowing which is good, and it’s a nice change of scenery.

[3] Reach out for help

If you’re in a mothers group, or have a close mum friend, either invite them over, or go out somewhere together. Talking to another adult who can relate to you is free therapy!

They can also offer you a perspective that you may not have thought of. And maybe just having a new face for bubs to look at will help calm them down and cheer them up.

[4] Take 5, and reset

If it’s really bad, and you can’t get out of your house; leave your baby somewhere safe, like the bassinet, or cot, for 5-15 minutes and just take a moment to yourself to reset. Have a quick shower, wash your face, eat something. Just give yourself a moment to compose yourself, because if you’re stressed, your baby can sense that and will feed off your vibe. Once you’ve taken a moment to yourself, go back in and have another go. Remember a baby crying is their way of communicating to you, you will eventually figure out what the issue is!

[5] Have a good old cry

It is okay to cry. Let it out, get it out of your system, and go back and try again. Sometimes a good old cry is what it takes for you to just let go of what you’re feeling, then you can wipe away those tears feeling better.

There have been days where I have done all of the above and I still feel like garbage, and you know what, that’s okay too. Tomorrow is a new day, and you can start fresh then. The good days far outweigh the hard days. The hard days make you realise how much these little babes depend on us, and that we are there for them, to support them, help them through their emotions too.

I feel like I am rambling, but I just want you mamas to know that it’s okay, we’re all doing the best we can, and that’s all our babes can ask for! I hope these help, they are coming from a good place (I definitely don’t have it all together, and I definitely don’t have all the answers) I just thought that if these could help one mama on one bad day, then that’d be awesome!

The post How to survive a bad mom day appeared first on Megzie.

I definitely overpacked. I brought things like his play mat, a whole box full of toys, a huge blanket for him to play on, his ingenuity chair the list goes on and on and on. Because it was a road trip, i felt like I could bring more things, I definitely wouldn’t bring as many toys or blankets if we were going on a plane.

Where We Stayed

Okay, first things first, lets talk about the accomodation – the fancy apartment called BridgePoint. Actually, rather, let’s not, these pictures will do al the talking. This apartment was THE SHIZ. Like it seriously has me wanting to either move or redo my whole house. I used to think my house had pretty good natural light…. NOT ANYMORE!

What we got up to

Mandurah has a really nice boardwalk with heaps of cool restaurants and shops.  We spent the majority of our time at Dolphin Quay (no we didn’t see any dolphins, but I’ve heard there are heaps!) We ate all the good food, and there were these super cute markets there too, with heaps of quirky handmade goodies. If hubby wasn’t around, I probably would’ve gone nuts and bought everything! Especially that giant black clock with the big numbers (even though I have a perfectly good giant black clock at home).

Fathers Day

The main reason we went away was to celebrate Fathers Day. It was so nice! I totally spoiled Driks, cus you know, it’s his first Fathers Day ever! He’s been really keen to take little J to the waterpark so I got J the cutest swimsuit from Cotton On Kids. After we opened some presents in the morning, and little J had his nap, we went out for Brunch. It was pretty crazy and almost everywhere was full. But we got lucky and scored a table (without a reservation) at D’lights cafe. I got pancakes, with strawberries and a side of bacon – mmmmMMM! Then we came back to the apartment and just chilled and played cards and I snapped more photos of my baby, cus I’m totally THAT mum now.

Gaah it was just so perfect! If I’m being totally honest (and I’m sure you can see from the last few pics above), I basically just did little mini photoshoots with Jasper! Sorry not sorry! He’s able to sit by himself now, and the lighting in that house was just perfection! I really need to up my game at home…!!

In general, I’d say Jasp did pretty good! He took a little bit of time to adjust to sleeping in a different room in  a different cot, but he did amazing! He was super chilled and happy to just play with his toys on the rug. I definitely used things like his porta chair, toy box, food, pram, nappy bag etc! I’ll have to figure out how to pack less for our next trip to Melbourne and New Zealand. (I definitely brought way too many clothes for J) but you never know when you’re gonna have a poo explosion on your hands, so I’d rather have been safe than sorry! and clothes definitely don’t take up too much room.

I’m getting super excited about our next trip! woohoo!

The post Our First Family Getaway appeared first on Megzie.

Oh, and I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone (as if blogging about nipple cream isn’t hard enough) but I made this post into a cheeky lil YouTube vid – I know right…. eeep.

[1] Nipple cream

First and foremost this stuff is AMAZING. I used Lansohil and lathered it on after every feed. What I loved about it is that you didn’t have to wash it off before a feed. Keeping those bad boys as moisturized and hydrated as possible was definitely key in those early days. God I’m getting flashbacks of how sensitive things were (I literally cried in the shower because the water was hurting me!!) if I felt things were drying up, the cream was my first go-to!

[2] Hydra gel pads

Right; next in my “holy crap everything hurts lets do whatever we can to ease the sensitivity” products is the Hydra Gel Pads. Oh em GEE, I LOVED these. I literally kept them in the fridge and would whack them on after every feed. You can wash and re-use them as well, which I loved. The coolness was oh so nice, and the hydration they provided (ontop of the Nipple Cream) was DIVINE. If I didn’t have these two products, I don’t think I would’ve been super happy to try and stick out breastfeeding.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not using them anymore, so it’s just a season that you need to rely on things like this, but they are SO WORTH IT. Once your body figures out what’s it’s doing, it gets way easier. But in those early days, these were my lifesavers

[3] BabyTime App

Okay, so I don’t know if this counts as a product (I paid for it from the app store if that helps) but the BabyTime App is MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE APP OF ALL TIME (well, out of my baby apps that is) I love that you can record the time you started breastfeeding, how long for, and what side. I also love that it tells you how long since you’re last feed, and which side you finished on. On top of that,  you can track things like sleep, diaper changes, expressing and even bottle feeding. It’s just so good for routine. Now I’ve got terrible memory, but like to be organised, and getting J into a routine was one of my biggest priorities from day 1. And hand to heart, this app helped me do it. Obviously, you have to know what sort of routine you want to set for you little one (the app can’t do everything guys!) But in all seriousness, I am still using it today to track time between feeds, and how long he naps for. I’d be lost without this app – how the hell did our parents do this parenting thing without technology, hats off to them.

[4] Lactation Cookies

Right, so if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I’m ALWAYS posting about my wonderful lactation cookies. I’m obsessed with them. I have pretty good supply to begin with, but these have definitely helped maintain and increase my supply. I can easily pump 150mls straight after a feed if I’ve had the cookies. If not, I’m only getting about 60ml after a feed.

A lot of people have messaged me and asked if they really do work, and I can say that for me, they definitely have. Plus they taste super yummy, and I don’t feel bad eating them because they’re helping my supply. I also have the lactation granola which I am currently loving over warm oats in the morning. It’s the perfect warm breakfast and a great start to the day. I’ll be honest here, and say that I don’t eat the cookies/granola every day. Only a few times a week, because I already have good supply and I don’t want to risk mastitis. I always pump just before I go to bed, and if I feel full or engorged I’ll pump so that I can at all costs avoid getting it.

For those interested, I’ve been using Milky Goodness cookies.

[5] Breastfeeding Pillow

Jasper is not a small baby. So if I didn’t have a pillow to support his weight, I could totally see breastfeeding getting really uncomfortable, really quickly. In the early days I would feed laying down in my bed and that worked great, but it also got messy. Anyway, my mum asked if she could give me my sisters old pillow, and I was like “nah i don’t need it” and she was like “umm yeah you do” so she brought it over, and it was ugly AF. BUT I gave it a go AND HOLY MOLEY did it change my breastfeeding game. Jasper was no longer slipping, or getting uncomfortable because he could just lay in the perfect position.

Also, I could go handsfree (hello free hands for instagram scrolling and snacking!) My lovely mother in law also made me a new monochrome cover, which I ADORE. so now my breastfeeding pillow is present at every feed. But it’s also great for Jasper to just chill on, he can’t fully sit up yet, so this lets him be slightly upright and look around a bit. I love playing games with him, and making him laugh while he’s laying on the pillow. It’s definitely one of those products that I am using way more than I ever thought I would (thanks mum!!!!)

Anyway, I’ve rambled on enough. The first few weeks of breastfeeding were tough; but I’m so glad I stuck it out, because it’s honestly one of my fave parts of motherhood. And I’m thankful that there are products like nipple cream and soothing gel pads that can help make it that little bit easier. There is a lot of pressure on mums, I think, to breastfeed, or stick it out, and I just wanted to say that whether you breastfed for 1 week, 9 months, or even if you chose not to breastfeed, you’re all amazing mamas! This gig is tough enough as it is without all that extra pressure!

The post Top 5 Favourite Breastfeeding Products appeared first on Megzie.

Keep reading to find out how you can win a gorgeous custom Theodore + James Playmat!

One of the biggest priorities for me, from day one, after brining little J home was to try and get him into some sort of routine. There are so many books, articles and blog posts out there on different ways to do this. We settled for a Sleep / Feed / Wake routine. Basically the idea is that, after baby wakes, you feed him; and you work really hard at keeping him awake during his feed. The reason for this, is so that they can get a full feed. This ensures that they are full, and prevents them from snacking every 20 minutes. It also helps the baby to transition into a consistent three hour feeding routine. After they’ve had their full feed, you keep them awake a little while longer (during the day only) as this helps the baby’s sleep/wake cycles to regulate. It has worked wonders for us so far, Jasper is in a predictable 3 hour routine during the day, and he is starting to sleep longer each night. We have been really lucky and haven’t had any sleepless nights yet. Jasper knows when it’s time to eat, and when it’s time to sleep.

Anyway, the biggest struggle I’ve had so far, is trying to keep him awake during his waketime in the day. I wanted to share with you 5 playmat waketime activities that we’ve been having some fun with. I find he loves his playmat, he seems really comfortable on there and it’s great because it means that I don’t have to hold him all the time (as tempting as that it)

[1] Independent (p)Lay

Being a newborn, Jasper can’t really do all that much “playing” but he can do a whole lot of “laying” hahah! 

After J’s first feed in the morning, I’ll get up and go straight to the playmat to pop him down on it. He’s usually pretty alert first thing in the morning and he’ll just lay there and look at all the different toys dangling down. His neck is also starting to get stronger, and he’s looking around the house a bit more. He’ll look at pictures on the wall or he’ll eyeball the couch. It’s great for him to be able to have independent time so he can learn to play by himself and be happy and content even if mum and dad aren’t giving him their full attention. I also use this time to make myself a delicious coffee and some breakfast, because breastfeeding makes me hungry yo.  Once I’ve got my brekky in hand, I’ll usually just go and sit next to him, and chat to him while I’m eating. He continues to look at the toys and he’s super chilled. I am also super happy because I’ve had my coffee! 

[2] Tummy Time

There is a lot of research to show the benefits to development when babies have tummy time.  It allows bubs to try a new position and can also help in the prevention of them getting a flat spot on their heads from laying on their backs so much. Not only this, but it can also help build strength in your babies head, neck and upper body. As well as this it will help them to develop the skills they’ll need to crawl, roll over, sit up and stand.

I always make sure that I’m close by when we do tummy time, and we started with just 1-2 minutes a day, but as he gets stronger, we’re starting to increase that time. It’s the best when he is super alert, because he’ll look around, he’s even done a half roll from his tummy to his side already which is awesome.

[3] Reading Stories

It’s never too soon to start reading to babies and we’ve definitely taken advantage of this during Jasper’s waketime. We’ll show him the pictures in colourful books and read short stories to him. I read somewhere that they love to hear the sound of their mum and dad’s voices so this is a great way to interact with them while they’re awake. The pillow that comes with the Theodore + James playmat is great, because it props up little J’s head and allows him to look at the pictures in the story as I’m reading them.

[4] Singing Songs

This is very similar to reading stories in that, bubs loves to hear our voices. They are constantly learning and taking in everything that they see and hear. We’ll often makeup songs or sing about our love for him eg “oooh baby I love your way, every day ay ay, I wanna be with you night and day” hehe He sometimes pulls faces at us like “ummm can you stop those noises”

*disclaimer, I am a terrible, terrible singer. Sorry J.

[5] Family Play time

When Dad is available, we’ll often pop Jasper on the playmat and both of us will sit and sing/talk to him. We’ll also just talk to each other about our days. We were very intentional that we were already a family before Jasper came along, he was a welcome addition to our family. So we try very hard to continue to have the same conversations that we did beforehand, we just include him in them now. It’s nice to still be able to chat about the highlights/lowlights of our day while little J just chills on his playmat and listens to our voices.

I’m still learning a lot about motherhood and parenting, but I must say, I am loving that Jasper is becoming more alert, and awake during the day. And I love being intentional about our activities and what we can do while he is awake. It’s nice to have him in a predictable routine where I can plan our day out and what activities we’ll do each day during his waketime (even if he’s only awake for 20 minutes in each 3 hour cycle)

I’m so thankful to have a playmat that is comfortable, stylish and moveable so that we can do all sorts of playtime while Jasper is awake.  Theodore + James do customised playmats, so they can fit into the decor of your home. I am a lover of all things monochrome, so I was stoked when I saw how beautifully my playmat turned out.

Not to mention, the quality is amazing! And it’s super comfortable for little Jasper. He’s really happy and content when he’s on the playmat.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

I love this playmat so much, that I have teamed up with Theodore + James to give one of my lovely followers the chance to win one of their own.  If you’d like to enter, check out my instagram post here for all the details!!

Entries close at midnight AWST Friday 11th May, with one lucky winner chosen at random and announced the following day.  Open to AUS residents only.

The post 5 Playmat Waketime Activities + a Giveaway! appeared first on Megzie.

I was so excited to receive my gorgeous Black Babywrap from VIXSA, until I opened it and realized I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS THING WORKS. But the gorgeous ladies at VIXSA were SO helpful, they sent me videos and instructions (and a whole lot of encouragement) on how to go about the art Babywearing. So I thought I’d share some tips, from my experience, with you guys.

[1] PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT

I guess this goes without saying, but practise, practise, practise!! I started practicing before little J was born, so that I’d at least have the concept down pact. I may, or may not have used a stuffed toy in place of J! Although, looking back now, I realize I had the teddy facing the wrong way – NEVER let your baby face outwards guys! I wanted to be sure that I had the wrapping part down pact before I was going to place my precious little human into it.

It’s actually quite simple once you get the hang of it. And what I love is that VIXSA has made two awesome videos that explain

1) how to put on your wrap carrier and
2) how to put your baby inside your carrier.

Check them out here. I found that watching the videos instead of just reading the instructions made things a whole lot more simple for me.

[2] WEAR IT BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT

If you plan on carrying your baby in your carrier when you are out and about (running errands, shopping, visiting friends etc) I’d recommend putting your carrier on before you leave your house. There are a couple of reasons for this:

1. If your out and about and your baby starts crying, you don’t want to waste time putting on the wrap when you could simply just pick him up and pop him in it
2. The wrap is super long, so you avoid it getting dirty from draping on the ground while you’re putting it on. Imagine if it’s been raining and you’re in a carpark and then your gorgeous wrap touches the dirty, wet ground – no thanks
3. It’s one less thing to think about when you arrive at your destination, being a mum and having to cover all bases is hard enough guys!!
4. If you put the wrap on in the comfort of your home, without any added stress, you’ll know that you’ve definitely put it on correctly and you’ll have confidence when you arrive at your destination to put your baby in it – especially when you’re just starting out!

[3] THE TIGHTER THE BETTER

This has probably been the hardest thing for me, is learning how tight/firm the carrier needs to be. It takes a few goes before you get good at this, but it is a safety thing so it’s important to get it right.

The wrap should be tight enough to hug your baby close to you. Not only is this for safety, but it’s also the most comfortable way for both you and bubs. If the fabric is slack or loose, it means your baby will slump down in the carrier, this can hinder their breathing and also pull on your back – both of which are not ideal.

[4] CLOSE ENOUGH TO KISS

When your bubs is in your carrier, their head should be as close to your chin as comfortable. You should be able to kiss your baby on their head by simply tipping your head forward. As well as this, you should always be able to see your baby’s face by simply glancing down. The fabric of the carrier should never close around them so you have to open it to check on them.

[5] HAVE FUN WITH IT

I use my carrier ALL THE TIME! I go for walks around the block with bubs; I love to do this when he’s awake because then I can talk to him, and point out things like trees and houses and cars (even if he can’t see them because he’s facing me, it’s great for their development when they’re talked to all the time) The fresh air also does us both a WORLD of good! Especially in the first few weeks, when you don’t want to venture out too far with your newborn. Being cooped up in the house can really get to you.

If he’s unusually unsettled I’ll pop him in the wrap and walk around the house chatting to him (If you follow me on Insta, you’ll know that Jasper is no little baby, so he can get SUPER heavy if I just carry him). I also LOVE wearing my wrap when we visit other peoples houses, because I can just pop Jasper in the wrap when we get out the car and walk into the house. I especially loved this in the early days, because it kept him safe from germs (PRO TIP: I found people were less prone to asking to hold him if he was in the carrier)

I love to sing to Jasper too (I’m not very good at it, but he doesn’t seem to care) so I’ll often pop him in the wrap, put Spotify on, and dance and sing with him (and when I say dance, I mean gently sway from side to side – no crazy dance moves people!!). Again, I love this, because he can get really heavy if I carry him, and I also know that he’s nice and secure in the wrap, so I’m not going to drop him while dancing!

Safety is super important when it comes to babywearing, so I thought I’d finish off with a little nod to the T.I.C.K.S rules for safe babywearing:

T- Tight
I – In view at all times
C – Close enough to kiss
K – Keep chin off the chest
S – Supported back

To read more about safe babywearing check out VIXSAs post about it here. 

I love the quality of the VIXSA wrap and I have genuinely had the best experience with it. As I mentioned at the start Charline and Lekisha are so passionate about what they create and they have been SO helpful with any questions I’ve had. It’s a wrap made by mums, for mums. I also love how on point they are from a style perspective. There are some awesome prints to choose from, seriously, go check them out! They don’t just sell wraps, they also have slings, journey cards and feeding covers that are all super trendy.

For those interested, the wrap I’m wearing is the Savannah Nights

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