I need my ring sling! It’s 7 a.m. on a miserably cold, grey morning and I’m standing in the car park at the local shops, struggling to get Meena into a pre-tied FCC for what is supposed to be a quick stop at the bakery. I had an ambitious plan to go out for a long walk this morning, so that Karl could have a lie-in after his late shift, without being disturbed by screeching children. We would pick up some scones from the bakery for a picnic breakfast, drive to a beautiful conservation park and later hit the library. What was I thinking? Here I am experimenting with new wrap skills in a public place at the crack of dawn after only half a cup of coffee and nothing to eat. I take a deep breath and tell myself to slow down. We have nothing but time. This is where I get to practice my resolution to be a Zen mama and live in the moment. I finally get Meena’s legs in and figure out which rail goes where…. And we both relax into it. It feels right. It looks great. She tucks her arms in and grins at me. Not bad for a non-wrapper!
By the time we get to the conservation park I’ve eaten half the scones but I’m raring to wrap. I pop Meena on my back in a SHBC, taking my time to tighten rails and get it absolutely perfect. It feels comfy! She’s happy! It didn’t take ridiculously longer than a mei tai! We stride out enthusiastically into the bush until Meena starts to protest – she can’t tuck in her arms to her satisfaction. My heart sinks at the prospect of retying but I tell myself it’s all good practice and gamely put her down so I can wrap her in a ruck instead. She runs over to the nearest patch of mud and sits down in it. Trying to ignore the mud, I manage the ruck OK; she snuggles down and all is idyllic for a few more paces. Then Emmy announces that she needs to go on my back because her new gumboots are hurting her feet. I can do this, I tell myself, getting ready to front-wrap Meena so Emmy can go on my back. I can definitely do this… Meena starts thumping my back to tell me she needs to breastfeed… and I snap. No, I can’t do it. I can’t breastfeed in an unfamiliar carrier while tandem wearing a nearly-four-year-old…. And what are we doing in a freezing wood in this dismal weather anyway? I rant and yell a bit and throw everyone and everything – including the wrap – back in the car.
The only place I can think of to go is the nearby shopping mall, which I’ve managed to avoid visiting for two years. By the time we get there Meena is asleep. I lift her onto my chest and she relaxes into me as I wrap around her. This is why people wrap, I realise; she becomes a perfect little cocoon inside the FWCC. I feel almost nonchalant as we go in search of the play area.
Terrifying Wrap Challenge No. 1 – back wrap uncooperative toddler in a public place.
Somehow Meena has managed to undo her nappy and is soaking wet from waist to toe. She’s clambering around in the play area in such a hyperactive frenzy I barely manage to rip off her pants. Feeling smug that I remembered a plastic bag for once, I stuff the wet clothes into my bag…. and that’s when I discover that I didn’t bring a spare nappy cover. My daughter is now running around naked from the waist down while the babycino-wielding stroller mums look at me like I’m some crazy hippy who wandered in here due to lax security. We have to get out of here. For some insane reason I decide it will be easier to back wrap her – I grab her, toss her into a ruck and somehow actually get a decent seat under her kicking legs. Neglecting to tighten the top rail in my haste, I tie quickly and we hurry off. Meena starts leaning precariously backwards and I realise that my amateur wrapping skills are not going to get that top rail tightened without completely re-wrapping her. We find a quiet corner to do it but she straightens her legs and refuses to cooperate. I take a deep breath – I seem to be doing this a lot today – and bounce her up and down to help her relax. Success.
I feel like my wrapping is improving already after just one day, and I’m getting a sense of which carries I prefer. I tried a BWCC while vacuuming but it’s not great for a leaner. Babywearing hasn’t been the piece of cake it usually is, though, which has made for an interesting day…
I love your story and can’t wait to read the next installment! I only have one baby (8 months) but your story reminded me of my “first week as a wrapper” too. When we got our woven wrap I promised to practice at least once a day, every day for a week too. It’s like excercise, the first few times you do it you think omg what made me decide that doing this was a good idea but then it gets easier every time and one day you find that you love it!
I do think you are very brave to go out with a toddler and a preschooler without back-up!
Hi, I just wondered here from another blog. I really enjoyed reading your story. I’ll be back for more
Oh Sarah, I just couldn’t do this!! I valiantly tried to backwrap Evelyn (a smidge younger than Meena but already walking well too) today while making dinner, got a nice tight ruck w’ Tibetan – all was good until i sat down to get a drink of water and in five seconds flat she used the chair as a standing point and was virtually sideways in the wrap. Seeing as I have to sit down on the bus, wrapping for a week wouldn’t work here (I also couldn’t beat a quick retreat to a car)! Good luck with the rest of your week
Georgie, I’ve found the wrap to be the best carrier to use on a bus (I think it’s in my Day 4 post) – I never thought I would say it, but it’s true! I only use the car about once a week and I agree – it’s gruelling when you’re stuck miles from home with a carrier that’s not working for you. I think I also just lucked out with a baby who doesn’t wriggle too much!
Perhaps someone should write a story about the best “bus carries”
My son likes to get out of the wrap on the bus and goes nuts if I try to keep him in (unless he’s really tired or feeding) so I like something that is not too hard to get him back in- FCC seems to be quite good, or a mei tai.
Before this week, I always used a MT on the bus. I found it the easiest to put on in a front carry while seated, and I like that I can change to a back carry once I’m off the bus without having to put the baby down in the street.