If you’re a second-time pregnant mama, especially with a little one, you may be wondering if you’ll still be able to wear your first while pregnant. The short answer is: yes, absolutely! Obviously, if it’s painful for you, then don’t—and you won’t want to push yourself either. However, if you’ve been babywearing, then you should have no trouble doing so with a bump.
Since around 2 years old, my little girl has hardly wanted to be worn, because she’d much rather walk herself. This summer, though, she’s surprised me a lot by wanting to be worn quite a bit! Usually, it wasn’t for very long, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
So, if you want to keep wearing while pregnant, I’m going to show you how to babywear while pregnant in a variety of carriers.
Let’s start off with my favourite, the ring sling. These are super easy to use with a bump, because your kiddo in the sling is off to the side. If your belly is in the way, you can just wear them a little higher than you might normally. I also appreciate that there is minimal fabric involved (because pregnant in summer).
This is a great option if you’re out and about, and your little may or may not want to be held. They aren’t bulky, and you can very quickly get your little situated, or out again. This pregnancy, I’ve worn my girl at a theme park while she slept and nursed, and for our maternity photos.
Next up, the soft-structured (or buckle) carrier. You can technically wear the waist belt under or over your bump. With this particular carrier, I found that under bump wasn’t really supportive for Gwendolyn’s bum, and the strap didn’t really put any weight on my belly. You can wear your child on the front for the first bit of your pregnancy (and I did), but you’ll definitely have to move to a baby carry as you get more of a bump.
I wore our SSC at the beginning of the year with us both in full winter gear; on my front while exercising (I even nursed her to sleep while lifting weights!); on my back during exercise lots of times; and while hiking! We’ve gotten a lot of use out of it this summer.
Finally, woven wraps. Like with a SSC, you could wear on the front before your bump gets too big, though I prefer to just do side or back carries. With side carries, it’s just like with a ring sling: your child is off to the side, so it’s no problem—both babies can just cuddle up together. Back carries are also great, especially if you don’t want to deal with a waist belt. (Onbuhimo carriers would be excellent for this as well, but I do not have one). I’ve just gone for a basic ruck—and Tibetan finish, because I like t best for my small shoulders—so that I don’t have to do much twisting. Simple is great.
If you’re pregnant and trying to figure out babywearing with another little, I hope that these pictures help you figure out what kind of babywearing might work best for you during this time. Sometimes, it feels like little kids can sense the change coming, and become even more clingy, so using a carrier—instead of wearing out your arms—is a big help.
If you baby-wore while pregnant, what carrier did you find most comfortable?
