Ashleigh's Babywearing Story
By: Ashleigh
Once upon a time I was a fresh new mom with no knowledge of babywearing. I knew I would want and need it in my life as a transit dependant Toronto resident so I grabbed a cheap structured baby carrier at the store one day presuming they were all the same. A few years later, three kids deep and I know that not all baby carriers are made the same, that there are so many kinds and just how useful they truly are – and a huge chunk of this is due to finding Little Zen One.When we found we were expecting twins after our first I knew I was going to need to depend on babywearing so much more than I did with only one.
I had heard about Little Zen One through local parenting groups and dove right into their information. Allie has always been around to help answer questions, suggest carriers and provide accessories to achieve the best babywearing experience possible. With Allie’s help I was able to assure myself I was safely wearing my babies!I love Little Zen One and believe in them so much that I eventually became an ambassador through my Instagram page. This led me to trying out different carriers and carries, had me tandem wrapping twins with my favourite woven wrap and allowed me to share experiences and tips with fellow parents who were wanting to dive into the babywearing world themselves.
I joined the facebook group and found a community of wondering babywearing parents to share babywearing stories, tips and tricks with.I quickly found my new favourite structured carrier after becoming an ambassador: the Tula. I loved it so much that I ended up with a second one to tandem wear and a doll version for our toddler to match us! Our Tula’s offered a million times more comfort in wearing than my cheaper carrier had and my partner could use it comfortably without issue, too. The padded straps made tandem wearing possible when I needed it to without destroying my shoulders. Anytime I was uncertain I was wearing it properly or needed guidance answering questions about it, Allie was ready with the answers.
The Little Zen One message is “babywearing takes us places” and I think often about how many places babywearing took us with ease.It took us on daily walks and park hangouts. Grocery runs, coffee runs and doctor appointments. Forest hikes, outings for the kids and walks around the wall. Laps around the house so babies would actually sleep during the big leaps and changes. It gave me the chance to be hands-free to help a toddler while still caring for twins. Day in and day out I was reaching for or packing up our carriers to get by in our daily life while keeping some level of sanity within myself.Babywearing took us places every single day for years and I wouldn’t have survived without it. While our babywearing journey has mostly ended I will forever be thankful to Allie and Little Zen One for creating a postpartum life I could manage.
