Bohemian Mama: slings, wraps, and scarves



 We have a stroller. It's a lovely big Jeep stroller, designed for off-roading. I put Yarrow in it while I tend the fire, and while I catch chickens. I push her around the land in it while collecting kindling, but generally, Yarrow prefers to be worn in a wrap of some sort. Before she was born I made a blue ring sling, a soft cocoon to nestle her in. After birth, we were given another sling, bright red and smaller; and a "Moby" wrap. Right now, the Moby is our favorite, because it leaves both my hands free to work. Yarrow reminds me of a happy little tick in it, her head sticking out and her little arms and legs hanging free.

She is happiest worn, in part I think because she is more a part of the activity. We've shared a few grins together walking around in the sling, and she can reach out and help with things, like pushing the grocery cart or chewing my checkbook while we shop. The wraps also put her on eye-level with the people we meet. She can grin out at them from the safety of the sling and watch all the faces pass by, instead of contenting herself with knees and thighs.

I try to keep one wrap in the car, so that I have one with me if we run out somewhere quickly, but too often I forget, bring in my "car sling" and am left improvising. Thankfully, big scarves work almost as well. They aren't entirely 'hands-free' but they definitely help lighten my load, and Yarrow nestles as easily in my big raw-silk scarf as she does in her ring-slings.