| | |

The Journey of a Babywearing Mama: Bailey

Bailey Rankins started her babywearing journey with a simple DIY wrap, then learned more about the options available at a local cloth diapering meeting. This Bakersfield, California mama started wearing when her son was just 4 weeks old and is still going strong now that he’s one. Bailey share how babywearing doesn’t need to be expensive, and that you don’t need to have a ton of wraps/carriers to do it successfully. Keep reading to find out how babywearing helps her get things done in her family.

Photos courtesy of Bailey Rankins
Photos courtesy of Bailey Rankins

Q: How did you learn about babywearing?

Bailey: I first learned about babywearing when I started cloth diapering. I took a class at a local cloth diaper store called Planet Bambini. The class went over different wraps and soft structured carriers and how to use each one.

Q: What was the first baby carrier you bought?

Bailey: I got my first carrier by entering a drawing for a Boba and won! I was 21 and my son was about 4 months old. Before I got my Boba I used a wrap that I made myself.

Q: How many carriers or wraps do you have now?

Bailey: Now, I still have my Boba and recently got a Chimparoo Ring Sling.

Q: How do you feel about babywearing?

Bailey: I love babywearing! It really helps with house work and more convenient than strollers with large crowds. Babywearing is also perfect for my family because my boyfriend is disabled so I’m able to push his wheelchair without having to worry about a stroller or my son running off.

Q: What are some reactions you got when you first started babywearing, and what reactions do you get now?

Bailey: The reactions I got when he was small was mostly supportive but was also told that he shouldn’t be held that often and he won’t learn to walk as quickly. Now that he is a year old (and started walking at 10 months) I get nothing but support. I think my family has seen that babywearing is what is best for my family.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about babywearing for you and your little ones?

Bailey: My favorite thing about babywearing is the closeness and bonding that I get with my son while wearing him. I also love that I am able to do dishes and clean with him. Its also a great way to get him to fall asleep if he fights his nap.

Q: What’s your favorite carry style?

Bailey: I mainly wear high on my back so he can look over my shoulder to see where we’re going and what we’re doing. He is very nosy. Wearing on my back also gives my more space so I can do different things without him trying to grab everything.

Check out the whole Journey of a Babywearing Mama Series and read the other Q&A posts about Jennifer, Sara and LaKeta.

A special thanks to Bailey for sharing her story with Savvy Every Day for this post.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.