Want more me time? Read this.

Photo: @stehanbotha @janielbotha

When I started this business back in 2015, I knew that our Stage 1 carriers would be a product that other Moms would love, because it was so comfy for me and I knew other Moms were struggling with the same ‘baby carrying’ issues that I was… tired arms, aching lower backs, rounded shoulders. What I didn’t know is how much the Dads would take to it too.

It’s so heartwarming for me to see how ‘into’ babywearing some of our UB Dads are, and even more so when it comes time to upgrade to the Stage 2.

During those first 9 months, (the NINO period – nine months in, nine months out), Dad can often feel a little excluded, because more often than not, baby just wants Mama! But once they hit that 9 month mark, it seems that our little people start to become more aware that they are able to do things without Mom, and perhaps even spend a day away from her, without a worry.

That’s where Dad + Stage 2 = win win situation! When you’ve been babywearing from birth, your baby becomes used to being held close when tired, and so it gives Dad the confidence to be able to leave the house, alone with baby (the dream!) and Mom can finally have some REAL alone time.

Photo: Mark & baby Ele in a Stage 1 limited edition.

But won’t we be spoiling our baby or creating bad habits if we always ‘wear’ our baby to sleep?

Let’s just get something straight right now:

• You want to be able to put your baby to sleep quickly, easily, without a fight, yes?
• You don’t want to be hiding in the passage, listening to them cry themselves to sleep while you stand there feeling guilty, Googling whether sleep training will harm your baby in the longterm, (maybe crying too), yes?
• You want to be able to continue living your life like you used to before you had a baby, doing the things you love, hanging out with friends, not sitting at home running your life around your tiny person’s schedule, yes?

Then NO… you will not be spoiling your baby or creating a bad habit.

You’ll be making your life easier, creating a HEALTHY sleep association for your baby and – you’ll be nurturing a loving bond between you and your child, making them feel loved and confident – and all of that leads to a happy and confident toddler that understands that when they’re tired, they need to sleep – trust me on this one – my almost 4 year old (who I wore to sleep until 2.5 years old – best parenting decision I ever made), literally has no official bed time now. Between 7 and 8.30pm (depending on how active his day has been) he usually comes and says, “Mommy can we have story time now? I is tired.” I literally laugh every evening at how easy bedtime is for us.

So if you want proof, there it is Mamas!

Photo: Wearing my 2 year old son, back in 2016.

When can I start using the Stage 2 carrier?

Our Stage 2 carriers can be used from around 8kgs/9months, depending on how long your babies legs are, as they need to be able to easily sit in the seat of the Stage 2 carrier without feeling overstretched.

The Stage 2 is A LOT bigger than the Stage 1 and most definitely cannot be used from birth (that’s a common question we get, so I thought I’d mention it).

The way you know that you’re baby is ready to upgrade, is once you are using your Stage 1 carrier at the full seat width – when the string across the width of the body does not need to be tightened anymore – then you know your baby is ready to upgrade to a Stage 2.

This baby is now ready to upgrade to a Stage 2 carrier. Photo: @ndibambe

If you have any questions as to whether our carriers are the right choice for you, feel free to visit our FAQ’s page on our website, or alternatively you may email our Certified Babywearing Educator directly on megan@ubuntubaba.com and she’ll be happy to assist you.