How to Babywear With BLANQI // the Best Baby Carriers + BLANQI Combos

There is no doubt that babywearing is the new mama secret to multitasking-mom success. I can remember when Nico was a couple months old I had a work conference call with Nordstrom and all he wanted to do throughout the entire call was nurse and be rocked to sleep in my arms. I rocked, and rocked, and rocked, and rocked that baby to sleep while managing to be present in the meeting (thank goodness for the mute button!), but by the end of the hour long call my arms were a loopy jello mush. That is when Sabina gave me her hand-me-down Ergo and my mind was blown. I could strap him onto my chest and actually nurse him to sleep without it being super obvious in public. I could strap him to my back and take a walk hands free. I could unload the dishwasher, do a load of laundry, and catch up on late night emails, all while snuggling him close. I typically take my babies with me on work trips when they are infants and still nursing, so the baby carriers just made meetings easier. I can’t tell you how many times I worked while babywearing- it’s insane. I would say that the iphone and the baby carrier made the biggest difference in my life for balancing work and mom-life. But then there was the issue of what to wear when babywearing. Jeans would push into my waist and bulge either above or below the carrier buckle. Wearing a wrap worked for nursing, but I only when my shirts were super low cut and I was continually stretching out the neckline to pull my bra and boobs out. It can seem like such a trivial concern, but a postpartum body is stressful enough adapting to, add these other factors and it can be one emotional meltdown away from giving up. So here are my top baby carrier and BLANQI combos that I wear like every. single. day. I found these to be the easier way to get out and about living life, all while feeling like myself and comfortable in my clothes. Motherhood can be hard enough, so making it easier in little ways is totally worth the investment.

0-12 months old

A Wrap + Pull-Down Postpartum + Nursing Tanktop

  I use the Solly Baby in Black which goes with everything, which was actually the one used on this photoshoot, but this wrap is really beautiful for a more subtle, yet stylized option. I like the super softness of the fabric and it has never ripped after being used by 2 of my babies. I was concerned that it would overly stretch out in length after a few washes, but I wash it on cold, gentle dry and it has always retained it’s shape. It took me some time to figure out the correct tightness and tension to tie it up, but eventually got the hang of it. Watching the tutorial videos helped and I would highly recommend. When paired with our Pull-down Tank, I can easily just adjust to nurse without having to take baby out of the wrap- which is such a lifesaver. The stretchy neckline just pops right under and around my breast, for easy access. I think it really helps to start out using this one right after delivery, so baby gets used to it right away and both items always get packed in my hospital bag for delivery day.

6-12 months old

A Ring Sling + Lift-Up Postpartum + Nursing Tanktop

images via @mywildbird

I have less experience with the ring slings, but being that I live in the South and had a summer baby last time, they had me at linen. Wildbird has a linen fabric that is so breathable, luxurious and comes in really saturated colors. I had a pinky coral color with Lily, but being that I am sensing boy with this baby, I may have to splurge on the emerald from their new F/W 17 collection, especially since we have emerald evergreen on the BLANQI brain, like our craving emerald moodboard on the blog here. Because this carrier dresses up as much as it dresses down, I tend to use this sling when I need to look more “fancy”- like at a work event, sunday family days and my Wild + Free homeschool mama monthly cocktail parties. With the Lift-up tank to smooth and secure my after-baby belly, I can layer chunky off the shoulder sweaters and my favorite paper thin deep v-neck t’s for easy nursing access with or without the sling on.

12-2 years old

A buckle carrier + BLANQI leggings

Sabina graciously gifted me her Ergo after her last baby ( that she used with both her little ones ), and I still use it to this day!! I even plan to use it with this next baby!! Between her two kids, and my three who used it full-time, this baby carrier has survived a total of 5 kiddos- which is a true testament to their functional design and quality. Being that it’s 10 years old, the exact shade is not available, but this one part of their Original baby carrier collection is a pretty close match- and even on sale! I wear this one the most once my baby is big enough to be worn on my back, everywhere from the grocery store, to a hike, to work meetings in NYC. It’s easy to wear and distributes the weight of the child without giving me a back ache. My husband loves to babywear, so I plan on buying this new baby version so that he can start as soon as he or she is born! When postpartum, I wear these with BLANQI Highwaist Postpartum + Nursing Support Leggings because of our higher waist design and 360 seamless support, which means the carrier waist buckle fits smoothly around my hips and waist, without any During this pregnancy, I’m currently babywearing while wearing the Maternity Belly Support Leggings since I tend to wear Lily on my back and I don’t want any tightness on my belly- from the carrier or my clothes. I position the carrier buckle under my bump, and my leggings keep everything supported and secure. Total gamechanger. Sabina and I are such babywearing advocates that it even inspired specific design elements of our maternity and postpartum + nursing collections.

A couple major points that make the babywearing + BLANQI combo better

• Scratchy seams and bulky waistbands can be uncomfortable when babywearing. Our 360 seamless support means no tightness, bulk or scratchiness.
• Nursing accessible clothing is important to make the nursing-while-babywearing easier on both mom and baby. Flashing belly, boobs and butt is never something I find flattering and I try to avoid at all costs, so find what works for you.
• Expecting? Pregnancy alone can be hard on your body, so even it’s even more important to wear maternity support to lift and secure your bump when babywearing to help support your back and redistribute the baby weight. BLANQI’s patented built-in maternity support makes all the difference in the world when wearing it, a total lifesaver.
• There are so many options for baby carriers and maternity/postpartum support, but the original designers and inventors of these products are typically worth the investment. Sure, there are less expensive knock-offs, but they skimp on quality and functionality, so buyer beware.

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So tell us, are you a babywearing mama? Make sure to enter our giveaway below winning a complete set of babywearing BLANQI's for you and a friend!

SHOP BLANQI POSTPARTUM + NURSING SUPPORT COLLECTION

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  BLANQI x International Babywearing Week GIVEAWAY!