When Should I Book My Babywearing Consultation? The Difference I See Before and After Baby Arrives

One of the things I’ve noticed whilst working with families as a babywearing consultant is that the experience can look quite different depending on when families come to me.

Some families come while they’re pregnant, before they’ve even met their baby. Others come after their baby arrives, often because they’ve realised they need a carrier, they’ve already bought one or been given one and aren’t sure how to use it, and they’re looking for some help and guidance.

Neither is wrong. In fact, I love working with families at both stages. But there is a difference in what I tend to see in the families who come to me.

When families come to me before their baby arrives

When families come to me prenatally, there is often more space to explore. There is usually little or no urgency, which means we can take our time looking at what might work for them. They can try different types of carriers, ask questions, think about what they’ve learnt and go home and consider their options.

They don’t necessarily need to make a decision that day. Some families do decide on a carrier during their prenatal consultation. They might choose one, take it home and spend some time practising with it before their baby arrives. Then, once their baby is born, they can come back for a complimentary fitting with their actual baby. This gives them the opportunity to make sure everything is fitting well, refresh what they’ve learnt and make any adjustments they need now that they’re actually using it with their baby.

Other families might narrow their options down to a couple of carriers and decide to wait until their baby arrives before making a final decision.

And I think that space makes a difference. They have the opportunity to learn without a newborn in their arms, without being exhausted and without the feeling that they need to make something work immediately. They can take their time, practise, make mistakes while learning and start to build an understanding of babywearing before they actually need it.

They also have the opportunity to learn what comes next

One of the things I love about prenatal education is that we aren’t just talking about those first few weeks. We can talk about what might happen as their baby grows and develops, because babywearing changes as your baby changes.

For example, when babies begin learning to roll, they may suddenly start twisting, pushing or moving around more while they’re being carried. It can be easy to think:

“They don’t want to be in the carrier anymore.”

“They need to be forward facing in this carrier.”

But sometimes they are simply discovering what their body can do and practising these important developmental skills.

And that’s a whole other blog for another time. 😉

Then there are the families I meet postnatally

The families who come to me after their baby arrives can have a very different experience. Often, they’re coming because they need a solution now. They’re tired, they’re overwhelmed, they’ve got a baby in their arms and they’ve probably got a lot going on.

And sometimes they come with the mentality of:

“This has to work. I don’t have another option.”

That’s completely understandable. When you’ve got a baby who wants to be held constantly, you’re struggling to put them down, you’re trying to get things done, or you’re simply desperate to have your hands free for five minutes, a baby carrier can suddenly feel less like something you’d like to try and more like something you desperately need.

And learning something new when you’re tired and overwhelmed can be hard. It’s harder to concentrate, harder to remember all the little details and harder to experiment. Sometimes there just isn’t the same mental space to explore several different options, and often your baby isn’t particularly keen on being taken in and out of multiple carriers either. Suddenly, there can be a lot less time and opportunity to try several different options and work out what feels right for you both.

You just want someone to help you make this work.

Sometimes they’ve already bought or been given a carrier

Another thing I see fairly often with postnatal families is that they’ve already bought a carrier or they’ve been given one by a friend or family member. Sometimes they’ve chosen a great carrier. Sometimes they’ve bought something because they needed a carrier quickly, before they really knew what they were looking for in a carrier. Other times, they’ve been given a carrier that someone else no longer needed or used.

Sometimes the carrier they’ve bought or been given is absolutely fine and just needs a bit of tweaking to get the fit right. And sometimes we discover that the carrier they’ve ended up with isn’t the best match for them, their baby or the way they want to use it. Sometimes there may even be parts missing.

Again, that’s not a failure. Sometimes you simply haven’t had the opportunity to physically try different carriers on before choosing one. You might have researched them online, asked questions or had recommendations from friends and family, but until you actually put a carrier on your body, it’s hard to know how it will feel and whether it’s going to be a good match for you and your baby. Other times, you’ve needed something quickly or you’re simply working with what you’ve already been given.

It’s very different from having the time and opportunity to physically try different options before you need an answer.

But postnatal support has something prenatal support can’t offer

There is also something really special about working with families once their baby has arrived. Because now we have your actual baby.

We can see how they respond. We can look at their individual size, development and needs, and we can work with what is actually happening for you right now.

Maybe your baby loves being carried but you can’t get the carrier comfortable. Maybe they seem unsettled. Maybe you’ve been struggling with a particular adjustment. Maybe you’ve already got a carrier and simply want some reassurance that you’ve got the fit right.

That’s where postnatal support can be incredibly valuable.

So which is better?

I don’t think one is better. They are simply different.

When families come to me prenatally, I often see carers who have space to explore, learn and prepare. When families come postnatally, I often see carers who are looking for practical support with a real-life situation that’s happening right now.

And both are important.

In an ideal world, I’d love families to have the opportunity to experience both. Explore your options before your baby arrives, learn the foundations, and have some time to practise and think. Then, once your baby arrives, come back if you’d like to try your options with your actual baby, have a fitting, refresh your skills or troubleshoot anything that comes up.

And I completely understand why some families wait

Because sometimes you genuinely don’t know if you’ll want or need a baby carrier until you meet your baby. I know this because that was me.

I never expected babywearing to become such a huge part of my parenting journey. But both of my babies wanted a lot of closeness. They didn’t like being put down, and often being held was the only thing that would settle them. I also found myself struggling physically with holding them for long periods.

Babywearing became something I relied on. It gave me a way to meet their need for closeness while giving me some freedom to move, use my hands and get through the day.

I couldn’t have known that before they were born.

And that’s why I don’t think prenatal babywearing support is about telling every family they need a carrier. It’s about giving you the opportunity to learn about a tool you may or may not end up using. Because you don’t always know what your baby, or your parenting journey, is going to look like.

The biggest difference I see

Perhaps the biggest difference isn’t actually the carrier. It’s the space the carer has to learn.

Prenatally, there is often time to explore without urgency. Postnatally, there is often a real need for a solution. Neither experience is wrong.

But if you’re interested in babywearing while you’re pregnant, you don’t have to wait until your baby arrives to start exploring your options. And if you’re already postnatal and thinking, “I wish I’d done this earlier,” you’re not too late.

There’s no wrong time to ask for help.

Ready to explore babywearing?

Whether you’re still pregnant and wanting to explore your options, or your baby has already arrived and you’re looking for some help, I’m here to support you.

Book a Babywearing Consultation