This guest blog was written by: Dr. Tijana S. Eby
The new Tula Explore Baby Carrier has become a staple in our carrier collection as soon as we opened the box. We live an active life with a carrier in tow 100% of the time. And one thing we all like are options, which is exactly what the Explore has a-plenty. I absolutely love the variability of wearing a baby in one carrier from newborn until toddler, in multiple orientations.
Personally, I am a big fan of carriers that do not need the infant insert because my baby and I tended to get warm very quickly (thank you, hormones!). Plus we live in Georgia, so it’s always some degree of unnecessarily hot. As a family, we babywear daily because you know, we live our life.
In my profession as a chiropractor, I wear my baby in the office while adjusting my clients. I started with my friends’ babies early on in my practice. I carry my baby in the front, in the back, and now world-facing. The Explore was our first experience with forward facing and, within minutes, my little guy fell in love with it. He already thinks that everyone he encounters outside of the house is there to see him and swoon over him. I am so absolutely pleased that not only is he a happy baby in that orientation, but he is also ergonomically sound without creating any stress on his spine or hips.
As a chiropractor, I worry about the kind of stress my (and everyone else’s) baby is exposed to when it comes to their spine, pelvis, and hips, including while babywearing. My baby was born 9 weeks prematurely, and we officially started babywearing the day he came home at 26 days old at 35 weeks of gestation. He spent his early days being curled into a C-shape, which is the shape the spine is in while in the womb and it stays that way for the first few months as the baby starts training the postural muscles and shaping the first curve in the neck by learning to lift the head. The third curve in the spine, that gives the spine the elongated S-shape similar to the adult spine, begins to develop as the baby starts to crawl.
During each stage of spinal development of muscles and curves, we need to be able to wear babies in a supportive manner. The Explore Baby Carrier with multiple positioning options provides comfortable support in a natural, ergonomic manner that promotes proper development of the spine and hips without creating long-term spinal and neurological issues. The newborn carry option in the Explore helps support the primary C-shaped curve while also allowing for the baby to engage their neck muscles to begin the development of the secondary curve in the neck. As the baby becomes stronger in holding their head and neck up, they are able to move up into a more supported position to the point where they can enjoy the world-facing position once they meet the appropriate guidelines.
Once the baby is progressed to actively crawling and becoming more mobile, the back carry option is an excellent choice for active babies and early toddlers. The Explore hits all the marks of an all-around great carrier that we plan on using as we enjoy our daily life out in the world with an active toddler who loves being on the go. The variety of positioning options, comfortable fit with plenty of padding without being bulky, plus soft, breathable cotton fabric (read: machine washable) in 4 beautiful colorways, is a win-win-win!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr.Tijana S. Eby is a prenatal, pediatric, and family chiropractor, a birth and postpartum doula, a childbirth educator, Reiki practitioner, and salve maker, whose passion is to work with families throughout preconception, pregnancy, childhood, and adulthood.
Her mission is to help cultivate a healthy community, one family at a time. She is passionate about being able to provide gentle, effective, supportive care for growing families and creating a supportive environment that fosters a lifestyle of health and wellness using a variety of natural healing modalities. Her private practice healthyBEing Wellness is located in Marietta in Northwest Metro Atlanta area. She lives in Woodstock with her husband and 14 month old baby boy.
You can connect with her on her website: http://healthybeingwellness.com, on Facebook, or Instagram.