No.1 baby hack to get your life on track!

This is the very first episode of Rosie’s Rituals!! Firstly, a huge welcome to my blog and thank you for reading, I hope you find solutions and inspiration from my posts. I’m so happy that I get to share all my experiences with you every week. Enjoy reading!

Velcro babies 101

Are you hoping to be able to get on top of your to do list, perhaps a little self-care or even build a business? Then this is the post for you! So, today I wanted to share my absolute number one tip for getting anything done with your baby in tow…

If your little one is anything like mine, they want to be held and glued to you at all times. Personally, I’m not one for leaving my baby to cry which makes it hard to do anything other than hold and entertain her!

I have been able to get busy again by introducing a baby carrier into my life! Ta-da and just like magic, I’m on top of things again! It might sound simple and maybe even obvious but the carrier really does allow me to be productive whilst also being a present muma for my daughter.

If you read my about me page, you’ll have seen that I wrote that content with my baby in the carrier fast asleep on my chest, just like this post too!

Four things that I can do with the carrier

Here are a few things that I can now get done all thanks to the carrier;

I can commit to my fitness goals and get out walking more. I prefer to use the carrier on walks as I found that the pram was hard to push on the bumpy pavements local to me, and I’m able to walk at a much faster pace without the pram. This also gives me time to listen to audio books, as there is no such thing as reading time for me at the moment! I also use this time to catch up on my favourite podcasts.
My house was beginning to start looking a bit ropey with dust building up, crumbs on the floors and mess everywhere. I’m a self-confessed clean freak, I’m working on letting things go in the house but it is a little difficult for me. Now with the little one in the carrier I can keep on top of bits and pieces, obviously not using any harsh chemicals. I tend to run the hoover round, washing, polishing & dusting and mostly tidying up.
I’m now able to start working on my blog and building a future for my little family. I did wait until my baby was four months old to start this work, as it was important to me to adjust to being a new mum and soak in every second with my tiny new baby. However, it’s so refreshing now to get creative and writing.
Lastly, I’m able to do a little self-care again, just doing my skin care routine or putting on a face mask whilst pottering around the house. I also use the carrier when I want to do my makeup and hair to get out the door looking half human!

Using this time wisely

I maximise this time by creating a ‘power hour’ and combining it with her nap, as soon as she starts fussing, I get out the carrier and she’ll have a nice long nap – much longer than usual! This keeps my baby happy and gives me the freedom to smash through my to do list. I always make sure I’ve got a list to work through to avoid procrastinating and to make sure the important jobs get done first.

My usual routine is to whizz round the house and get things straight (I just can’t cope with mess, don’t feel obliged to spend your precious time the same way!) and then work on my business.

I make sure everything is set up for success in advance. For example, I’ll make sure my laptop is switched on and plugged in on the kitchen side to allow me to stand and work. I’ll throw on some clothes before putting on the carrier so I can get ready (hair and makeup). Or I’ll pick everything up off the floor, to make it easy for me to put bits away.

The carriers I use

When my daughter was a new born and up to 3 months, I used the Moby wrap Baby Sling because it offered complete head support and kept her close and secure when moving around. It also tucked her feet in to keep her legs safe, secure and warm with a winter baby. My sling was given to me by my best friend who had used it for both her babies and it’s still in great condition and machine washable – I tumble dried mine too (although this is probably not recommended!). The fact that this carrier has been used for 3 babies, washed and dried various times shows the great quality of this product.

Once my daughter was about 3 months old, she started to get frustrated in the Moby carrier, so I switched over to the Baby Bjorn Mini 3D Jersey carrier. I found that it’s more secure when she’s moving around before she nods off and it evenly spreads her weight and is easier on my back. If she’s awake and just needs to be held the Baby Bjorn carrier can also have her facing out which works better, especially on walks.

Both the above are amazing and I recommend them to everyone due to the great quality, usability and aesthetic look. Although, I’m sure many other brands are just as good, if you already have a carrier or you would like a cheaper option.

How you can make it work for you

To summarise, building a carrier nap into my daily routine has allowed me to get on top of my life again, I can look after myself, my home and build my business all whilst caring for my baby.

3 step summary: