Babywearing at the pool (Beachfront Baby Carriers Review)

One of the biggest obstacles that I've tackled in this past year with having two kids is simply how do I manage both of them while getting on with our lives. With a toddler and an infant, you've got two ends of the spectrum. The toddler wants to be out and free and the infant wants to stay close. Carrying around a heavy carseat or keeping a child on the hip just doesn't jive with my lifestyle, so hands down baby wearing has saved me and my sanity countless times! I really am not sure how I would have gotten anything done if it weren't for the ability to simply strap one (or both!) to me.

Back in October the girls and I piggybacked on Adam's work trip to Long Beach and we were so excited to break up the PNW rain with a few days at the hotel pool. I was a little anxious because it would just be the girls and I during the day and I didn't want that to stop us from playing in the pool. Keeping Ruby on my hip and trying to have free hands to help Penny in the water just wasn't going to cut it. Little Ruby is worn at home all the time, but all of my carriers are made of heavy material. I wouldn't be able to get in and out of the water without gaining 20 pounds of soaked material and it wouldn't dry quickly so poor Ruby be would be cold, even if the weather was warm.

I got the opportunity to try the Beachfront Baby Carriers ring sling and since then this mama is 100% water ready with my two sweeties! Beachfront Baby Carriers offer water compatible baby wearing wraps and ring slings. The material is polyester jersey mesh (think men's gym shorts) so it is very light weight, dries quickly and isn't too stretchy. Because of the holes in the fabric it's also great for hot weather (not like I will get that much of it around here!).

I preferred a ring sling over a wrap because both of my kids like to be carried on the hip and this was a great way to introduce Ruby to swimming in water. She loves the bath but recently has been a little overwhelmed by the pool. I'm thinking it's because of the sounds of rushing water and kids having fun along with unexpected splashes. So keeping her close to me and letting her feel secure with mama allowed me to continue being attentive to Penny and ready in case she needed an extra hand.

Our town has an amazing aquatic center that has a zero entry children's splash pad. Penny has been there many times for swim lessons and just to have fun, but we hadn't taken Ruby into the water yet because we weren't sure if she could stay warm enough. This past weekend she got her first in-water experience and I used wore her in my ring sling so that I could get off the pool deck and into the water with my family. 

Poor little Ruby was pretty overwhelmed with the loud noises of rushing water, kids and music. As long as I kept her close to me, she was pretty settled but still was startled if a kid jumped into the water by us and caused waves or splashes. We tried to let her out of the sling so that we could bounce her in the water or show her that the pool is really just an extremely large version of the bath tub...but all she really wanted to do was be close to mama or daddy. That's totally fine because in her high little perch she was able to see what was going on, take it in and I was able to still play with Penny. 

Over the winter we also got hit with the nasty "crud" that just wouldn't go away. We had coughs, runny noses and no sleep for weeks. I made it part of my morning routine to take showers with the girls; allowing Penny to play on the floor in the tub and I wore Ruby in my Beachfront Baby ring sling. All three of us benefited from the steam in the shower and it helped break up the congestion naturally. Both of my girls ask for extra snuggles and babywearing while they are sick, so this was perfect!

Pretty snazzy, isn't it? I was approached by several moms poolside asking me about it and they were ready to order!

Do you babywear at the pool?

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Please see giveaway details for restrictions.