When most people hear the term “hands free,” they think of phones. Unless they are a parent.

Like most babies, mine liked to be held – all the time. But, it made getting things done a challenge. Behold, an infant carrier, the device for hands-free baby-wearing that got me through my children’s early years!

Housework? No problem, with a child strapped to my chest. Grocery shopping? A breeze. Walking the dog? I could stroll the neighborhood with the leash in one hand, a coffee in the other, and the baby snuggled content and close in the carrier.

They keep unwanted strangers from touching your newborns, too. The strangers who feel comfortable approaching a carriage in the mall to tickle a baby’s cheek would never dream of touching them in a carrier.

For nursing mothers of newborns, they can be a lifesaver. Babies who comfort nurse for hours on end can get all the snuggly warmth, mommy smells and rocking that they crave in a carrier, while giving their mothers a rest.

My first two children are two years apart to the week, though they actually weighed the same when the older was 2 ½ and the younger 6 months. I would strap the younger one to my front and put the older one in a backpack and head out for walks on the beach where a stroller was too hard to push.

(A word of caution: when grocery shopping, keep one hand on baby’s back to prevent banging their head on cart while unloading items.)

I highly recommend using a carrier, whatever style you feel comfortable with. Try a few different ones at the store to a friend’s house and then decide. I preferred the soft fabric ones for around the house and liked the more structured ones for outdoors. My husband would only use the structured style. Give hands free a try!