Originally posted on 19 July 2022

What a hassle to be out and about and to have to dress the baby in extra layers or drape an extra blanket on top of baby while carrying her around on cold days or during winter.

Snap your fingers if you’ve been in any of these situations before:

• How many times would that blanket slide off - and you would probably step on it then a stranger runs to you with your stomped blanket back?

• How many times would you be caught in a rain shower and have to run for cover before the blanket and baby are soaked?

• How long did it take you to find the perfect big granny cardigan that could cover you and baby, yet it still isn’t water repellent or wind resistant?

Well, here’s my story with Wombat & Co. jackets and how I got my winter baby carrying redemption through them. I really wish I knew they existed 3 years ago when I had my first baby and wore him around!

We were visiting a friend’s pop up store one chilly autumn afternoon of April in Auckland. I had wrapped my baby girl with a blanket on top of the carrier I held her in. My friend, Jess, tells me about this cool and practical brand of baby wearing jackets that her friend is selling. She proceeds to send me a link to an Instagram reel she had made. I watch it a few times thinking to myself: “ What a genius idea, but I’m not good at buying things online, especially clothing. Also, it’s called Wombat “Australasia”, they’re probably based in Australia and I don’t feel like engaging in the mission of ordering something from across the ditch and not have it fit right or not like the quality of it and its fabric.” Mind you, I had been meaning to “find the perfect rain jacket” before winter hit.

A few days later, I’m singing at a small event that Jess had organised and I meet a witty, sharp and wonderful mama, Sandra, that I really felt we could be friends as we seemed to share many opinions on life, motherhood and… baby wearing. I eventually realise that she’s the lady Jess had told me about and sent me a reel of. She’s real (pun intended), accessible and so are her jackets.

Fast forward a few weeks, we finally got to meet, along with her equally wonderful business partner Ana and I got to try a few of the Wombat & Go jackets. That satisfied my visual-kinaesthetic perception. We even got to put them to the test as we got caught in a big rain while out on our walk.

I eventually chose the Numbat Go in Mint colour that you see in the photos.

I’ve had it for about 2 months now and honestly I haven’t looked back! (Long story short)

Now keep reading if you’re here for more details.

I chose the Numbat Go because I liked its versatility and practicality:

• It can be worn all-year long, perfect for an all-seasons-in-one-day New Zealand kinda weather

• It’s light weight (about 500g) so it doesn’t feel like you’re dragging extra weight wearing it and it’s easy to be carried around when not in use - it compacts and rolls into its own bag which you can put in your pram/bag or wear on your shoulder like a purse.

• Its colour is passepartout, Mint goes with all colours and it’s such a fresh one too!

  Numbat Go also comes in Mustard yellow, Dark blue and Black.

• Its design cut is flattering, and the baby wearing/pregnant belly insert is adjustable so it accommodates your belly and/or your baby’s size. It’s also long enough to cover your hips.

• It’s machine washable, while being easy to spot clean

• Like all Wombat & Co. jackets, it is a 4 in 1 function design for: pregnant, front baby carrying (facing you or forward-facing), back baby carrying and standard use

• It’s water repellent while being breathable so you and baby won’t sweat like a pig - well, depending on the layers YOU’ve got underneath. You get the point

• It’s wind resistant - unlike our old oversized cardigans I mentioned earlier

• The hood is detachable and the pockets are a reasonable size

• I can still breastfeed on the go while wearing it. I just lower the carrier straps as I normally would and the jacket is long enough to still cover my baby’s feet

Bottom line, Numbat Go has been a game changer for me as I often am baby wearing while out doing stuff, like life… It’s easy to put on, store and carry around. It’s quite practical and has become my one everyday item this winter. I am sure going to pack it with me for my upcoming trip back home with my baby. Although it’s going to be a hot as summer, the nights in my village tend to get a little chilly and I believe my Numbat Go jacket would be the perfect gear on these cooler nights outdoors.

I would recommend mothers to invest in a Wombat & Co. jacket as early as their pregnant days if possible, to get the most use out of these awesome jackets. Price wise, I think they are pretty reasonable for the quality and functionality they offers. The standard use jackets aren’t much cheaper!

Remember, otherwise you’d be buying 3 separate jackets to accommodate you through pregnancy, baby wearing and standard use phases!

Also, if you’re still on the fence about buying your own Wombat & Co jacket, here’s your incentive to do it: use my code EVA2022 at checkout at get 20% off the price of your soon to be jacket from Wombat & Co Australasia. You can also find them on Instagram and Facebook and follow their awesome reels, posts and tips on baby wearing and their jackets of course.