The Benefits of Babywearing
In our busy modern lives we can forget the need for close physical contact with our babies, particularly when we are rushing around working, shopping and caring for others.
It can be easy to find your baby has spent a lot of their day simply being moved from place to place in their car seat, travel-system and crib.
What is Babywearing?
Babywearing means the practice of carrying or wearing a baby in a sling or other type of carrier. It has been practiced for hundreds of years in traditional cultures, and is becoming increasingly popular in our modern society.
Happy Baby!
It is generally agreed that babies thrive through touch – ‘wearing’ your baby is a way of meeting this need. A study in the journal Pediatrics found that babywearing for 3 hours a day reduced infant crying by 43% overall and 54% during the evening.
Bonding
Babywearing enables you to become connected to your baby’s movements and gestures.
Building the connection with your baby and learning to understand your baby’s needs can help build your confidence as a parent.
As your relationship with your baby grows, this cycle of positive interaction can deepen bonding and attachment. There is evidence that this can be helpful for mothers who are at risk for or suffering from postpartum depression.
Being close to each other is soothing for you and your baby in many ways. Contact with your voice, skin, smell, breathing, heartbeat and movements is reassuring for your baby.
Some studies suggest that this stimulation can help your baby to regulate their own physical responses. And if you are carrying your baby when they are sleeping, you don’t have to keep checking on them in their crib.
You’re hands-free!
Everyday household tasks can be tricky when you’re holding your baby. Babywearing frees your hands to deal with all your daily chores. It also puts less strain on your body as the sling distributes your baby’s weight evenly.
If you have older children, babywearing means you have both hands free to take care of them without being interrupted by your baby’s needs. This can have the added bonus of reducing jealousy in older brothers or sisters.
Helps you keep fit
Being able to carry your baby more through babywearing is good gentle exercise for your post-pregnancy body. You can also carry out other light exercise whilst wearing your baby which can help boost your fitness level.
How do you know which one to choose?
There are many different types of safe and effective slings and carriers to suit every taste and budget. You will need to think about:
- How long do you plan to babywear for – just the first few months or longer?
- Who will use the carrier – just one caregiver or do you want to be able to easily adjust it to fit different people?
- What is your budget?
There are 5 main types of carrier (you can find out more via the references at the end):
- Stretchy Wraps
- Ring Slings often made from woven material
- Pouch Slings
- Mei Tais
- Buckle/Soft Structured Carriers
There are also many sling libraries who offer babywearing advice and information. They usually have a variety of slings you can rent for a few weeks for a fraction of the price of buying them. This is a great cost-effective way of trying out slings to see which one is right for you and your baby.
You will also find trained sling consultants in sling libraries and through organisations like Slingababy http://www.slingababy.co.uk/resources/how-do-i-find-a-library-or-consultant/. They can show you how the slings work and how to get your child in and out so you are comfortable with using it.
Don’t forget other people in your family who care for your baby can also enjoy babywearing too.
Good luck on your babywearing journey together!
Sources
https://babywearinginternational.org/what-is-babywearing/
