Babies are born to be worn, and living life with your new baby wrapped close to you has many benefits for both you and your baby.
Babywearing is not a new concept; many traditional societies all over the world have carried their babies close to them for generations and still do today. Over the years, babywearing has become increasingly popular in the United States and other industrialized countries. As a result, many more baby carriers have come onto the market. Some examples include, ring slings, wraps, backpacks, and the always-affordable SPOCs (otherwise knows as a Simple Piece of Cloth).
You can wear your baby from the moment he is born. A great deal of information is available on the web, with details on the different benefits of each carrier and how to use each one for each age and stage of your baby/toddler (For a good place to start, see WearYourBaby.com, the website for The Mamatoto Project, dedicated to educating mothers about babywearing). Of course, as babies grow, the time they spend in their carrier varies. Newborns can be worn whenever and wherever it seems necessary. It is even convenient to wear your baby while you sit and answer emails or talk on the phone. As your baby grows and begins to crawl, walk, etc., he will want to be worn less and less. Even so, he will still enjoy the special closeness that babywearing provides and will be ready for a ride whenever his little legs get tired.
Carrying your baby is beneficial for you, your baby, and your whole family. Babywearing promotes bonding between the baby and the wearer (who could, of course, be mom, dad, grandma, etc.). Because the baby is kept so close to you and can feel your warmth and heartbeat, he feels secure and safe, which supports the bonding process. Babywearing also allows for hands-free carrying of your baby. You can walk freely and also have those extra hands needed to guide your older child or pick out that special item you’re out to get. Plus, if you’re breastfeeding, your baby is just a squirm away from her ever-important food source!
Wearing your baby also promotes the child’s physical development. The carrier becomes a ”transitional womb”‘ for a new baby as he learns about the movements his caregiver makes. Walking, bending, and reaching all help to stimulate him and help him to regulate his own physical responses, besides helping him to learn about him “vestibular system,” which controls his balance. In addition, babywearing has been shown to help babies be happier. The more they are carried, the happier babies are. They cry less and are in a state of quiet observation for longer periods of time each day, compared to babies that aren’t worn. Babywearing can also be a great help for colicky babies and has been shown to assist premature babies in gaining weight faster because of the warm physical contact that babywearing fosters.
Babywearing is a wonderful experience for many parents and their babies. Don’t be intimidated–once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without wearing your baby.
