What is babywearing?
Babywearing is something that has been done for thousands of years across the world. Babywearing is essentially carrying a baby in a carrier either in front of you or on your back. Infants typically are worn facing you on your front until they develop more skill to hold themselves upright as well as ensuring their hips are in a proper position for development.
Forward-facing vs. Backward-facing
As your baby/toddler gets older you can forward face them or put them on your back. There are many different kinds of carriers from ring slings, wraps, structured carriers, backpack carriers, etc. There are many different types of carriers to fit your lifestyle and what works best for you and your baby.
Benefits
Babywearing can have many benefits such as reduced crying, promoting general health, assisting with breastfeeding, enhancing connection, easing everyday life, and much more. (Marcin, 2021). Studies have shown that babywearing can reduce crying in infants by up to 43% during the day and 51% less throughout the evening (Rothstein, 2023). Babywearing can be beneficial to ease into postpartum life as well, it allows you to keep the baby close while doing other tasks. Babies, for the first few months, still believe they are a part of their mother, babywearing can help ease this transition into the world.
Find the Best Carrier for Your Baby
If you are unsure of how to babywear or are questioning if you are doing it safely, seek out the support of a babywearing consultant or a pediatrician. Trying different carriers and different positions as your baby grows can be helpful. Ring slings and wraps are typically best for infants. As your baby grows, soft structured carriers and eventually structured carriers are best. Older babies and toddlers will be best in structured carriers or backpack carriers. Every parent and baby will be different and have different preferences. Following your intuition and what works best for you can help you have a successful baby-wearing journey.
References:
Marcin, A. (2021, November 15). Baby wearing: Benefits, safety tips, how-to, Carrier Types & More. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/baby-wearing#benefits
Rothstein, A. (2023, November 16). Babywearing: Benefits, safety tips and types. The Mother Baby Center.
Story by Tayler Morrison for BlueWaterParent.com
All content of BlueWaterParent.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
