Since my daughter was five days old and a smidge over 3.5kg, I have been carrying her around the house, and out in public in a ring sling. I have had a LOT of strange looks and many patronising comments from people who are not used to seeing someone carrying a baby in this way. For me, a pram was never an option due to personal preferences and practical ones- a sling was always my preferred option.
For those that are considering babywearing, or have seen me in the street and are a bit confused- this is what I learned before I started, and what I am learning as I go along. Of course, not everything is for everyone, but for me, babywearing is GREAT and I honestly couldn’t imagine doing it any other way!
What is babywearing?
As the name suggests, babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying your baby in a sling or different form or carrier. Humans have been carrying their babies close to them for thousands of years and millions of people in every corner of the world still do. Babywearing has grown in popularity in the Western world in recent years, due to the popularity of attachment parenting, although you can babywear without practicing attachment parenting, and vice versa.
Can everyone babywear?
Yes.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, how big or small, tall or short, or anything else- as long as you don’t have a physical impairment or injury that specifically restricts you from carrying anything, baby wearing is possible for you.
You can engage in babywearing for as long as you, and your baby wish. Some parents continue to wear their babies well into toddlerhood, past the ages of 2 and even 3 years old. The golden rule is that you should only stop babywearing when you, or your baby wants to, or is no longer able to. Generally, baby carriers hold up to 17-20kg but some can hold more weight depending on the type- be sure you know what the weight limits on your carrier are however, to avoid any issues!
Why should you babywear?
There are lots of benefits to babywearing both for you and your baby.
When your baby is a newborn, wearing them close to you helps to increase the levels of oxytocin in your body which leads to a closer maternal bond, easier breastfeeding, and increased happiness levels, therefore lowering the prevalence of postnatal depression and other mental issues related to the postpartum period. The father carrying the baby in this way increases the bond between them and helps baby feel secure.
As well as parents being calmer, research shows that carrying a baby in this way makes the baby more relaxed as their most basic survival needs- being close to a parent- are met. With the parent in sight, smelling, hearing, touching, and tasting distance they grow up happy and confident in their parental relationships. It has also been found that babywearing has positive effects on respiratory health, gastrointestinal health, neural development, muscle tone development, as well as helping to establish inner ear balance.
Furthermore, the rhythm of the parents heartbeat or footsteps as they are being carried, helps the baby to feel soothed, often helping them to stop crying or fall asleep. There have been several studies that show that babies that are worn, cry much less than those who are not.
Babywearing also helps your baby develop better communications skills, earlier on. They are up close and person with facial expressions, conversations, and body language, and they get to see more of the world from up high, rather than just from a pram. Babies become humanised and socialised earlier and feel more intune with what their parents are doing and what is going on in the world around them.
It has also been found that carrying your child in this way does not result in clingy or spoilt babies. When you push your baby in a pram, you are literally pushing them away from you when you should be bringing them close. By wearing them at a young age, you are reassuring them of your love and closeness which actually enables them to have the confidence to be more independent at a younger age. Don’t worry about ‘spoiling’ your baby- it is a baby, be gentle with them and love them- these are two things you can never, ever overdo.
Aside from the benefits for baby, carriers such as slings and pouches are extremely convenient for wearers. After my c-section I was wearing my daughter five days later and I credit this as a part of building up my strength and aiding my recovery. By carrying her each day as her weight increased, as did my core strength. This had a great impact on both the pain levels and the amount of activity I was able to do, meaning I was back to normal and pain free within three weeks postpartum.
Babywearing keeps your hands free, meaning you are free to go shopping, accomplish household tasks, get out and about, go for coffee with friends, go to the beauty salon or do pretty much anything you want to do. You can go in and out of public transport with ease, navigate steps, and move around city centres without having to push a hefty stroller. I was back at work six days post partum- something I wouldn’t have been able to do without taking the decision to babywear.
If you are breastfeeding or other children to attend to, slings are perfect for allowing you to do more than one thing at once.
Carrying my daughter gave me strength, fitness, happiness, a calm baby, and physical freedom and independence- all of the things that a new mother craves and needs.
Mythbusting
No it’s not dangerous
Babywearing, like most things, is not dangerous if done properly. When carrying your baby in a sling, wrap, or pouch you need to use your common sense and take a few safety precautions. Especially with newborns, you need to ensure that the carrier is tight, that your baby is in view and close enough to kiss, that their chin is not on their chest, and that their back is supported. It is fine, and even good for their hips for their legs to be in the “frog” position with their toes tucked under.
Some say it could be dangerous if the wearer falls but in most cases, the wearer’s arms would be free to break the fall whilst the child remains close to their centre of gravity. If you are concerned, there is plenty of further reading you can do on the subject of safety and precautions you can and should take.
No it’s not too hot/cold
You should always be aware of your babies temperature and you can monitor this from the belly, chest, or back of the neck. Even in a pram, particularly if you hang a white gauze over it, you should be ensuring the child is the right temperature. Carriers come in all different kinds of fabric including thick and thin varieties so you can buy the right type dependent on the season. In summer, you can leave your child in a sleeveless onesie, or even just a diaper inside your sling. In the winter, you dress the child in layers, and if you are using a sling/wrap/pouch you count it as an extra layer, remembering that your body provides heat as well.
No you cannot spoil a baby this way
Your baby cannot be spoiled and there is a lot of research to back this up. Your baby needs love, care, and to be close to you- withholding this from them is no good for your baby, or for you. Wearing your child will help you to create a strong bond as well as to respond to their needs adequately and efficiently. I do not agree with letting infants cry it out and I believe that if my baby is happy and loved, I will be happy and be able to give more love to both her and those around me.
No it’s not bad for your back
When used properly, baby carriers should not hurt your back, neck, or shoulders, in fact many find that they babywearing strengthens them over time. Of course, everyone’s body is different and if you have underlying issues with your back then you could have some problems but otherwise it should be fine.
In terms of weight bearing, if you are using your carrier regularly, your body and baby carrying capability will increase at the same rate as your babies weight. In other words, if you use one from when your baby is still light, you should be able to carry them until they are a toddler.
If you experience pain or discomfort, be sure you are using an age-appropriate carrier as well as one that is fitted and worn correctly. When you have got it right, any parent, regardless of age, size, or strength should be able to wear their child with ease.
Since my daughter was five days old and a smidge over 3.5kg, I have been carrying her around the house, and out in public in a ring sling. I have had a LOT of strange looks and many patronising comments from people who are not used to seeing someone carrying a baby in this way. For me, a pram was never an option due to personal preferences and practical ones- a sling was always my preferred option.
For those that are considering babywearing, or have seen me in the street and are a bit confused- this is what I learned before I started, and what I am learning as I go along. Of course, not everything is for everyone, but for me, babywearing is GREAT and I honestly couldn’t imagine doing it any other way!
What is babywearing?
As the name suggests, babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying your baby in a sling or different form or carrier. Humans have been carrying their babies close to them for thousands of years and millions of people in every corner of the world still do. Babywearing has grown in popularity in the Western world in recent years, due to the popularity of attachment parenting, although you can babywear without practicing attachment parenting, and vice versa.
Can everyone babywear?
Yes.
You can engage in babywearing for as long as you, and your baby wish. Some parents continue to wear their babies well into toddlerhood, past the ages of 2 and even 3 years old. The golden rule is that you should only stop babywearing when you, or your baby wants to, or is no longer able to.
Why should you babywear?
There are lots of benefits to babywearing both for you and your baby.
When your baby is a newborn, wearing them close to you helps to increase the levels of oxytocin in your body which leads to a closer maternal bond, easier breastfeeding, and increased happiness levels, therefore lowering the prevalence of postnatal depression and other mental issues related to the postpartum period. The father carrying the baby in this way increases the bond between them and helps baby feel secure.
As well as parents being calmer, research shows that carrying a baby in this way makes the baby more relaxed as their most basic survival needs- being close to a parent- are met. With the parent in sight, smelling, hearing, touching, and tasting distance they grow up happy and confident in their parental relationships. It has also been found that babywearing has positive effects on respiratory health, gastrointestinal health, neural development, muscle tone development, as well as helping to establish inner ear balance.
Furthermore, the rhythm of the parents heartbeat or footsteps as they are being carried, helps the baby to feel soothed, often helping them to stop crying or fall asleep. There have been several studies that show that babies that are worn, cry much less than those who are not.
Babywearing also helps your baby develop better communications skills, earlier on. They are up close and person with facial expressions, conversations, and body language, and they get to see more of the world from up high, rather than just from a pram. Babies become humanised and socialised earlier and feel more intune with what their parents are doing and what is going on in the world around them.
It has also been found that carrying your child in this way does not result in clingy or spoilt babies. When you push your baby in a pram, you are literally pushing them away from you when you should be bringing them close. By wearing them at a young age, you are reassuring them of your love and closeness which actually enables them to have the confidence to be more independent at a younger age. Don’t worry about ‘spoiling’ your baby- it is a baby, be gentle with them and love them- these are two things you can never, ever overdo.
Aside from the benefits for baby, carriers such as slings and pouches are extremely convenient for wearers. After my c-section I was wearing my daughter five days later and I credit this as a part of building up my strength and aiding my recovery. By carrying her each day as her weight increased, as did my core strength. This had a great impact on both the pain levels and the amount of activity I was able to do, meaning I was back to normal and pain free within three weeks postpartum.
Babywearing keeps your hands free, meaning you are free to go shopping, accomplish household tasks, get out and about, go for coffee with friends, go to the beauty salon or do pretty much anything you want to do. You can go in and out of public transport with ease, navigate steps, and move around city centres without having to push a hefty stroller. I was back at work six days post partum- something I wouldn’t have been able to do without taking the decision to babywear.
If you are breastfeeding or other children to attend to, slings are perfect for allowing you to do more than one thing at once.
Carrying my daughter gave me strength, fitness, happiness, a calm baby, and physical freedom and independence- all of the things that a new mother craves and needs.
Mythbusting
No it’s not dangerous
Babywearing, like most things, is not dangerous if done properly. When carrying your baby in a sling, wrap, or pouch you need to use your common sense and take a few safety precautions. Especially with newborns, you need to ensure that the carrier is tight, that your baby is in view and close enough to kiss, that their chin is not on their chest, and that their back is supported. It is fine, and even good for their hips for their legs to be in the “frog” position with their toes tucked under.
Some say it could be dangerous if the wearer falls but in most cases, the wearer’s arms would be free to break the fall whilst the child remains close to their centre of gravity. If you are concerned, there is plenty of further reading you can do on the subject of safety and precautions you can and should take.
No it’s not too hot/cold
You should always be aware of your babies temperature and you can monitor this from the belly, chest, or back of the neck. Even in a pram, particularly if you hang a white gauze over it, you should be ensuring the child is the right temperature. Carriers come in all different kinds of fabric including thick and thin varieties so you can buy the right type dependent on the season. In summer, you can leave your child in a sleeveless onesie, or even just a diaper inside your sling. In the winter, you dress the child in layers, and if you are using a sling/wrap/pouch you count it as an extra layer, remembering that your body provides heat as well.
No you cannot spoil a baby this way
Your baby cannot be spoiled and there is a lot of research to back this up. Your baby needs love, care, and to be close to you- withholding this from them is no good for your baby, or for you. Wearing your child will help you to create a strong bond as well as to respond to their needs adequately and efficiently. I do not agree with letting infants cry it out and I believe that if my baby is happy and loved, I will be happy and be able to give more love to both her and those around me.
No it’s not bad for your back
When used properly, baby carriers should not hurt your back, neck, or shoulders, in fact many find that they babywearing strengthens them over time. Of course, everyone’s body is different and if you have underlying issues with your back then you could have issues,
In terms of weight bearing, if you are using your carrier regularly, your body and baby carrying capability will increase at the same rate as your babies weight. In other words, if you use one from when your baby is still light, you should be able to carry them until they are a toddler.
If you experience pain or discomfort, be sure you are using an age-appropriate carrier as well as one that is fitted and worn correctly. When you have got it right, any parent, regardless of age, size, or strength should be able to wear their child with ease.
What kind of options are there for babywearing?
Ring Sling
Ring slings are made with fabric that is pulled through two rings to create a pouch for your baby’s body. They can be used from newborn to toddler and tied in a variety of ways, placing your baby at the front, the side, or on your back. They come with short or long tails and some even have pockets in where you can store bottles, diapers, or other items. Look for slings with a padded shoulder and be sure to distribute the fabric evenly over your back and shoulder to ensure maximum comfort. I have a Maya Wrap but if you cannot afford it or want a custom one, you can use the pattern and step by step guide they provide to have one made or make on yourself. They usually hold up to 20kg.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzughrGATl4/Wrap
A baby wrap is a large piece of fabric, either structured or unstructured that is wrapped around the body and tied in place, securing your baby next to your body. You can wear them in a variety of ways at the front,back, and side and there are literally an unlimited number of ways you can tie them. Better for more experienced babywearers. Mamagolo have a wonderful range and they deliver worldwide, be sure to check them out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxSagXMgwFW/Pouch
These are usually formed by a wide piece of fabric sewn into a tubular shape. Some are adjustable with zips, buckles, rings or sewn-in curves to support baby. You just slip it over your head and one shoulder to create a seat to hold the baby in. You need to be extra careful you supervise your child if they are under six months and in a pouch, making sure they do not slump and can breathe easily. Again, Mamagolo have a great selection.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmsOI6GFHoD/Carrier
These are much more structured than wraps, pouches, and slings and can come in soft and hard structured format. They can be worn on the back or front, depending on the model and you can expect to pay anywhere between EUR 10 and EUR 1000 for one. Loosely based on the traditional Mei tai with flat panels and four straps that are adjustable, they are easy to get to grips with but not as flexible as other types of carrier. Ergobaby is one of the most well-known brands.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz1c8r7l19P/ Follow The Balkanista!
