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Baby Wearing with a Baby Carrier

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By David Leonhardt and Corey Rozon

“Sure, babywearing takes some getting used to, but after a few days of trial and error, I got it. My baby sleeps in it, can sit up in it, and comfortably nurse in it without anyone knowing, all while I walk around the city and take care of my errands.”

What is Babywearing?
Babywearing is a form of baby transport and is the practice of carrying your child in a sling or a cloth baby carrier. The technique is far from new and has been practiced for many years around the world. There are four main benefits to using a baby sling.

(i) Practicality and ease
Babywearing offers a practical solution for mothers who need to juggle between taking care of a newborn baby and many of the other activities one has to do in the day. Additionally, nursing mothers who want to breastfeed their child in public can do so discreetly by using a baby sling.

(ii) Strengthened emotional bond between parent and child
Wearing your baby provides a deeper emotional bond between child and parent because it satisfies the baby's natural need for closeness, touch and affection. Furthermore it has been found to help improve the condition of premature babies.

(iii) Child nurturing
Babywearing makes for calmer babies because all of their basic needs are already being met. The specific health benefits include better respiratory health, muscle tone and inner ear development. Also, since the baby is always staying close to the parent, he or she would be more exposed to the language being used, as well as the facial expressions. Children at a young age absorb new information very quickly; so the more that they are exposed to the real world while they are babies, the quicker they will develop.

(iv) Reduction of post-partum depression
Babywearing helps reduce the risk of post-partum depression because it helps create an emotional connection and provides physical stimulation with the baby. Physically, it also creates lesser strain on your back and spine since the right baby carrier will provide adequate support for both.

Additional health benefits for your child
Aside from providing a more convenient lifestyle with your baby, there are a lot of additional health benefits for children who are carried. There is a dramatic decrease in crying - babies who are carried cry 43% less than those who are left alone on their cribs.
Babywearing is also a factor contributed to better and easier discipline for a child. Babies, who instantly bonded with their parents when they were carried, as infants are much easier to discipline, more secure with themselves, more trusting, sociable, considerate, affectionate and sensitive to others.

Babywearing makes daily tasks easier by keeping your hands free. It helps to protect and nurture the child by keeping them close at all times and has been know to reduce the risk of post-partum depression. Although it is not a new technology by any means, it is becoming more popular with health conscience parents.