Babywearing dates back thousands of years. Many different countries have even created special carriers that match their climate and special needs. Babywearing first began so that mothers could continue working while taking care of their young. In the early 80′s Dr. William Sears coined the term babywearing after his wife Martha said she really enjoyed wearing their son Matthew. In 1985, Sears began a study looking at the beneficial effects of babywearing on babies and their parents. Taking his personal experience plus seeing the results out of hundreds of babies throughout the years in his practice, Sears has provided lots of evidence on the benefits of babywearing.
Less Crying
Babies who are worn tend to cry less than babies who are not. In a 1986 study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that babywearing for three or more hours a day reduced infant crying by 43 percent overall and 54 percent during evening hours. When your baby is being held, you are more attentive to their needs.
Aids Brain Development
Babies who are worn are able to observe their environment from their parents eye level. They also are able to feel more involved in adult conversations since they are also at voice level which enhances speech development.
Dr. Sears says, “Environmental experiences stimulate nerves to branch out and connect with other nerves, which helps the brain grow and develop. Babywearing helps the infant’s developing brain make the right connections. Because baby is intimately involved in the mother and father’s world, she is exposed to, and participates in, the environmental stimuli that mother selects and is protected from those stimuli that bombard or overload her developing nervous system.”
No Flat-head Syndrome
Plagiocephaly is becoming much more common due to babies spending too much time on their back. Babies are often left in swings, bouncers, car seats, and sleep on their backs which is causing flat heads. Pediatricians are finding that babies who are worn are not having this problem.
More Comfortable and Convenient for Parents
Parents who wear their babies often have less back problems because carriers evenly distribute their weight. Carriers also allow parents to use both hands while still holding their baby. They can do chores, tend to other children, walk
Types of Carriers
The Mei Tai
The Mei Tai (pronounced “may tie”) is a modern take on a traditional Chinese baby carrier. It is designed with wide comfortable straps that keep your baby in place in a face-to-face position with you.
Pouch slings
These resemble a messenger bag type design. The extra large over-one-shoulder pouch with strap holds your baby close to your torso. The pouch sling can be adjusted in several ways to move the baby closer to your face, breast or to simply position your baby in different ways. We love the convenience factor of pouch slings - easy to use and take up little space in a diaper bag.
Ring slings
These are similar in design to pouch slings and are also fully adjustable to enable easy feeding, as well as changing the baby’s positioning. In this design, rings are used instead of knots/seams…you can think of it as a shawl with rings on the end. Some have padding for your shoulder, while others don’t. We like ring slings for newborns and toddlers (in the up-anddown phase).
Soft structured
These are worn like a backpack (forwards or backwards) and we love them for their body-to-body contact. Some designs have the added versatility of pockets for storage and hoods (for shielding baby from the elements). Soft-structured carriers are great for babies 4 months through toddler age. They can be used with newborns too, but may require a special insert.
Wraps
Also called “wrap-arounds”, these slings do not have any buckles, buttons, or straps. It is a simple and easy to use one-piece adjustable wrap made from comfortable fabric. After a few practice rounds, you’ll have mastered a wrap. Natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, hemp, wool, and silk are the best, most breathable option.
At The Baby Grocery Store, we can help you choose what wrap will best work for you and your little one. We even have “Babywearing” classes where you can learn and practices the basics!
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