Women throughout the world have been wearing their babies for thousands of years (if not from the beginning of time!). From Nepal to Peru, Ghana to Indonesia, mothers all over the world have found different ways of using scarves, shawls or even just large pieces of cloth to carry their babies along with them as they go about their work every day. Do a quick image search for "babywearing" and you'll find something that looks more or less like this
Women (and some men!) from all over the world wearing their babies in different ways. And there's a good reason for it. Not only is babywearing incredibly convenient for a busy mother, it's also a beautiful way to bond with and protect your baby. Although the practice of babywearing declined in the West (North America and Western Europe) in the 1900s, I am incredibly grateful babywearing in the US is on the rise. I don't think I could survive as a mother without it.
Women (and some men!) from all over the world wearing their babies in different ways. And there's a good reason for it. Not only is babywearing incredibly convenient for a busy mother, it's also a beautiful way to bond with and protect your baby. Although the practice of babywearing declined in the West (North America and Western Europe) in the 1900s, I am incredibly grateful babywearing in the US is on the rise. I don't think I could survive as a mother without it.
I love, love, love babywearing. I wear my baby every day and just about every where we go. I wear my baby at home, I wear my baby to the grocery store, I wear my baby when we go for walks, I wear my baby at the mall and I wear her on our way to play group. I've worn my baby on public transport and I've worn her on an airplane. Heck, when she was really little I used to wear her at church, too. I am 100% serious when I say that baby wearing has saved my sanity and made life easier as a new mother.
Although I'd seen countless mothers wearing their babies every day during my time working and researching in West Africa, I didn't really look into babywearing until I was pregnant with my first babe. As I did more research about the benefits of babywearing I quickly realized this was something I wanted to try. I researched different carriers (soft structure carriers vs. wraps vs. slings?), different brands (Ergo, Boba, Becco, Moby?) and ultimately ended up making my own wrap (<$10 of fabric vs. $30-$80 for a brand-name wrap -- I picked the cheap option) to use while my baby was little. My sister-in-law also snagged us a free Baby Bjorn (not such a fan) and we got an ERGObaby Four Position 360 Baby Carrier
(LOVE!) as our baby started getting heavier and harder to carry in the wrap.
(LOVE!) as our baby started getting heavier and harder to carry in the wrap.
It's been almost seven months now and guess what? I still love babywearing. And I want to share some of the reasons why.
1. It keeps my baby close and snug
When my baby was first born I was ridiculously anxious when she was anywhere but in my arms. My husband used to try to take her so I could get some sleep but I'd spend the whole time worrying about her instead (anyone else hear phantom babies crying?). Even now that she's a lot bigger I don't like leaving her. Babywearing lets me keep my baby close and snug where I know she's safe and happy. Goodbye mommy anxiety.
2. SHE feels safe and secure
There's nothing quite like a ride in the baby carrier to calm my little one down when she's upset. Ever since she was just a few weeks old I've been using our baby wrap or carrier to help soothe my baby. When she was teeny tiny I think the wrap reminded her of being in the womb -- she was snug and close to mom -- and she'd always calm right down as I walked with her. Now that she's a little older, I think she knows that when she's in the baby carrier she's safe and secure and that mama isn't going anywhere. The rocking motion created by walking or swaying side to side has always helped soothe her to sleep, too.
Which leads me to....
3. She takes the most awesome naps
There are basically two ways I put my baby to sleep at this point in her life. She usually either falls asleep nursing or I put her in the carrier and gently rock her to sleep. She can't resist the side to side sway. Sometimes I try to take her out and put her in her bed but I usually just leave her in the carrier. In her bed she'll usually nap for 30-45 minutes. In the carrier it's usually somewhere around two hours. Which would you choose?
4. It gives me my hands back
When I asked parents in a Facebook group I'm in what they love most about babywearing A LOT of them said "getting things done!" Whether she's asleep or not, wearing my baby is a wonderful way to be hands free while still keeping my baby close. I can do my grocery shopping in peace (the few times we tried leaving her in her car seat she pitched an absolute conniption fit), I can do the dishes, work on my blog (yup, I'm wearing my sleeping baby right now), bake, clean, etc. So far I haven't really tried cooking while wearing her but once I'm comfortable wearing her on my back I'll probably try that, too. I know a lot of moms love to cook with their babies.
 |
| Check out this mama getting work done with her baby snoozing happily on her back |
Another mom I talked to said babywearing made the transition from one child to two a lot easier on both her and her older child. She loved that she could keep her newborn close while still being able to play with her older son.
5. Helps deepen your bond
Wearing your baby is an incredible way to help deepen your bond. Not only is it easier to respond to your little one's cues, being in physical contact with your baby releases oxytocin, or the "love hormone," helping trigger feelings of love and connection to your child. In The Second Nine Months, an article about babies' need to be held, Elizabeth Antunovic writes,
"Our silent and most potent language, touch, is the medium through which parent and infant communicate and become attached, each tender touch strengthening the bond between them... She is not bonded to material things like a stuff animal to hug, a soft blanket to cuddle, or an artificial nipple, but she looks to her mother or a real person for comfort."
"Our silent and most potent language, touch, is the medium through which parent and infant communicate and become attached, each tender touch strengthening the bond between them... She is not bonded to material things like a stuff animal to hug, a soft blanket to cuddle, or an artificial nipple, but she looks to her mother or a real person for comfort."
Babywearing isn't just for mom, either. Dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings (if they're old enough) and other caregivers can get in on the action, too. Some adoptive parents have also found babywearing to be a beautiful way to bond with their baby.
 |
| Check out this sweet grandmother bonding with her granddaughter in a stretchy wrap. She says. "I have only had a very small amount of time with her since she's been born, but it was very beneficial to our bonding." |
 |
| Snapped this one while I was working in Mali, West Africa where older daughters often take charge of their younger brothers and sisters. In both Mali and Ghana, I rarely saw a baby NOT strapped securely to someone's back |
6. It helps keep me healthy
Babywearing is great for both your physical and emotional health. Not only has it been found to help prevent or treat postpartum depression, it also helps with anxiety and builds confidence in new parents. Although I didn't struggle with postpartum depression, I definitely experienced anxiety and sadness at times. Because babywearing helps keep my baby calm and happy, it helped me feel more confident as I learned to meet her needs and respond to her cues. Babywearing is also great exercise. It's like lugging a 7-35 pound weight around with you all the time! Because your baby is kept so close it can also help encourage lactation, too.
7. Improves communication (and less crying!)
Keeping my baby close makes it easier to read and respond quickly to her cues. Because I can respond immediately to her cues, it also means my baby doesn't have to cry out to get my attention. Plus, she tends to be very calm and happy when I wear her anyways (see #2) In fact, a lot of babywearing mamas I've talked to say their babies hardly cry at all. According Antunovic this also helps to build trust and confidence in babies:
"When a baby is held close to her mother, her cues are easier to read. Communication between them is made easier. When her cues are responded to, she learns that she can 'trust' that her needs will be met, that she is loved and will be provided for. This sets the foundation for her fundamental self-esteem and the foundation for all subsequent relationships that she will have in her life."
8. It's so much easier to get around
I don't know about you, but I kind of find strollers to be a big pain. I know they have their uses, especially when your baby gets too big to carry, but at this point in my baby's life, I hardly ever use ours. And who wants to lug a baby around in a big heavy car seat? I just find it so much easier to use our baby carrier. She's a lot happier (see #2), I'm a lot happier (see #1-7) and I don't have to fight through crowds or worry about uneven terrain. It's just me and my baby, happy, snug and safe.
We recently traveled to visit my family over the holidays. Wearing my baby made the proccess so much easier. First off, I had two hands to manage my luggage (see #4). Security was a breeze. I didn't have to worry about gate checking a stroller and I didn't have to stand around waiting for said stroller to be brought up when we landed. And I had a safe and secure place to keep my "lap child" during our flight, too. As one mom told me, "In the past week, I got through four airports like a boss with my Tula [a brand of baby carriers]. The car rental lady was like 'usually parents are struggling with their kids and their stuff but you've got it together.'"
9. Breastfeeding handsfree
Okay, I only just tried for the first time a couple days ago but it was pretty awesome. It felt so empowering to be able to feed my baby AND get dinner ready AT THE SAME TIME. I am mama, hear me roar! I can see this being really handy while I'm out and about, too. Breastfeeding. Hands free. Standing up. Bam!
Here's a quick and easy how-to video from the Leaky Boob. It's done with an Ergo but I'd think the same method would work with most soft structured carriers (SSCs like Ergos, Bobas, Beccos, Tulas, Lillebaby, etc).
Here's a quick and easy how-to video from the Leaky Boob. It's done with an Ergo but I'd think the same method would work with most soft structured carriers (SSCs like Ergos, Bobas, Beccos, Tulas, Lillebaby, etc).
Anybody else want a top like that?
10. Provides more opportunities for learning
Babywearing gives my little one a safe place to view and interact with the world around us. She can watch as I chop veggies, or point out a pretty flower on our walk as we explore the world together. She can observe and process what's happening around her -- all from the safety of mama's arms (or well, mama's chest really but that just sounds kind of awkward). As Antunovic explains,
"When carried in her mother's arms, the child gets a safe place from which to view the world, It is from this safe known place that babies learn about the unknown. When a baby is in a calm and alert state and in touch with her mother, she is in the optimum state for observing and processing all that is going on around her. These different opportunities for learning create the sparks for the neurons in her brain to grow and branch out and meet and intertwine with other neurons. The more these neurons grow and branch out, the greater the brain growth."
11. It's healthier for my baby
Babies need to be held. A lot. Neurologist Richard Restak goes as far as to say that, "Touch, it turns out, is as necessary to normal infant development as food and oxygen" (as quoted in The Second Nine Months). FOOD AND OXYGEN PEOPLE! It seems like more and more people, however, are simply moving their babies from one container to the next these days. Babies go from a swing to a bouncer to a car seat, to a play mat and then back to the swing again. Now, I'm not saying you have to hold your baby every second of every day or that you're a bad parent if you use a swing, bouncer, play mat or car sear (I've certainly used all of them) -- sometimes you've got things to do and you need your hands! Babywearing, however, offers another, potentially healthier avenue that allows you to touch, hold and snuggle your baby while also getting work done.
Added bonuses, since baby isn't spending a lot of time on his/her back, babywearing can help prevent flat head syndrome! I've heard babywearing is great for babies with acid reflux (keeps the baby upright) and it also helps keep prying, germy hands away, too! As cute as those "NO TOUCHING! Your germs are too BIG for me!" signs are, I'd rather just wear my baby. When I'm babywearing I've found that people tend to miraculously hold back more (I'm guessing because my baby is tucked away close to my chest). If they do still touch my baby, they're more likely to touch the wrap/carrier or maaaybe squeeze her little foot. I much prefer that to them pinching her cheeks or playing with her fingers.
Added bonuses, since baby isn't spending a lot of time on his/her back, babywearing can help prevent flat head syndrome! I've heard babywearing is great for babies with acid reflux (keeps the baby upright) and it also helps keep prying, germy hands away, too! As cute as those "NO TOUCHING! Your germs are too BIG for me!" signs are, I'd rather just wear my baby. When I'm babywearing I've found that people tend to miraculously hold back more (I'm guessing because my baby is tucked away close to my chest). If they do still touch my baby, they're more likely to touch the wrap/carrier or maaaybe squeeze her little foot. I much prefer that to them pinching her cheeks or playing with her fingers.
12. There's no better view!
There are few things that fill me with more love and joy than my sleeping baby's face. When I'm babywearing I love looking down her face rested on my chest, listening to her quiet little breaths. It really doesn't get much better than this
.jpg)
Those are my top 12 reasons for loving babywearing but what about you? Do you babywear? If so, what do you love most about it?
*** Although this post was not sponsored it does contain affiliate links. I make a small profit when you buy products from these links at no additional cost to you***
is currently $59.99 on Amazon), Safety 1st (the 
is currently $84.99 on Amazon), Evenflo (the 
(the 
is currently $109 on Amazon). 
or the 
. Both are great seats with easy install features. We ended up getting a smoking good deal on an older model of the Britax Boulevard, the 
. It doesn't have the cool ClickTight technology (which basically just makes it easier to install) but it's still a great seat. 
and added some new hardware. I relined the drawers using a cheap magenta polka dot wrapping paper I found at Target for about $2 and used 
(more about that later). If we would have bought the car seat and stroller separately (without coupons, promotions, etc) it would have cost about $360 ($190 for the 
, $170 for the 
). Buying them packaged together in a travel system (without coupons, promotions, etc) costs $280 -- saving you about $80 right off the bat. Another nice convenience and money saver -- with a travel system you can usually click your car seat right into the stroller (great with a sleepy newborn) WITHOUT paying an extra chunk of change for a car seat adaptor. Now I'm not saying you absolutely MUST buy a travel system, just know you'll likely end up paying a bit more if you don't. 
, a 
, heck even a 
was a little too much for us when you add on extra costs like a car seat adaptor) we decided a Chicco was probably our best bet -- not too expensive but still fairly good quality. I'd heard really great things about their KeyFit 30 car seat, too. Other more affordable brands include Britax, Graco, BabyTrend, EvenFlo and Safety 1st.
or the 
