There is a reason there is a whole week dedicated to wearing babies- it rocks!!

 Babywearing, or wearing your child around in a carrier, was a saving grace for me as a working mother. There are so many incredible benefits to wearing our babies, keeping them close, finding independence while our child finds comfort. I could rave on and on, but I thought it would be easier if I broke down a little more factually, why Babywearing does indeed, “rock”.

1. The Fourth Trimester 
2. Childs Health
3. Nursing Benefits
4. Hands Free Parenting

food spoils, babies don’t. Hold them, wear them, keep them close

1. The Fourth Trimester

Birth may seem like the separation of infant and mother, but babies need anything but separation. There is a whole Theory surrounding human infants and the need for a fourth trimester, the first three months post-partum. It has to do with a mammals normal gestational period and humans evolving to bipedal creatures and our sweet babies heads being too big for our hips to carry “full term”, so they are born before they are ready. (Think of a foal, Having a 12 month gestation, being able to walk within an hour of birth.)

Basically, for the first three months, babies are what I like to think of as “womb sick.” They miss their safe, warm, snug home and they need that recreation.  So soak in those babies who “only want to be held”.  It’s totally normal, and eventually will ease. Not that it makes it easier. I read, I experienced, I knew, and I was still so dismayed at how much my son just wanted to be held. 

Wearing your newborn (bonus for skin-to-skin) helps recreate that womb-like feel to them. It aids in regulating their body temperature, enhances parental bonding, can stabilize their heartrate, and enhances growth and weight gain. 

2. Childs Health

teething, cranky toddler? Mei Tai to the rescue!

Babies who are routinely carried are shown to cry 43% less during the day, and 54% less during those evening bewitching hours (the study states evening hours from 4pm- 12am) 
I marveled at what a happy boy my son was, particularly in comparison to my sweet sensitive girl my daughter was. His bewitching was minimal, if my son was held, he was happy. Some friends attributed it to “well goodness knows you know what you are doing.” But honestly, I attribute his happy demeanor at such a young age to the ease and comfort of being worn.

Baby wearing, carrying your child upright, also can also help ease the acid reflux that approximately 50% of all babies get. 

Holding your child frequently also helps keep baby from getting those dreaded flat or bald spots a lot of infants get from spending too much time in seats and swings. 

Worn babies can lead to happier, healthier babies! (Which leads to happier, more peaceful parents!)

3. Nursing Benefits 

Studies have shown that keeping a baby close to his nursing mother can help aide in mothers milk production. It’s part of why they say nursing a baby on demand, even to be used as a “pacifier” is actually encouraged. The more skin and closeness babies have to mom, the more that physiogical connection will tell moms body to make milk for baby. This is great news for many moms who feel they struggle with “supply” issues. Keep that baby close, wearing him, is a wonderful way to keep up with milk production. 

The other bonus to babywearing with a breastfeeding mother is that in many carriers, Mother can actually nurse baby, discreetly and hands free! It’s a wonderful way for a mom who doesn’t feel comfortable nursing in public to nurse discreetly. Just be sure to warn your brother who comes to take a gander at baby in the carrier that he’s going to get an eyeful! (Not that I know that from experience, *cough cough*) 

Do not get discouraged if this is something you and baby cannot master the first time around. Like most things, it does take practice. It also helps to ensure baby has decent head control. I practiced with little man in my Lillebaby around my home and in my yard before I felt comfortable trying it out in public, and even now it takes some getting used to. I also advise you wait until you pass the sore nipple phase of nursing. 

At almost 4 months of age, we are babywearing converts. we are trying out a ring sling for the first time. Trust me, he is more impressed than he looks!

4. Hands Free

The hands-free benefit of wearing my son was the thing that probably drew me to it the most. When I realized how comfortable, how easy it was to “wear” my son once I found a great carrier, I was a total convert. 

Running an in home daycare, I only took two weeks of maternity leave before my Littles came back and I started working again. One of my biggest anxieties was being able to juggle the pressures and bonding of a newborn while caring for five other children during the day. 

• Babywearing saved me. I found I could keep my son close, happy, fed, and still be able to give my kids everything they needed, AND (semi) kept up with the house! I can’t even recall, in my sleep deprived delirium, how many times I told me husband “how did we raise Imp without our Lillebaby?” 

Even my husband was a convert after that.

Is didn’t hurt that it makes us feel like super-parents. 
Have you ever had experiences “wearing” your children? What are your thoughts on wearing all the babies? How were you introduced to the world if babywearing? 

Share with us your thoughts and experiences with wearing your children! 

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post Babies: the Cutest Thing You’ll Ever Wear appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Getting into babywearing can be overwhelming; the various carrier types can make it difficult to take the plunge into the babywearing world! There are so many things to consider: the functionality of the carrier for your family, your budget, your body type, your preference of brand, etc. So, to kick off International Babywearing Week, I am going to start with the various carrier types.

Buckled Carrier or Soft Structured Carrier (SSC)

Carriers like Ergo, Beco, Tula, Kinderpack, etc. These carriers are fully structured and fasten onto the body using buckles (hence the name). They are quick and convenient to get the baby on and off. Some buckle carriers are able to accommodate a newborn (like the beco Gemini) but most require an infant insert or a cleverly rolled receiving blanket under the newborns bum. Different brands fit different ways, some brands are great for some body types while uncomfortable for other body types. Soft structured carriers are typically made from cotton or canvas (although some are converted from woven wraps) with padded waists and shoulders. Buckle carriers are a very practical (and conventional) gateway into babywearing.

Soft Structured Carrier (or) Buckle Carrier ~ Toddler Tula Oscha Koi Mythic

Woven Wraps

Carriers like kokadi, tekhni, natibaby, pavo, etc. Woven fabrics of various materials form a continuous, long fabric wrap. Woven wraps can be made from cotton, silk, hemp, bamboo, linen, wool or blends of these listed materials. Wovens are “sized”, ranging from 2 meters (size one) to 6 meters (size eight). Different sizes enable you to wrap in different ways. Woven wraps are great for newborn to preschool age. They provide amazing support and snuggly comfort for baby, while allowing you to find the right carry for your body type and comfort level. Woven wraps have a learning curve, they require patience and practice to get it right, tight and comfortable. But! Once you get it, they are extremely supportive, snug and allow you to get creative with your babywearing.

Woven Wraps
Didymos Indio Mermaid ~ Tula Golden Slumbers ~ Tekhni Meandros Petra ~ Kokadi Mandalina Ice ~ Kokadi Elias im Wunderland

Ring Sling

Ring slings are similar to woven wraps in terms of material and support (and brand). They are one shoulder slings fastened with metal rings that keep the fabric in place. They are quick to get baby on and off, like a soft structured carrier, but provide more of a personal fit and the snuggly comfort for baby, like a woven wrap (since it usually the same materials). They typically come in a small, medium and large or one size. The size will depend on your body type and how long you like the left over tail from the shoulder, to be. The one shoulder style can be hard on someone with back problems. Despite this, they are a great place to start. With ease of use on your side, you can get a feel for different materials without yet jumping into the overwhelming world of woven wraps (until you are ready, of course).

Ring Sling ~ Sakura Bloom Pink Sand

Mei Tai

Carriers like infantino, babyhawk, freehand, bamberoo, etc. Mei Tai’s provide the ease of soft structure carriers with some of the dynamic abilities of a wrap. The body panel resembles a SSC with floppy fabric straps that allow you to wrap around your body for added comfort and support. With a mei tai, you need to consider what you will want to use it for, for example, having the option of back carrying, to take into consideration strap length for your needs. The fabric is typically cotton, although there are some constructed from woven wrap material. They are breathable, customizable and a great option in between a soft structured carrier and a wrap.

Mei Tai
Babyhawk Sailor Sparrow Grey (taken from babyhawk.com)

Pouch Sling

Carriers like comfy joey, hotslings, slinglings, and zolowear. Pouch slings are exactly like they sound, a pouch style where you pop the baby in and out. Typically they use one shoulder and have many of the same capabilities of a ring sling. The main difference here is sizing. Pouch slings require you to choose a size, which is not always easy to do. Each manufacturer has different guidelines in how they size and careful attention should be paid to these guidelines to end up with the correct fit. They are very easy to use, once the sizing is right and another very typical gateway into babywearing.

Pouch Sling

Stretchy Wrap

Carriers like moby, boba, k’tan, etc. Stretchy wraps are probably the most typical way a family finds themselves introduced into babywearing. This is a long fabric wrap, like a woven, but it is made from a stretchy material. These are great for newborns, kangaroo care with preemies, and twins (since you can wear both in the one wrap). They are easy to learn to use and very forgiving in the early learning stages. While they are great in the early days, you will find that they are not supportive enough for older babies, as stretch does not allow a lot of comfort with so much weight. Also, you cannot do a back carry with stretchy wraps, therefore these are typically short term wraps for the fresh baby stage.

Stretchy Wrap
Moby ~ Tree (taken from mobywrap.com)

Now, we have covered the basic carrier knowledge, the different types with some pros and cons to each. Throughout the week, we will have posts talking about different carriers, ways to travel while babywearing, benefits of babywearing and different cultures that have long time ties to babywearing. At the end of this week, I will come back to discuss some tips on how to pick a carrier for your body type, which is by far the most important thing when it comes to babywearing. If you and your baby are not comfortable in the right carrier for you both, then you will not be able to enjoy all the great things that the babywearing world has to offer.

We love babywearing!
Tekhni Meandros Seaglass

We want to hear about your babywearing experiences! Do you babywear? What are your favorite carriers?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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Samantha Sykula

Born and raised in NY, I studied speech and language pathology at NYU. I am a stay at home mom to two beautiful children, Richard and Charlotte and wife to my wonderful husband, Rich. I have always had a deep love for learning, which has grown further since becoming a mother, I am always looking for new ways to enrich our lives. Becoming a mother changed my life, I learned compassion, caring and most importantly, true love. I hope to share the experiences of my breastfeeding, cloth diapering, babywearing, crocheting, full of love, life.

The post International Babywearing Week appeared first on Breastfeeding World.