What is babywearing?
Babywearing simply means carrying your child in a sling, wrap, or other carrier. It is practiced universally, and has been for countless generations. It has become more popular in the United States in recent years, and a wide variety of baby carriers are now available....
What type of carrier is right for me?
The widespread availability of baby carriers may be intimidating to new parents. There's enough baby gear to wade through without throwing in a whole new vocabulary of baby carriers - ring sling, mei tie, rebozo - what are these things? All Wrapped Up is here to guide you through the process. We provide babywearing workshops and parties to help you sort through the types of carriers, try them on, learn the pros/cons of each, and choose what's best for you.
Questions we help you consider include:
1) How do you plan to use the carrier?
2) Who else plans to use it? Just you? Your spouse? Other caregivers?
3) How old is your child?
4) Do you have other children?
5) Is this your first time babywearing?
Questions we help you consider include:
1) How do you plan to use the carrier?
2) Who else plans to use it? Just you? Your spouse? Other caregivers?
3) How old is your child?
4) Do you have other children?
5) Is this your first time babywearing?
What are the benefits of babywearing*?
Babywearing with newborns: Babywearing is a greating bonding experience for babies and their caregivers. It helps new fathers comfort and soothe their newborns. It helps new mothers juggle the inevitable tasks of motherhood - how else could you make lunch and snuggle with your baby? It gives caregivers the freedom of bonding with, soothing, and taking great care of babies while hands-free. It also keeps baby out of germ's way in public - close to you, out of reach of well-meaning strangers!
Babywearing and postpartum depression: Babywearing creates a comfortable, safe way for mother and baby to bond without active participation by the mother. For women with postpartum depression, this enables healthy bonding without "burdening" them with active interaction.
Babywearing with infants:Keep your baby close to you, and your baby will be healthy and happy. That's the philosophy in a nutshell. Carried babies cry less, as found in a study published in Pediatrics journal. 43% less, to be exact - and 54% during evening hours. If that's not reason enough to try babywearing, we don't know what is! Babies who are held become attuned to their parent's breathing, heartbeat, etc. which helps them learn to regulate their own physical responses.
Babywearing with toddlers: Babywearing is a bit of a misnomer. Most carriers hold up to 35-40lbs, which is easily a 3 or 4 year old! Babywearing toddlers has a lot of benefits - once they start walking, it's a great way to keep them in one place when in a store or in your house! Toddlers love the view when walking around town, and it's great to be able to pick them up and carry them comfortably when they are tired of walking. Slings are great for navigating through airports and other busy places without worrying about your child's safety.
Babywearing in general: Staying hands-free while taking good care of your little one is a fantastic benefit of babywearing. If you have more than one child, being able to keep the baby close while paying attention to the older one(s) allows a busy parent to give each child the attention (s)he needs.
Babywearing and postpartum depression: Babywearing creates a comfortable, safe way for mother and baby to bond without active participation by the mother. For women with postpartum depression, this enables healthy bonding without "burdening" them with active interaction.
Babywearing with infants:Keep your baby close to you, and your baby will be healthy and happy. That's the philosophy in a nutshell. Carried babies cry less, as found in a study published in Pediatrics journal. 43% less, to be exact - and 54% during evening hours. If that's not reason enough to try babywearing, we don't know what is! Babies who are held become attuned to their parent's breathing, heartbeat, etc. which helps them learn to regulate their own physical responses.
Babywearing with toddlers: Babywearing is a bit of a misnomer. Most carriers hold up to 35-40lbs, which is easily a 3 or 4 year old! Babywearing toddlers has a lot of benefits - once they start walking, it's a great way to keep them in one place when in a store or in your house! Toddlers love the view when walking around town, and it's great to be able to pick them up and carry them comfortably when they are tired of walking. Slings are great for navigating through airports and other busy places without worrying about your child's safety.
Babywearing in general: Staying hands-free while taking good care of your little one is a fantastic benefit of babywearing. If you have more than one child, being able to keep the baby close while paying attention to the older one(s) allows a busy parent to give each child the attention (s)he needs.
Babywearing Resources
Babywearing International
Slingbabies - New York's Capital Region Babywearing International Chapter
The BabyWearer - chat and forums to discuss babywearing
Increased Carrying Reduces Infant Crying: A Randomized Controlled Trial: original article.
Attachment Parenting International: resource for all aspects of attachment parenting, including babywearing.
Slingbabies - New York's Capital Region Babywearing International Chapter
The BabyWearer - chat and forums to discuss babywearing
Increased Carrying Reduces Infant Crying: A Randomized Controlled Trial: original article.
Attachment Parenting International: resource for all aspects of attachment parenting, including babywearing.
**The above sections are adapted from Babywearing International. More information can be found here.