7 Great Reasons to Carry Your Baby
1. Wearing a baby is practical
Carrying your baby in a sling makes your life easier!
When you carry a baby in a sling, you can walk around freely without any problems negotiating steps, crowds, or narrow aisles with a bulky pram or pushchair. Using public transport with a pram can be a nightmare, but with your baby in a sling it's easy.
Slings aren't just for trips out - carrying your baby in a sling around the house enables you to fulfil your baby's desire to be close to you while getting on with your life! You can get housework done while your baby watches and learns about the world.
A sling is also great for breastfeeding, it allows for discreet nursing in public places, and can block excess stimuli for distractible babies or toddlers. The close contact between mother and baby can also help increase lactation, and encourage baby to latch on if you're having problems with breastfeeding. A Simple ring sling is probably best for breastfeeding.
A sling can also double as a changing mat, blanket, or cushion when away from home.
2. Babies worn in slings are happier.
Studies have shown that the more babies are held, the less they cry and fuss. In many indigenous cultures where baby-wearing is the norm, babies often cry for only a few minutes a day - in contrast to Western babies, who often cry for hours each day.
Babies carried in slings spend more time in a state known as 'quiet alertness' when they are calmly observing and actively learning about their environment. Baby wearing is especially helpful for colicky or 'demanding' babies, who don't like to be put down, but even seemingly content babies will also benefit greatly from the warmth and security of being held close.
3. Carrying your baby helps you to bond and communicate with her.
When you carry your baby in a sling, we become finely attuned to her gestures and facial expressions. Babies who are carried in slings for a few hours a day seem to be able to communicate their needs to their parents without crying. A breastfeeding baby may simply squirm and turn towards her mother's breast to signal her hunger, and her mother is able to respond before the urgent 'feed me' cry begins. This instinctive communication enhances the mutual attachment between parent and child, and makes life more enjoyable for everyone.
When your baby is held in a sling, she is 'right there' to enjoy lots of affection and eye contact, which is important in developing a secure bond between parent and child.
4. Wearing a baby promotes physical development.
Some parents may worry that a baby who is carried all the time may be slow to learn to crawl or walk, but the opposite seems to be true. When a baby is carried in a sling, he is tuned in to the rhythm of her breathing, the sound of her heartbeat, and the movements his mother makes - walking, bending, and reaching. This helps him to regulate his own physical responses, and stimulates the vestibular system, which controls his balance and allows him to gain control over his own movements.
5. Slings are great for fathers, grandparents, and other carers.
Seeing my little girl snuggled up in a sling with her dad always makes me smile. Slings are a great way for dad (and grandparents or babysitters) to bond with and calm your baby. The baby is becoming used to his voice, heartbeat, movements, and facial expressions, and the two are forging a strong attachment of their own.
Many slings come in plain colours, and look great on dads too, and most are adjustable so they can be made to fit well whoever is using the sling.
6. Older babies and toddlers love being carried too!
Slings are most often associated with small babies, but they can be very useful for toddlers as well. All the slings I sell can comfortably carry children up to 35 or 40 pounds. The world can be overwhelming for toddlers, and they seem to feel more confident when they can retreat to the familiarity of mum and the sling when they need to. Being carried in a sling can help to soothe and comfort them when a tantrum is brewing (or after it's blown up!). Toddlers can also get a better view of the world from a sling that they would sat in a pushchair.
7. Carrying your baby is fun.
Who wouldn't want to cuddle a precious little baby? They grow up so quickly, carrying your baby in a sling is a great way to maximise the cuddles while you have the chance! When your baby is older, having her in the sling makes conversations easier and allows you to observe her reactions to everything she sees around her. It's also fun for baby, because when she is up at eye level, other adults notice and interact with her more. Try it, you'll love it!
