Is Babywearing for You?
When someone talks about baby wearing what is the first image that comes to mind? If you think of a primitive woman strapping her baby on her back so that she can get back to the fields, then you are almost right. Except that this skill is alive and well with modern women (and men!) in the United States today!
Everyone loves holding babies. They’re adorable, and they smell good, and they have the cutest expressions as they begin to take in their surroundings. But what do you do when the desire to hold your baby close collides with the need to carry on with your other responsibilities? One option is to baby wear.
Baby wearing allows you to continue to hold your baby close, only now you have your hands free to make yourself a snack, throw in a load of laundry, or chase after your older children. It’s not just a good option for around the house, either. When babies are tiny, it’s pretty easy to just carry them around in their car seat when you go out. As they get larger, this becomes more like an arm workout. It is much easier (and less strenuous) to wear the baby out and about.
There are lots of other bonuses to baby wearing as well. It can reduce colic. When done correctly, baby wearing helps promote healthy hip bone development. It gives you more bonding time with your baby. Baby wearing can decrease postpartum depression. It can help you burn off baby weight. By keeping baby on your body, it also helps to keep strangers (and their germs) away from your baby.
There are many different kinds of carriers: soft structured carriers, like the Ergo or Tula; mei dai, wraps, slings. There are many different groups on Facebook that can provide tips and more information. Locally, there is a Canton Babywearers group that has both a Facebook page and offers meetings where you can socialize and try out the different carrier styles from their lending library of carriers.