I had to come back with a blog about babywearing :)
Sling, wrap, carrier, pouch – whatever you call them, there are so many benefits.
Our third baby (!) arrived in one of the many lockdowns of 2020 and babywearing has been (and still is) a big part of our every day.
A lot of friends continue to come up to me to ask about baby carrying. This made me think of the many positives for the baby and the wearer. It doesn’t just replace the pram to go for a walk...
So here are my 15 benefits - but there are more. Feel free to let me know your ideas!
- Handsfree
A newborn wants to be held a lot. So when you need to do something you put your wrap on. Then you're ready for whatever task – eating with two hands (clearly very important!), light exercise, household tasks, playing with older kids, and even work - Fussy
When a baby is fussy/upset/crying and they’re not hungry then putting them in a carrier will calm them down after a bit of a dance around with them initially - Napping
Getting a baby to sleep in their own bed is a lot of work (but definitely worthwhile to persevere), so putting baby in a carrier will help with naps if the cot isn’t working yet - Mobility
You’re very mobile with a carrier, for example: - Shops often have tricky access: steps, narrow doorway, and narrow spaces inside. With baby carrying you can get into any shop and browse without knocking items off the racks!
- You can run after a bigger child when the little one is in a carrier
- The hands-free element needs to be emphasised again - it gives so much mobility
- Running late
I had to get this in, as this is often me! With baby in a carrier you can get out quickly and save precious time to get where you need to! - Escalators
Escalators can be dangerous with a pram, so you either have to hold baby in one arm and the pram in the other hand, or find a lift – often a huge detour - Hiking
It's a no brainer that you can only go hiking with baby in a carrier! - Travelling
Baby wearing is your go-to solution when travelling/city-breaking with a baby - historical stone steps (albeit beautiful - not buggy-friendly), rocky terrain, narrow pavements, huge steps, pot holes, or the dreaded escalators again... - Flat head
Now that newborn babies exclusively sleep on their backs and are often put on their back when awake, a baby’s skull can flatten. So having baby in a wrap for some time every day avoids this - Breastfeeding
You can breastfeed a baby in a sling. Simply adjust according to baby’s position - Small age gap/twins
You may not fancy taking out a double buggy. All you need is a small pram and a carrier - Blanket
You can spread your wrap out on the ground and use it as an impromptu blanket - Give your arms a rest
It's also beneficial to give your arms/hands a rest and avoid bad posture/aches when you hold baby in your arms a lot - Wash
You can easily wash your carrier for plenty more uses to come - More cuddles!
When you carry baby in a sling you get lots of extra cuddles - you and baby will love the contact
Options
Okay, the plethora of benefits are clear. So which carrier should you go for? I personally have several:
- A classic ring sling is extremely easy to put on, adjust and is comfortable. I’ve had the Maya Wrap for seven years now. I also like the October Star ring sling, which uses lovely material with beautiful colours
- A hip carrier – this is for babies who can sit up well, because it is literally a band that goes from shoulder to waist without any knots, wraps or ties. I have the NeoBulle (see picture above!)
- An ergonomic baby carrier. I have the Ergobaby carrier, which is great because the baby has its legs on either side of your body. It's really handy for a holiday with lots of walking and/or hiking involved
Ring-sling tips
Over the years I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to put a
ring sling on. They’re really easy to fit, but they are also easily badly put on and will result in aches.
There are plenty of videos out there of how to wear a ring sling. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll
have your baby ready to go in -literally- seconds!
A few things to bear in mind...
For a newborn baby:
- Put baby on a baby blanket on the floor whilst you prepare the sling
- Make sure you support baby’s head with your free hand until baby is snugly in
- You can put a newborn’s feet either tucked up in the sling or out of the sling - wide to the side
- Feet in – make a little pouch that you sit your baby into
- Feet out – once baby’s legs are out wide pull the fabric up to its belly so that baby can sit securely and cosily
- Make sure that the ring sits just below your shoulder and not too far down
- For head support - use the tail of the wrap and tuck it under the top of the fabric going across
- When baby is small then sit down to take baby out over the top
For an older baby (six months+):
- The top of the wrap can be much lower on baby’s back so they can look around
- You can adjust the wrap at any time – if the wrap feels uncomfortable, or if baby has fallen asleep and you want to support its head again
- When you don’t use the tail for head support you can pinch it through the ring to keep the fabric out of the way
That's it, happy carrying!
