Mummyology

Its International Baby Wearing Week!

Ive joined up with some other fantastic bloggers to do this ‘I love Baby Wearing Blog Hop’. You can hop among our blogs and read lots of lovely posts on why we all enjoy wearing our babies and toddlers.

I started wearing Jake in a wrap when he was about 6 weeks old. I’d never heard of it, or seen it before. I had occasionally seen the fairly horrible strapped front facing carriers but never a wrap or sling, but when I realised Jake had silent reflux and that he generally just wanted to be with me a lot, I looked into ways to ‘help’ and through the Dr Sears website I came across the Moby Wrap. I bought one (in desperation!) and as soon as it arrived I tried it out and instantly loved it. Jake was being carried , close to me (skin to skin if I was at home and could take my shirt off), he was upright (which he loved, especially because of his reflux), AND I had my hands free to do all those *very important* things around the house. He slept in the wrap, even breastfed in the wrap, and we used it as an alternative to the pushchair. It was the best £40 we spent, without a doubt. When Poppy was born, I knew Id use the Moby again, but also wanted a pouch carrier to sling over my shoulder and pop her in whenever I wanted, and the Wallaboo sling is perfect for that; I can be close to Poppy always, she loves sleeping all curled up, and I can till play with Jake, cook dinner, etc…

Here’s 4 reasons why I baby wear, and love it!!

1. No Prams! 
I dont like prams. We do have a pushchair, that Jake goes for his naps in (we go for a walk everyday and he sleeps for a couple of hours), but other than that we don’t really use it. Prams are bulky, difficult to fit in the car, and are annoying to manoeuvre through crowds, doorways, and shops. They can be useful for shopping trips – to push the shopping around in – but generally Id really rather not have the fuss of one. Baby wearing and carrying is much easier; whether its with a baby snuggled up against your chest and/or a toddler on your back or your hip (Hipseats!). Plus prams dont go on the beach well, and we love the beach!

2. Happy Babies. 
Baby wearing helps settle fussiness in babies; it very closely replicates the womb environment; baby can hear your heart beat, smell your skin, feel you breathing, they are naturally soothed by your movement, and the sling or wrap swaddles baby comforting them. Babies want to be close to their Mammas! A tired baby will likely fall asleep in sling, an awake baby can see and take in their surroundings in a quiet state of alertness. Carrying baby with you for a few hours a day can calm their nerves, soothe colic and reflux, prevent over tiredness, relieve teething symptoms, help with separation anxiety, and generally makes for happy babies.

3. Free hands. 
Even with just one baby and no other children to run around with or after, sometimes we need free hands for necessary tasks or to retain some sanity. Cleaning, cooking, and laundry do need to be done (eventually!), other children need to be tended to, played with, read to, and cuddled. And you need to do things for yourself too, like put make up on, brush your hair, clean your teeth, do some art or photography! Baby wearing gives you free hands to do whatever you like, but still tending and being close to your baby! I take Jake to gymnastics class and we do lots of other things where I need my hands free for him and Poppy is always happy to sleep in the sling, or sit in it quietly watching what’s going on.

4. Cuddles. 
Lots of them. No further explanation needed 🙂

There are plenty of articles that detail more scientific benefits of baby wearing, such as better speech development, steadier heart rates, lower cortisol levels… but cuddles, free hands, a happy baby and not lugging a pram around are enough reasons for me. 🙂

Other stuff you might enjoy:

Attachment Parenting is Easy 10 Reasons Why Babies Don’t Sleep…. 10 reasons we LOVE babies Confessions: I love my kids but… Birth, baby and beyond…THE BIG LIST 5 Ways to Turn Your Day Around Find Your Post-baby Outer Beauty How to make a baby – part one