The Benefits of Babywearing

By Jasna Cameron

I cannot begin to describe the happiness and relief I felt as the new mom of a three-month-old baby when I discovered the miracle of babywearing. Yes, wearing my baby wrapped around my body was the best fashion statement I had ever made. It gave me back my freedom and flexibility, and I will always be a strong proponent of this practice.

There are so many benefits of babywearing, over and above the ones I experienced, so I began exploring in what other ways it could change young mothers' lives for the better.

As with every aspect of motherhood, there are different opinions and opposing camps.

For example, my one friend heard of a baby having been severely injured from having fallen out of its mother's sling in her local supermarket. My other friend added that she recalled hearing that some babies have died of suffocation (positional asphyxiation) while in the sling. While there is some merit to the concerns about using a baby carrier, the correct usage and adherence to specific guidelines will keep your baby safe.

Always follow the TICKS guidelines on using the baby carrier correctly and safely:

• Tight: Keep your baby snug your baby really close so that means no loose fabric to allow your baby to slump down. It must be quite tight.

• In view at all times: Ensure that your baby's face is always visible.

• Close enough to kiss: Keep your baby's face close enough to your chin to kiss it. This will ensure that your baby won't be sliding down the carrier.

• Keep chin off the chest: If your baby's chin is forced onto their chest, they will have difficulty breathing.

• Supported back: The baby's back must be supported in a natural position in an upright carrier with its tummy and chest up against you.

What are the advantages of babywearing?

The advantages of babywearing are twofold: they benefit both moms and babies. It has both physical and emotional benefits.

Emotional and cognitive benefits for the baby

Babies that are "worn" in a carrier benefit on an emotional level because they crave close contact with their caregivers. Studies have shown that it can lead to 43% less crying, especially in the late hours of the day when they may be exhausted. Babies feel more comforted and cry less when carried closely. According to extensive research, it has been confirmed that the more babies cry, the more stressed they are, which increases their cortisol levels. Increased cortisol levels have a detrimental effect on neurological development in infants. To put it simply, happy, comforted babies experience better neural development. Happy, comforted babies also cry less and sleep more, allowing their brains to develop faster. They also have more content and well-rested parents.

Ask any mother that has had to deal with a colicky baby. Only soothing practices which involve a lot of carrying the baby in your arms are known to ease the constant cries. Carrying your baby in a sling is the next best thing.

But not only that, if you hold your baby in a sling or a carrier, she can be highly stimulated by the changes in her environment (while feeling safe and nurtured in close contact with her mother's body), so the cognitive development is enhanced. Language skills are also given an extra boost because she hears you talking, and she will eventually try to mimic the sounds.

Emotional benefits for the mother

It also does wonders for the mother's emotional stability as it helps with post-natal depression by promoting a close physical bond between mother and child. This close contact stimulates the production of oxytocin, which reduces negative feelings and helps with breastfeeding.

Physical benefits for the baby

On a physical level, babies who spend less time on their backs in their cribs or strollers don't have to worry about plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome. They also develop strong, healthy hips if carried correctly instead of being swaddled most of the time.

Physical benefits for the mother

For mothers, the physical advantages are best understood and appreciated through the increased flexibility of movement you gain by freeing your arms and walking everywhere without a pram.

Trying to maneuver the London underground with a pram while on a short visit was an experience I would rather forget. The countless stairs and narrow lifts made it almost impossible. Getting into a car or a bus also took forever. With the carrier, my child became like an extension of my own body, and it gave me back freedom of movement and time! Oh, the gift of time! My speed and mobility in comparison to my pram days were unbelievable! Even something as simple as grocery shopping was a mission with the pram. How do you push a pram and a shopping trolley simultaneously? Baby carrier to the rescue!

You can even exercise and work on losing weight while having your baby close to your body. One of my favorite tricks was doing squats and lunges. My daughter loved the movement, and my buttocks benefited from the extra weight.

There are countless advantages of multitasking that babywearing enables. Another mom friend boasted about holding both her kids' hands while crossing the road, having five-month-old Ben safely cuddled close enough to her body to kiss his little head while walking.

Additionally, carrying a baby all day long is tiring and can be very sore on your arms and wrists. The extra pressure from lifting and holding the baby can result in a condition known as de Quervain's tenosynovitis, commonly known as mother's wrist or baby's wrist. I developed this condition shortly after my daughter was born, but my arms and wrists recovered very quickly after discovering the charms of babywearing.

Breastfeeding made eas(ier)

The most significant advantage of the babywearing practice was how convenient the breastfeeding process became. Even when we were out in public, it took only a few simple moves to enable my daughter to latch, and it was so subtle that no one around us would even notice. Her food source was always right in her face! This is a bonus, especially for preemie babies.

Some moms have even reported a noticeable increase in their milk supply due to more skin-to-skin contact with their babies and the so-called kangaroo effect.

Conclusion

The pros of babywearing far outweigh the cons. Slings are easy on your body and will not hurt your back as they are actually created to be very comfortable for you and your baby. They are very simple to use and babies don’t fall out of them easily (as much as they fall out of prams or car seats).

Babywearing is not a fad that will pass. It has been around for centuries in many different forms across different cultures, from the North American Indians to the traditional kanga cloth wraps in Kenya, and it will likely remain a fad for many centuries to come.