10 Reasons to Start Baby Wearing
As a parent, you would naturally love your little one by all your heart. But, sometimes they can be quite a handful, especially if you don’t know how to react or treat them.
If there is a magic genie granting you a wish, as a parent, you probably want to know what’s the secret to making your baby cry less?
Well, worry no more! The answer is babywearing! Yeah, you read that right. It does not only help your baby cry less, but it also helps them sleep and learn better. Amazing right?
Let’s learn a bit more about babywearing!
What Is Baby Wearing
According to Maria Blois, an author of a parenting book, babywearing is the practice of carrying a baby in a soft carrier close to our body as we go about our daily business usually using a baby sling wrap.
There are probably a lot of reasons why people use a baby wrap, either for the baby or the parent’s convenience. But right now, we are gonna tell you top reasons why you should use a baby wrapping:
Reasons To Baby Wrap
Baby will be more calm and content and happier
According to Dr. William Sears, a pediatrician, wearing your baby in a cloth carrier leads to happy and emotionally well-balanced children.
When a baby is held in a carrier/wrap, they tend to cry and fuss less, like only a few minutes a day.
This should be an important factor to look at because not only crying is exhausting for both baby and parent, but it can cause long term damage because the baby’s brain is flooded with stress hormones.
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Baby will cry less
When babies are close to their parents, they will feel more secure and safe in your arms, rather when they are in their crib alone. Thus, they will not cry much.alone. Thus, they will n
You also have to learn to respond attentively to your baby’s cries. There is a study that showed children need touching and attention. If a baby is often left to cry alone, they will develop to be more susceptible to stress in their future lives.
Baby will sleep more peacefully
Babies tend to sleep more easily and peacefully when they sleep in wrap close to you.
Research shows that babies with positive sleep associations (i.e. being close to you when that’s what they need) will more easily develop healthy independent sleep habits when they’re older.
Baby will nurse better
Because they are being held close to the mother, it will be easier to breastfeed the baby.
By having a baby up close to the breast, hormones are being released in the mother’s body that can encourage milk supply, even if the baby isn’t nursing
Baby will gain weight better
When you put your baby in a carrier, they will have close contact with you all the time. All that close contact inspires baby’s systems to work more proficiently and successfully.
As an outcome, baby wearing lays the groundwork for reinforced brain development, making babies smarter. Developed brains sleep better, and all that extra work taken off baby’s plate gives them more energy to gain weight rather than focus on their brain and sleep
Baby will enjoy better digestion
This happens because when you move, the baby carrier also moves as one unit of the movement. This will lead to helps the movement of the baby’s digestive tract.
When carried in an upright position, snug against your body, many babies find it easier to digest more comfortably. This will also lead to less colic or reflux.
It is convenient
The main reason parent chooses this is for the convenience factor. When you carry your baby in a sling, both of your hands are free, this means you can walk around freely! You don’t need to worry about having to make a way for your baby stroller when in crowds.
You don’t have to buy an expensive car seat that is heavy. Or you don’t have to bring a changing pad, blanket or cushion because you can use the wrap to do it!
Enhances parent and baby bonding
By wearing a baby wrap, it will promote more physical development and bonding too. Because your baby will be in tune with the rhythm of your breathing, your heartbeat, and the movement you make.
You will also be able to communicate with each other freely and able to read your baby cues more often. You will become finely attuned to their gestures and facial expressions. Thus, it will make you and the baby feel closer to each other.
Using a baby carrier will minimize parent-child separation. As Dr. William Sears encourages parents to fully accept their babies’ dependency needs, this could also be a way to enhance parent-child bonding.
Facilitates breastfeeding
Wearing a sling when you still breastfeed can be a lifesaver! Not only it can block out excess stimuli, but it also allows for discreet nursing in public places!
Another tip is that you should breastfeed according to your baby’s cues instead of a schedule.
Makes transitions easier
Imagine using a stroller, and have so many things to bring such as cloth, changing pad, a car seat and other things you buy but awkward to use.
As it can be used by anyone, not just the mother, it does not only make transitions easier, but it is a good bonding tool for the family.
Baby Wrap For Newborn
Some of the new parents have a misconception that babywearing is for an older baby, not for infants. Well, the truth is babywearing can begin from birth up to four years old. Or when both parents and children are comfortable.
If you choose to use baby wrap right from the start, tuck your baby close to your chest because they cannot support their head yet. So, do a front wrap position, to make sure it is secure.
When they reach the age of six months, you can start wearing your baby on the back, as they have developed neck support.
However, if your baby was born with a low birth weight due to being premature or a twin, or if your baby has a respiratory illness or other respiratory problems, you should always consult a professional about the best way to babywear. These babies require a little more care at the beginning.
Baby wrap for toddler
As mentioned above, babywearing can end when both of the parents or children aren’t comfortable.
This can mean when the child becomes too heavy, or when the child no longer enjoys being carried.
Usually, a carrier will have no trouble supporting children up to 20 kgs (or 44 lbs), which is about three to four years of age.
Baby Wrap For Person With Back Pain
You probably hear or read a lot of questions about which wrap that wouldn’t cause back pain.
Well, according to Anna, a trained babywearing consultant, using a sling/wrap should never hurt and it should fit perfectly.
Why can it hurt?
Because of misalignment!
Carrying a baby in arms without support prevents pelvic – shoulder – spine alignment. This misalignment, resulting in muscle tension and discomfort, is very often picked up on by the baby too.
On the other hand, a correctly fitted and adjusted wrap brings you back to normal, natural walking – while keeping your baby close.
Correct wearing activates your core and pelvic floor muscles (men have them too!), thus strengthening them, stabilizing, and straightening your body.
How?
You have to create a correct posture and use a well-fit wrap!
A well-fitting and correctly used wrap spread your baby’s weight evenly across your body, allowing your muscles to relax and you to stand up tall. Here are a few tips to prevent back pain from Elaine Falzon, a physiotherapist :
- Make a position where the baby is higher up on your body. To measure this your baby have to be close enough to kiss. This will make it easier on your back because the baby weights will not pull the shoulder too forward and resulting in a compensatory protruding neck.
- Make a position where the baby is closer to your body. This will make it lighter and reduce strain on your back. To do this, make sure your carrier is not left loose. Because if it does, the baby will lean away and causing unevenness in the distribution of weight, causing low back pain
- Choose a soft structured wrap that has a waistband. This will help to distribute baby weight evenly through the pelvis and lower limbs. It should fit tightly right over the hips in a horizontal position to prevent back pain.
- Always check the shoulder strap. You have to make sure the shoulder strap is fitted right and symmetrically. A loose or asymmetrically tightened shoulder straps will result in the baby being off-center. This will lead to muscle fatigue because the loading is only on one side of your neck and back
- Shift to back carry position. When you feel your child gets heavier (or around 10kg), its a good time to start the back carry position.
If you are looking for recommendations on baby sling wrap, be sure to check out the ones from Lazy Monk, and lastly, enjoy your babywearing journey! Published By Healthzigzag.com
