Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Why Use a Baby Sling or Carrier?

Why should you use a baby sling? There are so many baby seats on the market - why bother with something that keeps your baby strapped to you?

Well for starters your baby wants to be with you! Babies love to be close to other people. They were created to be soft and cozy to hold.

Some babies are content to be put down in an infant seat or a bouncer, but other babies do not like it!

Wearing your baby in a baby sling or other carrier allows you to have your hands free and your baby close to you!

Mama is Home

You worked hard to have a healthy pregnancy and birth for your baby. Now you want to do everything you can to stay connected with him.

Babywearing keeps your baby close to your heart - literally. You'll be able to pick up on everything that is going on with your baby. It's amazing to carry your baby on your body. His soft form nestled against you will make you melt.

Your baby will be secure. As a newborn he will feel safe and sheltered. The world can be a noisy, overwhelming place. Being in the baby sling or carrier gives your infant a prime view of the world while still being attached to you.

As your baby grows, he will be able to observe and interact from the world from the carrier - a place where he feels totally secure.

I Want to Get Something Done!

You may not want to put your baby down! But you may want to get some work done. With your child in a baby sling or carrier, you can go about your daily tasks. You can wash dishes or put away the laundry.

There are even times when you can wear your baby at work! Women from hairdressers to college professors have been able to wear their babies while they are working.

Some baby carriers allow you to carry older infants on your back. This can be especially useful for you as you are working. A back carry can allow you to do work that requires kneeling while keeping baby with you.

Some experts, such as Jean Liedloff, author of The Continuum Concept (read my review), and Dr. William Sears, author of many books, including The Baby Book, believe that it is healthy for a baby to have this "off center" place in the world.

Liedloff believes that babies and children are happier when they are able to be with adults but not the center of attention. She notes how babies in other cultures thrive on being in the baby sling while their mothers are taking care of daily business.

Learning Through Observation

Your baby gets a prime seat in life if you carry her. She can observe everything you do. Your baby enjoys being carried and seeing how you live, and you enjoy having a cozy baby in the carrier, completely content.

Before you know it your child will be up and imitating all the things he quietly watched you do. He'll be speaking the words he's heard you use as you talked throughout the day. Babywearing is an opportunity for your baby!

Relaxing for Baby - Relaxing for Mama

Your baby may like to be walked - a lot - and your arms are getting very tired! Babywearing is an answer to this.

If you have a fussy baby, wearing your baby can be the answer to a prayer. Getting out of the house for a brisk walk with your baby in a baby sling or carrier will do you both good.

Many babies fuss initially when they are put into a baby carrier, then calm down as movement begins. Movement soothes baby.

Once your baby is calm in the sling you can just go about your work - you don't have to rush anxiously, wondering if your baby will only sleep a few minutes in the swing or bouncer.

A baby carrier can allow you to nurse while you are walking around. Sometimes a fussy baby will be soothed by walking and nursing. You can then sit down and relax once the baby is off to sleep!

Some baby carriers allow you to gently lay your sleeping baby down still in the sling. This could mean the difference between a startled, crying baby and a baby still peacefully snoozing. Just lay your baby down and slip the baby sling over your head.

Making a Wide World a Little Smaller

When you are out and about with your baby, you may find people reach into the infant seat and touch your baby. Or people ask to hold your baby and you don't want them to. Having your baby close to you in a carrier can discourage people from trying to touch your baby and will stop most people from asking to hold him.

If you want to nurse your baby while you are out, a baby sling can make nursing easier. It helps support your baby and can allow you to nurse discreetly if you wish.

Managing any older children is easier with your baby in the sling. Your hands are free to play with the older children, and your baby is happy with you. When you are out shopping, it can be a great blessing to have both hands free to manage the older children!

Baby carriers can help you even as your child grows older. Many toddlers love to be in the carrier. When you are out of the house it can be comforting for your toddler to be close to you in the sling. It can also bring you peace of mind in a crowded area. If your toddler is having a hard day, some time in the sling or carrier can help him calm down.

Choose the baby sling or carrier style that works for you (or you can have different carriers for different occasions!) Enjoy this time when your little one wants to be so intimately connected with you. You will have wonderful memories to look back on, and probably a very cute picture or two!