Why babywearing

[Mamaluu]

Hi, I'm new here and found the babywearing forum while browsing around. So what is babywearing anyways and why? Is there something more than just wearing your baby with you while you are around the house (or out) for convenience? I know that small infants need some time still close to mom's body, but as I see many people talking about wearing 4 or 5 year olds, I'm curious as to what the idea is behind babywearing if someone can share?

[katelove]

Hi,

Welcome to MDC

I think "babywearing" covers a whole spectrum from occasionally popping babe in a sling while you go round the shops to the full in-arms phase as advocated by the Continuum Concept where the baby is held continuously by someone until they are able to crawl.

Basically anyone who straps a baby to their body at anytime is babywearing.

Reasons for doing it also vary from person to person but some of the benefits are talked about here http://www.instinctiveparenting.com/...y_wearing/44/1

[lifeguard]

Everyone does it differently I think. I see a lot of mamas here talking about cooking & cleaning & whatnot while babywearing.

For me I babywear pretty much anytime others might use a stroller, so walking around town, shopping, walking the dogs, etc. Very occassionally we will wear ds around the house if he is extra grumpy.

I could definitely see how with a second baby I would babywear more 'cause I wouldn't have the luxury I've had with ds to spend hours sitting quietly while he sleeps on me.

[*MamaJen*]

Yeah, there definitely is a wide range of babywearing. My son is almost two. We use the stroller for long walks, but we use the sling a lot if we're out and about. I find it more convenient than a stroller in a lot of places -- say, an outdoor festival, or a crowded shop. I also bring it to the grocery store, and if he starts fussing in the cart I'll pop him in the sling.
It's really convenient for the parent because you have two hands free, as opposed to pushing a stroller or just carrying the baby.
On the baby's end, they tend to find it very comforting and safe being so close to their parent.
Infants, especially, need a lot of human contact. Think of that experiment with the baby monkey that was put along in the cage with the terry cloth toy mama -- the monkey would desperately try to cuddle with the toy, even though the food was on the other side of the cage.
The first few months, babies don't need lots of toys with flashy lights to distract them -- they just need to be physically close to their primary caregiver, observing the world from the safety of their arms. A lot of the stuff that marketers tell you that you need has to do with making you not really have to mess with or touch the baby -- you have the car seats that click into strollers so you can literally go hours never touching the baby, you have the baby gyms that you just lay the baby under, and so on. It's sad.
Slings are terrific for newborns because you can just go about your day while the baby hangs out in the sling. They can nurse in there, nap in there and so on. It's almost like still being pregnant. You actually hear people talking about the "fourth trimester."
There are tons of different kinds of slings out there, but for newborns I think that the simplest and easiest is a pouch sling, such as a Hotsling. For older toddlers, I like the kind called "soft-structured carriers" such as an Ergo. A lot of mamas here also love ring slings and wraps, like a Moby wrap.
Baby Bjorns aren't very good because it forces the baby's hips into a weird position. Also, they face outward all the time and can't turn away if they get over-stimulated. And they're not the most comfortable.

[nextcommercial]

I do it for different reasons.... pure laziness.

I have a daycare, and I am ALWAYS too busy to hold a baby. I always seem to end up with the "carry me" babies. LOL.. want, want, want.

So, in order to do everything, I use baby carriers. It makes my life so much easier, and most of these babies LITERALLY never cry. I don't even carry them all day... just during the times they want to be carried instead of sitting in a bouncy seat. So.. maybe two hours out of my whole day.

Everybody is happy! It works great!.

BUT, this new baby I have this year absolutely hates carriers. He will tolerate a wrap if it's facing out, for a very short time... maybe to the mailbox if the trip is really interesting. But, otherwise, he hates to be held, carried, touched, snuggled etc. He thoroughly loves to be talked to from no less than 12 inches away though.

So, not all babies want to be carried, not all parents CAN use carriers, and it probably isn't for everyone. But, it's certainly worth a try.

[pixiepunk]

i don't think that most people who wear older kids do it in the same manner that they wear infants. it's not like a 3 or 4 year old is going to be happy all day on mama's back. but, for instance, when we go out in the woods for a hike, we always take along an extra carrier in case one of our older two gets tired of walking (they are 6.5 and 4.5). at ages 2 and 3 they mostly got worn on a hike with periods where we'd walk slow and let them stretch their legs. where an infant will pretty much only come out of a carrier durin a hike if baby has to pee or the person wearing needs to take a break.

have you read much about attachment parenting? www.askdrsears.com is a great place to start reading about it. Dr. Sears Baby Book is where i first learned about the multitude of benefits of babywearing.

[Materfamilias]

The way I feel about it is that human babies, like other primates, are supposed to be in constant contact with their mothers. It's why our milk is designed differently from animals that stash their babies for long periods of time. Our babies need to nurse frequently. I decided that, for my DD it was biologically imperative for me to hold her as much as possible and nurse her on request, and a carrier (first a wrap, later a mei tai) made this very easy for me to do while getting other things done. May not be right for everyone, but that's my reason and what worked for me.