An Intro to Babywearing

Fit your body and your lifestyle

In the overwhelming world of carriers, there is no such thing as “one size fits all”.

What is Babywearing?

The word babywearing may be new to you or you may already be familiar with the term. Simply put, babywearing is wearing your baby on your body, usually in a sling or some kind of baby carrier. People from all over the world and in many different cultures, have been babywearing for centuries. Babywearing can look different from family to family depending on what type of carrier is being used or how they choose to incorporate the practice into their lives. There is not just one way to wear your baby and there are many reasons parents and caregivers have been keeping their infants close to them since the start of human kind. Babywearing can be done on the caregivers front, hip, or back. Tandem wearing, or wearing two children, can also be achieved with a little practice. Multiple types of carriers are available, from long wraps, stretchy wraps, ring slings, and soft structured carriers to name a few.

Benefits of Babywearing

There are so many! Here are just a few:

Babywearing can increase milk supply and increase your baby’s weight gain. Keeping baby in close proximity may encourage more frequent feedings, which can boost your milk supply when breastfeeding. Having your baby close to you can help you be more responsive and aware of your baby's earliest feeding cues so you are able to bring baby to the breast before they begin crying. Babies who are worn cry less, thus burning less calories and expending more energy.

Convenient and good for your mental health. Babywearing can help new parents and caregivers get outside or get things done around the home. When your hands are free you are able to eat, read a book, or do simple tasks around the home as needed. Babywearing can also make going out with baby more convenient. When you don’t have to load and unload a strolle; riding public transportation, grocery shopping, and even a walk around the park may sound much more manageable.

Babywearing can help ease the transition from womb to world. Many of us have heard the term the “fourth trimester.” This is an easy way to define the first three months of an infant’s life. The fourth trimester can often be overwhelming for the infant and for the parents. Wearing your baby on your chest frequently in the first three months can help ease them into life outside the womb. When they are worn on your chest, the familiar sound of your heart is close by, they can smell your comforting scent, and be able to easily look at your face. All these things may bring them comfort in a place where everything is new, loud, bright, and overwhelming.

Babywearing is for Everyone

The babywearing world may often focus on babywearing for women/mothers, but babywearing can be for everyone! When babywearing becomes a family affair, everyone can benefit. The benefits of babywearing are there rather it’s the mother doing the wearing or someone else. When a new mother knows that her baby is calm and cared for with someone else, she can use that opportunity to bathe, eat, relax, and truly find a few moments for herself.

Many new fathers are looking for ways to bond with their new infant and babywearing can be a great option. Babywearing can help promote that special bond between baby and father by providing the opportunity for baby to get some much needed warmth, comfort, and nurturing from their father. Baby will also be able to smell their father’s unique scent and hear the deep cadence of his voice. This can help baby get used to and feel safe in his presence. Sometimes after birth, it can be hard for a father to know exactly where he fits into the new family dynamic when much of the infant’s care falls on the mother. Babywearing can be an incredibly powerful tool for the father to use when his child needs comforting.

The benefits of babywearing don’t have to stop with just the parents. Older siblings, grandparents, aunts, and uncles can all get in on the babywearing action. Babywearing can help integrate the new family member into the household more quickly and help lay the foundation for the relationship between babies and their family beyond just their parents.

Reduced Crying- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3517799/
Hunziker UA, Barr RG. Increased carrying reduces infant crying: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics. 1986 May;77(5):641-8. PMID: 3517799.