What Is "Babywearing"?

The baby is finally home. The doctor's have all signed off, the relatives have gradually dwindled away home, and now it is just you and baby. There she lays. Waiting. Juuuusssst waiting. Waiting for what? To be picked up and carried to the mall of course. Okay, maybe it is to the supermarket, or the park. But, this simple reality can create a real dilemma for new parents. The baby has some pretty convenient handles by which to pick it up. But, carrying baby around for more than 20 or 30 minutes can be tiring and tedious. Strollers are great, but they can be tough to maneuver in tight or uneven areas. So how do you bring baby along wherever you are going without wearing yourself out? One very popular solution is referred to as "babywearing". What is it?

Babywearing is the act of wearing or carrying a baby or child in a sling or other form of carrier. Babywearing is far from new and has been practised for many years around the world by a wide spectrum of cultures. In the industrialized world babywearing has gained popularity, partly under influence of advocates of attachment parenting. Babywearing has become a popular and chic form of baby transport.

There are a lot of advantages to babywearing. Notice what La Leche League International says about babywearing in an article entitled "The Benefits Of Baby Wearing". This report impressed me as thorough and it made a lot of sense.

We asked a friend of ours that runs a small business creating baby sling carriers, why sling carriers have become so popular. She replied, "Wearing your baby in a sling promotes bonding between the baby and you. Babies are more comfortable when being held and are calmer. Having your baby in a sling versus a stroller allows your baby to see the world with you, and allows you to travel easier without the hassle of a bulky stroller. Your baby can sleep, nurse, be bottle fed, or just relax in the safety of a sling baby carrier." When I told Erin I was researching this topic, she informed me that she had learned from her own reading that babies that are "worn" actually develop more self-confidence and tend to be more independent and outgoing than babies who are relegated to strollers.

Want to do more research on babywearing? A good place to continue learning on the topic is at www.thebabywearer.com. Obviously, there are a lot of alternative methods of keeping baby close and involved while you carry on the day's activities. But clearly, babywearing has a lot of advantages.