The Art and Delight of Baby Wearing

April 24, 2009

Can I just say I love to wear my baby? I LOVE to wear my baby!!

There are many reasons I enjoy it so much, but I would put “closeness” on the top of that list. Baby wearing allows me to hug and kiss my baby and hold her hand at any moment. I can interact with her no matter where I am or what I am doing. They stay little for such a short time, I want to keep her close and snuggled for as long as I can. And, can I also say that I have never, in four children, been able to spoil my baby by holding them too much? You know what’s coming … I have never, in four children, been able to spoil any of my babies by holding them too much!!

While there are many studies delving into the good that is done for a baby who is worn often by Mommy, I have experienced many personal benefits to baby wearing.

Closeness. As I mentioned, I have a very strong urge to be close to my baby at almost all times. Wearing my baby allows me to feel that closeness whether I am grocery shopping or cooking dinner.
Hands free. Now that baby number four is here, I have three other children to tend to while fulfilling my closeness need! I can still read to my children on the couch while holding my sleeping baby. I can hold my 4yr dd’s hand AND my 3yr ds’s hand AND hold the baby while we cross the street.
BOTH hands free. This closely relates to the point above, but I do have to point out that having BOTH hands free is an invaluable asset to a home grown Mommy of four!

Wearing Baby #2 with a jacket over both of us!
Soothing. Obviously, being so close to her Mommy calms the baby down immediately. Even as my infant grows into a not-infant-but-not-yet-toddler (what do you call that age, anyway?) there are times when she just wants Mommy, plain and simple. If that time comes while I need to prepare dinner or fold laundry, I can do both without any problems.
Security. Both my baby and I experience security while baby wearing. She is secure being close to me and being wrapped up snugly. I am secure that no one could take her when my back is turned and that a sweet little girl in the grocery store who loves babies but has dirty hands won’t be able to grab my baby’s hands.
Duration. I can hold my baby much longer while she is in the wrap than when I am holding her in my arms. I don’t know about you, but I have fat babies! My babies are a bit on the larger side from day one and they just keep getting fatter and fatter as the days go by. I love my chubby babies! And I love to hold them for hours without numb arms and sore muscles.
Discreet Nursing. A baby can be nursed very discreetly right in the wrap or you can use the wrap as a cover-up while you hold her and nurse.
Home Schooling. I home school our four children and being able to put my baby in a sling has kept our days calm even in the newborn stage. Please see this post for more details on how to home school with a little one.

As for those studies I mentioned, I dug up just a few statistics for you that will help you to see how beneficial baby wearing is for babies and Mommies.

Doctors Hunziker and Barr did a study in 1985 to see if “supplemental” carrying would result in less crying. They pointed out that a baby generally cries the most at six weeks of age where it starts to taper off through four months at which age babies cry the most just at night. By the end of their study, they concluded that more carrying resulted in 43% less crying at that peak crying age of six weeks! WOW! That is quite a reduction in the amount of crying time! For example, if your baby cries a little over two hours a day, this would reduce that time to a little over one hour a day. See the study results here.
According to Dr. Sears, babies that are frequently worn cry less, learn more, have better regulated internal systems, are smarter, helps slow-weight-gaining babies gain weight, and are more attentive. You can check out more info from Dr. Sears here.
Touching is an extremely beneficial thing for all infants no matter how normal or abnormal they may have been born. Baby wearing promotes more touching experiences with your baby. Check it out here.
Even Wikipedia lists the many benefits of baby wearing with study notes here.

Wearing a Ring Sling during some international travels.

Baby wearing! It’s good for her, it’s good for me, it’s good for the whole family! I wear my baby quite often around the house and while out at the stores or taking a walk, so it’s just a normal part of life for my older three. My oldest son is the best big brother – he just loves to snuggle and hold each sibling from the time they are newborn until they are more mobile. He has been pestering me about making a wrap for him so he can hold our newest baby longer. I am so glad that he is learning how to love and protect and nurture a baby. You can make your own baby wrap to wear your baby in at home! Just find five or six yards of fabric at your nearest fabric store (here is the kind I use), finish it off on the ends with either a sewing machine or tie the ends off with rubber bands and there you have it! Yes, it is really that simple to reap all the benefits mentioned above! If you have problems and really need someone to ask, please email me at hgm@homegrownmommy.com or leave a comment on this article and I’ll be happy to assist. I have also made and sold wraps for others if you would rather have someone do it for you.

As far as learning to tie the wrap on properly, the resources on the Internet abound with baby wearing videos and tutorials in picture format. I had a ring sling with my second baby and decided I would be more comfortable with something that went over both shoulders, so I researched in on the web. Then, I practiced with stuffed animals. When I finally graduated to a baby, I was very pleased with how comfortable I was. Don’t expect yourself to be an expert wrap-wrapper right from the start. After four years of baby wearing (and counting) I am very comfortable wearing my babies on my back, on the front, facing in or facing out. Here are the two websites I have visited most in learning to wear my babies …