What are the benefits of babywearing?
12 benefits of keeping your baby close (and your hands free!) by Wear My Baby
We asked our friends at Wear My Baby to share some of the benefits of babywearing!
1: Your baby will feel happy and settled when in a baby carrier. Your baby will feel comforted by being close to you and from the movement of your walking, breathing and heartbeat. They may love it less when you’re standing still, so get moving!
2: It’s just so practical. You’ll have your hands free to make yourself a cuppa, do the laundry, look after older children… or just sit down for a break from all of that! Slings and baby carriers take up far less room than prams and buggies, making travelling by car, train, bus or plane so much easier.
3: Babywearing encourages babies to sleep (yay!). Newborns in their ‘4th trimester’ who are still adjusting to life outside the womb often prefer to sleep on someone than in their cot. This is biologically appropriate, not a bad habit and will not last forever – so make the most of it.
4: Babies who nap in slings are seriously portable, meaning you can get out of the house and get on with your day while they sleep safely.
5: Wearing your baby can support postnatal recovery, gently improving your posture and core strength. Simply walking with your baby in a sling is a brilliant way to improve your overall fitness, without any need for hardcore postnatal exercises regimes.
6: An upright, gently moving position in a baby carrier help babies with reflux or digestive problems, making them more comfortable.
7: Babywearing supports parent-child bonding and may ease symptoms of postnatal depression. It’s also a great way for other member of the family or caregivers to build strong, healthy connections with your baby.
8: Breastfeeding/chestfeeding is promoted through the continued close contact that babywearing gives you. It is possible to breastfeed or bottle feed in any sling, though the ability to do so depends on a number of factors. You can find out more about breastfeeding in slings here.
9: Babywearing is good for babies’ physical development. Being carried upright position with the whole body well supported, as if you were holding them in your arms, supports your baby’s physical development, and gives the same benefits as ‘tummy time.’
10: It’s good for their cognitive and emotional development. Being in a carrier, your baby can see the world around them and engage with you face to face – and snuggle into you if they want a rest.
11: Sling use can help regulate a newborns' and premature babies' temperature and breathing, notably when your baby is carried against their parent or carers skin.
12: Being carried is calming and reassuring even for older babies and toddlers when tired, teething, unwell or upset. Here’s some advice on what to look for if you’re ready to move on from your newborn sling.
