Have you been wondering if kangaroo care is worth it or is it a good idea to invest in a baby carrier? Let us assure you, babywearing is a godsend that benefits both the caregiver and the baby.
Having a newborn at home means carrying them around for hours together. While it is normal, it can be pretty draining for caregivers who already have a lot on their plate. The little one will want to be near you all the time and that will make even going to washroom tricky. A baby carrier thus comes into the picture. It keeps your hands free, so you can make that important phone call or pour yourself some juice or run the errands
Babywearing has been a go-to parenting strategy for centuries. Only now, it has become more structured and talked about. In ancient times, people used to wear their children with the help of long cloth pieces. Nomads majorly made use of babywearing to travel with convenience. Over the years, this tradition has become an important part of attachment parenting and helps both the parents and children.
Below are the benefits of a baby carrier for both parents and the baby:
Easy to travel: Be it at an airport or a crowded marketplace or when you go trekking, a baby carrier allows you both hands as well as saves the inconvenience of towing a stroller along. You can take to the stairs, escalators or lifts without having to bother about managing an extra piece of equipment.
Stay clear of nosy people trying to touch your baby: A baby carrier forms a safe shell for your baby that prevents people from touching your baby or tugging at their cheeks. It is easier for people to reach your baby in the stroller than in the carrier. This will help keep the germs and flu at bay and also save you the annoyance.
Soothe the baby easily: Wearing your baby in a carrier will soothe the baby greatly in case of colic or discomfort. It gives them warmth similar to the womb and the caregiver’s heartbeat soothes them. If your baby is going through a sleepless episode, it is easier to wear them and put them to sleep when you wear them in a baby carrier.
Help them develop socially: A well-soothed baby spends more time connecting to the environment and learning from it. The babies in a carrier are more connected to the parent’s everyday chores and interact directly with what they hear or say. This helps with social and cognitive development and facilitates more learning. Babywearing also allows parents to touch the babies more and readily respond to their cues.
Facilitates overall health and well-being: A baby carrier allows you to carry the baby in the most natural position and thus helps improve their health and development. A major health benefit that comes off babywearing is better digestion and reduced reflux as the baby stays upright. It helps babies in muscle development as they learn to balance themselves. Also, carrying a baby in hand may mean improper positioning. A baby carrier, on the other hand, allows for ergonomic carrying.
Easy to nurse: Baby carriers allow nursing discreetly and on the move. You do not have to sit aside and feed the baby. Ring slings and wraps make it even easier.
Stay hands-free: Although it may seem like the baby is the only task you must accomplish, there is a lot to do each day. Doing chores with one hand can be quite a task and thus baby carriers come to rescue. They help you cook, clean, walk or tend to older children with the baby soothed and calm.
Bond better with the baby: A baby carrier means a lot of snuggles and opportunity to talk to the baby. This meaningful interaction will help strengthen your bond with the baby. All the naps that your baby takes in the carrier are so beautiful and they calm your baby with a feeling similar to the womb. You can learn your baby’s cues better when they are so close to you.
Keep postpartum depression at bay: The transition from being a couple to being parents can be pretty exhausting. The sudden change of focus and hormones can take a toll on the mom’s mental health. Babywearing allows new moms to stay in touch with their social circles by allowing them to move out for walks or meals with friends. It also offers moms a significant amount of skin-to-skin contact with the baby. Researches indicate that the risk of postpartum depression is significantly lower in babywearing mothers.
Helps in establishing a breastfeeding relationship: Many newborns face troubles in latching to the breast for nursing. Skin-to-skin contact with the mother helps to establish the latch and to initiate the breastfeeding relationship.
Security for smaller babies and preemies: Wearing baby in a baby carrier works wonders for smaller babies or pre-term infants in offering them a sense of security. It helps initiate breastfeeding and offers warmth for sufficient development that should have happened in the womb.
Bonding opportunity for partners and other family members: A mother is not the only person who needs to connect with the child. Babywearing is an awesome exercise that allows dads or grandparents to connect with the child and soothe them. Apart from soothing, it also takes a major weight off the mom’s shoulders.
A baby carrier is a must-have baby product that helps you in more ways than one. It is an investment that you can save for your younger babies too. You can babywear till you and the baby are comfortable. Toddler carriers are also available in the market and help you extend your babywearing relationship in the toddler years too. Not every mom-child pair is the same and a different carrier may suit different babies. It is, thus, a good idea to try different carriers before you buy one.
Go, get the one you like and thank us later.
Happy Babywearing
Mackenzie
I’m Mackenzie and a proud mum of 2 (Alice & Callum). While doing research into how I could handle becoming a first time mum and juggle my studies, I found there wasn’t a lot of help out there for ‘student mums’. So I thought I’d create a blog to help those who might be struggling to get the support and help they need, while writing about life as an expecting mum, a student mum and life after! You can read more about me here