Baby Wearing
Have you ever heard of the 4th trimester? It is the first 3 months after a baby is born. The period where the baby adjusts to life outside the womb as described by Dr Harvey Karp. It can be a rough period for both Mom & Baby. One of the things that can help a lot in the 4th trimester is Baby wearing.
What exactly is baby wearing? According to babywearing.co.za, it is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby in a sling or in another form of carrier.
Baby wearing has been around for centuries, for as long as I can remember I have seen ladies walking in the streets carrying their babies or even bigger children strapped around them. Baby wearing has gained a major following and the industry has boomed in South Africa with many new local companies being born from Moms experience with baby wearing.
Baby wearing can aid in Baby’s physical, emotional and early language development.
I did not know about baby wearing when Jayme was a baby 7 years ago and one huge difference between the two babies is how much less Alex cries. I know this can be for a variety of reasons but a study published in the journal of pediatrics showed that wearing your baby for at least 3 hours a day reduced crying by 43% overall and 54% at night. I don’t know about you but anything that can assist in getting any baby to cry even a little less sounds great to me.
There are many resources available laying out the benefits in babywearing. A good one is this article from Clicks which you can find here. My favourite benefit is having my hands free to do something while baby naps – i swear there is sleeping powder in the wraps, and how close I can be to my baby. Its an experience I wont easily forget.
Some companies I can recommend for lovely products:
These are ones I’ve personally tested or own and know they are top quality and range from affordable to luxury.
Did you do any babywearing with your little one? I would love to hear your story.
4 thoughts on “Baby Wearing”
Great article. Baby is about 3months now and will definitely look into this. Is it one size fits all
Most of them are one size fits all. The Ubuntu baba comes in two stages, one for when baby is small and one for when they are bigger. You definitely wont be sorry for getting one. Let me know how you find it
I also didn’t know about the ergonomic babywearing with my first born. I used a narrow based carrier a few times and even breastfed my baby in there but I didn’t realise the benefits and pros. With my second baby I realised I need to get a carrier so I can function and be hands free. It was with my second one that I realised the benefits and also learnt about ergonomic carriers. I was obsessed. I used to look at all the different carriers and brands. I was on a budget and my baby was already 5 months old so I purchased an ABC deluxe carrier. I used it everyday single day multiple times a day. And I loved every moment. Now I have a ten week old little munchkin and I don’t have a buckle carrier and I am finding it so hard. I do have a ring sling but I find that my back pains and I am not too comfortable with it. I really need to get a bucket carrier or even a stretchy wrap for us. I love babywearing and love those snuggles and hugs and enjoy every moment. It definitely calms baby down and is so relaxing for mom and baby.
Thank you for sharing your experience and wealth of knowledge. It truly is amazing what a difference a carrier can make. All the best with your latest addition to your family