Baby Wearing is a method of carrying or 'wearing' your baby in a piece of fabric that can be wrapped around your baby and yourself, slung across a shoulder in a fabric Sling or Rebozo, secured in a traditional Asian style carrier such as a Mei Tai, worn on your body in a Backpack or Framed style carrier, or held in one of the most popular style of carriers today - a Soft-Structured carrier such as an Ergo or Beco baby carrier. Holding, carrying and wearing your baby is not a new invention or trend. Long before the use of baby carriages, prams, strollers or push chairs became the norm, women have worn their babies to keep them warm, facilitate nursing, help regulate breathing and heart beat patterns, keep babies safe from predators and danger, and to allow mothers to go about their daily activities or work, all while keeping their precious baby close at hand.
Recent studies suggest that babies who are carried not only cry less, but also learn more than non-carried babies as they spend less time crying to communicate their needs, and more time observing what their mothers and other people in their community are doing. If you wear your baby on your front, side, hip or back, your baby is essentially at the same level as you are, and is able to observe everything you do from the same vantage point. A good baby carrier not only frees up your hands to shop, cook, clean, talk on the phone or attend to a toddler or sibling, but a Sling, Wrap, or Carrier worn correctly will support your baby without causing any discomfort to the parent, caretaker or person wearing your baby. Wearing your baby in a Sling or Carrier also promotes communication between your baby and yourself. Parents of worn babies become very aware of their children's gestures, movements and facial expressions which lead to positive interaction and communication between you and your child.
A sling or baby carrier can even act as a transitional womb during those early months when a baby needs his or her mother nearly 24/7. If your baby suffers from colic or you have a baby that has a difficult time sleeping, or startles easily, a baby carrier may be just what the doctor ordered - or didn't order but should have. For breastfeeding moms, a sling can provide a discreet nursing environment where your baby can nurse without distractions, and then simply fall asleep against your chest. Perhaps the most import item on a new mom or dad's checklist, a wrap, sling or carrier for your baby can be used from birth all the way through the toddler years. You will find it indispensable in airports, restaurants & in busy cities where pushing a stroller becomes nothing but a hassle, and in keeping strangers' curious hands away from your newborn. As parents of a toddler and and infant, our baby carriers are the best baby 'gear' investment we have made to date, and we do not own a single stroller. To top it all off, wearing your baby in a carrier on your body is great weight-bearing exercise and can help mom AND dad lose the extra baby weight.
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