There are a wealth of great articles about babywearing written by experts from pediatricians like Dr. Sears, organizations like La Leche League, and many many mothers. Here’s some additional reading material on the subject of wearing your baby:
Sling Babies
by Dr. William Sears
Many children ago, my wife, Martha, and I noticed that the more we carried our babies, the less they cried. So when child number 6, Mathew, was born, Martha made a sling from an old bed sheet to carry him around. She loved “wearing” Mathew. The sling was like a piece of clothing — she put it on in the morning and took it off in the evening. And with that, the term “babywearing” was born in the Sears household.
I also wore Mathew a lot during the first year of his life. We were buddies from birth. He grew up associating the sling with a fun and exciting place to be. When he was 9 months old, I’d say “Go,” and Mathew would crawl to where the sling was hanging, eager to set off on an adventure with Daddy. Mathew may not remember these babywearing moments, but I’ll never forget them.
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Sling Babies - Benefits For Your Baby
by Dr. William Sears
Carried babies cry less. Parents of fussy babies who try babywearing relate that their babies seem to forget to fuss. In 1986, a team of pediatricians in Montreal reported on a study of 99 mother-infant pairs, half of whom were given carriers and asked to carry their infants for at least three extra hours a day. These parents were encouraged to carry their babies as much as possible, not just in response to crying or fussing, as is common in Western society. In the control, or noncarried, group, parents were not given any specific instructions. After six weeks, the infants who were carried more cried and fussed 43 percent less than the noncarried group.
This has been my experience as well. I believe that being close encourages being calm. Wearing a baby lets a mom keep a close eye on her child. She’ll also be more likely to spot her infant’s first signs of fussing and have a better chance of preempting an all-out fit. This also helps Baby understand noncrying modes of communication: She learns that these initial signals receive an immediate nurturing response.
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Sling Babies - Babywearing Benefits For You
by Dr. William Sears
Babywearing is convenient. Anyone who has put on a carrier will tell you that this is true. For a baby, home is where the mother is. If you’re a few weeks postpartum and you’re starting to go stir crazy or feeling homebound, there’s nothing in the mother-infant contract that says you have to stay home and become a recluse after you have a baby. Babywearing allows you to have your baby and your life too.
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