In the past five years, babywearing has grown more and more mainstream in the United States. Here’s some of our favorite books about the benefits of babywearing and attachment parenting.
The Baby Book : Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two by William Sears, Martha Sears, William Sears, Robert Sears
In this revised edition, Dr. Sears’ two doctor sons join in to create this new version of the well loved Baby Book, advocating “high-touch style of parenting to balance the high-tech life of the new millennium”. The authors teach new parents how to bond with their babies through seven fundamental behaviors, including breastfeeding, “babywearing” and setting proper boundaries. In the material on baby-wearing, you’ll find wonderful illustrations, instructions and benefits for using a sling, and other baby carriers.
Attachment Parenting: Instinctive Care for Your Baby and Young Child by Katie Allison Granju.
This book has a very comprehensive chapter discussing how and why to wear your baby, and goes into detail, dispelling the myth that holding causing “spoiling”. If you’re looking for a good compliment to the Dr. Sears books, this is a great resource for Attachment Parenting, from the mother’s perspective.
Our Babies, Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent by Meredith Small
This book explains what the human baby needs from a biological point of view, and the cross-cultural research Small offers is fascinating and an eye-opener. By learning how differently people parent around the world and how these styles are culturally embedded, traditionally held western practices of scheduled feedings and separate sleeping quarters are questioned against more child focused parenting techniques.
The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact With Your Baby Leads to Happier, Healthier Development by Sharon Heller
This book contrasts the United States with other cultures that promote almost constant contact with their babies. The author shows how our society’s emphasis on placing our babies in “containers”, like strollers, bouncys, swings, etc. instead of holding them more often, leads to sensory deprived, more isolated children. Overall, it’s a great overview of the benefits of physical contact for your child.
Books About Babywearing For Siblings
A Ride On Mother’s Back by Emery and Durgis Bernhard
This is a beautiful children’s book with simple text and illustrations that talks about baby wearing families around the world. It looks at how people from various countries carry their youngsters while going about their daily chores. The author does an excellent job of interweaving cultures and multiculturalism in this book.
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