Hey moms! Can I let you in on a secret? It's the one parenting practice I could not live without, and it does wonders to reduce infant crying, promote attachment, and encourage social and cognitive development from day one of a baby's life. And although celebrities like Gwen Stefani, Keri Russell, and Sheryl Crow are fellow fans of this practice, it's not just the newest Hollywood trend. In fact, it's a parenting practice that's been around since the times of the ancients.
Babywearing!
Babywearing is something I am very passionate about because I just can't imagine how I would be able to function without wearing my wee ones. For me, it all started when my oldest daughter was about three months old. She absolutely detested her infant car seat carrier and would wail non-stop each time I tried to make it through a grocery shopping trek with her in tow. (Yeah, she was that baby.) After a couple of trips through the market with her precariously balanced on my shoulder with one hand, while I dragged the cart behind me with the other, I decided there had to be a better way.
More on our story in my next installment, but for now, here are some great articles on the benefits of babywearing:
The go-to site for all things babywearing, TheBabyWearer.com, has this short and quick overview of why babywearing is great for babies and for moms and dads – Great Things About Babywearing.
In fact, while you are there, check out the expanded list of articles on the benefits of babywearing at thebabywearer.
Attachment Parenting guru Dr. Sears has plenty to say about babywearing, including this overview of the benefits of babywearing – AskDrSears: Benefits of Babywearing – as well as Three Reasons Babywearing Reduces SIDS.
More to come in part two of my Babywearing 101 series!
(And no, that darling mama and precious baby in the picture are not of me and my babe. Photo courtesy of istockphoto.)
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I can never find a sling that doesn't hurt my back aftr the baby is about 20 pounds.
I'm about to have #5 and I need to buy some fancy ones!
I am loving still slinging my lightweight 2 year old
It makes it so much easier to homeschool my daughter and to keep my household in some semblance of order 
I have read that in countries where babies are typically "worn" on their mothers all day (India especially), there is virtually no colic. I struggled with 2 babies with colic, so I wonder if baby-wearing with more frequency would have solved the problem. I could never find a comfortable sling, though.
I love my pouch for little babies, but once they get some size on them I switch to a wrap. It takes just a little bit longer to put on, but it is so comfortable! Even carrying big babies, I've never had a back ache from it. Love my wrap!
I have to agree that for bigger babies a wrap is the greatest! In fact, I'm using a stretchy wrap for my newest babe right now. I can chase my toddler, homeschool my oldest, prepare meals, do laundry… I've even mowed the lawn with a baby in a wrap, all without back or shoulder soreness. I have to agree that it is INDISPENSABLE! My toddler was also one of those who hated his carseat with a passion, so a pouch or wrap was always with me in the diaper bag.
By the way, here's a great article on why it's not the best to use an infant carseat as a "baby tote." http://www.continuum-concept.org/reading/spinalStress.html
Thanks for the great post! Can't wait to read more.
Thanks for the feedback, ladies! I am going to be looking for reader recommendations for upcoming articles in this series. Do you have a carrier you absolutely love? (Or one you did not love so much?) I'd love to hear about it. You can reply here or email me at SortaCrunchy at gmail dot com. THANKS!
I've made all of my wraps and pouches. As a mater of fact, I hate to even claim that I made my wrap because literally all I did was purchase and cut fabric:) The trick I think is to find fabric with just the right amount of stretch. I have pouches in every fabric known to man, but just two wraps made of the same material (one that goes with me and one backup that must.never.leave.the.car!).
I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. I love love loved my sling with my first but for some reason this time around my back really hurts when I use it. I've been wrapping #2 and really enjoying it. I'd like to get some material and make another just for the fun of it. I'm also super excited to soon be the owner of an Ergo carrier which I hope to use many a time with both older and younger daughter.