Not all babies come into the world thrilled about the newest high-tech devices designed to keep them occupied. They just want to be attached to Mama — constantly.
LeAnn Contessa’s first baby, Taylor, was of this persuasion. “I tried to use the baby swing and the bouncy seat but I always ended up with her in my arms,” she says. The Chandler mom remembers the intense frustration of sitting in the same place, in her pajamas, all day long. Her new baby was happy to sleep on her mother’s chest or nurse for hours but Contessa felt stuck. There was laundry to be done, personal hygiene to attend to, a productive put on hold.
Feeling isolated and needing support, Contessa took her baby to a La Leche League meeting. The woman leading the meeting had an older baby she wore on her hip in what looked like a length of fabric with some silver rings. Over the course of the hour, Contessa watched the baby, contentedly attached to his mother, nurse discretely, get out to play on the floor and then go back in to be with his mother. For the first time in weeks, Contessa saw light at the end of her baby-induced tunnel.
Malinda Simeroth, a Surprise mother of two, remembers the first day she had to take her newborn with her when she took her older son to school. “I carried him into the school in an infant car seat and all of the children were so excited to see the baby. They had their hands all over his face and … hands. It was cute but at that point I was still really worried about germs and RSV.” On her way out of the school, she saw a mother with a tiny baby attached to his mother’s body in a sling. “I knew I had to have one,” she says.
The idea of “babywearing” is not new. For centuries, mothers and fathers have worn their children in different types of slings and wraps. “In Bali, a baby does not touch the ground for the first six months of life. The baby is always held by the mother or another family member” says babywearing veteran Kimberly Van Roekel of Phoenix. “When the child turns 6 months old, the family holds a ground-touching ceremony.”
This kind of practice is common around the globe, Van Roekel says. “In our culture, experts advise against it for fear of spoiling your baby. So we rely on these plastic devices to take care of our baby for us.”
Well-known pediatrician and author William Sears, M.D., coined the term “babywearing.” His guide, The Attachment Parenting Book, which he co-authored with his wife, Martha Sears, R.N., expounds on the benefits that wearing your baby can have for you and your child.
No more tears
Carrying a newborn cuts down on tears because the warmth and natural movement of your body helps your baby adjust to life outside the womb. It also offers easy access to the food source.
“It’s easier to understand babywearing when you think of a baby’s gestation as lasting 18 months — nine months inside the womb and at least nine more months outside,” according to Sears.
When your baby is attached to you, detecting your child’s needs and wants become easier and you often notice cues before tears and cries erupt, says Contessa, who has worn two more of her own babies in addition to designing and marketing her own TaylorMade Slings.
Brain building
A baby who spends less time and energy crying is able to be more aware and spends more time in an optimal learning state called quiet alertness. When a baby feels calm, centered and secure, she is able to focus on the world around her. In a sling at eye level with you (instead of knee level in a stroller), she can study the face of the grocery store clerk or contemplate what that jar of spaghetti sauce is as you read the label. You can explain it to her when you notice her expression.
Children who spend a good portion of babyhood in slings are thought to have better-developed language skills. Being in the middle of adult conversation and really hearing the words encourages language. And, as Van Roekel says, they learn one of the best speech lessons of all: “…the ability to listen.”
Physical development
When babies are worn by a parent, they experience more stimulation than if they are sitting in a swing going back and forth, according to Sears. As you move backward, forward and to the side, your baby’s eyes are constantly refocusing on different objects near and far. Your child’s body becomes adept at balancing as you lean, walk, bend and reach. A baby who is carried quickly develops the neck and back muscles needed to keep steady.
Breastfeeding buddy
Van Roekel recalls the day she first learned about babywearing. “My newborn daughter wanted to nurse all day. I felt like all I did was hold and feed her. I came to the Phoenix BestFed store and basically just said ‘Help me!’” The woman at the store introduced her to the idea of wearing her baby and she was hooked. She now teaches classes about babywearing in the very same place.
Wearing your baby in a sling makes breastfeeding convenient and discrete. You are also able to nurse while standing and walking, freeing you to be productive.
Cheap and easy
Preparing for a baby carries a hefty price tag once you consider stroller, carrier, swing, bouncer, walker, shopping cart cover…the list is endless. One low-cost sling can take many of these items off the list.
“There is also the do-it-yourself aspect,” says Contessa. “Many types of slings are very easy to make. All you really need is a sheet and the ability to tie a knot.” She remembers making a trip to the store one day, only to discover her sling was still at home.
“I knew that at least one of us wasn’t going to make it through the trip, so I headed to the fabric department, bought a length of fabric and tied my daughter onto me,” she says. Several websites explain how to make your own sling. Some methods require no sewing.
Many different types of slings and wraps are available for purchase – from stretchy fleece slings for winter to breezy Solarveil sun protective fabrics for summer to silk for dressy occasions and even mesh for the pool or shower. Contessa will even custom make a sling and then show you how to use it. “I remember that euphoria and the freedom of my first sling and I want to give everyone that,” she says. “You can see it in the face of a mom when she first carries her baby in the sling. The baby falls asleep and the light bulb goes on. I feel like I just handed her back her life.”
Watch our video on babywearing.
