As Little One's arrival draws near, I wanted to touch on the subject of baby wearing. Like cloth diapers, this is on of those topics people seem to have strong opinions about. If done improperly, baby-wearing can be dangerous for your child. However, if done correctly, there are many, many benefits to this old practice. I am one of those folks who believes, although children should have lots of tummy time and lots of time to explore their world at their own pace, children should also have lots of contact with their parents. Some of benefits of baby-wearing include:
- less crying
- greater amount of learning about their world
- greater level of emotional organization and regulation
- promotion of attachment
- Allows greater freedom in your own movement
I am very excited to give this a try and have either swapped or purchased several different types of carriers and slings to try. Here are the types I have so far:
- Maya Wrap: This seems to be the one which I will prefer (of course, I won't know until Little One gets here and I can try it out for real) because it is adjustable.
- Seven Sling: I was really excited about these when I first saw them because they seemed so easy. You order based on their sizing, however, I have heard from many baby-wearers these slings seem to run small and their sizing does not seem very accurate. The reviews for them have not been very positive and hope that I didn't make a mistake in purchasing this sling.
- Peanut Shell Classic: This sling is not adjustable but the sizing was much easier than the Seven Sling. It is important to make sure you order the correct size or it will not fit properly. The reviews have been positive for this sling, so I'm very excited to try it out.
My biggest mistake when ordering my slings was that I ordered based on my size and weight at the beginning of my pregnancy. Because of this, I will not be able to use my Seven Sling nor my Peanut Shell Classic until some of the baby weight has come off. Luckily for me, I plan to breast feed, which can help with that!
For those of you new to the idea of baby-wearing who want to learn more, here are some of the websites I consulted while trying to decide if I would become a baby-wearer:
If you are interested in baby wearing but don't want to spend the dough on expensive slings, here are some DIY sites:
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