Benefits of Babywearing
Babywearing Ireland believes in the physical, practical, emotional and sensory benefits of babywearing
Physical Benefits
Hips
Ergonomic slings promote hip development through knee to knee support, the M Position and the spread squat position. (www.hipdysplasia.org)
Spine
Ergonomic slings support the full length of the spine and prevent your baby from slumping before they learn to walk.
Head
Wearing prevents positional plagiocephaly (flat head) which is now more common since babies sleep on their backs in keeping with SIDS guidelines. When a baby is carried upright in a sling, they must constantly make many small balancing movements. This helps develop motor skills and many worn babies can stabilise their heads earlier.
Digestion
Sling wearing can help with reflux and colic through upright positioning after feeding and soothing movements.
Posture of wearer
Babywearing can help with better posturing for the wearer as the sling promotes straighter shoulders and back positioning. Wearing can also provide great health benefits through engaging core muscle groups with the additional weight of the baby. (please seek medical advice or the assistance of a baby wearing consultant if needed.)
Practical Benefits
Access
Slings make life so much easier by removing the worry of bringing your baby to specific places. Accessing stairs, beaches, hiking trips, busy and crowded streets and of course shopping ventures becomes effortless and handsfree.
Older Kids
Meeting the needs of those around is a lot easier as you are now essentially handsfree. Tending to the needs of other kids, relatives or even doing the things that you want to do for yourself is possible and even fun for both you and your baby.
Naps
The convenience of having a baby taking a nap in a sling removes the restrictions of going places, doing certain things and in what timeframes you do them. The demands of your daily life can easily be met while meeting your baby’s needs similtaneously.
When a baby is born, wearing them in a sling has proven to help in lots of ways. The physical contact and movement are calming and also help to regulate temperature, breathing and heart rate, and the benefits don’t stop there.
Emotional & Sensory Benefits
An infant care study across a range of different cultures carried out by anthropologists in 1986 found that infants that were worn, cry up to 43% less in general and up to 54% less in the evening hours. (Hunziker UA & Garr RG 1986). This is due to close proximity and constant awareness of the baby’s needs. This fosters a sense of security and trust and the baby ends up in a quiet state of alertness which is optimal for learning. This mutli-sensory integration is very beneficial for a baby’s development. Babywearing has also been shown to give caregivers an increased sense of confidence in their role too.
The Babywearing Ireland management team is made up of volunteers. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to help promote Babywearing Ireland. We are particularly keen to see new members in areas of Ireland that are not currently represented by our team, so please volunteer to organise a Sling Meet in your area!
Enjoyment
Carrying your baby is a very enjoyable experience regardless of the length of time you choose/need to do it. Once the sling is worn correctly, both you and your baby will experience clear benefits. If you are unsure about how to properly wear your sling we recommend you get in touch with a baby wearing consultant or seek medical advice. It is important that you wear your baby how and when you want. Happy babywearing :)
Happy Baby
Babywearing allows you to spend more intimate time with your baby as you can be right next to them during pretty much anything. Worn babies are much calmer because they feel more secure and connected. Wearing allows mothers to pick up on their baby’s needs much earlier which adds another layer of protection against others wanting to hold the baby which can over stimulate the baby if you are out and about. Babywearing has been known to help reduce or prevent postnatal depression.