If you’re an expectant parent, know that when you bring your newborn home chances are you’ll be carrying them for long periods of time. That is completely normal. Newborns want to be close to their parents and held by them. However, your baby’s needs can make everyday life a lot more difficult. How are you going to do daily house chores or carry groceries with a baby in your arms? Babywearing can be the solution.

What is Babywearing?

Babywearing isn’t a new trend – it has been around for centuries and is nothing more than carrying (wearing) your baby with the assistance of a baby carrier wrap. In order to travel more efficiently, Nomads used to wear their babies. And Africans, Mexicans and families from many other parts of the world still use specialised fabrics or traditional carriers on a daily basis. This age-old tradition has gained popularity in Australia in recent years. This is due to the fact that babywearing combines the best of both worlds: the convenience of hands-free parenting, and a tender way to hold your baby.

What are the Benefits of Babywearing?

Talk to a parent who practices babywearing and they will tell you how babywearing makes life as a parent easier.

Makes Traveling With Your Baby Easier

Babywearing gives you the opportunity to go to places without having to push a stroller or carry it from one place to another. It also gives you the flexibility to have free hands so that you can carry your baby and still get things done when out and about.

Promotes Bonding

The physical contact that babywearing provides helps improve nurturing behaviours and secure attachment. You’ll be able to learn your baby’s cues and your baby will be less likely to cry.

Improves Breastfeeding Success

There are many natural ways to boost breast milk supply. Babywearing is one of them. According to research, mothers who used a carrier wrap for at least one hour per day during the first month of the baby’s life had significant higher breastfeeding rates at 3 and 5 months.

Beneficial for Baby’s Health

With babywearing, the baby is carried in a position that is beneficial to their development and physical health. In addition to helping prevent the flat head syndrome, it also promotes digestion, which as a result helps with colic and refluxes. A baby in a carrier also learns to use muscle groups to balance themselves.

How to choose a Baby Carrier Wrap?

Despite the fact that babywearing has been practised for centuries, modern technology and techniques provide more options than ever before. With all the baby carrier wrap options available, how do you know which one to choose? Getting familiar with the different types of baby carrier options can help you narrow down your choices.

Traditional Baby Carrier Wraps

This type of carrier wrap involves a long strip of fabric that you wrap around you and your baby. Available in woven and stretch varieties, this style is considered one of the most comfortable.

One of the greatest things about this baby carrier is that the fabric can cover your entire back without digging in, which helps ensure that your back and shoulder muscles are used equally. Although you must check that the carrier is properly tied each time, it can be left tied on when the baby is removed, saving you some precious minutes.

Woven wraps can be worn in a variety of ways from birth to toddlerhood and beyond. Stretchy wraps, on the other hand, may not provide sufficient support for larger babies or those over six months old. But keep in mind that woven wraps can get sweaty in hot weather. Learning how to tie the knots may also take some practice.

Meh Dais

This is an Asian-style baby carrier made of a piece of square or rectangular fabric with four straps. One set of straps is tied over the shoulders while the other is tied around the wearer’s waist.

Depending on your baby’s age, weight and size, Meh Dais gives you the option to wear it on the front, hip and back. Because the straps spread the weight over your shoulders and hips through the straps, wearing this type of carrier is comfortable even when carrying older babies.

Soft Structured Carriers

As the name suggests, this type of carrier has a structured waist and padded shoulder strap that can fasten with buckles or straps. Easy to use, they can be a great option for beginners. Although you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, the upper weight limit of these carriers might allow you to carry more weight and therefore, an older child on them.

Ring Slings and Pouches

Designed to be worn over one shoulder, the baby slings carrier consists of one piece of cloth featuring two rings sewn at one end. With this type of carrier, you loop the free end through the rings to form a pouch for your baby. The tail of the fabric stays hanging down.

Due to the design, are sling wraps safe for newborns? Well, as long as you follow the safety guidelines, they can be a safe way to carry a baby. However, a baby sling can cause suffocation in an infant, especially those under the age of four months.

Pouches are simply a single folded length of material that forms a pocket for your baby. They are worn over the body like a sash, but the weight of your baby may not be evenly distributed. As you can see these two last options aren’t the best ones to consider.