Baby Wearing

I am a big believer in baby wearing, but I wasn't always. I think it's a wonderful thing for any children, but it offers even more benefits to children who are at the greatest risk of struggling with attachment.  I asked my dearest friend and personal cheerleader, Joanna to share some of her knowledge with you on the benefits of baby wearing along with some suggestions for specific carriers if you need some help getting started. 

Hi, I'm Joanna and I blog at Modest Momma Fashion as a fun outlet for myself when I am not busy playing, spending time and growing with my three girls. My experience with attachment is not anywhere near as extensive as others, and am only recently beginning to explore attachment in our family. Laura's blog has been a huge encouragement and resource for our family as we navigate some new and often tricky waters.

When Laura asked me to blog on baby wearing, I laughed out loud. I responded to her that I was definitely not an expert in the art of baby wearing, regardless of how many I've tried. I certainly am not qualified to broach the topic of baby wearing with a child with attachment issues, but I don't mind sharing what I do know.

Baby wearing was not a 'thing' when my oldest daughter was born in 2004. I'm sure there were some groups of women who wore their children, but no one I knew ever considered it as a real, tangible, practical or even beneficial thing to do as mothers. In fact, the moms I did know who 'baby wore' mostly had carriers that were meant mostly for outdoors events like hiking or camping and were not of much use on the day-to-day. I never even questioned using a car seat and stroller for my little one- it was accepted and a well-used method of transport for babies (and I still believe they are).

Fast forward six years, my husband and I were expecting another little girl. It seemed like the whole climate of parenting had shifted from what was once accepted to what was current: everything was about breastfeeding, baby food making, baby wearing and co-sleeping. Baby wearing was interesting to me, but also extremely intimidating. In my mind, only mothers in Asia and Africa wore their little papooses at home and while out and about. What qualified me- a 'modern,' contemporary mom living in the US- to wear a baby? I was extremely trepidatious about it, to say the least.

A friend sent me a sling-type carrier to try when our daughter was born, and while I felt comfortable with her in it at home, but I was terrified out of my mind to wear her out publicly. I thought perhaps it was the type of sling that was inhibiting me from wearing her more often, so I tried a number of other slings and carriers.

Months passed and I felt like no matter what I tried, nothing fit us well. I felt very discouraged as it seemed like all the other moms I knew were natural kangaroos with their babies and there was something wrong with me that I couldn't do it, too. I learned that while baby wearing is certainly natural and a wonderful bonding experience, it can also be difficult.

Experts on attachment say that there are so many wonderful benefits for baby wearing, and that it is the optimum environment for all children: there is immediate closeness, security and comfort. It makes sense- babies can hear, smell, touch their moms/caregivers and are triggering all kinds of sensory neurons. Children who are worn also socialize earlier and are generally happier children. Research also says that baby wearing is beneficial for mothers who are at risk of postpartum depression, other psychological issues and low milk supply. Additionally, children who are worn are known to have higher developmental rates and less risk of SIDS.

Still, it can be hard and definitely requires a period of adjustment, and possibly trying different wearing options. No one carrier is one-size fits all. In fact, that may be the biggest blessing about narrowing down a carrier: there are literally hundreds to choose from. Carriers and slings come in all different fabrics, styles, sizes and shapes. If I could encourage anyone in the art of baby wearing who may be struggling, I would suggest trying many options. I realize this can sometimes be costly, but with sites like Craigslist and secondhand retailers in most cities, moms can try out a few to determine what works best for their baby without making a huge investment.

I finally came across a baby carrier that was well-suited for my little one and I. It was a soft-structured carrier that felt secure for me and safe for my baby. At this time, she was almost a year old, but I was determined to have the baby wearing experience I had only read about. I wanted all the benefits for her that I felt I had missed out on and eventually felt like we were having it.

Since our second, we have had the added blessing of a third daughter and again, baby wearing was my dream. This time, having a toddler running around made baby wearing a necessity as well as a benefit. I could not have gotten through our newborn's early weeks and months without having a carrier I could place her in and still manage my older daughters.

Lastly, because our baby wearing experience hadn't gone as planned in the beginning, I tried to make time for skin to skin baby wearing when I could. I wanted to enhance the bonding and get as close to my girls as I could. If you can, I would also suggest trying some direct contact as much as possible.

Thanks for reading! I hope this was at least a little helpful! For a full list of the carriers I've tried, please read this.