Sunday, February 1, 2009

Why Wearing Your Baby Is Good for Baby and Mom

By Katie Wilber

Ancient traditions of baby wearing are catching on like gangbusters. Parents are learning that the age old tradition of providing the safety and security a baby needs by being held doesn't need to interrupt their day or become an inconvenience. In fact baby wearing provides both parents and baby everything they need to develop a strong and secure bond.

A Practical Definition of Baby Wearing

If you're familiar with attachment parenting then you're probably already familiar with the concept of baby wearing. Attachment parenting believes that a strong emotional bond with parents during childhood will result in strong emotional relationships as adults. Baby wearing fosters this relationship by creating a strong bond between infant and parent by making them feel safe and secure. That being said, you don't have to be a proponent of attachment parenting to enjoy the benefits of baby wearing.

Benefits of Baby Wearing

Babies who are worn cry less. Babies like to be held we know this to be true in our hearts, and its been proven. In 1986, a team of pediatricians in Montreal reported on a study of ninety-nine mother-infant pairs. The study concluded that babies that are worn cry 43% less than non-worn babies.

Babies who are worn learn more. The theory is simple, when a baby is discontent, crying and fussing; they're not paying attention to the world around them. However, when they're content and feeling safe and secure, they are free to explore the world around them.

Multi-tasking. Baby wearing is the single best way to keep your baby safe and secure in your arms while at the same time being able to take care of all those daily tasks which require both hands.

Safe sleeping position and less risk of misshapen heads. Wearing your baby provides them a safe sleeping position, much like the pediatric association recommended position, which helps prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. However unlike sleeping on their back, the recommended position, sleeping in a baby carrier doesn't put pressure on the back of their soft heads. The result is a baby who is much less likely to develop that telltale flat spot on the back of their head.

Less risk of postpartum depression. It's no secret that as hormone levels adjust after the birth of a baby, postpartum depression can be the result. However scientists theorize that a strong bond with a newborn baby, fostered by close contact, can increase the mother's progesterone levels. As progesterone levels increase, the bond also increases, and postpartum depression can be averted or the effects minimized.

Finally, its much easier for moms who are breastfeeding to accomplish this task privately while wearing their baby Its hands free breastfeeding which means multitasking moms are able to get more done during the day.

Baby wearing does require parents to pay attention to the safety of their baby while in the sling and to make sure the baby's position supports proper spine development and an unobstructed airway. Baby wearing offers parents a bonding experience and happier babies. It doesn't get better than that.

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