How Babywearing Can Make Your Life Easier

Strollers have become the default mode of transport for modern infants, but there are many situations in which they are simply not practical. Carrying your baby in your exhausted arms while you're also fighting with a stroller and a ton of shopping bags is a nightmare — and a dangerous one at that.

Some contexts in which baby carriers are more practical than strollers or just carrying a baby in your arms are:

• On public transportation

• At the airport

• In shopping malls (unless you will be trying clothes on)

• While hiking

• Whenever you could encounter terrain that doesn't really combine well with strollers

• If you live in an apartment on a high(ish) floor in a building without a lift

If you have a great baby carrier, you can nurse your baby while you are on the go — without anyone noticing. If you have a fussy baby who likes to be near you all the time, wearing your baby around the house allows you get things done. Most parents are exhausted during the first few months. A baby carrier also allows you to relax and read a book or browse the internet without a screaming baby.

Wearing your child — from newborn to toddler — on your front or back also provides you with the opportunity to go for long walks to stay fit. The extra weight you carry around will help you get back into shape. Your baby will be soothed by the rhythmic movements of your body while you walk and be under the impression she's back in the womb as she falls asleep. Your toddler will be able to see an awful lot more of the world while riding comfortably on your back, and his legs won't get tired.

Baby carriers are also awesome from a safety point of view. You have your child with you at all times. He can't fall out of the stroller or mess with moving wheels, and nobody can take your baby without you noticing.

Emotional Benefits Of Wearing Your Baby

Babywearing is often associated with a child-rearing approach called “attachment parenting”. Parent-child bonding is a top priority in this philosophy. Dr William Sears, a pediatrician, is one of the most well-kn own advocates of attachment parenting out there. On his website, Dr Sears makes the following claims about the emotional benefits of babywearing:

• Babywearing makes babies cry less, and babies in cultures where babywearing is the norm are generally less fussy.

• Babies who are often carried around in baby carriers learn more, both because they spend less time crying and because being relatively high up compared to a stroller or crib allows them to see much more of the world. Seeing stuff stimulates a baby and helps with brain development.

• Wearing your baby in a carrier will make it easier for you to constantly interact with your baby, which benefits him emotionally.

I'd describe myself as an out-of-the-box parent, and I believe babywearing helps both parents and babies emotionally by:

• Making the baby feel secure close to mommy (or daddy) and giving her constant and easy access to breast milk.

• Freeing the parent's hands up for lots of different activities, thereby promoting sanity and reducing stress.

• Allowing the baby to sleep whenever she's tired, eliminating the parent's need to plan their life around the baby's sleep schedule.

• I agree with Dr Sears that being so close together (literally!) encourages interaction and bonding.