It’s You and Me Baby

Babies are born to connect. Scientists are now starting to understand why warm, reponsive early care helps infants thrive. It turns out that bonding or attachment is one of the most important factors in development. If a child feels secure that his physical and emotional needs will be met then he can use his energy to work on other areas of brain development. In BrightFrom the Start, Jill Stamm writes “What sounds simply warm and fuzzy creates demonstrable changes in the brain and nervous system. Emotion affects attention…and attention, in turn, affects learning. How secure a baby feels therefore influences all the development that follows.” Bonding is not one event. It is the ongoing experience of attachment that forms between parent and child. You don’t need to do anything extraordinary in order to have healthy attachment.

In general, the things that foster bonding and attachment come naturally to parents such as smiling, talking to your baby, holding, soothing, and responding to his or her needs. Babywearing is a nice way to have baby close. You can’t spoil a baby by holding him too much, especially newborns. Other things you can do to develop a bond with your baby are as follows: 1. Infant massage. There are a number of studies that have documented the benefits of infant massage. It’s easy to learn and there are plenty of videos/DVDs on the market to teach you. 2. Respond quickly and predictably to infant’s cries. 3. Establish consistent routines for such activites as feeding, sleeping and bathing. 4. Slow activity down periodically (less rushing, calm atmosphere).

We’ve decided to extend free shipping due to wonderful customer response.  Please visit our website www.itsyouandmebaby.com to find infant carriers and slings.

If you are a first time babywearer you might trying to figure out which baby carrier is right for you.  Well, each one has its advantages and disadvantages.  Here’s a brief description.  Baby carriers or baby slings like the Original Maya Wrap or the Hotsling are one-shoulder carriers.  Newborns and young infants are usually carried in a cradled position.  But you can also use it to carry an older infant or toddler on the hip.  The Original Maya Wrap has “wrap” in the name but it is a one-shouldered carrier and therefore it functions as a sling.  It has rings that allow for easy adjusting and a long fabric tail that can be used as a cover up for nursing.  It is easy to nurse in.  Stretchy wraps, such as the Moby Wrap or Cuddly Wrap, use both shoulders.  This provides great comfort and support for both wearer and child.  It distributes the child’s weight evenly across the wearer’s back.  They are easy for beginners.  There is only one tying method.  They are great for newborns and infants.  You can carry your child in the front–either reclining, upright, facing in, facing out or side-sitting.  Not recommended for carrying on the back.  Back Carriers such as the Mei Tai (pronounced “may tie”) are asian-style back carriers.  The child’s weight is supported by both shoulders and one’s hips.  It can be used to carry a child newborn to 3 years in either the front or back position.  Some people find it more difficult to carry very young infants, less than 4-5 months old.

I had no idea how to use my Maya Wrap at first.  When my first son was born I initially used a padded baby sling.  I found that to be good for a small infant but he was 22 lb at 7 months.  I looked for another baby carrier and bought a maya wrap.  I tried it on initially when watching the instructional DVD but never followed through with using it.  Then I went to the grocery store one day and saw a women with her infant beautifully held in a sling with a big gold ring.  I knew it was the Maya Wrap so I ask her.  Her baby was happy and looked comfortable and she had both hands free!  She told me that she just put it on and played with it to get used to wearing it.  I went home and did the same–only this time it was with my second son!  I use it all the time and love it.

The Cuddly Wrap is a baby carrier made of a single piece of fabric that is designed to go around the child and both shoulders of the adult caregiver. It is comfortable for the child and the adult. Its ergonomic design helps distribute the weight of the child evenly to be easier on the caregiver’s back.

Ring Baby Slings

These are baby carriers that use dynamic tension, a length of cloth and metal (such as aluminum) or nylon rings. One end of the cloth is sewn to two rings. The cloth wraps around the wearer’s body from shoulder to opposite hip and back up to the shoulder, and the end is threaded through the rings to create a buckle effect. The baby sits or lies in the resulting pocket. Once a sling is threaded, it can be taken off and put back on without rethreading. A threaded sling forms a loop of cloth. The wearer can put one arm and the head through the loop of cloth to put the sling back on. she has a child.

When the baby is in the carrier, the baby’s weight puts tension on the fabric, and the combination of fabric tension, friction of fabric surfaces against each other and the rings combine to “lock” the sling in position. This type of sling can adjust to different wearers’ sizes and accommodate different wearing positions easily: the wearer supports the baby’s weight with one hand and uses the other hand to pull more fabric through the rings to tighten or loosen the sling.

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Keeping your baby close is one of the biggest favors you can do for them. Whether it’s in an innovative carrier or just a good old-fashioned baby sling, research proves that this method of spending time with your baby has long-term positive effects. For Dad, Mom, even siblings and grandparents - this popular method increases the unbreakable and loving bond between your baby and your family.

Providing an excellent start for social development, even learning and much more, there’s simply no reason not to keep your baby in a sling or body-carrier. There are options to fit every lifestyle and every use. We also feature products that are easy to accessorize with your wardrobe so you can be a super-parent without losing your sense of personal flair! Check it out!

The Maya Wrap is a great baby carrier that comes in a variety of colors and sizes. It comes with an instructional DVD and is machine washable.