It’s You and Me Baby

For young infants (about 2-6 months old) who are past the newborn stage, being worn in a baby sling carrier meets so many needs and conveniences.  First, young infants still like to be held alot.  They are getting heavier which can be tiring for mom to be holding them with one arm.  They still like the warmth of mom’s body, the feel of her heart beat, and her smell.  They can nurse in the sling if they’re breastfed.  They have the support of the sling while they continue to gain neck strength and head control.  And babywearing continues to foster the parent-infant bond.  The Maya Wrap lightly padded sling and the MamaBaby sling are top-of-line ring slings that are perfect for babywearing.

Newborn babies want to feel like they are still in the womb.  It takes time for them to get used to life in the world.  They like the things that simulate the womb.  For example, wearing your baby in a sling or a wrap, like the CuddlyWrap pictured above, provides the warmth of mom’s body, the snug enclosed feeling, the sound of her heart beat, and the motion of her movement.  Not to mention the protection from older siblings!  It also frees us mom’s hands making it very convenient and is wonderful for parent-infant bonding.

Every mother prays that her baby will not be colicky.  Colic is a term used to describe crying in a young infant for which a physical cause cannot be identified.  Young babies cry “an average” of up to 3 hours a day.  The below average baby is that “good baby” one hears about.  The above average baby cries for long periods.  The crying with a colicky baby usually starts in the late afternoon or early evening which is classic but some colicky babies can even cry and be irritable throughout the day.  It is also more common with first borns.  Typically the parents will take their baby to the doctor to make sure there is no physical cause that can be readily identified.

There are plently of theories about why this happens but it really is just not well understood.  There are two ways I know of helping a colicky baby.  One is to learn and practice infant massage.  Another way is baby wearing.  You’re usually holding the baby for long periods when they are crying so babywearing is a great alternative.  Babywearing is done by carrying your baby in a sling-type baby carrier.  Find a good baby sling like the Maya Wrap Lightly Padded Sling or the MamaBaby Sling, or the Cuddly Wrap.  Fortunately colic resolves around 3-4 months of age but if you have become used to wearing your baby you will enjoy the experience for as long as you’d like!

I was recently talking to a mom about the MamaBaby Sling from Maya Wrap.  I had always used the Original Maya Wrap sling and loved it.  I actually had a MamaBaby Sling that I never used!  So I decided to try it on.  The fabric is nice and stretchy like a stretchy wrap but a ring sling version.  I loved it and my son did too.  The fabric wasn’t as heavy either–a definite advantage for summer.

When a baby is worn in a sling attached to his mother he feels the rhythm of her breathing, the sounds of her heart beating, and the movements she’s making.  For newborns and young infants this stimulation helps them regulate their own physical responses.  For example, being held in a sling exercises a baby’s vestibular system which controls balance.  The sling is like a transitional womb for a new baby whose nervous system is learning to control his bodily functions and movements.  Research has shown that premature babies who are touched and held gain weight at a faster rate and are sent home sooner than babies who aren’t.  Mechanical swings and other holding devices do not provide the same benefits.  Baby wearing is a centuries-old practice that is fortunately gaining a more recent increase in popularity. 

I think this is one of the best kept secrets.  My lactation consultant sold me my first sling.  It was probably the most important piece of baby gear I owned.  My newborn son would curl up in a fetal position in the sling and sleep peacefully.  In fact that was the only way he would sleep peacefully.  My husband and I called it “the external uterus”  which fits perfectly with what pediatrician Harvey Karp, MD calls the 4th trimester.  See our earlier post called “Have you heard of the 4th trimester?”  I see so many moms without slings.  I wonder how they can do it.  Wearing your baby in a baby sling frees up your hands and gives a parent the satisfaction of holding his or her baby.  Dad can also wear baby.  I recently discovered all the research about the importance of keeping baby close.  It made me feel so good that I did alot of baby wearing with my kids.  For more details see earlier descriptions of the advantage of babywearing.

Most parents would agree that it’s impossible to love your baby too much.  In addition, I say it’s impossible to hold your baby too much.  One way to show your love, help your baby feel loved,  build a lasting child-parent bond, teach healthy attachment and provide a foundation for your child to build trusting relationships in the future is to hold or “wear” your baby.  See some of our earlier posts that give more details about “babywearing” and all its tremendous benefits.

You may think that holding your baby enough constitutes touching your baby enough.  But studies show that actually holding your baby in skin-to-skin contact whether laying your baby’s bare chest on your bare chest or massaging your baby in a series of massage strokes known as “infant massage” provides many benefits.  These benefits include reducing crying, improving colic, better weight gain, and closer parent-infant bonding.  Bonding is a process that takes place over time and with added touch through holding, babywearing, infant massage and skin-to-skin contact bonding takes place.  It’s a wonderful and rewarding adventure.