It’s You and Me Baby

Learning to use a baby sling is like learning to ride a bike.  It takes practice but then becomes second nature.  When you start out try practicing with a doll or stuffed animal.  Make sure baby is well-rested and fed before you start practicing with your baby so he or she is less likely to be fussy.  Practice next to a couch or bed the first few times.  Review the instuctions carefully.  For comfort and security wear your baby high and make sure your sling is snug  If you have a friend or family member who is experienced with babywearing ask for help.  The only way you can fail is if you give up.  It’s worth the effort of afew trials.

   On average, a young infant (under 3 months of age) cries for 3 hours a day.  Believe it or not that is average.  So there are many infants that cry for longer periods each day.  It’s important to have support so you can get a break.  Another way to survive this time is to wear your baby in a comfortable baby sling.  It helps with crying because young infants like to be held alot.  They like the security of being close to mom or dad, feeling your warmth, your heart beat, the rhythm of your breathing.  If you have heard of babywearing (wearing your baby in a sling) and haven’t tried it yet–don’t wait any longer.  You can buy a sling baby carrier on-line.  Once you’re past the fussy period of your baby’s life you will have acquired your babywearing skills and enjoy the experience for months if not years! 

Think about how music affects you—your baby is no different.  Lullabies can soothe, and music may even help premature babies become stronger.  Research has shown that babies in incubators who had 40 minutes of lullabies piped in for four days gained more weight, had lower blood pressure, and had a stronger heartbeat.

Music can also benefit a baby’s parents, as it affects your mood and even moves you to dance.  Music also helps with bonding—babies love to be sung to, and they don’t care if you can carry a tune or not!   Put on an ergonomic baby carrier and sway to a favorite melody.

Adapted from http://www.askdrsears.com/

1.    Birth Bonding—how baby and parents begin helps the early attachment develop.  A close attachment after birth and beyond allows natural, biological and intuitive qualities in both mother and infant to join together during this time when the mother wants most to nurture and the infant needs nurturing the most.  Bonding is not an immediate process that glues mom and baby together eternally, but a series of steps in your lifelong growing process together.  Birth bonding just gives the parent-child relationship a running start.

2.    Breastfeeding—not only provides brain- and immune-building nutrients through the breast milk, but an exercise in reading a baby’s body language and getting to know him or her.  In the breastfeeding mother, chemistry stimulates production of healthy hormones that boost.

3.    Baby wearing—promotes familiarity and closeness, improves parental sensitivity, and babies fuss less, spending more time in the state of quiet alertness, which is the state in which they learn the most about their environment.

4.    Bedding close to the baby—co-sleeping or whatever arrangement works for your unique family situation, makes nighttime less scary, nursing convenient and eases separation anxiety.

5.    Believe the language value of baby’s cry—the baby’s cry is a survival signal, and sensitive parental response builds trust between baby and caregivers.

6.    Beware of baby trainers—attachment parenting teaches you how to discern between good and bad parenting advice.  More restrained styles of parenting create a distance between you and your child, watching a clock or following a schedule rather than taking cues from your baby and keeping you from becoming an expert in your child.

7.    Balance—in giving so much to your baby, it is easy to neglect your own needs and the needs of your marriage partnership.  You will learn how to balance your parenting–when to say yes and when to say no.

There’s a term being used now to describe wearing your baby in a fabric sling-type carrier.  It’s called babywearing.  There are many carriers available.  Some use one shoulder like the Original Maya Wrap which is a popular ring sling (the newer Lightly-padded Maya Wrap is like the Original Maya Wrap but they added some padding near the rings that rests on the wearer’s shoulder).  Other carriers like the CuddlyWrap, the Moby Wrap and Mai Teis use both shoulders.  Either way, both the child and the babywearer are comfortable.  Baby is held close to the parent or caregiver and the baby’s weight is even distributed over the wearer’s back.  You can see why babywearing has been done in many cultures for centuries and fortunately it’s becoming more well-known in our modern culture today.  Some of the other posts on our blog to explain all the many advantages of babywearing.

I write alot about wearing your baby in a sling.  I talk about how convenient and practical it is for the caregiver and how beneficial it is for the baby.  Baby learns more and feels the warmth of mom or dad’s body, smells their scent and feels the rhythm of their breathing and heart beat which is so comforting.  Then it dawned on me.  Over the last four years as I’ve been out and about with my children seeing lots of moms and dads wearing their children I can’t recall one time when the child was unhappy while being worn (carried in a sling or baby carrier–like a Maya Wrap, KangarooKorner pouch or BabyBjorn).  That says alot.  If you haven’t tried it don’t wait.  Many carriers and slings have weight limits up to 35 or 40 pounds.  Even if you didn’t start wearing your baby right from the start it’s not too late to.  Visit www.itsyouandmebaby.com for great babywearing gear.

Wearing your baby in a baby wrap carrier or sling is smart.  Not only is smart for mom or dad because of its convenience and ergonomic design but also it helps your baby become smart.  Babies who are worn in a sling or a wrap learn more.  Brain growth is enhanced by environmental experiences.  The nerves in the brain branch out and make connections with other nerves.   This process is optimized when you wear your baby because babies are more content.  They spend more time in the state of quiet alertness so their energy and attention are directed toward taking in the environmental experiences around them.  This builds brain.  Babywearing is the best.

In many cultures throughout the world, especially Asian cultures, wearing your child on your front, hip, or back is part of every day life.  People now realize how good it is for your baby.  It sooths and builds the infant-parent bond.  Parents might not realize how important it is for a child’s development to feel safe and loved.  When a child’s needs are met, such as being held, touched, feeling the warmth of a parent’s body and the pounding of a parent’s heart, a child can trust.  This gives the child an opportunity to move on to explore his or her environment and learn about the world.  Therefore it sets the stage for life-long learning.  So wearing your baby in a baby sling is more than a trend or a convenience (though it is both of those) it’s a tool for bonding and development.

Babywearing while traveling provides a secure environment no matter where you and baby may be.  It is a good way to restrain a toddler and keep them from darting out into a crowd or traffic.

Transitioning—changing environments or going from wakefulness to sleep—is generally smoother because the sling is a constant reminder to baby of the home environment.  The sling can serve as a pillow, changing pad, car travel stabilization, or blanket while your family travels.