Babywearing

I love babywearing, and knew I would do it well before Boy-child was born. I don't know just where I got the inspiration from, but I knew babywearing was for me. I had seen pictures of Maya women and children carrying babies on their backs in Guatemalan cloths and wanted that closeness for myself.
Whilst studying Developmental Psychology I happened upon a book by Sharon Heller called 'The Vital Touch', that I found in my local library, and it gave a scientific account of the value of babywearing, of co-sleeping and of touch/massage to babies, and the way it builds vestibular sense as well as neural pathways in the brain that are only stimulated by close holding and touch. Prams put babies outside of normal conversation and human interaction and a heavy reliance on them robs babies of a chance to develop their balance and spatial awareness and, thus, co-ordination. The way a baby sees when in a sling is very multidimensional and they are IN their world, not just spectating it. That really spoke to me and the fact that in a sling, a baby can decide when there's been enough stimulation and visual input by tucking in, turning away and having a kip on mummy's chest. Instinct backed up by evidence, and it was done.
I would ask babywearing parents about their slings. I quickly discounted the more commercial carriers and new that I would be looking outside of major retailers for my carrier, particularly for ease of breastfeeding and also because I didn't like the way babies' spines sat in those. Then I started seeing people wearing Hug-A-Bub carriers and a beautiful friend offered to lend me hers. What a wonderful gift that loan was! I was hooked once I started carrying my firstborn and began investigating the next sling for when he got too big for the soft carrier. A few friends from Booby Club (my local Australian Breastfeeding Association) group were using a carrier called The ErgoBaby Carrier and I decided that its versatility was going to be of great benefit to me. I needed a sturdy carrier that was also soft on my boy's spine, that I could easily breastfeed in, that I could just chuck on in a hurry and safely take him with me to my horse. He was big enough for it at 4.5 months of age without an insert because his head control was pretty well established and he was already crawling - the HAB had reached its end of use. Tom wasn't overly pleased that I'd spent about $140 on a sling, and that's considering that I used my 'first time member' discount voucher at Mothers Direct, the ABA shop...but he got over that soon enough when he realised that he LOVED that Ergo! He could use it easily (he had also been using the HAB, but at that stage we weren't brave enough to try it with a back carry) and carry our boy on his back to get things done. AND, the boy settled so beautifully in it that it quickly became a parenting essential. Forget toys, forget cots, bouncers and all those mummy replacers...the sling was all that would do for our velcro baby, as he eschewed all other measures.
We carried him in New Zealand, we carried him at fire brigade, I carried him in paddocks, I carried him on trains, and, finally, we carried him in Ireland. At about 20 months of age he was well and truly not wanting to be carried anymore. He started walking at 10 months, so we did well to keep him carried for so long. I washed my Ergo, patched it up and put it away...till the next time.
For the next time, our Girl Face, I had made for me a woven cotton sling in lovely stripes. It is a wrap that is firmer for back carries and because it is woven it is a bit cooler in summer. I was given another HAB from a beautiful and kind friend who didn't need hers anymore, so I could interchange my wraps as needed in those first few months.
By the time the Girl was about 3.5 months she was also ready for the Ergo and the other slings went into slow and gradual retirement. By about 4 months, once again, we had an incipient crawler, only this one didn't mind being left to her own devices on the floor...no velcro baby! She's nearly one year old now and spends time in a sling when we're walking to the local shops, at the farm walking up the hills, or near cattle, when I'm with my horse, or unwell. I wear her so much less than I did her brother when we're at home. But babywearing is still an integral part of my parenting and she gets worn by her dad and her grandmother...even her brother has had a go, bless!
Today, Girl Face is fighting a fever and feeling under the weather, so as I type, she is asleep in the beautiful Organic ErgoBaby carrier in seagreen. I have lost track of how much she weighs, but it doesn't matter with the Ergo, because it places her in a way that is evenly distributed and EASY.
Next week is Babywearing Week, where parents and carers everywhere celebrate the merits, the joys and ease of wearing their babies. October 6 - 12 are the dates, so when you wear your baby next week, know that you are part of an ancient and contemporary practice that benefits you and your babies in so many ways, not just the convenience of being handsfree!