Baby-Wearing: "Why" and "How To"
Humans need human touch... There is a countless amount of research on the increase in oxytocin levels when we cuddle, hug, touch another living animal, or express compassion for others. Most people can agree that being around babies does something special to us. In my opinion, there is nothing better than the oxytocin you receive from holding your little one close as they fall asleep.
AHHHHHH.... OXYTOCIN AKA "the LOVE hormone"
The journey into this world is an intense one... with bright lights, loud noises, and new stimuli everywhere. This entrance into the world is the start of the baby's fourth trimester which lasts until the baby is about three months old. This period of time is when baby is learning to adapt to their new world outside of the mother's womb. Baby-wearing helps ease the baby into this new world because it mimics the comfort of the womb.
They hear your heart, feel your breath, and cuddle up to the warmth of your body. Along with bonding, baby-wearing can help with colic, gas, and reflux by allowing the baby to be in an upright position while their tummy and digestive system matures. Baby-wearing also supports the early primitive reflexes like Moro startle and grasping reflexes. Primitive reflexes are innate reflexes that all babies are born with that help them survive on a primitive level. There are lots of reflexes including the reflexes that help assist with birth, sucking/rooting, and our 'fight or flight' response. Most all primitive reflexes should be gone before the first year. (For more on primitive reflexes or retained primitive reflexes please leave a comment in the comment section on my blog site...)
We started baby-wearing around week one and Paxton absolutely loved it. We (mom, dad, grandma, aunt, best friend....basically any loved one) would 'baby-wear' to run errands, do housework, go on walks, take naps, travel, and the list goes on. The convenience of being hands free is priceless...plus getting a little extra exercise is a huge perk :).
There are many ways to wear your baby... There are ergo carriers, hiking carriers, woven wraps, sling wraps, and my favorite, the MOBY wrap. The picture on the far right is the bamboo MOBY wrap... it is light and breathable...(We don't always get a winter living in Texas :)) That was probably one of the last times wearing him in this particular wrap for a hike... up the Kennesaw Mountain... I was dying, I mean that little man hasn't missed a meal and he's heavy. I decided that day we need to find a new carrier for hiking so we found the Lille Baby (middle and left pictures)I think Paxton would love to match his cousin in this carrier :)... (hint hint Ross).
Baby-wearing is all about experimenting different wraps and holds that work best for you. Now even the little's in my family are learning how to use them! All in all, just keep on keeping on... Just keep practicing and experimenting and you will find a way that works best for you and your baby. Soon enough you will be an expert! Below are a couple videos of our favorites ways to wear the wrap.
My baby is not so little anymore haha...but you can still use this particular wrap up to 35lbs... But Ross says I will probably carry Paxton across the stage at graduation.
Newborn Hold
Newborn and Beyond
Older Babies 3+ Months
Quick and Easy + Forward Facing Carry
Thank you so much for reading this. I hope y'all enjoyed. Have a HAPPY day!
Baby-wearing references:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453013003363http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02324.x/fullhttps://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/2014/09/retained-primitive-reflexes-sign-brain-imbalance/https://www.earlyrootstherapy.com/single-post/2016/11/09/Primitive-Reflexes-and-Why-Every-Parent-Needs-to-Know-About-Them