I used a couple of different slings and carriers with my kids, and found them great and frustrating in different ways.
With my first child, Jacob, I got a cloth wrap at a market in Dublin and found it great for a short time when he was a very small baby.
Perhaps it was just me but I wasn’t great at getting him into it and the whole thing on in any sort of a ‘speedy’ manner. The upside was that when he was in it, he was really content and cosy and I was able to go about my business relatively hands-free.
I bought a sturdier carrier from Mothercare when we had our second child, Eva, and got a lot of use out of it.
There were a lot of clips and straps to contend with, but I found the back support great and because Miss Eva had colic when she was born, she really settled better being close to either Alan or I in the carrier, than being put down on her back to sleep.
Using a carrier has a huge range of benefits including the following;
1. Free Those Hands
Just because you need to check some emails, eat something, do the housework, doesn’t mean that baby will lounge contentedly on their play mat or bouncy chair while you do. A lot of the time, you will have no choice but to have baby with you as you go about your daily routine. Having a sling means you can still do what you need to do, while a happy baby accompanies you.
2. Physical Contact
Having spent all that time snug in the womb, your baby will take some time to adjust to being part of the outside world when they are born. The best way to help them in that adjustment is to keep them close to you – your warmth, your smell and your heartbeat – for as long as possible. Carrying them in a baby carrier will definitely help with that.
3. Soothing For Baby
Whenever my two kids were upset or having trouble settling for a nap when they were small, I put them in the carrier and within minutes, they were content. The closeness to you, the movement of you walking inside or out, even the sound of your voice all help to make them feel more secure. Some carriers allow you to gently lay your baby down to sleep while still wrapped in the carrier – you just lie them down and slip the carrier off over your head.
(Information courtesy of Baby Wearing Ireland and Baby Sling Safety)
4. Great For Your Arms And Back
Carrying a baby around a lot during the day can put big pressure on your arms and back – particularly if you try to hold baby on one side and use the other hand to do everything else. My right shoulder is definitely damaged from holding my daughter on that side too much while trying to type/hoover/make bottles with the left. I really regret not using the sling much more day-to-day.
6. Dads Look Great In Them
Ok, this isn’t science – I’m just throwing in a personal opinion that there is nothing so adorable as a dad with a baby (doesn’t even have to be his baby!) in a sling or carrier. Swoon!
6. No Buggy Wars To Deal With
If you need to do a quick nip into town, or to drop an older kid to school, or know you have an awkward doorway, set of steps or building entrance ahead of you that just isn’t going to work with the buggy, using a carrier instead will save you on all of that stress.
7. They Keep The Big Bad World Out For A While
People just love to put their hands and faces into a pram or buggy to have a little poke at a new baby, and I’m not sure that babies necessarily love that. Baby will most likely get more of that privacy he or she needs when snuggled close to mum or dad (and especially, close to mums boobs!)
8. You Are Better Placed To Anticipate Their Needs
If your baby is in any distress or discomfort, you might become aware of it far quicker if the baby is near to you in a sling. You can literally feel any changes in their little bodies because they are next to yours.
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