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Yes! And they’re good for parents, too. Here’s why:
1. Babies feel happy and settled in a baby carrier. Your baby will feel comforted by being close to you and from the movement of your walking, breathing and heartbeat.
2. It’s incredibly practical. You’ll have your hands free to make sandwiches, do the laundry, look after other children…the list is endless. Baby slings take up far less room than prams and buggies, making travelling by car or public transport so much easier.
3. Babywearing encourages babies to sleep. Newborns in their ‘4th trimester’ who are still adjusting to life outside the womb often prefer to sleep on someone than in their cot. This is biologically appropriate, not a bad habit and will not last forever!
4. Babies who nap in slings are very portable, meaning you can get out of the house and get on with your day while they sleep safely.
5. Wearing your baby can support postnatal recovery, gently improving your posture and core strength. Simply walking with your baby in a carrier is a brilliant way to improve your overall fitness, without any postnatal exercises regimes.
6. An upright, gently moving position in a baby carrier help babies with reflux or digestive problems, making them more comfortable
7. Babywearing supports parent-child bonding and may ease symptoms of postnatal depression. It’s also a great way for other family members or caregivers to build strong, healthy connections with your baby.
8. Breastfeeding is promoted through the continued close contact that babywearing gives you. It is possible to breastfeed or bottle feed in any sling, though the ability to do so depends on a number of factors.
9. Babywearing is good for babies’ physical development. Being carried upright position with the whole body well supported, as if you were holding them in your arms, supports your baby’s physical development, and gives the same benefits as ‘tummy time.’
10. It’s good for their cognitive and emotional development. Being in a carrier, your baby can see the world around them and engage with you face to face – and snuggle into you if they want a rest.
11. Sling use can help regulate a newborns’ and premature babies’ temperature and breathing, notably when your baby is carried against their parent or carers skin.
12. Being carried is calming and reassuring even for older babies and toddlers when tired, teething, unwell or upset.
