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.

Newborn babies want to feel like they are still in the womb.  It takes time for them to get used to life in the world.  They like the things that simulate the womb.  For example, wearing your baby in a baby sling or a wrap  provides the warmth of mom’s body, the snug enclosed feeling, the sound of her heart beat, and the motion of her movement.  Not to mention the protection from older siblings!  It also frees us mom’s hands making it very convenient and is wonderful for parent-infant bonding.

For young infants (about 2-6 months old) who are past the newborn stage, being worn in a baby sling carrier meets so many needs and conveniences.  First, young infants still like to be held alot.  They are getting heavier which can be tiring for mom to be holding them with one arm.  They still like the warmth of mom’s body, the feel of her heart beat, and her smell.  They can nurse in the sling if they’re breastfed.  They have the support of the sling while they continue to gain neck strength and head control.  And babywearing continues to foster the parent-infant bond.  The Maya Wrap lightly padded sling and the MamaBaby sling are top-of-line ring slings that are perfect for babywearing.

When your baby is about 6-9 months old he or she has good head control  and tends to be carried alot on the hip.  If an older infant is not crawling yet and many aren’t then his or her caregiver is doing alot of carrying.  Wearing your child in a sling on a hip is easy, comfortable, and convenient.  The sling distributes the child’s weight nicely across a caregiver’s back to easy the physical demands of lifting and carrying an older infant.  I had two big boys and would be exhausted by the end of the day just from all the lifting and carrying.  The bond that is built by babywearing is also priceless.

Infant slings are so versatile.  As your child gets older wearing him or her continues to be great for bonding and enjoying each other.  It is also very convenient.  Toddlers are typically very busy and trying to contain them can be difficult.  In situations where there are alot of people,  alot of traffic or you just need to keep your child close for any reason, wearing him or her on your hip or on your back works out very well.  Of course any sling is great for carrying on the hip but the asian-style Mei Tai is great for carrying on the back and can be quite fun for toddlers.

Every mother prays that her baby will not be colicky.  Colic is a term used to describe crying in a young infant for which a physical cause cannot be identified.  Young babies cry “an average” of up to 3 hours a day.  The below average baby is that “good baby” one hears about.  The above average baby cries for long periods.  The crying with a colicky baby usually starts in the late afternoon or early evening which is classic but some colicky babies can even cry and be irritable throughout the day.  It is also more common with first borns.  Typically the parents will take their baby to the doctor to make sure there is no physical cause that can be readily identified.

There are plently of theories about why this happens but it really is just not well understood.  There are two ways I know of helping a colicky baby.  One is to learn and practice infant massage.  Another way is baby wearing.  You’re usually holding the baby for long periods when they are crying so babywearing is a great alternative.  Babywearing is done by carrying your baby in a sling-type baby carrier.  Find a good baby sling  like the Maya Wrap Lightly Padded Sling or the MamaBaby Sling, or the Cuddly Wrap.  Fortunately colic resolves around 3-4 months of age but if you have become used to wearing your baby you will enjoy the experience for as long as you’d like!