Sling baby and the evolving role of a 3rd time mother

When Jake was born I decided to invest in a 'KangaWrap' which was being promoted on the postnatal ward at Pembury. Research has shown that 'babywearing' has many benefits, (particularly for pre-term babies) so I was keen to try one out and I'm so glad I did...

I was already feeling slightly daunted at the prospect of looking after my two young children and a newborn by myself. What would happen when my other children needed me for something but the baby was crying? How would I get them fed, bathed and to bed without it being stressful if the baby was awake and needed attention? What about when I simply needed to get things done around the house in the time I had while the children were at school and nursery but the baby wouldn't settle in his Moses basket? The questions would buzz around my head anxiously in the later stages of my pregnancy.

When I had my first born Joshua, I had the comparative luxury of being able to spend longer amounts of time rocking him back to sleep before laying him down in his moses basket as I didn't have to factor in the demands and time I needed to invest in two other children. When Grace came along I remember finding it very stressful in the early stages as she hated to be put down and would cry almost every time I did. This made life quite tough for a while until I introduced a dummy in desperation and on the advice of a health visitor who told me it would help keep me sane, which thankfully it did.

As babies go Jake is pretty good but I sometimes have trouble settling him in his moses basket in the day for any reasonable period of time. He is also quite a colicky baby and generally will not take a dummy despite numerous desperate attempts at trying him! This is where the sling has become my new best friend. I really wanted my experience with Jake as a young baby to be a happy and if possible stress free one where I still had the ability to get on with daily tasks at the same time as interacting with my baby. He is by no means strapped to me all day but when I've needed to multitask the sling has been a life saver.

Here are some of the considered benefits of babywearing:

Why Wear your Baby?

Babies who are carried cry less

Most babies love to be carried, and babies who spend a lot of time in a sling or carrier tend to cry less than those who don't. Many new parents can find it overwhelming when their baby demands constant contact and people often worry that they are 'spoiling them' or 'making a rod for their own back'. But a newborn baby is incapable of being manipulative. When they cry at being separated from you they are simply acting in accordance with their instincts for survival. 

 
All newborn animals exhibit a protest-despair response when separated from their primary caregivers. First they cry - to bring their mother back to them. Then if their cries are not heeded they stop crying, in order to conserve the energy needed for their survival. This whole process releases huge amounts of stress hormones into the baby's body.

If you use a sling around the house this can help you to be mobile and get things done while still meeting your baby's instinctive need for your touch. This is obviously a good thing for your baby, but is also great for you. A crying baby who can't settle is extremely stressful for the whole family.

As for spoiling them and building bad habits - as your baby grows and develops they will naturally want to separate and explore their environment. There is plenty of time for them to do this in confidence and security once the bond of trust has been established between you. Not many older babies want to be carried all day when they can be crawling!

It's good for your baby's development

Research shows that baby-wearing has many benefits for your baby's health and development. Keeping your baby close to you provides your baby with physical contact, security, stimulation and movement. All of these things provide your baby with the ideal conditions for development. Babies in a sling spend more time in the state known as 'quiet alertness' so they are awake but contented. This is the optimal state for learning for a newborn. 

 
As your baby gets older being carried in a sling keeps them closely involved in your life. They are close to your face so can observe your expressions, hear your voice clearly. They are also given more opportunities to interact with other people as they are up high and on the same level as other adults. 

It's good for your baby's health

Newborn or premature babies who are carried in a sling against their mother's body adapt to the environment outside the womb more quickly. The close contact helps to regulate their body temperature, heartbeat and respiration. 

 
Being held in an upright or semi-upright position can help some babies with wind or colic. If you carry your baby in a sling for a while after feeding it can help them to get any wind up and prevent any pain caused by it passing through their system.

Babywearing promotes bonding

Carrying your baby close to you helps them to recognize your unique smell and the sound of your voice. The close contact enables you to learn to recognise your baby's signals more quickly which helps you to be more responsive to their needs. Babywearing can also be a special way for fathers to bond with their newborn babies. As your baby cuddles up to his Dad in a sling he learns the different sound of his voice and the feel of his body.

Your baby is only going to need you in this way for such a short time. The changes in your child from birth to a year are quite remarkable. Carry your baby close while you can and make the early months calmer and more enjoyable for all of you!

Baby-wearing is healthy for you!

It can be challenging for new mothers to find time to exercise, but if you carry your baby around with you most of the day or go for a brisk walk with your baby in her sling, you will enjoy the dual benefits of walking and "weightlifting". A long walk in the sling is also an excellent way to help a tired but over-stimulated child fall asleep.  

My view

Personally, I cannot advocate babywearing enough. Jake is a very content baby and it has often been remarked by friends and strangers alike how incredibly 'good' he is and how easy a baby he seems. He has good periods of wakefulness where he is content to observe the environment around him but as often with all young babies is his calmest when held.  

I have on occasion left him out of necessity in his cot or on his mat and after a period of time he will get bored or unhappy and start to cry out.  The minute I put him in the sling however, he almost always stops crying and visibly relaxes and his breathing calms down - unless, of course, he is hungry! 

It means I have more time to get things done and also gives me more time to interact with Joshua and Grace while Jake sleeps happily cuddled up to my chest. 

There are lots of slings available on the market but the KangaWrap is a definite winner for me.  The fabric is soft and stretchy and can be worn like a top over your clothing and under your coat if you're out.  It looks a bit daunting when you first get it as just looks like a huge piece of material in a bag and I found it a little fiddly the first time I tried it but after a couple of practices I now find it incredibly easy to wear.

Most importantly, I have enjoyed the special bond this has given me with Jake as well as being a practical solution to coping with life with a new baby in an already very busy household!

For more information on the KangaWrap visit www.kangawrap.co.uk

When Jake was born I decided to invest in a 'KangaWrap' which was being promoted on the postnatal ward at Pembury. Research has shown that 'babywearing' has many benefits, (particularly for pre-term babies) so I was keen to try one out and I'm so glad I did...

I was already feeling slightly daunted at the prospect of looking after my two young children and a newborn by myself. What would happen when my other children needed me for something but the baby was crying? How would I get them fed, bathed and to bed without it being stressful if the baby was awake and needed attention? What about when I simply needed to get things done around the house in the time I had while the children were at school and nursery but the baby wouldn't settle in his Moses basket? The questions would buzz around my head anxiously in the later stages of my pregnancy.

When I had my first born Joshua, I had the comparative luxury of being able to spend longer amounts of time rocking him back to sleep before laying him down in his moses basket as I didn't have to factor in the demands and time I needed to invest in two other children. When Grace came along I remember finding it very stressful in the early stages as she hated to be put down and would cry almost every time I did. This made life quite tough for a while until I introduced a dummy in desperation and on the advice of a health visitor who told me it would help keep me sane, which thankfully it did.

As babies go Jake is pretty good but I sometimes have trouble settling him in his moses basket in the day for any reasonable period of time. He is also quite a colicky baby and generally will not take a dummy despite numerous desperate attempts at trying him! This is where the sling has become my new best friend. I really wanted my experience with Jake as a young baby to be a happy and if possible stress free one where I still had the ability to get on with daily tasks at the same time as interacting with my baby. He is by no means strapped to me all day but when I've needed to multitask the sling has been a life saver.

Here are some of the considered benefits of babywearing:

Why Wear your Baby?

Babies who are carried cry less

Most babies love to be carried, and babies who spend a lot of time in a sling or carrier tend to cry less than those who don't. Many new parents can find it overwhelming when their baby demands constant contact and people often worry that they are 'spoiling them' or 'making a rod for their own back'. But a newborn baby is incapable of being manipulative. When they cry at being separated from you they are simply acting in accordance with their instincts for survival. 

 
All newborn animals exhibit a protest-despair response when separated from their primary caregivers. First they cry - to bring their mother back to them. Then if their cries are not heeded they stop crying, in order to conserve the energy needed for their survival. This whole process releases huge amounts of stress hormones into the baby's body.

If you use a sling around the house this can help you to be mobile and get things done while still meeting your baby's instinctive need for your touch. This is obviously a good thing for your baby, but is also great for you. A crying baby who can't settle is extremely stressful for the whole family.

As for spoiling them and building bad habits - as your baby grows and develops they will naturally want to separate and explore their environment. There is plenty of time for them to do this in confidence and security once the bond of trust has been established between you. Not many older babies want to be carried all day when they can be crawling!

It's good for your baby's development

Research shows that baby-wearing has many benefits for your baby's health and development. Keeping your baby close to you provides your baby with physical contact, security, stimulation and movement. All of these things provide your baby with the ideal conditions for development. Babies in a sling spend more time in the state known as 'quiet alertness' so they are awake but contented. This is the optimal state for learning for a newborn. 

 
As your baby gets older being carried in a sling keeps them closely involved in your life. They are close to your face so can observe your expressions, hear your voice clearly. They are also given more opportunities to interact with other people as they are up high and on the same level as other adults. 

It's good for your baby's health

Newborn or premature babies who are carried in a sling against their mother's body adapt to the environment outside the womb more quickly. The close contact helps to regulate their body temperature, heartbeat and respiration. 

 
Being held in an upright or semi-upright position can help some babies with wind or colic. If you carry your baby in a sling for a while after feeding it can help them to get any wind up and prevent any pain caused by it passing through their system.

Babywearing promotes bonding

Carrying your baby close to you helps them to recognize your unique smell and the sound of your voice. The close contact enables you to learn to recognise your baby's signals more quickly which helps you to be more responsive to their needs. Babywearing can also be a special way for fathers to bond with their newborn babies. As your baby cuddles up to his Dad in a sling he learns the different sound of his voice and the feel of his body.

Your baby is only going to need you in this way for such a short time. The changes in your child from birth to a year are quite remarkable. Carry your baby close while you can and make the early months calmer and more enjoyable for all of you!

Baby-wearing is healthy for you!

It can be challenging for new mothers to find time to exercise, but if you carry your baby around with you most of the day or go for a brisk walk with your baby in her sling, you will enjoy the dual benefits of walking and "weightlifting". A long walk in the sling is also an excellent way to help a tired but over-stimulated child fall asleep.  

My view

Personally, I cannot advocate babywearing enough. Jake is a very content baby and it has often been remarked by friends and strangers alike how incredibly 'good' he is and how easy a baby he seems. He has good periods of wakefulness where he is content to observe the environment around him but as often with all young babies is his calmest when held.  

I have on occasion left him out of necessity in his cot or on his mat and after a period of time he will get bored or unhappy and start to cry out.  The minute I put him in the sling however, he almost always stops crying and visibly relaxes and his breathing calms down - unless, of course, he is hungry! 

It means I have more time to get things done and also gives me more time to interact with Joshua and Grace while Jake sleeps happily cuddled up to my chest. 

There are lots of slings available on the market but the KangaWrap is a definite winner for me.  The fabric is soft and stretchy and can be worn like a top over your clothing and under your coat if you're out.  It looks a bit daunting when you first get it as just looks like a huge piece of material in a bag and I found it a little fiddly the first time I tried it but after a couple of practices I now find it incredibly easy to wear.

Most importantly, I have enjoyed the special bond this has given me with Jake as well as being a practical solution to coping with life with a new baby in an already very busy household!

For more information on the KangaWrap visit www.kangawrap.co.uk