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10 unexpected benefits of babywearing

26/3/2018

 
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10 unexpected benefits of babywearing...
​

I could rave about the wonders of babywearing for a long time. (Totally my chosen subject on Mastermind...or maybe Star Trek 🤭). Bonding, cuddles, an easy baby transport method... But what about some of the less obvious benefits?

Here are my 10 and I'd love to hear about any others!

1. FEEDING - both breast and bottle feeding, especially in the early days, require you to learn your baby's unique "feeding cues". Being snuggled up close together in a sling mean your baby's little movements or sounds which may indicate hunger can be seen and heard and picked up on before the crying. Yay!

2. COMMUNICATION - simply by being up close to your face your baby can see your facial expressions, hear tone of voice, be part of listening to conversations from the very beginning. My youngest son is partially deaf. I wonder perhaps if him being up close to me for his earliest years meant that he could fill in the sound gaps that he had? Being part of social interaction is going to help with speech development, language development and understanding social norms.

3. PND/PNA - this is where the practical act of babywearing can be especially helpful. No matter how you are feeling, the sling can offer practical support and comfort. My anxiety led me to fear that Anna might just stop breathing. Having her wrapped in a sling meant that just by placing my hand on her body I could feel she was ok.

4. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT - I've lost count of the number of people who have said to me "oh they'll never walk if you carry them all the time". Thing is, by carrying your child you are engaging their vestibular system (balance) which is crucial for learning to move and walk and crawl. From a lovely up high vantage point, baby can also see the interesting world all around and is likely to be super interested in getting involved. Again encouraging getting up and moving!

5. GIVES RELIEF WHEN SICK - holding your baby close, especially skin to skin (which can be done in a sling) helps to regulate baby's breathing , baby's heart rate and temperature. All things they can struggle with when feeling poorly. And keeping a baby upright when they are snotty and bunged up can bring relief.

6. LOWERS STRESS - gentle touch, skin to skin, being hugged and held, all trigger oxytocin. Oxytocin induces anti-stress like effects such as a reduction of blood pressure and cortisol levels. This works for both you and baby. If baby is crying and you're not sure what to do, try the sling! If you're feeling stressed , pop baby in the sling and go for a walk!

7. EASY SLEEP - put your hand up if you've ever struggled to get a child to sleep 🙋 . But I've also happily used the sling to lull a newborn right the way through to toddler hood to sleep. Be it for nap time or night time or middle of the night. And don't worry about people saying you should get your baby to sleep on their own. I'm not still babywearing my 8 year old to sleep!

8. REFLUX - now I know reflux is a complicated matter, but for some, carrying baby in a sling can help. They are upright , warm and soothed by gentle swaying or walking. Phew.

9. FRIENDSHIP - some of my bestest friends now are those who I have met through babywearing. They encourage and support me. Share parenting methods and ideals and egg me on to buy new wraps. #babywearingbesties getting to a local sling library is a great place to meet other babywearers!

10. JUGGLING FAMILY LIFE - especially necessary the more children you have. I often help mums at sling library who have had their second baby but their first child is still a toddler who needs chasing. or big kids need holding hands while on the school run. A sling can be a life saver in these situations.

As I've been writing this I'm thinking of others...maybe i'll save them for a part 2!
babywearing for the win!
Chiara x

Babywesring questions with Jen from Firespiral

19/3/2018

 
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Today we're continuing our series of babywearing questions with...

Jen is one of the wonderful ladies behind the wrap company Firespiral. Anyone who knows me/visited our sling library will know I'm a mega Firespiral fan...read on to find out more and thanks Jen!

What was your first babywearing experience?
1. My first babywearing experience was before I had children of my own, carrying a friend's baby in a pouch sling. I loved it and knew that I'd want to carry my own kids.

can you pick a favourite sling?
2. I prefer wraps over other types of carrier, although I'd struggle to pick one favourite! My most sentimental wrap is a Girasol called Autumn Bosy- I bought it when my second child was born and I still have a short length of it that I use as a shawl

tell us about a special moment...
3. I was away on holiday when my 3rd child was a tiny baby and carrying her in one of our wraps. A woman spotted my wrap and came over to chat about babywearing and how much she loved her own Firespiral. I felt so excited and proud to see our wraps being worn out in real life!

who has influenced your babywearing journey?
4. I started babywearing back when the communities were based around the forums (TBW and Natural Mamas). They were such supportive, friendly places and the members there inspired and supported me greatly. My friend and business partner Tamsin has an infectious enthusiasm for wrapping which I love!

tell us about the last time you were babywearing...
5. Sadly, I rarely babywear nowadays. My youngest (and last) child will be 3 in a couple of weeks time, and wrapping doesn't feature in our everyday lives in the same way as it did when my older children were this age. There are still times when it proves essential though, when she is tired and inconsolable, or when we've walked just that bit too far. I still carry a short wrap with me 'for emergencies'. Over the summer we were at The Green Man music festival, and wrapping was our saviour. When the weather turns and the snow falls this winter I imagine we'll turn to wraps (and ski poles) as our way of traversing the school run safely, so I don't think that our journey is completely at an end just yet, but our days of wrapping every single day are at an end.

where can we find you in the babywearing world?
6. I run Firespiral Slings with Tamsin Coxhill. We're based in the North West of England, designing and manufacturing woven wraps locally and ethically.

Their slings can be found at https://www.firespiralslings.co.uk/all-wraps/woven-wraps.html

check them out on the social media too x
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A mothers worth

5/3/2018

 
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With mothers day fast approaching I have started to feel familiar feelings of unworthiness. That I surely don't deserve celebrating as mother...

I find myself judging my "mothering worth".
​I find myself daily wracked with guilt, have I done enough?
​I find myself full of anxiety, am I doing a good job?

Am I "less of a mother" if I don't breastfeed Anna to "term"
​Am I "less of a mother" if I don't babywear today?
​Am I "less of a mother" when I shout at the kids?
Am I "less of a mother" if I don't get all of my jobs done?
​Am I "less of a mother" if they don't eat all their veg?
​Am I "less of a mother" because I have to spread myself too thin?
​Am I "less of a mother" if I allow tablet time (again)?
​Am I "less of a mother" if I crave a gin and tonic to get me through to bedtime?
​
(I am not writing these doubts down to gain others approval of my parenting. Honestly, I struggle to believe it when someone tells me I'm doing a good job. I think to myself "but you haven't seen this or that of my mothering".)

​I'm writing this because I'm learning that I'm not alone. That although my particular list of worries is unique to me, other mothers may feel, like me that their "worth" as a mother is based on how well they have "performed" on a particular day/week/month...

​I don't feel like I have the answers. But I see my mother-friends and mothers I meet, through my work with our sling library, and I am in awe.

​Awe at the strength I see
Awe at the power I see
Awe at the love I see

​I want to share with you some uplifting quotes about the value of motherhood. I hope they give you a boost...

"Thank you women who are mothers. You have sheltered human begins within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become Gods own smile upon the newborn Child." Karol Wojtyła

​"Dear mother who needs to be reminded that she matters - this is your reminder. Now, go back to all you are doing, every day things and hold your head high. Motherhood matters. More than having the perfect house, the perfect body, the perfect planning schedule, the perfect kids, the perfect everything. You are a game changer. A life changer. You are their mother. There will be so many times you feel like you've failed but in the eyes and heart and mind of your child you are super mom." Stephanie Precourt.

​To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power or the climbing failing colours of a rainbow. Maya Angelou

​I am in awe of good mothers - those hero's all around me who sacrifice daily out of love for their children. I know for sure that few callings are more honourable. To play down mothering as small is to crack the very foundations on which greatness stands. Oprah.

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​I can get bogged down in the jobs of motherhood and forget that motherhood is valuable and worthwhile in itself. I am a grateful, happy, tired, overwhelmed, mother. Because I love them, I am theirs, and they are mine.

​To the mother reading this...
Motherhood is worthwhile
You are worthy
​You are wonderful
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