Babywearing myths...busted.
1. It's only for crunchy/hippies/natural/attachement/etc etc mummies...but you can be
Babies love to be carried. Parents like their babies to be happy. It's really as simple as that. You don't have to fit any particular parenting type to be able to babywear. And nor does babywearing "make" you a certain type of person. I'm more like "whatever gets us through the day" kind of parent.
2. It will make your baby clingy
The thing is most babies ARE clingy. They are meant to be. They are meant to be because they have intense and around the clock needs which have to be met by you for their survival. Babywearing will not cause this. Cuddling your baby is just meeting those needs of closeness and comfort. But long term, if they grow up knowing that you respond to their needs, they are trusting and independent. Have a look around at our sling library sessions. Look for our kids, even little Anna now. She is crawling now and so is generally back and forth to me. She goes off to explore but every now and then checks in with me. And she's been babyworn every day of her life so far.
3. It's bad for your back
Babywearing should not be uncomfortable for your back. Many people who have back problems can successfully and in a pain-free way, carry their babies. Using a well fitting, wide based sling which ensures babies weight is distributed evenly will mean you should be comfortable. If you're not, it is often as simple as a tweak or minor adjustment which will make all the difference.
4. You have to be really careful of babies hips
A lot of information is circulating about the healthy development of young hips. Slings often carry labels of "ergonomic". But what does this actually mean and what are we looking for? Babies hips are still developing from soft cartilidge to hard bone. So ideally we want to be respectful of that development. Encouraging the ball joint to rest in the socket of the hip. A sling or carrier which has a wide base, allowing a tucked, seated squat - or creating a pelvic tilt position is what we in the sling-y world will call "ergonomic" or ideal positioning.
5. They'll only sleep on me
We joke about slings having sleepy dust and we also joke about "sleeping like a baby". Well only one of those things rings true for me. Slinging or comfort of some kind is needed to help my babies sleep, certainly while they are infants. And I'm ok with that (read my sleep and slings blog to find out why). Will they ever transisiton out of the sling. Of course. How and when? I'm not sure, but my almost 8 year old doesn't sleep in the sling now...
6. They'll never learn to walk
Actually the opposite is likely to happen. We find that babies who are carried have a really good head start on their physical development. When carried their vestibular system is engaged. Their muscles are compensating for our movements - both of these things are an excellent foundation to their own independent movement.
7. It's expensive
Im not going to lie, it can be. I've been lusting after a handwoven with sparkles in it recently. Worth every penny but way out of my price range... it doesn't have to be expensive though. You can find a sling within most reasonable budgets. There are lots of brilliant pre loved slings out there and honestly a sling will be a really worthwhile investment. Babies really do like being carried.
8. It's difficult to learn
Some slings or carriers are easier to use than others, that is true. But you'll find one you like and enjoy using and I promise you'll get in the groove with it. We can help too, and there are a gazzlion YouTube vids
9. My baby hates facing me.
Around the 4-5 month mark, babies have emerged from their transitional fourth trimester and are more ready to engage with the world. They become more nosy, and you may find that they suddenly go from being content facing in and cuddled up to craning their necks around, trying to look t the world. However this doesn't have to be the end of your babywearing journey, and it doesn't mean they are bored facing you. Remember that you truly are one of the people your baby loves the most in the whole world and loves being with you. They may appreciate having a greater range of movement, maybe with an appropriate and safe arms out position or a hip carry, or back carry when they are old enough.
10. My baby is too young or old
Babywearing from the beginning and for as long as they need is something I feel really strongly about. Babies like to be carried from the word go. It helps them to become accustomed to the big wide world after they have been tucked up in the dark of the womb. Fast forward to toddler hood, although they seem much bigger, they are really still so small. Learning about the world, process complex feelings, little legs getting tired after a long morning of playing. They still reach out to be held. There is such a wonderful variety of slings available, there will be one to suit the age and stage of your baby.
Come along to a library session to find a sling which is right for you x
1. It's only for crunchy/hippies/natural/attachement/etc etc mummies...but you can be
Babies love to be carried. Parents like their babies to be happy. It's really as simple as that. You don't have to fit any particular parenting type to be able to babywear. And nor does babywearing "make" you a certain type of person. I'm more like "whatever gets us through the day" kind of parent.
2. It will make your baby clingy
The thing is most babies ARE clingy. They are meant to be. They are meant to be because they have intense and around the clock needs which have to be met by you for their survival. Babywearing will not cause this. Cuddling your baby is just meeting those needs of closeness and comfort. But long term, if they grow up knowing that you respond to their needs, they are trusting and independent. Have a look around at our sling library sessions. Look for our kids, even little Anna now. She is crawling now and so is generally back and forth to me. She goes off to explore but every now and then checks in with me. And she's been babyworn every day of her life so far.
3. It's bad for your back
Babywearing should not be uncomfortable for your back. Many people who have back problems can successfully and in a pain-free way, carry their babies. Using a well fitting, wide based sling which ensures babies weight is distributed evenly will mean you should be comfortable. If you're not, it is often as simple as a tweak or minor adjustment which will make all the difference.
4. You have to be really careful of babies hips
A lot of information is circulating about the healthy development of young hips. Slings often carry labels of "ergonomic". But what does this actually mean and what are we looking for? Babies hips are still developing from soft cartilidge to hard bone. So ideally we want to be respectful of that development. Encouraging the ball joint to rest in the socket of the hip. A sling or carrier which has a wide base, allowing a tucked, seated squat - or creating a pelvic tilt position is what we in the sling-y world will call "ergonomic" or ideal positioning.
5. They'll only sleep on me
We joke about slings having sleepy dust and we also joke about "sleeping like a baby". Well only one of those things rings true for me. Slinging or comfort of some kind is needed to help my babies sleep, certainly while they are infants. And I'm ok with that (read my sleep and slings blog to find out why). Will they ever transisiton out of the sling. Of course. How and when? I'm not sure, but my almost 8 year old doesn't sleep in the sling now...
6. They'll never learn to walk
Actually the opposite is likely to happen. We find that babies who are carried have a really good head start on their physical development. When carried their vestibular system is engaged. Their muscles are compensating for our movements - both of these things are an excellent foundation to their own independent movement.
7. It's expensive
Im not going to lie, it can be. I've been lusting after a handwoven with sparkles in it recently. Worth every penny but way out of my price range... it doesn't have to be expensive though. You can find a sling within most reasonable budgets. There are lots of brilliant pre loved slings out there and honestly a sling will be a really worthwhile investment. Babies really do like being carried.
8. It's difficult to learn
Some slings or carriers are easier to use than others, that is true. But you'll find one you like and enjoy using and I promise you'll get in the groove with it. We can help too, and there are a gazzlion YouTube vids
9. My baby hates facing me.
Around the 4-5 month mark, babies have emerged from their transitional fourth trimester and are more ready to engage with the world. They become more nosy, and you may find that they suddenly go from being content facing in and cuddled up to craning their necks around, trying to look t the world. However this doesn't have to be the end of your babywearing journey, and it doesn't mean they are bored facing you. Remember that you truly are one of the people your baby loves the most in the whole world and loves being with you. They may appreciate having a greater range of movement, maybe with an appropriate and safe arms out position or a hip carry, or back carry when they are old enough.
10. My baby is too young or old
Babywearing from the beginning and for as long as they need is something I feel really strongly about. Babies like to be carried from the word go. It helps them to become accustomed to the big wide world after they have been tucked up in the dark of the womb. Fast forward to toddler hood, although they seem much bigger, they are really still so small. Learning about the world, process complex feelings, little legs getting tired after a long morning of playing. They still reach out to be held. There is such a wonderful variety of slings available, there will be one to suit the age and stage of your baby.
Come along to a library session to find a sling which is right for you x
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