Welcome to International Baby Wearing Week

Baby wearing is not just about having a cool sling to wrap around you – though some of the styles can look really great! Baby wearing encourages closeness and bonding between parents and babies by getting that essential skin-to-skin contact and allowing for constant cuddles.

By wearing your baby in a sling, wrap or carrier, you have them against your body for more hours of the day, allowing you to be hands free, while holding your baby snug and secure against you. 

The style of a sling or soft carrier allows you to have your baby held against your body, within easy kissing distance. This position gives your baby the ability to hear your heartbeat, feel your breathing and listen to the vibrations of your voice, as they did in the womb. They also benefit from the warmth of your body and even your unique smell. These sensory experiences relax and calm your body, reducing their stress levels and helping them to sleep and settle. 

At the same time, you can feel your baby’s body against you. You can feel their heartbeat, listen to their breathing and murmurings and check their temperature easily – helping you know if anything is wrong. Keeping them close gives you peace of mind without having to constantly run and check on them, or stay confined to one room of the house.

This closeness can be great for both parents; for mothers, who have been used to pregnancy and still crave the closeness of their baby; and for fathers, who need help with bonding, especially if they are not involved in feeding. For babies, it eases them into the transition of being in a new environment and helps them slowly get used to the strange world they are now living in.

Post-natal depression has only recently been given a name, but mothers have likely been suffering from these feelings through history. Now that society is more aware of the post-natal depression, there is a huge amount of support available to new parents. Baby wearing which can have a significant effect on post-natal depression.

As many as 10-15% of mothers experience post-natal depression and many more who are never diagnosed. Baby wearing is a really effective way of helping to lessen feelings of detachment and guilt and can act as a powerful anti-depression for many Mums and Dads. 

The close contact, that is such a big part of wearing wearing, can help to promote a secure attachment for parents and child, giving both a feeling of safety. This can also help parents suffering from anxiety, which is another common post-natal condition. Carrying can reduce crying by up to 43% which builds up the confidence of caregivers who take crying as a sign they are doing something wrong. Similarly, baby wearing reduces the release of cortisol, whilst increasing Oxycontin in both mother and child, lessening stress and anxiety and increasing feelings of love and security. 

As well as the positive impacts on mental health, baby wearing is great for letting you have some me-time, even in the early weeks. Once of our favourite things about baby wearing is that it gives you hands-free time! This means you can keep your baby close without having to put them down, and still get on with your daily life. 

If you have some jobs you want to do, then you have both hands available. At the same it gives you the freedom to get out of the house, go for a walk, meet with friends and get involved in your local community. Going for a troll and doing some exercise can generate endorphins – the feel-good hormone – and help to clear your head. This is especially important when you’re not getting a lot of sleep. With baby wearing you can shop, workout, cook and socialise with your baby close and grab life with both hands!

This alone can do wonders for how you feel as you begin this new stage of your life. If you have the ability to do things for yourself, it can make a big difference to your feelings of independence! All the time you are focusing on yourself, your baby will be relaxed against your chest.

One of the biggest barriers to parents investing in baby wearing is the tying process involved in the traditional wrapping method of baby wearing. This can feel daunting for new mums who want to be certain their baby is safe and not going to fall. Thankfully, there are now a range of alternatives to the traditional woven wrap.

Buckle carriers offer the same closeness and comfort of wraps with none of the fiddly bits. Products like the Izmi Carrier are great for getting started with baby wearing, giving you the softness of a wrap and the security of a carrier. That means you don’t need to worry about tying, you can just use the Izmi clips and create an easy, safe sling. 

Buckle carriers offer more structure than traditional wraps. This makes it great for baby wearing beginners and parents who might be used to the classic carrier style. Buckle carriers are the perfect introduction to baby wearing to help remove any of the concerns about wrapping techniques. At the same time, all Izmi carriers are washable and quick drying so they can be used wherever you are. It doesn’t matter if they get dirty or wet. They’re perfect for parents who need to be flexible and want simplest route to hands free parenting. 

Baby wearing is really simple, even if you are the first in your group to do it. Don’t be put off by other mums or relatives who question you giving it a go. Only you know what is best for you. For many parents, baby wearing can be more comfortable and flexible than using a pram, so give it a go!

There for 5 basic rules to remember when baby wearing, known as the 5 TICKS.

1. Keeping your baby in Tight

2. In view at all times

3. Close enough to kiss

4. Keeping their chin off their chest

5. With their back Supported.

These rules are the root of all safe baby wearing – if you have all 5 covered you are good to go!

There are plenty of resources available for parents interested in baby wearing, including baby wearing clinics in the UK! Usually staffed by volunteers, these ‘sling libraries’ are the perfect space for you to learn how to wear your baby safely. There are also baby wearing consultants who can visit you at home and help you get started.

There are now 150 sling libraries across the UK with more opening each month. These libraries will let you loan a sling, giving you the chance to try different styles until you find the best one for you and your baby. Sling libraries also have volunteers on hand to help you adjust your sling or wrap, and answer any questions, giving you advice from their experiences of baby wearing. 

You can contact your local sling library either via their website or Facebook page.