Everything babywearing

Why a carrier is your number 1 baby item

Two weeks ago, I wrote about 10 baby items that you might not actually need. Sure, they can be handy, but they’re not always essential.

A baby carrier is essential.

However, it’s not always given the credit it deserves. That’s because, in many ways, society has moved on from the basic baby carrier. Now we have fancy prams, strollers, bouncers, swings, and even baby hammocks – all modern inventions that allow us to put our babies down away from us while we get on with things.

The problem with relying on these non-contact ways of holding our babies is that we miss out on so many benefits. Humans are a carrying species. Our babies are born incredibly underdeveloped – their brains are only 25% the size of an adult brain, and it takes about 25 years (!!!) to reach full maturity. Some other animals who give birth to babies who are so helpless have adaptations like pouches in which to carry their babies around.

Unfortunately, we missed out on the pouch. We also didn’t get a second set of arms (even though I feel like I could desperately use another set of hands). So, like monkeys and apes, for a long time we just had to use our hands to carry around our babies. The problem with this is that while they can begin to walk from around 1 year old, they’re slow, and tire easily, and fall down a lot. It really takes about 4 years before they can travel any reasonable distance.

Yes, a pouch could have been useful for helping to solve this problem. But instead, we got something much better – our enormous brains. And with those brains, we invented baby carriers, which allowed for hands-free parenting while keeping baby close enough to nurture. Humans have been using various forms of carriers to carry their babies for thousands of years. For example,

In Indigenous cultures of North America: Native American tribes such as the Navajo, Apache, and Inuit have long employed cradleboards or cradle baskets to carry their infants. These carriers typically consist of a wooden or woven frame with a cloth or leather pouch.

In Indigenous cultures of Africa: Tribes such as the Mamas of Kenya, the Himba of Namibia, and the Dogon of Mali have used traditional cloth slings or wraps to carry their babies. These wraps provide a secure and hands-free method of babywearing.

In Indigenous cultures of Asia: Baby carriers like the Mei Tai in China, the Onbuhimo in Japan, and the Podaegi in Korea have been used for generations. These carriers feature a cloth panel and straps that secure the baby to the caregiver's body.

So beyond having your hands free, what are the benefits? Is it really worth getting a baby carrier when you can use contact-free methods of carrying your baby around?

Why using a baby carrier is good for you

1.       Increases productivity

This is probably the most obvious benefit, and one of the main reasons baby carriers were developed. As anyone who has tried to cook dinner or fold washing one-handed would know, things just take much longer when you are holding a baby. The advent of baby carriers in traditional societies meant that productivity essentially doubled; whereas before one parent was tied up in holding the baby, with a carrier both parents were able to contribute to gathering food, preparing shelter, or whatever other tasks needed to get done. In our modern age, using a baby carrier offers the same benefits – you can carry your baby while preparing dinner, washing the car, or going for a hike. In this way, baby carriers are more flexible than other ways of holding our babies, because they can be used when we are moving around (unlike hammocks or bouncers), and even when we are going over rough or varied terrain (unlike prams).

2.       Increases oxytocin levels

Carrying an infant, and particularly in ways that encourages skin-to-skin contact, has been shown to increase oxytocin levels in mothers. Oxytocin is released in response to positive social stimuli such as gentle touch, and as a result is often called the ‘love hormone’. Oxytocin, in addition to increasing bonding, also reduces stress levels and promotes growth. Oxytocin is even being considered as a novel treatment for post-partum depression, and there is some evidence that skin-to-skin contact of at least 2 hours daily in the first month of a baby’s life can reduce the risk of developing post-partum depression.

3.       Physical benefits

Michael Easter wrote extensively about rucking in his book The Comfort Crisis, but a shorter version of the benefits of rucking can be found in this blog article. Essentially, humans are designed to carry things and walk. Sitting down for 8 hours a day at work is not what we are meant to do, and our bodies are paying the price. Walking with a weight on our backs (rucking) maintains bone density, results in less injuries than weightlifting or running, burns up to three times as many calories as walking alone, stimulates muscle growth, prevents back pain, and increases core strength. Carrying your baby, toddler, or pre-schooler (I’ve even back-carried my 6 year old for the 1.5 km walk to church once or twice) has all the same benefits as rucking, and Michael adds that “you get bonus points because the load moves around, cries at you to ruck faster, and can even spontaneously projectile vomit on you.”

4.       Supports breastfeeding

There have been numerous studies demonstrating a link between physical contact and breastfeeding success, many of which are summarized in this article. For example, mothers who were randomly allocated to receive a baby carrier and instructed on how to use it were twice as likely to still be breastfeeding their baby at 5 months old compared to a control group who received information about the benefits of breastfeeding. Additionally, mothers who were experiencing difficulties with establishing breastfeeding had these issues resolved earlier and reported a more positive breastfeeding experience when they were encouraged to engage in skin-to-skin contact. It is thought that maintaining physical contact, which can be supported through the use of a baby carrier, contributes to a positive breastfeeding outcome through the combined effect of increased oxytocin release and increased responsivity to the baby’s early hunger cues.

Why using a baby carrier is good for your baby

1.       Language development

When an infant is carried, it is perfectly positioned to observe social interactions. By being held at the adult level, they can hear their caregiver and others speak, observe facial expressions, and go from passive observer to partial participant in social interactions. Infants engage in more conversations with their caregiver and vocalize more frequently when carried compared to when they are pushed in a pram or stroller.

2.       Physical development

Many infant reflexes are thought to be utilized when clinging to a caregiver while being carried. These include the grasping reflex, which works to stabilise the upper body, and the clinging response, which involves infants lifting their legs into a spread-squat position when picked up, perfect for positionally them for carrying on the hip. Babywearing also promotes strengthening of a baby’s core and neck muscles in a similar way to tummy time, provides vestibular stimulation, and reduces the likelihood of developing deformational plagiocephaly (flat head, which can easily arise when a baby spends too much time on flat, hard surfaces such as a cot, pram, or car seat).

3.       Promotes attachment

Babywearing, along with co-sleeping, breastfeeding on demand, and responding quickly to crying, is at the heart of Attachment Parenting, as popularised by William and Martha Sears. By carrying our infants, we are better able to read and respond to our babies’ cues than we can when they are being carried in a ‘container’ such as a pram or baby swing, and being responsive to an infant’s signals is significantly related to the development of a secure attachment. In this recent study, adolescent mothers (who are already at greater risk of developing insecure attachments with their children) were randomly assigned to receive either a carrier (and encouraged to babywear for an hour a day), or books to read to their babies. After 3 months, it was found that those in the babywearing condition were twice as likely to have a secure attachment with their infant compared to the control group. Having a secure attachment has a large number of well-established positive outcomes for infants and children, including greater persistence in problem-solving, increased frustration tolerance, greater emotional literacy, increased social competence, and appropriate help-seeking behaviours.

4.       Biological synchronicity

When a baby has increased physical contact and social interaction with their mother (as occurs when babywearing), there is an increase in biological synchrony. This includes a synchronised and sustained increase in oxytocin levels in mother-infant pairs who babywear for at least an hour a day, neural synchrony in the activity of the prefrontal cortex during face-to-face interactions, and co-ordinated heart rhythms in response to social interactions. This early synchrony has later benefits, including increased self-regulation, increased IQ, increased expression of emotional state, and even increased capacity for empathy.

5.       Reduced crying

Being carried by a walking caregiver consistently induces calmness in infants, both in humans and other mammals. This carrying-induced calmness is referred to as the ‘transport response’, and involves both physiological processes, such as decreased heart rate, and behavioural responses, such as curling into the caregiver’s body. That the transport response is specific to carrying, rather than simply holding, was demonstrated in this 2013 study, which demonstrated sharp decreases in both crying and heart rate when the mother moved from sitting and holding the baby to standing up and walking. Interestingly, frequently carrying your baby may also have lasting impacts on reducing infant distress even when they aren’t being carried. This 2020 study found that infants who were carried daily for at least an hour showed reduced cortisol levels (stress hormones) following exposure to an acute stressor.

The how

We’ve extensively explored the ‘why’ of babywearing. Hopefully the answer to the question “should I get a baby carrier?’ is now apparent. However, the answer to “which baby carrier should I get?’, is not as easy to answer. While there have been some studies evaluating various baby carriers for shoulder pressure and the risk of hip dysplasia, they mostly demonstrate little variability between carriers. In essence, choosing a baby carrier is an intensely personal decision, and what works for one person may not work for another. Similarly, what works for you at one point in time may not be the best option at a different time point. For that reason, I highly recommend making it to your local babywearing meet, where you should have the option of trying on a few different carriers.

However, if that is not an option for you, here are the pros and cons of some of the most common baby carriers available.

Stretchy wrap

-          Pros: easy to pop baby in and out without requiring adjustment, good for snuggly newborn phase

-           Cons: requires pre tying, can be time consuming to tie, only comfortable until baby weighs about 6kgs

Soft structured carrier

-          Pros: easy and quick to use, some can be used for hip and back carrying, easy to adjust, very supportive

-          Cons: not every model will be a good fit for your body type, requires adjustments when sharing between different sized care givers, many require a newborn insert, requires larger models for older toddlers

Woven wrap

-          Pros: fully customisable in terms of weight distribution, can be used for carrying on the hip or back, incredibly versatile, can be used for any age, very supportive (can later be repurposed as a hammock!¹)

-          Cons: steep learning curve, can be quite pricey

Ring sling

-          Pros: quick to get on, easy to pop baby in and out, same carrier can be used from newborn up.

-          Cons: can only be used for front and hip carrying, can’t distribute weight ideally across the whole body

Regardless of which carrier you end up using, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you’re using it safely. A baby that is improperly positioned in a carrier is at risk of positional asphyxia, so to ensure the safety of your baby, remember TICKS.

T – Tight, so that there is no loose fabric. This will be more comfortable for you, and also prevents baby from slumping down which can hinder breathing

I – In view at all times, so that no fabric is covering your baby’s face

C – Close enough to kiss, with baby’s head as close to your chin as is comfortably possible

K – Keep chin off the chest, as when they are curled with their chin pushing onto their own chest, breathing can be restricted

S – Supported back, so that their back is supported in its natural position. You can test this by pressing gently against baby’s back; they should not move closer to you

Well, some 2000 words later, that’s it! Pretty much everything I know about babywearing, you now know too!

Happy babywearing!

Beck xx

---

I'd love to hear your thoughts! What is your favourite method of babywearing? And why do you do it?

Oh, and before you go

If you enjoyed this article, and want to read more, consider subscribing for free. That way you won't miss a single article, they'll appear right in your email inbox.

But if you can't wait for next week, check out these recent articles which I think you might enjoy:

Some babies just don't need much sleep

Ten things you DON'T need for your new baby

Or upgrade to paid, and receive my weekend newsletter as well.

1. Evidence of woven wrap hammocks