6 Great Benefits to Using a Baby Sling

From mom and dad to grandparents, caretakers and babysitters; baby slings are a vibrant thing that can be used by anyone. Baby slings have been wonderful for me as I have used a sling with each of my three children.

I have always kept one in the house as I don’t know how I could have done without them. I even kept one in the car! For those who don’t know what a sling is - it is a piece of cloth that is knotted at either end that fits cross-wise on a person’s body. Depending on the type of the sling, the baby can be placed in the back or the front.

It is difficult to find many books on baby wearing, but one that I really enjoyed was Beloved Burden: Baby-Wearing Around the World. This book is excellent for taking an in depth look at how baby-wearing has been developed in the past, to where we are with it now, and how it is practiced by other cultures in the world. Another great book along these same lines but that you may enjoy reading to and with your children is A Ride on Mother's Back: A Day of Baby Carrying Around the World.

The following are some of the benefits of slings:

Comfort for Baby

A study that was done with North American mothers showed that baby-wearing practices greatly decreased crying among babies for a few extra hours a day. It was also discovered that babies in modern cultures cried far more than babies in other cultures where the norm was mother-baby closeness. From my experience as a mom I can attest that my children were very calm, which gave me the calmness as a mother, were it not for slings it could have been otherwise.

Sling-carried babies feel a familiar sound from being in the womb which is the mother’s heartbeat. On other hand the motion of a parent’s walking is very soothing to a baby and it also greatly aids in the proper development of the baby’s inner ear. The connection further helps babies to develop healthy biological rhythms as noted by several experts.

Nursing

Baby carriers can be used by nursing mothers as they provide subtle opportunities for a mom to nurse in public. While a mother grocery shops, a baby can nurse covered up by the sling. This is a more profound yet a simple way of experiencing a mama and baby time without hiding or having any interference. It is way much easier to nurse a child to sleep in a sling than on his/her bed. Therefore a sling enables the mother to bring the baby to sleep and then transfer the baby from her arms to the bed. Although this is a dreaded transition it the most preferred way by most mothers who use slings.

Baby Wearing: Two Hands Again

What I appreciate most in a sling and perhaps the most helpful benefit is the presence of two useful hands. They allow you to provide the baby with the closeness of being held and comfort while it is also an amazing help to be able to have two hands free. (Do not use sharp objects or cook while baby-wearing.) There are some fabulous 'new' items are there now for baby-wearing mamas, including the Sweet Mommy Ruffle Hem Maternity hoodie and the Sweet Mommy Big Hoodie Duffle Coat.  Each of these come with their own baby pouch, how awesome is that?

Socializing

A baby worn in a sling gets to experience a wide range of people and places; in other words the baby gets to experience the world. Additionally as an added bonus the baby takes the world from mommy’s and daddy’s vantage point. Therefore as the baby grows he/she is able to be calm in social situations and socialize.

Closeness

Holding a baby close has many benefits according to reports by many experts and this is something that most mothers know. More mothers are holding their babies close thanks to the availability of slings. For healthy babies who develop naturally and normal a close relationship between the mother and the baby is obligatory. If you wish to explore further into the scientific and sociological connections regarding closeness with our infants and children, then I highly recommend reading The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact With Your Baby Leads to Happier, Healthier Development.

Types of Baby Slings

Ring slings and tie slings or wraps are the two major types of slings. Tie slings or wraps can be tied in at least a dozen different ways and are the way mothers have been carrying their babies for centuries. They come in quite an array of colors and the commercial available ones come with instructions. My favorite was the Didymos Organic Baby Carrier, it was incredible support for the back - and I really needed the extra back support with the amount my babies liked to be carried.

Equally, ring slings are pieces of cloth held together by a ring. They are easy to adjust and also come in some really lovely designs and fabrics. They are available in a variety of patterns and kinds of cloth; they also come in both padded and unpadded varieties.

Happy baby wearing!