BABYWEARING: All You Need (and Would Love) to Know About

My Personal Experience with Babywearing 

We have seen a lot of you wondered why and how my hubby and I carry our baby in that peice of cloth-- may it be the teal stretchy one, the black tie, the green ring sling, the brown cloth, etc. People find it unique or in some sense, just plain weird. Reactions vary, some think it's heavy and difficult for the parent, or too tight for the baby, too girly (or so gay) for the dads/dudes, or just plain odd and that it's letting us "spoil" the baby, which the righteous people think that it is wrong (IMO, there's no such thing as "spoiling" a baby, babies naturally needs to be carried and not laid flat on their cribs, that will cause spinal damage and un-met emotional needs which may affect him psychologically even until adulthood, just a Psychology thingy). Here in our country (Philippines), although it has been gaining popularity, babywearing is not mainstream. You heard it right, that’s called BABYWEARING (or BW for short), which simply and obviously means “wearing your baby”. If you babywear here in our country, you're a head turner (I know, as an Attached Parent who babywears, I am experiencing that now.) 

Well, that weird thing is what saved my life as a no-nanny full-time mom-of-two wherein almost always, I need to be a superwoman, available to them all. Not to forget that I am also a wife and I am also just a girl (I have mastered putting on make-up while BW. *teehee*) and of course, I am also a cloth-diapering labandera (laundry girl of the whole family). Instead of hiring a nanny for P3.500 per month, we invested a one-time payment of not more than P2,000 for a couple of good BW carriers and that’s just it. Sulit & tipid for a young, non-rich, thrifty mama like me. 

If you can't relate with my (pathetic) situation, BW also works for other BW-enthusiasts I know.  those with a maginhawa life, making their lives more maginhawa. For the wealthier moms, BW enabled them to enjoy their vacation travels without the hassles of bringing along bulky strollers, babies are calmer on flights too. Some businesswomen or employed moms can even bring along their babies to stores/offices without any hassle. BW also made all other family and even friends get involved in child care or mother-like-bonding with the baby the hands-free way-- the grannies loved to skip “arm carrying” their beloved grandkids by “wearing” them instead. My BW support group from The POD also enjoyed the benefits of BW, our babies are in a calm-type-of alert (& smart) state and are very happy babies too. I first discovered #babywearing on Instagram, a photo-sharing app and there I discovered a lot of foreigners BW while hiking, going to the beach or even while working & doing chores coz they usually don't have helpers or nannies there, right? So, babywearing-- it's you already! (haha  Pinoy version of ikaw na talaga). Try it and find out if it works for you too.

Be Aware and then Baby Wear

BUT before trying BW and purchasing slings, equip yourself first with some knowledge about this new thing, just to be prepared. More and more amazing stuffs about BW are yet to be explored. You just have to make reading and researching a habit. If you are too busy (or lazy) or just too clueless how to research and read about this strange thing, well, you have found the right post coz I'll be featuring important reads and images from great links from trusted BW organizations and blogs. So , read along! Read read also if there's time! (If that's how to translate the Filipino term 'basa basa din pag may time' in english. haha). It's time for you to open yourselves and be AWARE about Smart Parenting, Attachment Parenting and BW. So let me personally introduce you to the beautiful and blissful world of BW which made parenting easier & more fun! Plus, baby carriers are fun to collect! *wink*

What is Babywearing? 
FROM babywearinginternational.org

"Babywearing" simply means holding or carrying a baby or young child using a cloth baby carrier. Holding babies is natural and universal; baby carriers make it easier and more comfortable, allowing parents and caregivers to hold or carry their children while attending to the daily tasks of living. Babywearing helps a new dad put a fussy newborn to sleep. It allows a new mom use both hands to make a sandwich. It lets an experienced parent or caregiver carry a baby on her back and wash the dishes, do the laundry, take a hike, or weed the garden, all while keeping the baby safe and content.

The Benefits of Babywearing

FROM lalecheleague.org

Baby wearing is incredibly helpful in integrating baby into your daily life. You can interact with your baby throughout the day, breastfeed frequently, and still play with an older child and accomplish adult tasks. Babies benefit from spending time in the rich learning environment of the adult world. Parents feel more confident and less isolated. Baby wearing also makes the world more baby-friendly. As Bill and Martha Sears explain: "When adults wear babies, we let our children know that babies are important and that they belong with their parents. We teach our children...that big people care for little people and that babies are fun to be around."  PLEASE READ MORE HERE.

Babywearing & Healthy Hip Positioning

DID YOU KNOW? Some types of baby carriers and other equipment may interfere with healthy hip positioning. So please check out the International Hip Dysplasia Institute website because they have series of drawings that demonstrate typical devices that allow healthier hip positioning in comparison to those which do not, including Car Seats, Baby Harnesses/Carriers, and Baby Slings.

Yes, again, there are baby carriers NOT RECOMMENDED for carrying or wearing your baby. This image from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute shows the importance of using a carrier that places a baby in a seated position (one on the right), and not hanging by their crotch (like that one on the left).

YES, RECOMMENDED

There are plenty of carriers that place baby in the correct position, including but not limited to ERGObaby (popular with celebs! But price is also so-celeb, at SM stores that’s 6k-8k pesos), Boba, Tula, K'tan, SaYa, as well as wraps (like Rai Tie, Maya wrap) and ring slings (Sakura Bloom, Next9, and my own quality but affordable ring slings that I'm selling within the Philippines. hehe, just email likhanisaosao@gmail.com for inquiries), as long as they are used correctly.

NOT RECOMMENDED

Baby Bjorn, Snuglis and Infantino front packs (like that carrier on the left) are NOT recommended, as well as those cheap-cost (below P500 baby harnesses) also called "crotch-dangler" carriers available at the malls which are not ergonomically structured for carrying a human baby. They make baby's body swaddle, dangle the legs or whatever that is really uncomfortable to both the baby and the wearer. Because it's NOT TIGHT enough to secure the baby into place (yes, BW has to be tight just right, not loose coz baby will move/swaddle and that might damage the spine or cause falls, so it's just NOT WEIRD if we carry our baby snuggly, that's the most frequent misconception I received so far). 

I have actually tried those cheap pre-made buckle carriers with my firstborn, when my Smart Parenting skills are not yet activated and Babywearing is an ALIEN word for me. And I just used it once. She had pilas on her singit and I kept hugging her with my two hands coz she was swaddling, moving to the sides, or whatever that's not helpful, as in! 

But with the recommended carriers and slings, I can even breastfeed while babywearing while window shopping and strolling at the malls, I was able to eat properly on restaurants, I can attend to my energetic firstborn child while being an attached parent to my youngest, I can put on my make-up while not worrying my baby has crawled down our stairs. It's a big help (again, emphasizing this) in my no-nanny full-time mom-of-two life. Thanks to babywearing-recommended carriers!

BABYWEARING CELEBS

Just for fun and inspiration. Check out these Babywearing CELEBS!!! But note, not all celebs you see over the internet wear their babies properly. But these examples I will show you are my favorite, and I got them from this cool babywearing blog (www.carrymeaway.com) where they offer suggestions and advices if ever they did it incorrectly, tao lang po sila kahit artista. So, get star-strucked now and be inspired to babywear too!

Kate Hudson out and about in a gorgeous ring sling

Kelly Rutherford holds her baby close enough to kiss!

Eric Dane Babywearing on Grey’s Anatomy

Watch the VIDEO CLIP here

Bethenny Frankel makes babywearing look so fun

Tisha Campbell Martin wearing a stretchy wrap

BABYWEARING "DADDY" CELEBS

Honestly, they're my inspiration. The daddy-child bonding is just so sweet, 

and they are definitely HOT!

Orlando Bloom with son Flynn

NBA star Steve Nash wears baby Matteo

Cam Gigandet with daughter Everleigh Ray

Channing Tatum with OUR baby.
hahaha This is MY blog and I can do that! 

RELATED READS

I hope you learned a lot. Got more interested and still curious? 

Remember, read read also if there's time.. ;)

Ask Dr. Sears About Babywearing

Informative articles and answers to common babywearing questions from Dr. Sears.

Ten Reasons to Wear your Baby

Reasons why we need (and love) to babywear explained by The Natural Child Project.

The Science of Babywearing

Peer reviewed articles, scientific studies and analysis, historical precedent, cultural influence, and more from TheBabyWearer.com

Gentle Responses to Babywearing Negativity

From “Don’t you ever put that poor baby down?” to “My baby did just fine in a buggy”…here are some lovely suggestions for gentle responses to negative comments.

PS:  email likhanisaosao@gmail.com for inquiries