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Baby Slings
Offer Closeness and Convenience

Baby Slings are a great way to provide your baby with the comfort and closeness they need without giving up all of your own activities.

I remember when I first tried my carrier. My daughter was a newborn and I was afraid - the sling - would drop her.

A girlfriend had to convince me that I could let the sling support her weight. I eventually let go and embraced the help the sling offered me in caring for my baby.

Here are some ways you and your baby can benefit from baby slings.

Benefits of Baby Slings

This Didymos sling will keep your baby close to you.

You can get other things done.

Infant carriers support the weight of your baby with your arms free to make transactions, type on the computer or do housekeeping.
You save your back.

Car seats are heavy and strollers can be a pain in certain locations. Enjoy the extra "set of arms" when you and baby go out and about.
Breastfeeding Support.

An infant carrier can offer breastfeeding coverage for public feedings as well as the option for hands-free breastfeeding.
Babywearing soothes your baby.

Your baby got used to the way you move inside your womb. Whether your baby has colic or simply wants to hear your heart beat, keeping him close will result in him crying less. Enjoy the peace.
Babies learn more.

William Sears, M.D., the father of babywearing, says a baby who cries less spends more time alert and interacting with the people and things in her environment. A carried baby sees, hears and smells things on your level.

Rather than lying on her back most of the time, she discovers the world around her and learns to make choices about what she will listen to and look at.

Finally, you can't help but talk to your baby when she's in your face. This promotes important language development skills.
Babies move more.

You might think carried babies are slower to move independently, however research says the opposite is true. Carried babies crawl and walk sooner. They are used to moving around and use less of their energy crying and more thriving and growing.

Does Babywearing Spoil Babies?

There are no set of rules as to how often you should hold your baby, and holding them for long periods of time does not spoil them. Holding babies honors their need for closeness and makes them feel more secure.

Peggy O'Mara, author of Natural Family Living: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Parenting, says "perhaps the only way for a child to spoil is through neglect. Babies whose needs are fulfilled in a loving, sensitive environment grow into happy, well-adjusted children who are a pleasure to be around."

If babywearing sounds like a fit for you, check out these five steps to finding the best sling for you and your baby.