Ergobaby, Boba, Bjorn, Catbird Baby, Lillebaby, Mobywrap, and more… What do these all have in common? They are carriers to help you wear your baby.
“Help me do WHAT?” I hear you say...
Wear your baby. Babywearing is defined as the practice of wearing a child or baby in a sling or other type of carrier, and while it has been around for thousands of years, it has been making a consistent resurgence over the last few decades as parents find themselves wanting to be able to keep their children close and meet their need for touch while still being able to continue about their tasks and lives, including caring for other children, especially when they are left as the primary caregiver.
As we continue into our longest time at war in history, military families are finding themselves separated more often and sometimes even for longer than in years past, and seeking new tools to help make it easier on both the adults left at home and the children they’re caring for.
The growing mainstream popularity of babywearing, even if only for a short time, has not missed military families, and many base or post exchanges stock a few carrier options, and there are at least a dozen types available in store at big box stores. The idea of being able to keep your child close, safe, and comforted while still being able to take care of other kids, knock out daily tasks, or even just grocery shopping without putting a carseat in the big section of the cart has mass appeal for obvious reasons, but so do the emotional and physical benefits.
Babywearing can help reduce reflux after feeding, build neck and core strength for babies, facilitate breastfeeding or help expand the bonding for families who do not nurse. For the wearer it can lower chances of postpartum depression in mothers and help parents create or rekindle a bond if they have been absent for a while, especially after deployments where the service member is dealing with reintegration and adjusting back into their role as a parent. Wearing a baby can also prove helpful for secondary caregivers such as respite providers, nannies, grandparents, and others to help keep children safe and close by and recreating the comforts and routines they are already familiar with.
Babywearing has also proven an asset for families dealing with both physical and emotional injuries after coming home, making it easier for a family with an injury to hold their children. For parents who have tremors or spook easily, the security of a carrier ensures that they cannot drop their child. When a parent holds a child, their body creates oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the snuggle hormone, which can help calm both the wearer and the child down, even slowing a racing heartbeat to bring it back to a normal level for people who are experiencing overstimulation, both adults and children.
Reintegration of a servicemember can be difficult for both them and their family, but having a few things less to worry about can be instrumentally helpful in decreasing stress during a difficult time. In some circumstances, the ability to be held in a way that is familiar while also hearing a voice that is familiar (such as from skype, videos, or phone calls) can help a child become more comfortable with an adult that they previously felt they didn’t know, which is incredibly common in this time of frequent deployments and so many servicemembers having young children.
The growing mainstream popularity of babywearing, even if only for a short time, has not missed military families, and many base or post exchanges stock a few carrier options, and there are at least a dozen types available in store at big box stores. The idea of being able to keep your child close, safe, and comforted while still being able to take care of other kids, knock out daily tasks, or even just grocery shopping without putting a carseat in the big section of the cart has mass appeal for obvious reasons, but so do the emotional and physical benefits.
Babywearing can help reduce reflux after feeding, build neck and core strength for babies, facilitate breastfeeding or help expand the bonding for families who do not nurse. For the wearer it can lower chances of postpartum depression in mothers and help parents create or rekindle a bond if they have been absent for a while, especially after deployments where the service member is dealing with reintegration and adjusting back into their role as a parent. Wearing a baby can also prove helpful for secondary caregivers such as respite providers, nannies, grandparents, and others to help keep children safe and close by and recreating the comforts and routines they are already familiar with.
Babywearing has also proven an asset for families dealing with both physical and emotional injuries after coming home, making it easier for a family with an injury to hold their children. For parents who have tremors or spook easily, the security of a carrier ensures that they cannot drop their child. When a parent holds a child, their body creates oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the snuggle hormone, which can help calm both the wearer and the child down, even slowing a racing heartbeat to bring it back to a normal level for people who are experiencing overstimulation, both adults and children.
Reintegration of a servicemember can be difficult for both them and their family, but having a few things less to worry about can be instrumentally helpful in decreasing stress during a difficult time. In some circumstances, the ability to be held in a way that is familiar while also hearing a voice that is familiar (such as from skype, videos, or phone calls) can help a child become more comfortable with an adult that they previously felt they didn’t know, which is incredibly common in this time of frequent deployments and so many servicemembers having young children.
To find out more about babywearing, including possibly finding a carrier that might suit your needs, look for your local babywearing chapter on www.thebabywearer.com or search for your local Babywearing International chapter to check out their lending or learning libraries to try something or maybe even have an opportunity to borrow it. There are as many carriers as there are shapes of bodies that wear them, so while everything may not fit you perfectly, something definitely will fit not only your body and your baby’s body, but also your budget. However, if you know of a military family who might have trouble affording a quality baby carrier, there are resources available, such as www.carryingonproject.org. They provide free carriers to those who qualify. While babywearing might not be for everyone, it is a valuable tool to look into for families both home and abroad.
