Yes I wear Jack. I don't wear him 24-7. I wear him for his long afternoon nap, I wear him when he is happy, I wear him when he is cranky, I wear him when I need to get things done around the house, I wear him when we go shopping and on and on and on.
He is not a 24-7 arm baby. He plays on the floor, he rolls around, he sits and I am sure once he starts become more mobile he won't want to be carried as much.
This is one of the many choices that came out of a natural feeling. It just feels natural to hold my child. My sister is a baby-wearing advocate and I inherited her gear, which made things cheaper for me. I use a ring sling around the house and for naps, I keep a Boba Carrier in my car for shopping and walks. I also have 2 Bjorns, but I am not a fan of them. I keep one at my mom's house in case I need it. I also find it unnatural to carry a baby facing out, I think that is a marketing scam many of us were sucked into. "Let your baby see the world." He sees the world just fine facing in.
Babies are more in tune when their mother's hold them. In the early stages it helps to regulate body temperature, create a bond, promote milk production...later on it helps them to read body motion, understanding social interaction, and stay in the action of things. I carry my son while we are grocery shopping. He smells the fruit I buy him, he sees people, I can leave the cart and not worry about leaving him behind. He can feel by body tense up in stressful situations, he can hear my heart rate change when his daddy comes home. These are all important to a child's development. They are part of our lives and get to experience life.
Babywearing is one of the few odd-ball things that I do that I have NEVER gotten a weird look for. In fact, people ALWAYS smile at me carrying Jack. Why? There is something so natural about a child snuggling into their mother's chest, and there are very few things sweeter than that.
I started then stopped. I recently pulled out her Havana and she felt so comfortable in it. She's over 20 lbs and I have to wear her on my hip. It felt nice not to have to constantly pull her up. :)
ReplyDeleteJack is about 20 pounds. I cradle hold him in the wrap for naps, that's the only way he will nap...getting things done around the house he is usually on my hip.
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