Although carrying a baby in some kind of cloth device may seem like a modern trend, it is a practice that is actually as old as parenting itself. For millennia, people have worn their babies tied to them with simple wraps or slings to keep the baby close and still attend to the normal activities of daily life. In many parts of the world, this is still the norm. Babies are carried or worn all day until they can walk, and beyond.

In industrialized western cultures, parents have been conditioned to believe that picking up and holding their child too much would "spoil" the child and discourage independence. Nevertheless, carrying is becoming increasingly common. Our society has rediscovered this instinctive way of natural parenting and found it to be enjoyable, ergonomic, practical, and helpful to baby's physical and social development.

Babies who are held and carried all the time and have their need for touch met in their first year do not become clingy and overly dependent. They cry much less1 and they grow to become happier, more intelligent, more independent, more loving and more social than babies who spend much of their infancy in infant seats, swings, cribs, and all the other plastic baby-holding devices that don't provide babies with human contact. The physical and psychological benefits associated with carrying encourage little ones to feel secure and content and build a solid sense of self-esteem. Babies feel safe when their needs for food, warmth and touch are met; and when they are within close proximity to their trusted parent or care-provider.

Holding your baby close resembles the "carrying" inside the womb. The baby is completely enveloped and therefore safe, comfortable and warm, and experiencing natural motions. Ashley Montague, who was an anthropologist, scientist, and humanist, talked about the eighteen-month gestational period: nine months within the womb and nine months without. The newborn needs the extra nine to ten months outside of the womb to mature. This is a period of time Dr. Montague designates as being the exterogestation. It is around the end of this period that the infant begins to crawl around and is capable of mobility independent of the mother. This period of exterogestation requires the constant care of a loving and nurturing human being who can learn to respond appropriately and quickly to the newborn's needs of touch, nourishment, and warmth.

Visual Stimulation

Visual stimulation is another benefit of carrying. Unlike a baby on its back (who sees only the ceiling and objects on either side) a baby in a wrap or other carrier will lift his/her head and view the world at eye level.

SIDS Prevention

Babywearing presents a natural form of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention. Infants can be worn while they sleep, and none of the babywearing positions require infants to lie on their backs while being carried.

Motor Development

Another negative effect of infants spending too much time on their backs is that these so-called "container babies" who lie for long periods in cribs, strollers, car seats and other restrictive devices experience delays in motor development.

When lying on their backs, unable to move freely, infants cannot learn motor skills that require antigravity extension (rolling, crawling. sitting, walking). Such babies, in the first few months of life, don't grasp, crawl, stand or walk as early as expected.

Attachment

Carrying your baby supports Attachment Parenting International's Ideals of Baby Wearing

• Babywearing helps satisfy the baby's need for closeness, touch and affection.
• Babywearing promotes and strengthens parent's emotional bond with their baby.
• The movement that naturally results from carrying your baby stimulates their neurological development
• Babies cry less when worn or held.
• Holding helps regulate their temperature and heart rate.
• Baby feels more secure. Babywearing facilitates easy outings and travel.
• Babywearing facilitates easy outings and travel.

Choosing a Carrier

There are so many baby carriers available on the market today it can be quite confusing for parents to decide on one particular type. Here are some important issues to help you decide:

Types of Carriers

Slings are pieces of fabric that go over one shoulder. They are great for beginners. The baby rides in the folds of the fabric close to the body in a variety of positions: front, side and back. Most slings can accommodate babies from newborn up to about 35 pounds. Babies can be breastfed in these easily and discreetly.

Wraparounds are made of several yards of cotton weave material that you (as the name suggests) wrap around you and your baby, so you can babywear in one of many positions: front, hip and back. They can come in a selection of beautiful fabrics and designs, so they are really lovely articles of clothing rather than equipment. Babies are in effect swaddled against the wearer's front, which is very calming for the baby. Ideally, a wraparound sling starts with a belt in front of the parent in which the baby sits, tummy to tummy. By having the belt in front and the baby positioned in this way, the weight is distributed on the hips and legs of the wearer, and breastfeeding is easy. As well, the baby is supported on both shoulders of the wearer, spreading the weight of the baby over a larger portion of the wearer's back than any other front carrier, which makes it comfortable to wear, even for long periods. Wraparounds are suitable for newborns to preschoolers. You will need to learn how to wrap them and although the length of it might seem daunting at first, they are surprisingly easy to learn. Girasol is an example of a woven wraparound.

Soft structured carriers are easy to use and if you can't face learning to tie a wrap, or don't want to, then the soft carriers are an excellent choice. The baby is held vertically, on the wearer's front or back. They are suitable for beginners and they don't require any learning; you just clip and go. These are usually the ones that modern western parents most associate with baby carriers. Men, in particular, tend to prefer the "camping" look. Most packs are suitable for newborns up to toddlers with some adjustment necessary to carry tiny babies. Newborns are typically carried in the front carry. More structured ones may have buckles and padded straps as well as shaped sitting/baby carrying part. It is possible to breastfeed in front positions. An example of a soft structured carrier is ERGO. The ERGO enables parents to purchase one carrier for all their needs from infant to toddler and it can be worn on the front, back and hip positions.

Fabric. Consider what materials are used. A carrier made from organic cotton and non-toxic dyes gives peace of mind when you know that your baby will spend much time in close contact with the fabric.

Proper position in the carrier is important for the infant's hip, pelvis and spine growth. Choose a carrier that provides excellent support for the baby's head, neck, hips and legs. An infant carried in a front carrier should always be oriented toward the wearer. If the baby is facing out to the front, there is no leg support, improper spine and hip support, and no head or neck support if the baby falls asleep.

Leg Position. Make sure that the ergonomic design of the wrap or front carrier ensures that the baby is in the correct sitting position to encourage proper hip, pelvis and spine growth. It does this by distributing most of the baby's weight between its hips and thighs. When carrying the baby in an upright position, the baby's hips should always be straddled around the wearer's body. The legs should be at least pulled up to a 90 degree angle. This agrees with the baby's anatomical makeup and supports proper hip development. When carried upright in a soft front pack, babies should never be supported by only a narrow band of fabric at the crotch with the legs dangling. A baby carried in this position would not have enough hip or spine support. The seat of the carrier should be underneath the entire thigh from buttocks to knees to provide support for the hips. Ergonomic carriers put the baby in this position, which supports the legs just as a mothers arms would if the baby were being held in arms. With the baby's knees bent and the hips spread, it is the most comfortable position for baby and the best for proper hip and spine development. Carriers such as the ERGO and wraparound slings appropriately disperse most of the infant's weight between the hips and thighs.

Back Support. The back of the carrier needs to support the baby's back, so that he/she is not slouching excessively while in the upright position. It needs to be supportive enough so that even when the baby is asleep his/her body is tightly secured to the wearer's body.

Parent comfort. The design also considers the health and comfort of parents. The carrier balances the baby's weight to the parents' hips and shoulders, reducing physical stress. Both the wrap and manufactured carriers use wide fabric to cross the shoulders and fit around the waist or on the hips to eliminate back problems for the parent or other person who is carrying the baby.

The Safest Style of Parenting

Another very important reason for keeping your baby close (both carrying and co-sleeping) is that this is the best way to keep your baby safe.

Most parents, as modern consumers with a high level of awareness about safety, design, construction and consumer protection regulations, believe that the manufactured baby equipment devices on the market (strollers, swings, cribs) have been tested thoroughly and demonstrated to be safe. However, even if equipment is purchased the from large, reputable United States manufacturers, unsafe baby products do frequently reach the marketplace. The process of pre-market testing is often haphazard and flawed and many times "approved" products have been found to be dangerous. Notably, while there are mandatory standards for car seats, cribs, rattles and pacifiers, the safety standards for all other baby equipment are voluntary.

In fact, in our western society's parenting style of keeping baby "away" in some kind of contraption, the most dangerous places for babies are now cribs, high chairs, infant carriers and strollers.

A great majority of the baby gear, although intended to help a mother, actually ends up hindering her by further separating her both physically and emotionally from her child. By limiting your reliance on cribs, strollers, or other expensive, fashionable paraphernalia, you will be doing a world of good for your baby.