The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

14th September 2018

We speak to passionate babywearers about how carrying has changed their lives

The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

14th September 2018

The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

14th September 2018

The Fourth Trimester

Caroline Barber runs West London Babies (westlondonbabies.com), and teaches Baby Massage, and Baby Yoga.

‘I first got into babywearing with my own babies, we didn’t have a car and we needed to get around. We couldn’t find the perfect carrier. I decided to train as a Babywearing Consultant in 2012. I understand that a baby wants to be held, comforted, reassured, and protected, and needs this beyond the time they are carried in the womb. Particularly beneficial, is being held and snuggled in the fourth trimester, when the world is new, bright, loud and overwhelming, and when a parent is tired but needs to hold their baby. Babywearing helps the baby to feel more attached, reduces crying, provides relief and offers comfort by being in a more upright position. Being carried also helps with temperature and heartbeat regulation. For the parent, aside from stimulating lactation for the mother and helping to conserve energy, babywearing increases a parent’s confidence in being able to attend to their baby, watching and feeling their cues and cries. It all sounds so good- why wouldn’t a parent carry?! There are huge bodies of research and evidence; an excellent read is A Baby Wants To Be Carried by Dr. Eveline Kirkilionis.

When I started the course I wanted to learn about positioning and structure – how should a baby be worn to be safe and comfortable, and what is best for their physical development (and what can be damaging). What are the age or weight limits? What is good for premature babies? What works best for recovery from a c-section birth? How should carriers look, feel, and support the adult wearer?

The best suggestion I can offer to parents is to find a local Sling Library or consultant to support them.

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