1. Sling babies cry less. Parents in my practice commonly report, “As long as I wear her, she’s content!” Parents of fussy babies who try babywearing relate that their babies seem to forget to fuss. This is more than just my own impression. In 1986, a team of pediatricians in Montreal reported on a study of ninety-nine mother-infant pairs. The first group of parents were provided with a baby carrier and assigned to carry their babies for at least three extra hours a day. They were encouraged to carry their infants throughout the day, regardless of the state of the infant, not just in response to crying or fussing. In the control, or noncarried group, parents were not given any specific instructions about carrying. After six weeks, the infants who received supplemental carrying cried and fussed 43 percent less than the noncarried group.

Anthropologists who travel throughout the world studying infant-care practices in other cultures agree that infants in babywearing cultures cry much less. In Western culture we measure a baby’s crying in hours, but in other cultures, crying is measured in minutes. We have been led to believe that it is “normal” for babies to cry a lot, but in other cultures this is not accepted as the norm. In these cultures, babies are normally “up” in arms and are put down only to sleep – next to the mother. When the parent must attend to her own needs, the baby is in someone else’s arms.

2. Sling babies learn more. If infants spend less time crying and fussing, what do they do with the free time? They learn! Sling babies spend more time in the state of quiet alertness . This is the behavioral state in which an infant is most content and best able to interact with his environment. It may be called the optimal state of learning for a baby. Researchers have also reported that carried babies show enhanced visual and auditory alertness.

The behavioral state of quiet alertness also gives parents a better opportunity to interact with their baby. Notice how mother and baby position their faces in order to achieve this optimal visually interactive plane. The human face, especially in this position, is a potent stimulator for interpersonal bonding. In the kangaroo carry, baby has a 180-degree view of her environment and is able to scan her world. She learns to choose, picking out what she wishes to look at and shutting out what she doesn’t. This ability to make choices enhances learning. A sling baby learns a lot in the arms of a busy caregiver.

3. Sling babies are more organized. It’s easier to understand babywearing when you think of a baby’s gestation as lasting eighteen months – nine months inside the womb and at least nine more months outside. The womb environment automatically regulates baby’s systems. Birth temporarily disrupts this organization. The more quickly, however, baby gets outside help with organizing these systems, the more easily he adapts to the puzzle of life outside the womb. By extending the womb experience, the babywearing mother (and father) provides an external regulating system that balances the irregular and disorganized tendencies of the baby.

Picture how these regulating systems work. Mother’s rhythmic walk, for example, (which baby has been feeling for nine months) reminds baby of the womb experience. This familiar rhythm, imprinted on baby’s mind in the womb, now reappears in the “outside womb” and calms baby. As baby places her ear against her mother’s chest, mother’s heartbeat, beautifully regular and familiar, reminds baby of the sounds of the womb. As another biological regulator, baby senses mother’s rhythmic breathing while worn tummy- to-tummy, chest-to-chest. Simply stated, regular parental rhythms have a balancing effect on the infant’s irregular rhythms. Babywearing “reminds” the baby of and continues the motion and balance he enjoyed in the womb.

SLING TIP:
The womb lasts eighteen months: Nine months inside mother, and nine months outside.

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As a very busy mom who is always on the go, it’s hard to tote around my 9 month old and still get things done. When my daughter was only a few weeks old, I couldn’t get anything done. I was carrying her around all the time, because she refused to be happy anywhere else. I had to make blog posts with one hand, dishes with one hand, laundry with one hand, and don’t even ask me how I made dinner every night. Thankfully, I discovered a different way of carrying my little one.

Baby slings are the most convenient way of carrying around your newborn. They are also quite fashionable too! Most carriers today are available in a variety of fabrics and sizes.

I have been reviewing and testing different baby slings and wraps over the last several months and I just recently got the Jelly Bean™ Cargo Sling by Munchkin.

Bring your baby and forget your diaper bag with one sling that does it all!

This ergonomically designed sling has lots of extras and is great for nursing. There are 4 cargo pockets to hold a cell phone, diapers and wipes, keys and wallet, with the special inside pocket for a bottle. A double buckle and safety stopper makes sure your sling stays put. There’s even a loop for a pacifier or teether.

For me, it wasn’t one of the more comfortable slings I’ve tried, but that’s probably because I didn’t get to try this one when my daughter was little. The weight limit on this sling is 20lbs and my 9 month old is almost too big for it. However, after wearing it I can tell that it would have been great with a newborn.

With all the pockets and extra storage, I would have died to have this when my daughter was a tiny little baby!

I definitely recommend this one for new moms with new babies. It’s affordable and totally convenient.

What: Jelly Bean™ Cargo Sling

Price: $35

Where: Visit Munchkin.com to find a store location near you, or purchase online at BabyAge.com