Which Carrier Is The Most Beneficial To Your Baby?
Several pediatric studies have found that wearing your baby offers important benefits to your baby’s mental, emotional, and physical development. Parents can realize the best possible developmental benefits for their children using any type of baby carrier. Selecting a baby carrier can be a daunting task for many parents. Like many things in life, the baby carrier choice for you will be unique and not necessarily the most popular or trendy.
One type of carrier is the traditional sling or pouch sling. These slings go over one shoulder, and the baby lays in the fabric carrier. HotSlings, Mama's Milk and New Native are popular brands of the sling. Slings offer the benefit of newborn use - making them a good choice for expecting parents. Additionally, slings tend to work well with particular body types and are not adjustable, making it difficult or not possible for sharing between parents or use if your body does not return to it's prepregnancy shape. If you experience back problems, having all of baby's weight on one shoulder can aggravate any issues you may experience.
A variation of the traditional sling is a ring sling. If you expect to lose a lot of weight post partum, the easily adjustable ring sling is an excellent option for you. It’s also a very popular option for plus size moms.
An alternative to traditional or ring-style slings are baby wrap carriers, or wraps. Of all the carrier options available, the wrap is both the most versatile and challenging type of carrier to master. A popular brand of wraps is the Ellaroo. As the name suggests, your baby is held to you by a rectangular piece of cloth which is wrapped around you in such a way as to support him. There are dozens of ways to wrap the cloth making it the most versatile to use, but at the same time intimidating to some parents.
A traditional Asian carrier which is becoming quite popular is the mei tai. A mei tai carrier is a rectangular piece of cloth with parallel straps emerging from each corner. Baby is supported to your chest, back or side using the rectangular piece of cloth and the straps are criss-crossed around you and below your baby's bottom or across his back for more security. Mei tai’s can hold newborns up to toddlers, and because the straps can be made at any length is great for sharing and for plus size moms.
Finally you have your more modern baby carriers which are commonly used. These are almost like backpacks that you strap to your front or back and your baby sits in it like a seat. Popular brands include Baby Bjorn, Ergo and Eddie Bauer. This carrier type is often a preference of parents who spend a lot of time hiking or on long walks with their baby. The carriers keep the baby in place and secure against you.
Baby wearing is beneficial to both you and your baby no matter which type of baby carrier you select. Wearing your baby makes it easier to care for older siblings. It becomes an easier task to head out when you are no longer constrained by large strollers. And of course, wearing your baby and having him close to you while you do your day to day tasks will foster your bond and strengthen the relationship you have with your child.
Maria Cummings is devoted mom that works to help kids and families in the community. Manager of Bustling Baby, Maria loves to share her parenting experiences with new parents and assists parents in finding the best baby products, such as Fuzzi Bunz diapers.
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