Babywearing

"Babywearing" is the 'art' of wearing your baby on your body.  This is done through a baby carrier.  My personal favorites are ring slings and mei tais. A ring sling is quite simply a long rectangle piece of fabric that is folded together at one end and threaded through two rings.  It creates a pouch for the baby and is fully adjustable.  My favorite brand is the Maya wrap.  With this sling you can adjust either edge and the center of the pouch to fit your baby best.  Your baby can lay on it's side and nurse, lay on you upright with his or her head on your shoulder or chest, once head control is established your baby can sit on your hip in the sling, sit forward-facing in the sling (see picture below), and can even ride on your back.  My favorite carrier for older babies and toddlers is my Ellaroo Mei Tai (see below) where you child comfortably sits in a carrier and can sit in front of or behind you.  There are a variety of ways to tie your child and carrier to your body to make it comfortable.

You can buy them, make them, or make the most out of what you already have.  A friend of mind uses an old bed sheet and straps her baby to her body!

Babywearing is most helpful for a mother who wants to hold her baby a lot, for a baby who is fussy but the mom cannot constantly cradle in her arms due to other children or chores, they're great for running errands also!  There are a variety of baby carriers to choose from - even those with back problems should be able to find a carrier that works for them.  Babywearing is also great for colicy babies, bonding, etc.

A ring sling, mei tai, and baby wrap!