Babywearing
Where are my babywearing parents at?
Did you know that baby wearing for at least three hours (over the course of) a day can reduce baby crying by about 43%?! (1986 study out of Montreal)
Baby's cry - a lot - it's their language to let you know that they need something. They also want to be on you non-stop - they're hardwired for survival, and you're the source of food and safety.
Suppose you've been trapped under a newborn for days, wondering when you'll ever be able to do anything for yourself again. In that case, babywearing is a game changer and is excellent for everyone involved.
A FEW MORE BENEFITS:
When you're close to the baby, it's so easy to respond to early cues and address the baby's needs sooner.
Not only does babywearing strengthen the bond between parent/ caregiver and baby, but it also aids in baby's development, both physically and emotionally, including promoting early language development - they're watching our faces and our interactions right at our height!
Babywearing can also decrease flat-head syndrome and risk of SIDS while promoting neural development, respiratory and gastrointestinal health and aids in balance.
If you're the parent or caregiver, it can allow you to get loads of stuff done "hands-free" while still meeting your baby's need for closeness.
Let's also note that all this contact can boost lactation (human milk production), feeding-on-demand and on-the-go!
MAKE IT FEEL GOOD ON YOUR BODY:
While babywearing can be a game-changer for many new parents, it can also be stressful on the muscles of the shoulders, upper back, and lower back, if we don’t have a strong upper back and coordinated core function. Check the info below and short movement sequence video to see what you can do to both STRENGTHEN and create COMFORT for your body while your babywearing!
For Strength:
Alignment - the position of the body parts in relationship to each other.
• Try for "stacked" alignment while babywearing: ears over shoulders, shoulders over ribs, ribs over hips. Aiming for this alignment might feel like work and will help strengthen your upper back, take tension off your shoulders and lower back, and give you better support from your core.
*make sure your carrier is well fitted too!
• Use your core! Practice athletic breathing - activating the core and abdominals on your exhale and maintaining a gentle lifting and shrink wrapped feeling in the pelvic floor and low abdominals while continuing to breathe by expanding your ribs (3 dimensionally) for your inhales and “deflating” your ribs on your exhales. Athleticc breath can take some practice!
For Release & Stretch:
photo from @onedopedoula “Black dads babywear too”
The shoulders need a big range of motion to get your baby int a carrier and to wrap of buckle it up.
Click on the picture (or click here: movement sequence!) to find a little stretchy movement sequence fantastic for increasing your shoulder mobility, releasing sore upper & lower back, side torso muchcles and tense shoulders.
Bonus: this feels fantastic on pregnant bodies too and can help with all the same issues!
Give this a try every day this week & see how your babywearing game changes!
Follow @ruthruttandoula on Instagram for regular movement tips that encourage strength & comfort for your pregnancy to parenthood journey 🤎
