I am delighted to welcome Alex Duxbury, Director of Lifft Slings as today's guest blogger!

Lifft Slings is a family run business and all of Lifft's Stretchy Wraps and Pouch Slings are made here in sunny Yorkshire. Alex is a trained babywearing consultant (Slingababy trained) and can demonstrate how to wear a sling in less than 2 minutes! Check out her online 'How To' instructions on the Lifft website.

Benefits of carrying children

There are many emotional, social, physical and practical benefits of carrying infants in your arms or in a sling.  Soft slings such as our stretchy wrap help babies transition from the security of their mother’s womb to the busy outside world, by keeping them close to your soothing heartbeat, body warmth and motion. Older children also benefit from being carried, often when tired, unwell or in unfamiliar surroundings, returning to the reassuring safe space of the pouch sling. 

Bonding and emotional wellbeing

Babies feel safe and secure when in a sling, which leads to better attachment to their caregivers. Far from the common misconception, carrying does not lead to ‘clingy’ children. Instead, secure attachment formed when babies, leads to more confident and independent children. Keeping your baby close enables you to spend more time bonding and interacting with them, learning from their cues so you are more responsive to their needs. [1]

Decreased crying and improved sleep

Babies who are carried cry less frequently and for shorter durations. They spend more time quietly observing and learning about the world. Babies often sleep in slings, which is safe as long as their airway is well protected. [2]

Reduced reflux and improving colic

Many babies experience constipation, reflux and posseting. Carrying your baby in an upright position in a sling can reduce these issues. Gentle motion in a sling such as rocking or swaying can calm babies with colic.

Less exposure to exhaust fumes

Compared to babies in a pram, babies carried in your arms or in a sling are carried higher up, so are less exposed to the airborne particles released by exhausts and brakes at road level. Researchers found the levels of pollutants were higher at bus stops and in congested areas such as around primary schools at drop off and pick up times. [3]

Improved physical development

Carrying your baby in a sling improves their head and neck control and the development of their core stability muscles. This is because they are actively using their muscles to maintain their position in the sling, especially when you are moving.  It can also improve their sense of balance.

Hormones

Skin to skin or babywearing can help babies to regulate their own hormones, heartbeat and breathing. Parent’s physical contact with their baby, through skin to skin, or by carrying them close in a sling increases the parent’s release of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin. Oxytocin helps bonding in both parents by increasing awareness of your baby’s needs.[4,5] Prolactin is important for breastfeeding establishment and duration. Both hormones have a beneficial impact on parental mental health and their ability to cope with stress.  It is possible to breastfeed your baby or toddler in a wrap or pouch sling, or to take them out to feed, using the sling as a breastfeeding cover.

Learning and sociability

Infants learn by watching and listening to others and a sling provides the perfect vantage point for this. They can feel included by contributing to conversations initially via early signs such as pointing at interesting things, or smiling at people. They are more likely to be involved in conversations, either by their carer chatting to them or when their carer speaks to others.

Freedom to explore and care for others

Babywearing enables you to explore the world without having to be limited to buggy suitable places. For example you can walk along narrow footpaths, around castles, on pebbled beaches or through crowded festivals, with your little one enjoying the experiences too. Slings are great when travelling on public transport and through busy airports. You have your hands free to care for other siblings, make your lunch or to walk your dogs.

References:

1. Anisfeld, Elizabeth, Virginia Casper, Molly Nozyce, and Nicholas Cunningham. "Does infant carrying promote attachment? An experimental study of the effects of increased physical contact on the development of attachment."Child development 61, no. 5 (1990): 1617-1627.
2. Hunziker, Urs A., and Ronald G. Barr. "Increased carrying reduces infant crying: a randomized controlled trial."Pediatrics 77, no. 5 (1986): 641-648.Kumar, Prashant, Ioar
3. Rivas, and Lovish Sachdeva. "Exposure of in-pram babies to airborne particles during morning drop-in and afternoon pick-up of school children."Environmental Pollution 224 (2017): 407-420
4. Feldman, Ruth. "Oxytocin and social affiliation in humans."Hormones and behavior 61, no. 3 (2012): 380-391.
5. Abraham, Eyal, Talma Hendler, Irit Shapira-Lichter, Yaniv Kanat-Maymon, Orna Zagoory-Sharon, and Ruth Feldman. "Father's brain is sensitive to childcare experiences."Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111, no. 27 (2014): 9792-9797

Images courtesy of Lifft Slings.