Eco Living Magazine offers practical tips on babywearing and slings.
The Art of Babywearing Gentle parenting techniques. By Suzy Barry Babywearing is so fundamental to parenting in many cultures, that it would hardly warrant an article dedicated to it entirely. Unfortunately for western babies, most members of our culture have lost touch with that part of baby nurturing.
The past centuries have seen a move away from instinctive childbirth, baby care and parenting and a move towards rules, routines, and a trust in a professional, whose beliefs and motives were not always as the mother would have liked. The Dr Spock era of the 50s, 60s & 70s saw a slight shift away from the hardline separation in the preceding decades, but advice was still ambivalent about breastfeeding, discouraged demand and night feeding even for very young babies and wrongly advised that 20 mins of screaming would not harm a baby. Cots were a necessity, a dark room down the hall was recommended and carrying your child or answering their cries was still thought by many to 'spoil' the baby.
Thankfully, many mothers are taking back their own power, following their instincts and accepting that they have ancient knowledge in every cell of their body, which guides them to hold their babies close. When a Stone Age baby emerges from the mother's womb, they have no idea that less than a century ago someone decided that babies should be separated from their mothers frequently, lest they become clingy. They are informed by the information of millennia of ancestors and they burst forth with an expectation of landing at their mother's breast and staying close until they are ready to venture out, and they will venture away; if only allowed to reach the stage naturally. Why wear your baby?
Babywearing is a wonderful way to keep your baby close to you, at the same things as getting things done. The emotional benefits of being held in a place where they feel "right", coupled with the convenience of it, make it a very attractive option for the conscious parent.
In most cultures - and over most of human history - babies have spent almost all their time carried in a sling on the side or back of adults. In traditional cultures, where babies are up "in-arms" for most of the day and are only put down for sleeping, it is not considered normal for a baby to cry or fuss a lot It has been suggested by some parties that babywearing is a relic of the past, and the practice of using a sling as a regular form of infant transport has been replaced by a much more civilized and advanced technology - the perambulator (pram). The advent of prams came to society with the improvement of roads, and they certainly have their place in our modern world. However, just like the remote control and the car, though it may seem a 'better and more advanced way of life', it has been suggested that it leaves our babies with 'something missing' when used exclusively, or predominantly. Just like a life of modern conveniences leaves our animal bodies lacking an outlet for our animal energy, frequent separation of infants in their preferred "in arms" stage can leave babies feeling out of touch with the deep expectations they carried into this world. Infants snuggled close to their carer's body in a sling experiences a reduced rate of wind and colic. This is because sling use tones muscles and increases cardiac output which increases circulation, promotes respiration and digestion. Evidence would suggest a greater feeling of wellbeing in carried infants, which may indicate the "rightness" of the practice for our species. These assumptions are supported by the following study: Studies have been conducted into the phenomenon of infant crying. Infants in arms have been shown to suffer remarkably less 'unexplained crying time'. We are aware from non western cultures that not all babies cry incessantly for hours on end each day. It is now beginning to emerge that the crying may not be a natural human condition, but a reaction to parenting trends, which have emphasised the importance of independence and self settling.
rs A. Hunziker, MD, and Ronald G. Barr, MDCM, FRCP(C) From the Department of Pediatrics, The McGill University-Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ABSTRACT. The crying pattern of normal infants in industrialized societies is characterized by an overall increase until 6 weeks of age followed by a decline until 4 months of age with a preponderance of evening crying. We hypothesized that this "normal" crying could be reduced by supplemental carrying, that is, increased carrying throughout the day in addition to that which occurs during feeding and in response to crying. In a randomized controlled trial, 99 mother-infant pairs were assigned to an increased carrying or control group. At the time of peak crying (6 weeks of age), infants who received supplemental carrying cried and fussed 43% less (1.23 u 2.16 h/d) overall, and 51% less (0.63 u 1.28 hours) during the evening hours (4 PM to midnight). Similar but smaller decreases occurred at 4,8, and 12 weeks of age. Decreased crying and fussing were associated with increased contentment and feeding frequency but no change in feeding duration or sleep. We conclude that supplemental carrying modifies "normal" crying by reducing the duration and altering the typical pattern of crying and fussing in the first 3 months of life. The relative lack of carrying in our society may predispose to crying and colic in normal infants. Pediatrics 1986;77:641-648; crying, carrying, colic,- mother-infant interaction. Michael Mendizza of Touch the Future learning centre states that: "During pregnancy, birth and beyond, if not interfered with, nature locks the mother and baby's biorhythms, heart frequencies, hormonal balances, sleep patterns and a thousand other living systems into reciprocal bonded patterns. The baby provides the precise stimulus for mother to open and develop new capacities, and mother does the same for her baby. Their language is non-verbal; sensation and feeling. Nature assumes this bond will develop and places baby close to the mother's body and breast for just this reason, and for an extended period of time. Interfering with this close, intimate, skin-to-skin contact prevents a vital exchange of sensory experiences, nutrients and information required for normal and healthy brain development." The Continuum Concept In The Continuum Concept by Jean Leidloff, we are introduced and made familiar with a tribe with a virtually undisturbed culture. Several observations are made by anthropologist/psychologist Leidloff, who notes the increased sense of wellbeing in these cultures among young and old. The In Arms Phase is said to be missing for a lot of western culture, which may contribute to that well-known western phenomenon of 'dissatisfaction' and a sense that something is missing. The theory states that the continuum has been broken. The child enters the world with the memory of 99.9% of human history in every cell and in many situations, these expectations are not met - they are ripped from their mother, and separated, she postulates that their feeling of "rightness" is only present when in arms, until her own development indicates it is time to move further afield - usually around 9 months. The Continuum Concept has made an important contribution to parenting in the latter half of the 20th century and informs many parents in their quest to leave their child's continuum in tact and help them achieve optimum wellbeing. Types of carriers?
Most parents who wear their babies regularly invest in a couple of different carriers for different occasions. Each carrier has particular benefits and drawbacks, and is perfect for different situations. It is advisable to think carefully about your lifestyle and habits and then choose one or two carriers, which suit your movements. For example, some carriers are great for long stretches, but take a while to get on and off - these are great for those who don't use cars often and are in motion for long periods of time.
n example of a traditional baby carrier is the Asian Baby Carrier, or ABC in Western terms and Mei Tai in Chinese, which is a piece of material with straps attached, which tie around the body and over the shoulders to secure your baby to your front or back. Ring slings, pouch and pocket slings all originate from the South American model of one strip of woven fabric tied up at the ends, with the baby being carried against the mother's body. South American women would use their tied fabric as bags used for carrying many things including food and babies (often at the same time). The modern ring sling is a variation on the traditional SA sling making it adjustable. The pouch/pocket sling such as this one pictured are sewn together so that the fabric becomes a circle of fabric that is hung from one shoulder This is a great sling, which is usually made for your own dimensions and fits snugly and safely without need for adjustment. Several styles of baby carrier have been modelled on traditional cultures, including the wrap sling, which originated in Africa and consists of a large piece of cloth tied in various ways to keep the baby close and secure against the wearer's body. nterestingly, and surprising to some, it is not only eastern cultures who have a rich history in babywearing. Scottish and English women would tie their babies to them using a shawl tied at the shoulder, the fabric varying in quality depending on their station in life. A note on spinal health for your baby There has been speculation into whether commercially available papoose / front pack only carriers, put undue pressure on the baby's spine, as legs are hanging straight down from the crotch. This position is similar to the harness worn by arborists (tree-fellers), and is cited as the reason for withdrawal of insurance at 35, due to pressure on the spine and related structural problems - bearing in mind that grown arborists have fully formed spinal tissue, could this be cause for concern for babies? Rochelle L. Casses, D.C thinks so. "A baby's spine is placed in a compromising position in many of today's popular carriers. If the carrier positions the infant upright, with the legs hanging down and the bodyweight supported at the base of the baby's spine (i.e. at the crotch), it puts undue stress on the spine which can adversely affect the development of the spinal curves and, in some cases, cause spondylolisthesis (forward slipping of a vertebra on the one below it). Spondylolisthesis is documented in approximately 5% of white males, but is prevalent in native Eskimos (as high as 60% of the population is affected). There has been much discussion on the high percentage of affected Eskimos as to whether it is a genetic predisposition or related to environmental factors (i.e., papoose carriers). Knowing how dynamic and vital the biomechanics of the spine are, I believe that environmental factors are the cause. If the trend continues in the U.S. to carry infants in carriers (or place them in walkers, jumpers, etc.) that place their spines in a weight bearing position before the spine is developmentally ready to do so, I believe we will see an increase in the incidence of spondylolisthesis" For more information on gentle parenting techniques as well as a gentle start to life www.joyousbirth.info is a great resource for parents.
