Babywearing & Yoga, Part 1

Did you know that today is the first day of International Babywearing Week? It is October 5-11. So, in celebrating IBW, I think it is only appropriate to write a post featuring two of my favorite things- babywearing and yoga!

First things first though- what is babywearing, you ask? Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby in a sling, woven wrap, or other carrier. It has been practiced for centuries throughout the world, but has become more popular in Western countries in the past few decades. Babywearing is convenient especially when you have more than one child, a high-needs child, or when you just need to have two hands free. 

1. Babywearing is an excellent way to promote bonding. This can mean parent-child bonding, or can be useful for bonding with any caregiver- babysitter, grandparents, etc. It's particularly special for fathers, who do not experience the same bonding through actual gestation or breastfeeding that mothers do. 
2. Studies done on indigenous tribes who practice babywearing have shown that babies who are worn for 3 hours a day cry less. 1 When a mother wears her child, the child's immediate needs of security, closeness to food source, warmth, and protection from overstimulation are easily met. It can also be a godsend for a colicky baby, because the pressure of the wearer's body against baby's stomach is soothing and can help release gas. 
3. Kangaroo care is no joke. In hospital, premature babies are often placed skin-to-skin to help them develop and adjust to life outside the womb. Our bodies are truly amazing- when a baby is placed skin-to-skin on its mother's chest, the breasts actually change temperature in order to regulate the body temperature of the infant. The child also connects with the beating heart, inherently comforting because it is a reminder of being in utero. This connection also acts to regulate breathing in infants, because they match their breath pattern to the pattern of their mother.
4. Babywearing is not just for infants- toddlers often have epic meltdowns in public when they become overstimulated, and being worn allows them to shut out the outside world and to feel safe and secure with their caregiver. And although toddlers can walk, they get tired much more quickly than older children and adults- and we can't always hold them in our arms for extended periods of time. Strollers are very helpful sometimes, but I personally find them to be more trouble than they're worth more often than not. Plus, there are some places you just cannot bring a stroller- for example, when hiking, or somewhere with lots of stairs and no readily accessible elevator. Babywearing allows you to include your toddler in family activities that they could not participate in otherwise. 
5. Babywearing makes breastfeeding much easier and convenient. Baby can be held in place comfortably nursing while Mom does whatever she needs to do. It also allows for discreet nursing in public without too much fuss.
6. It helps prevent and lessen the symptoms of Postpartum depression by helping mothers gain confidence in their parenting ability. 2 Successfully picking up on a child's cues- hunger, thirst, wet/ uncomfortable, tired- allows parents to gain confidence in their parenting skills, and allows babies to be confident that their caregiver will attend to their needs. Parents are more able to pick up on small cues like movements, sounds, and facial expressions when the child is close. 
7. Finally, for all the aforementioned reasons and many others, babywearing is convenient. It makes navigating crowded areas with a small child easier, and it allows for a caregiver to attend to the needs of more than one child at once or accomplish tasks around the house while attending to the needs of a little one. I, for one, can attest that babywearing has made my life much easier!

1. Hunziker, U.A. and R.G. Barr (1986). "Increased carrying reduces infant crying: A randomized controlled trial". Pediatrics. 7:641-648.

2. Pelaez-Nogueras M, Field TM, Hossain Z, Pickens J. (1996). Depressed mothers’ touching increases infants’ positive affect and attention in still-face interactions. Child Development, 67, 1780-92.

And now, this is where the yoga comes in! For all the reasons listed above, it is great to find baby-friendly exercises, and yoga is definitely one that fits the bill. Babywearing allows parents to not stress about fitting in time to exercise based on baby's sleep schedule, because baby can simply sleep in the carrier. Childcare expenses can be significant, and at certain developmental stages it can be difficult to leave a child with a babysitter to sneak in some me-time. Plus, wearing the baby adds weight and makes the workout overall more effective. Here's a sneak preview of some poses you can try- check back later this week for a full babywearing yoga sequence!

Have you ever practiced yoga with your baby? What poses should Yoga Baby and I try out next? Tune in this week for Part 2!