There are many enthusiastic baby wearing parents out there and it’s no surprise. It’s convenient to carry your baby and get stuff done, it helps with bonding, and both parents can participate equally. It also helps babies stay calm which can often feel like no easy feat.
During baby wearing month, which is October, we also wanted to note that it supports speech and language. Over the past few years, babies and very young children grew up in unusual circumstances. Many people were wearing masks, and they were exposed to fewer grown-ups talking to them. Baby wearing supports speech development, particularly now, when they are close to the adult and can see facial expressions and will be exposed to more faces.
A Strong Communication Connection
There is a strong connection between communication and babywearing. When a baby is in a carrier or sling, they are at the same level of the adult’s face. They can see what the adult sees and will engage in activities more easily.
Laura Friedman, M.S. CCC-SLP, with Bloom Speech and Language Therapy, is a certified speech-language pathologist specializing in the evaluation and treatment of motor speech, language, and feeding disorders for children from birth.
She shares that, “Baby wearing allows you to be close to your baby providing them the opportunity to see and hear the world simultaneously through your eyes. Repeat exposure of language through baby wearing maximizes the potential of speech and language acquisition during the most crucial time of their lives.”
Friedman goes on to say that “baby wearing allows you to be hands free while providing your baby the opportunity to hear and see the world through your eyes. Baby wearing allows your child optimal viewing of your face, mouth and overall expression.”
There are so many opportunities to have eye contact when a baby is in a sling, carrier, or wrap. They are able to see adult facial expressions and are constantly learning about eye contact and non-verbal communication. This is an important life skill and also helps prepare babies for speech development, which is learned by watching, listening, and then copying.
Baby Wearing and Selecting Between a Baby Wrap, Sling, or Carrier
New parents have a lot of important decisions to make, including how they want to carry their baby. What’s the difference between a sling, carrier and wrap? They are technically all carriers and keep your baby snuggled close to you – with a few key differences:
Generally speaking, a baby wrap uses fabric to tie and knot around yourself. You create a pouch on your chest or hip where your baby can sit. For example, the versatile MOBY Wrap offers multiple carrying positions as baby grows, plus one-size-fits-all comfort for parents and caregivers. Benefits include that it adjusts to grow with baby, from newborn to toddler, offers front and hip carrying options, is one size fits all, and is good for babies 8-33 lbs.
Slings, for example, a MOBY sling provides an approachable, easy-to-wear alternative to the classic wrap design. It also offers both front and hip-carrying options, allowing the wearer to change positions, and maintain comfort as baby grows. The key difference is the ring which is adjusted for proper sizing.
A carrier is often thought of for babies that weigh more or growing into toddlers. Carriers offer parents a more structured carrying option. For example, the LÍLLÉbaby carriers have a range of styles that cover your baby from 7 lbs. to 60 lbs. This type of product for baby wearing grows with your baby and can be used with infants and toddlers, doesn’t require an infant insert. Some styles offer a slim zippered pocket to hold valuables for hands-free adventures.
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