Babywearing is not a fad

Babywearing is not just a trendy natural mamma fad. It is physiologically important for the health and well-being of the mother-baby pair, particularly in early postpartum.

Most of us have heard of the importance of skin-to-skin contact in the first few hours post-birth, but did you know how deeply important ongoing co-regulation through physical contact is? Co-regulation is the process of a baby and primary caregiver both contributing to the physiological regulation of various internal systems within each other, such as:

• temperature regulation
• heartbeat regulation
• blood circulation
• hormonal regulation
• emotional regulation
• respiratory and lung regulation
• and so much more!

This occurs when the mother and baby are in prolonged contact with one another.

Why is babywearing good for babies?

Babies cannot biologically regulate these systems independently for the first 7-9 months of their life and actually experience serious dysregulation when separated from their mother.

Postpartum mothers cannot biologically regulate many of these systems for themselves without immediate contact with their baby for many weeks after birth. Any lactation consultant will tell you how much skin-to-skin helps with milk supply regulation.

Babywearing is one of the best ways to keep a close connection with your baby when you are out of the early postpartum period. In the early postpartum period, soft flexible wraps can be the most comfortable for work around the house. More structured carriers can provide support for longer walks or more involved chores. Structured carriers are also a great option for women who do not find the soft long wraps intuitive to use.

I recommend experimenting with several wraps until you find one that works well for you and your baby. Personally, I tried several wraps that I either received as gifts or purchased second-hand. I will review my favorite wraps in a future blog post.

Feel free to reach out to me for tips and troubleshooting on how to wear your baby comfortably!