In the first year of life, babies depend for everything on their parents and must always be carried by an adult.
Although the natural thing would be to carry them in your arms or with a baby carrier, for many years this has been regarded as a mistake.
It is still frequent that When an adult is seen carrying a baby, all kinds of negative and critical comments arise: He will get used to your arms, he will tease you and he will not want to walk, you are going to spoil him, you are going to make his spine twist or you are going to hurt your back ...
Let's see what is true in all this.
What is porting
We generally identify carrying with carrying the baby in a baby carrier instead of in a cart. Really carrying is something more than carrying the baby in arms or in a baby carrier. Porting is part of a parenting form in which the baby is separated as little as possible from his parents, who carry him in a wrap or baby carrier, attached to his body.
Human beings have raised their offspring in this way for centuries and in many parts of the world it is still common for allows you to carry out other activities of daily life without problems and also protect the baby from the dangers of the environment.
Although we currently have other alternative systems such as pushchairs or pushchairs, carrying is a good alternative so that our child does not feel, suddenly, away from everything he has experienced the last 9 months: the smell of his mother, his heat , the sound of his heart ...
Benefits of carrying for the baby
- El direct contact with parents it has many advantages, improving the link and security.
- Babies cry less.
- Improve baby's sleep, which he is safe and calm and sleeps better.
- Promotes breastfeeding: Having the baby close to us improves milk production and encourages breastfeeding on demand.
- Secure attachment: It makes us learn to recognize the baby's signals more quickly and attend to their needs sooner.
- Improve your well-being: its temperature is better regulated, gastroesophageal reflux is relieved, the baby expels gases better ...
- Protects the development of the back and hips. Although it may sometimes seem that holding your baby can harm the development of your spine, the truth is that it improves muscle tone and the physiological curvature of the back.
- In all maternity wards there is a kangaroo method for the care of premature babies. In this method, babies stay several hours a day on their parents, maintaining skin-to-skin contact. And this has been shown to enhance both your physical and intellectual development.
- Less crisis of infant colic.
Benefits of carrying for parents
- Increase your autonomy; having our hands free allows us to carry out other activities, It is also easier to move anywhere, it does not matter if there are stairs or we have to cross a street ...
- It reduces postpartum depression and improves the mother's self-esteem and security. The baby is calmer, cries less and sleeps better, so the mother looks more confident and confident.
- On many occasions the use of the baby carrier is criticized for the possible damage to the carrier's back. The use of ergonomic baby carriers does not cause damage to our back. Used correctly they protect and help us to strengthen the muscles.
Safe carrying
There are some basic safety rules that it is important to know and respect.
- Your baby's face must always remain visible.
- Monitor your posture frequently. It is important that the baby's head does not turn forward. His chin can touch the chest, causing the airway to be obstructed, the baby will not be able to cry to warn you and it can cause suffocation.
- Make sure that nothing obstructs your nose and that you breathe freely. If the cloth covers the baby's face, the child can breathe his own air again ...
- Prevent the baby's face from leaning against your body.
- Do not use the carrier in a vehicle.
- Always use baby carriers appropriate for the baby's weight and age. Not all are worth it.
- If your baby is premature or underweight, consult an expert before carrying. It may not be indicated if this is your case.
- Frequently check the fabric, the seams, the presence of pleats and the snaps or zippers and their condition.
- Be cautious, do not use the baby carrier if you are going to do any risky sports or activities, such as climbing slopes, horseback riding, cycling, rollerblading, etc.
- Do not cook with the baby in the carrier, in the kitchen the risk of burns always exists.
Until when to carry
There is no age or weight limit, it just depends on whether both the baby and the parents want to do it.
It is difficult to start carrying when the baby is big, it is better to do it from an early age. A) Yes, We strengthen the muscles of our back and the baby will be used to the sensation of seeing things from the baby carrier.
Keep in mind that the baby needs to feel our company. When he is ready, he will request more autonomy, respect his wishes when he asks you to stop wearing.
What is the best baby carrier?
Always choose a ergonomic baby carrier. There are many types. You will have to assess which one best suits your needs: Ergonomic backpack, Mei tai, Ring shoulder strap, Pouch, Scarf.
Precautions
The position of the baby: in the form of a «frog». His legs forming an M, with the knees higher than the bottom and back forming a C.
Adjust the baby so that it is close to the wearer's body. It will be well placed when the baby practically does not detach from your body when you bend down.
The baby must be high enough, One way to check is that you can give her a little kiss without practically bending over. In this way the weight is distributed well on your hips and does not load the lumbar.
The shoulder straps should be wide so that the weight is well distributed. In addition, they should not be close to the neck, it is better to be on the shoulders or between them and the neck. Your cervical spine will thank you.