According to an article I read recently, there are five good reasons to 'wear' your baby even longer than you carried it in your stomach. You may or may not agree with them, personally, I find it absurd, but I'm not one for children anyway. The first reason given was wearing a baby is convenient. Convenient for whom? Surely not for the parent. But they say by carrying a baby in a front sling, you don't have to worry about dodging crowds or narrow aisles that you would have to do with a stroller. My advice: leave the baby at home!
Second, carrying your baby with an over-the-shoulder strap promotes physical development. This supposedly keeps the baby in tune with the mother's heartbeat, breathing and the movements she makes; walking, bending, and reaching. It says the sling is in essence a 'transitional womb' for the baby who hasn't learned to control his movements, including bowel movements. That's great! That's just what I want; a newborn peeing all over the pouch while it runs down my leg.
Third, children carried in slings make for happy babies. When children are held close, they tend not to cry as much and in turn use that energy to learn and observe. This is especially useful for 'high maintenance' babies who cry a lot. They tend to be happier when held close to the parent.
Fourth, and I find this hard to believe, baby-wearing is healthy for the parent. Yes, that's what it says. They compare it to weight lifting and walking more. I don't know about this one, all I see is a sore back and shoulder from toting the child around all day long. One thing I can agree with is the subtle rocking while the parent is in motion helps the baby to fall asleep. But then again, so would a crib and you could save the wear and tear on your back.
And finally, children supposedly appreciate the security a sling brings. It goes on to say most slings can accommodate children up to 35 or 40 pounds. Now, if my child weighed that much, it would be time for him/her to learn how to walk. Either that or your infant has a serious weight problem. And what if you had twins who weighed that much? Sorry, but it would be time to consider adoption.
For more information about the benefits of an over the shoulder baby holder, check out this article: Over-the-Shoulder Baby Holder [http://baby-carriers-backpacks.org/over-the-shoulder-baby-holder.html]. You will also find links to articles about manufacturers of baby carriers backpacks at [http://baby-carriers-backpacks.org].
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