Please read François previous story – A Second Child (in french only).
Hello boys!
After the birth of my first child, who is now 9, I discovered the world of babywearing. Babywearing refers to techniques where you carry babies in a material so that they have close physical contact with you.
There are many baby carriers on the market : wraps, ring-sling, Mei Tai, preformed, etc.…
My baby was carried in a woven wrap up to 2 years of age. Our second child was born with physical issues and weak muscle tone, and we unsuccessfully tried many baby carriers until we tried a preformed one. What a great invention! Now, when he sees us pulling out his baby carrier, he becomes excited and loves to go out for 45-90 without saying a word. Just before winter, I walked for 90 minutes with him while he slept. When he would wake up, he was hungry so I would pass him over to his mother. Then back into the baby carrier, but this time on my back so he could watch everything over my shoulder. Magical I tell you!
Why is it magical? Well…What I love about carrying our baby is that I get to know him in a very natural way, and we can also take care of other tasks because both our arms are free. So we can wash dishes, shovel (calmly), play music, walk in the forest (or snowshoe), hang out in front of the fire, etc. Strollers are practical, but they can be a burden, and we can’t use it everywhere.
Does your baby seem agitated and impatient, visibly tired? They need to sleep, but you want to continue your activity? Put them in your baby carrier, and they can sleep on dad!
There are many benefits for the baby .Pour le bébé les bienfaits sont multiples. They will feel safe in their baby carrier and can watch, listen, touch and discover the world around them. It’s a perfect cocoon where they can nap, calm down, learn about their environment warm against mom and dad!
Some babies can become accustomed to any type of baby carrier, but for different reasons (baby’s temperament, health problems, etc.) some will be hard to satisfy. So you have to try out different options to find the right one. I know it can be discouraging, but it’s worth the effort! You might say “Frank, we don’t want to have to buy four baby carriers before finding the right one!” Try to find ways to try them out beforehand (friends, family, stores, etc.).
I’m a guy that needs his space even if I need to take care of a child. It can be disappointing if you can’t hand out around a fire or go hiking in the woods because you have to put the baby to bed. So think about it!
Don’t feel guilty, because I know some of you won’t like this technique. It doesn’t make you a bad father! Some babies don’t like babywearing, but honestly, there aren’t many. Who doesn’t like hugs? You just have to change the way you are carrying your baby to find what they like.
Try babywearing, and you will see…magical!
Read François’ next adventure here : Spend time with your child! It’s fun!
François
The opinions found in this article are the author’s alone.
Photo Source : Unsplash
