How Babywearing Can Benefit Your Mental Health

Babywearing has so many benefits for baby. It creates an easier transition from womb to the world, promotes cognitive development, is helpful in reducing reflux symptoms and flat head syndrome, it helps baby regulate temperature, and can even help baby cry less!

In addition to all these great benefits for baby, caregivers can greatly benefit from babywearing as well! Here are some of the benefits you experience when carrying your little one around. 

You have a lot more on your plate these days and being able to carry baby while getting a hands-free moment can help with feeling overwhelmed by all the new tasks. Whether you babywear while reading a book, or working at your computer, being able to be with baby and do other things gives you back a little time.

Postnatal depression is a reality for many new parents. Studies have found that increased skin-to-skin wearing as well as increased touch with baby helps bonding with baby even in parents who are feeling blue. If you are feeling signs of depression, be sure you talk to someone about your experience. Babywearing can help, but it will not solve it alone!

You can build a closer bond and become more in-tune with baby’s needs through babywearing. Instead of waiting to hear loud crying, you will learn to pick up on little signals of your baby’s emotion both increasing your bond and your confidence as a new caregiver.

Strollers are great, but sometimes packing light gives you more freedom. Go for a walk in the woods or enjoy shopping or a lunch in a crowded location more easily without the bulk of wide strollers.

Breastfeeding parents often worry about their milk supply. It is an intense experience and whoever said the phrase “don’t cry over spilled milk” wasn’t nursing. By going skin-to-skin in your carrier, you can increase milk supply a bit. That close contact can also lead to a faster letdown. Have realistic expectations with this one. You are not going to triple supply, but you may notice an increase.

Babywearing allows caregivers to get out of the house, interact with their social networks, and enjoy a boost in confidence during this new life stage.