Into the sling of things It’s cheaper than a buggy and could just might give you a quieter life.

If you thought that carrying your kid in a sling was a tree-hugging faddy or fuddy-duddy practice, think again. From the Huong of Thailand to the Ashaninka of Peru, in anything from shawls to net bags, mothers have been carrying new – tranquil – babies close to their bodies since they the dawn of knot-tying.

Deborah Jackson, author of Three In A Bed (Bloomsbury), writes: “Humans are a ‘carrying’ species, not a ‘cache’ species”. Which is to say, though we may ‘nest’ when a baby is expected, we weren’t designed to pop our babies in one while we went out foraging. No, by whatever means and with whatever material, we strapped kids to our front, back or sides and got on with sweeping the cave and flaying the mammoth.

It’s easy to sympathise with the new mother who, after nine months, has had enough of carrying. Why would she want to continue the process with what is, essentially, an outside womb? But then nor does she want to totter under the burden of guilt for doing less than her best for her baby, especially when benefits claimed for ‘wearing your baby’ seem endless.

Read it and Weep

Can all this be true? Are babies in slings really spending more time than their unrestricted cousins in the state known as ‘quiet alertness’? Do they really ‘chill’, interact, meet and greet at the supermarket? Do they really NOT CRY?

A large London study found that eight-week-old babies cried on average for two hours and 15 minutes a day, with an amazing 14% screaming for four hours or more. It is estimated that children undergo 4,000 crying sessions before the age of two. Yet travel to South America, Asia and Africa and you’ll find that babies – who are carried everywhere – are rarely heard to cry.

Quietest babies in the world? Those of the Gusii in Kenya and Mexican babies rarely cry. In Korea, evening crying and colic are unknown. And mothers of the North American Sioux tribe fear lest their infants should learn to “cry like a white baby” [reported by eminent psychoanalyst, Erik H. Erikson].

If ‘slinging’ your baby were to reduce her crying by even a little, imagine the benefits. Especially for you. A crying baby is like a rebuke; it calls into question your mothering skills, it suggests a lack of contentment that surely must, in some way, be your fault. Find a way to reduce the tears and your own confidence will surge. Deborah Jackson again: “Stressed mothers often have crying babies and crying babies lead to stressed mothers. It’s a vicious circle…”

A last word to Harvey Karp, MD, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block (Bantam). Professor Karp devised the 5 S’s system: swaddling, stomach holding, shushing, swinging, and sucking. These, he says, activate the baby’s calming reflex and mimic the experiences in the womb. Well, put baby in a sling and you’ve got S-numbers one and four. Shush a little for number 3. And within the privacy of your pouch, you’ve got number 5 too. Anytime, anywhere.

Really, anywhere. As Professor Karp says: “The term ‘infant’ means ‘without a voice’ in Latin. So how is it that a 7lb baby’s cries can get a 130-pound mother off the toilet, running with her pants down?”

Put baby in a sling and you can pee in peace. It’s a winner.

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Good for Baby

• Your baby suffers no ‘separation anxiety’, and you bond better.

• This is least stressful position for the young baby

• Babies can be kept well-above exhaust fume level

Good For You

• You can breastfeed discreetly

• Your hands are free

• Baby’s weight is evenly distributed, putting little strain on your back

• And here’s the BIG one: babies in slings cry less!

 

Don’t overdress, as your exterior womb can become very hot with its combination of both yours and the baby’s temperatures.

Take care that baby’s breathing isn’t obstructed by the fabric.

The sling isn’t designed for exercise – yours or your baby’s.

There is rarely a harness inside a sling so you’ll need to support your baby when bending.