the 06/04/2008

Give baby-wearing a try

Give baby-wearing a try By Armin Brott , McClatchy-Tribune News Service Sunday, June 1, 2008 DEAR MR. DAD: My 2-month-old wants to be held all day long.Everyone I know is telling me that she'll grow up spoiled if Idon't put her down. Am I spoiling her? Answer: It's absolutely impossible to spoil a baby that young. Studieshave shown that children who are carried more, actually cry andfuss 40-50 percent less than those who aren't carried as much.Every time you pick your baby up, you're telling her that you'rethere for her. That bit of knowledge will come in handy a fewmonths from now, when she starts crawling. Knowing you're there tocome back to will make it easier for her to do the kind ofexploring and mischief-making that will eventually becomeindependence. That said, carrying your baby around all the time is going to behard on your arms and your back. Fortunately, there is analternative: give babywearing a try. Baby carriers, from slings tofrontpacks, are a great way for parents to snuggle with their newbabies. The most popular frontpack is the Baby Bjorn, which allows yourbaby to face in or out and is adjustable so both parents can useit. But a lot of new parents find that their babies quickly outgrowthe packs - even before they reach the recommended weight limit -and continuing to use them is uncomfortable for baby and wearer. A more comfortable alternative is an Ergo Baby Carrier or the BecoButterfly. Both use straps, buckles and a defined baby carrier seat for thebaby. The main difference between these and the Baby Bjorn is thecomfort level for the wearer. These carriers have a padded waistbelt to distribute the bulk of the child's weight to your hips -kind of like a well-made camping backpack does. Plus, thesecarriers can handle babies up to 40 or 45 pounds, so there's a goodchance that your child will outgrow the desire to be carried longbefore she outgrows the pack. Another option is a sling. A pouch sling is a tube of fabric thatyou fold in half, slip over your shoulder like a Miss America sash,putting the baby into the pocket made by the two layers. The mostchallenging aspect of a pouch is the fit. If you and your spousearen't pretty much the same size, you won't be able to share thesling and one of you will be miserable wearing it. Brands likeHotslings and Peanut Shell are widely available in stores andonline. Ring slings (which have rings that you thread the fabricthrough before putting it over your shoulder) are similar to theirtubular cousins, but it's easier for two different-sized people toshare. There are literally hundreds of options, so whatever your size andpreference, there's something out there for you. And they're widelyavailable online at places such as www.attachedtobaby.com, or instores.