A
s residents or natives of
Asia, we certainly don’t
need to be told that
babywearing – wearing
or carrying your baby in a sling
or other form of carrier – is a very
traditional practice. But, traditional
doesn’t necessarily equate to good.
When pushchairs and prams promise
an easier life for mums and dads – not
only saving parents’ backs from the
strain of carrying a baby, but also
providing a useful trolley for carrying
shopping and baby paraphernalia
– you might think twice about
babywearing. And yet it is becoming
an increasingly popular practice.
Bonding bonus
“Keeping baby close is one of the
fundamentals of attachment parenting,
a style of parenting where close
parental bonding with the child as it
grows is thought to lead to confident,
happy and empathetic adults,”
explains Hulda Thorey, head midwife
and founder of Annerley. “There
is much research that supports the
theory. For example, at the most basic
level, we know that babywearing
makes it easier to breastfeed, and
there is a great deal of research about
the benefits of breastfeeding in child
development and health,” she says.
“The immediate benefits of
babywearing include an easier bonding
between a mother or father and
baby, which helps prevent postnatal
depression and develops the paternal
bond; and increased mobility for a
mum, so that she can get tasks done
and/or take care of older children,”
Hulda continues. “And babies who
are carried tend to be calmer and
sleep better. Research also suggests
that these babies are socialised sooner
because they hear language and see
more human interaction from their
special vantage point.”
In Hong Kong’s stroller-unfriendly
streets, babywearing also offers an
easier way to get around. Therese Tee,
a passionate babywearer, says: “We
rarely use a stroller, as I find it too
cumbersome in Hong Kong… Even
when we travel on vacation, we always
carry the little one and leave the
stroller behind.”
Another babywearing fan,
Liz Chow, also vouches for the
convenience: “I didn’t intend to
practise attachment parenting;
it just sort of came naturally and
babywearing was a big part of it. We
didn’t have a helper, so I brought my
baby with me wherever I went, nap-
time, all the time. It was convenient
and really nice to just always have her
so close.”
carried
away
This month, the world will
celebrate International
Babywearing Week.
Katie McGregor
describes
the burdens and bonuses
of travelling with a baby
on board.
October 2013
93
