There’s nothing more manly than carrying your baby in a sling. And here are five great reasons why…
Last month, Piers Morgan unfathomably mocked Daniel Craig on Twitter for carrying his baby in a sling. Why? We don’t know. But we do know our minds aren’t minute enough to countenance such a view.
In light of this, Dr Rosie Knowles, practicing GP, sling consultant, author and founder of the Carrying Matters gives us five reasons why dads should use baby carriers.
It helps with bonding
Babywearing encourages bonding between parent and child. Did you know wearing your baby releases the hormone oxytocin? This can heighten awareness and increase responsiveness to baby’s needs. When you carry your baby close to you, they feel safe – they feel the warmth of your body and are soothed by your breathing, voice and heartbeat. All of this strengthens the important attachment between you and your precious one.
Health benefits
Many experts suggest that wearing little one has numerous health benefits for baby. Helping to regulate temperature, heart and respiratory rates, babywearing can be especially useful for premature babies or children who are unwell. Did you also know that babywearing a colicky baby in an upright position may help to ease their symptoms?
It’s practically a workout
Yes that’s right – babywearing is essentially a free gym. Walking around with 10, 20 or even 30 pounds of weight attached to your chest or back will work wonders on that six pack you’ve been trying to get for a few years now. Wearing baby correctly with proper weight distribution will make carrying so comfortable, it will feel like second nature. So cancel those memberships and invest in a carrier instead!
Sometimes a pram is a pain
Ever tried pushing a stroller around a busy shop or attempted to use public transport? It’s not always that easy. And let’s not even start about how often you come across stairs. Babywearing removes this limitation. Easy access anywhere allows both parent and child to explore more of their surroundings quickly and easily.
It’s stylish
Long gone are the days where carriers and wraps were only available in pink and floral print. These days, there are a huge range of carriers that are proudly unisex and carefully selected on quality and practicability. And if you’re worried about how you’ll look carrying little one, there’s one thing we can guarantee: you’ll definitely get the swoon factor when it comes to the ladies. If it’s good enough for James Bond, it’s good enough for anyone.