4 FAQs about Baby Slings and Baby Wraps

What’s the advantage of using a baby sling or baby wrap?

Carrying or “wearing” babies in baby slings has been done for generations and the practice is picking up again in North America. There are many reasons why a baby sling is preferable for moms and babies over a stroller, bouncy seat, swing or other kind of baby carrier.

Slings:

• Allow you to breastfeed discreetly anywhere

• Can be used from newborn up to preschool depending on the style and size

• Leave your hands free to do other things (housecleaning, laundry, gardening)

• Encourage better breastfeeding and weight gain for babies

• Enhance visual and auditory experiences for baby which encourages cognitive and speech development

• Reduce colic. “Babies are happier because they have less need to cry, and parents enjoy their babies more as a result.” (1)

• Promote bonding. “A higher frequency of feeding and touching stimulates mothering hormones, and frequent carrying encourages and speeds the development of a mutual reading of each other’s cues.” (1)

The most important aspect of a baby sling is that babies need physical contact. Physical contact with mom helps babies regulate their body temperature, soothes babies with sounds they were accustomed to in the womb, and encourages them to feed because they are closer to mom’s breasts and can smell the milk. (2)

Is there more than one type of baby sling available?

There are many different types of baby slings, from single sheet kinds of slings to full front or backpack styles.

The main styles are:

• Adjustable slings with rings (padded or unpadded)

• Pouch slings which are not adjustable

• Asian-style carriers

What’s the proper way to wear my baby?

Kind of like learning how to swaddle your baby, wearing your baby in a sling looks complicated and perhaps is why some moms are afraid to try them. It’s actually much easier than it looks.

Plus, some styles allow babies to sit anywhere: tummy-to-tummy, on the hip, across the back (like a backpack) and sitting facing out on mommy’s tummy (back-to-tummy).

MidwiferyToday.com has some suggested wrapping position instructions, as does Slinglings.com. There are also helpful videos available online.

Won’t my baby suffocate in a baby sling?

One of the concerns about slings is the potential for babies to suffocate if the fabric is covering their mouth and nose and babies are unable to turn their heads or cry out.

If your baby was born prematurely or with a low birth weight or has breathing problems, they may be at increased risk of suffocating in a baby sling, or, at the very least, more care must be taken to make sure they’re positioned correctly in the sling, stated Mayoclinic.com.

If you have any concerns about using a sling talk to your doctor to see if it will work for you and your baby.

• “Baby should not be curled tight chin to chest because this position partially closes baby’s airway. (With correct positioning there should always be at least one finger’s width of space under baby’s chin.)” (4)

• Ensure that the sling fabric is not draped across baby’s face. Check the airflow of seemingly air fabrics by placing them over your own mouth and nose. If you can’t breathe through them, your baby won’t be able to either. (4)

• Baby’s face should be positioned upward when not actively nursing, not pressed tightly against mom’s body. (4)

To see the difference between safe and unsafe baby wrapping, please see this article on correct positioning.

Sources:

1) Slings, wraps & other baby carriers – Why, How & Where? KellyMom.com. Web. Sept 4, 2013.
http://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/sling

2) Cuddle Up! Slings and Baby Carriers. Rosenberg, Jennifer. Midwifery Today. Web. Sept 4, 2013.
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/slings.asp

3) Infant and toddler health: Is it safe to hold a baby in a baby sling? Hoecker, Jay L. M.D. MayoClinic.com. Web. Sept 4, 2013.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/baby-sling/AN02113

4) Correct Positioning For the Safety & Comfor4t of your Newborn. Stelzer, M’Liss, R.N.. TheBabyWearer.com. Web. Sept 4, 2013.
http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/HowTo/Positioning.pdf

Reviewed September 4, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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