“Is babywearing a new thing”?

We had a babywearing meeting this morning and I loved helping the new moms.  We often suggest expectant mothers to attend ahead of the birth as well, just to get an idea of the options and also to meet like minded people.

One expectant mother brought her husband and mother with her and the mother asked me whether babywearing originated from a specific country.  I told her that humans have been figuring out ways to carry their babies and toddlers without their hands for hundreds, if not thousands of years and in less westernized nations, it was such a normal thing that they didn’t actually call it babywearing.  There isn’t an actual name for it, it’s so normal.  Although some people may portray babywearing as a yuppie/hipster thing, it’s really something that most people do out of necessity more than anything else.

Babywearing helps caregivers be more involved with their older children, instills confidence in the baby/toddler, and allows for bonding.  In addition, it helps strengthen nursing relationships and helps sleep cycles.

Check out this cool video of a woman in Canada explaining her reasons for babywearing in 1963.