Top 10 Reasons To Carry Your Baby (and Toddler too!) - What to love about babywearing?

I asked our Facebook followers what they considered to be their top reasons to carry their baby in a sling, and what they loved about babywearing.
Some answers were broad in what big an impact carrying has had on their life as a parent over the lifespan of using a sling from birth up to preschool age, and others were more specific with little things about it that make them smile or make a difference.

As you will read, carrying in a sling is personal and means different things for different families. It can form part of our precious memories of our children's early childhood.

So if you're currently pregnant or have a baby and are wondering whether carrying in a sling is for you, then hear what these parents have to say, with the
Carry My Baby Official Top Ten Reasons to Carry!
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​Keep your child with you when they want to be carried

'I couldn't put my baby down, with a sling I didn't have to!'

'I carried them on long family walks when their little legs were tired and on family days out when we needed to keep safe and close to each other'

'I loved having my baby immersed in my world, taking everything in as I was. They demanded to be stimulated this way.'
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The snuggles!


'Easier to go for a walk, keeps baby happy and it's a lovely feeling hugging your baby, releasing the feel-good hormone for both carrier and baby'

'He was so precious and fragile and I just wanted to keep him close. They are some of my most special memories as it felt so natural to carry him.'

'You just cannot cuddle them too much. I have never had my fill. Sure, I got touched out at times and needed a break, and he didn't always want to be carried as he loved to kick around on the floor too. But as a mother I needed him as much as he wanted the snuggles too'

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To calm and comfort your child

'Public tantrums. Sometimes my toddler gets upset and understandably so. When I’m out somewhere with both kids, and my son starts melting down,  I need to be able to stand to the side and help calm my son. The carrier helps me hold him so I can use my arms to hug him, brush his hair back, and wipe his tears. It might look chaotic to a passerby, but this helps so much to calm him when he’s so upset. It also shortens the tantrums as well.'

'Even though he is 4 that's where he wants to go, up in the carrier where he feels comfortable if he's not feeling well, and I can carry on with what I'm doing but be able to check in with him'

'It gives me a way to comfort her while also getting stuff done (eg she's terrified of the hoover but will tolerate it if I'm wearing her)'​

Taking care of others and Toddler-wrangling

'My daughter has additional needs and uses a wheelchair, so carrying is a necessity in our house. It enables me to push her, monitor seizures, suction her, sort her pump out and meet her needs etc whilst knowing that my littlest is safe and happy too'
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'Chasing a toddler on a scooter is much easier with the baby in a sling!'

'I carried my second from a day old to be able to still be there for my first born, I tandem carried to get them both back from nursery on the other side of town whenever we had to get a bus'

Freedom, Independence and Self Care

'Carrying enabled me to parent two under two. It kept my sanity when PND anxieties made me panicked'

''It encourages me to go and get some fresh air and exercise'

'By the time I had finished getting my baby in the sling he had fallen asleep, giving me time to brush my hair and put a little make up on before easily heading out the door'
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'I could go up steps, walk among the trees , exactly as I did before I had a baby, giving me a sense of independence and that I was still me'

Be hands free, mobile and get things done!

'It leaves hands free for a coffee!'

'The dog needs walkies! Two hands are easier with a dog lead and you can go off the beaten track. I really think it’s helped the fur baby accept the new baby'

'I can do housework and prepare dinner with my little one close to me'

'Being able to snuggle a grumpy poorly baby and still make tea and go to the loo!'
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Ease of travelling on public transport, going walking, or in any situation where carrying is easier

​'I climbed down a vertical hill in search of a hidden waterfall with my one year old on my back.'

'It is great for countryside walks, going to the beach, and it's fantastic for me to watch my husband say “I’m going to Bradgate Park today so I thought I’d take the Connecta!" I am so proud of him for carrying our children as it’s not always normal for Dads to do that'

'I can catch the bus and not wait in the cold for the next one because there are already two buggies on board'

'It made it easy on the ferry going to France with a 5 month old'

Breastfeeding on the go (or can bottle feed too!)


'I was able to breastfeed my baby and cook Spaghetti Bolognese for the family at the same time'

​'I love the ease of breastfeeding in a sling while travelling on public transport'

'I wasn't going to make it the last 10 minutes of the walk home with him screaming and wanting to be fed, so I somehow got myself sorted with him still in the sling so I could walk and feed him the rest of the way home'

'I can combine two amazing parenting tools: sling and boob and off they go to sleep!'
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Overstimulation

'My son has trouble in loud and crowded settings. I’m the Vacation Bible School director and I teach, so during VBS week, I can’t really leave. Everyday at craft time, he needed a break. All the kids in one place with glue and glitter and chatter was just too much for him to process. When he’s up in the carrier, he can cuddle in and hide and reset.​'

'Even as a baby I could see that I had a sensitive child. He would cry in the presence of new people and easily get overwhelmed. The sling didn't totally fix his upset but it was his safe space'
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Communication and Relationship


'I carried my eldest when I was pregnant with my second so I could still feel close to her'

'I found it great for communicating with him, sharing smiles and eye contact, taking in the world around us together. Later on my back he would chatter away to me in my ear and I loved being able to hear him and have conversations'

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'I love having them close and the relationship you build...my little girl would bring my sling or daddy's carrier for close cuddles when she was tired'

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​And to finish, a personal carrying memory of my own....
'For most of our first baby's first year we had regular lunch time pizza dates while our son slept on my front in the sling, until one day he woke up earlier than usual from his nap and discovered our secret. It cannot be underestimated in that first year of becoming parents what a strain and challenge it can be. Being able to walk along hand in hand with the baby strapped onto one of us kept us close and still feeling like us as a couple, except for occasional thoughts of 'Where did I put the baby!? Oh there he is!'

Where might babywearing fit in for you? How might it enhance your life as a parent and bring joy to your child?

Wouldn't you like to find out?

Browse our shop, visit us in Leicester, book a consultation or home visit
Or seek out your own local sling library, sling meet, babywearing group or carrying consultant or knowledgeable families in your area!