Amawrap: The Science Behind
Babywearing and Bonding

Babywearing and bonding go happily hand in hand, with the benefits from skin to skin contact and being able to easily monitor your baby’s breathing and expressions. There is science behind the ‘sleepy dust’ that slings seem to bring, and proven benefits for both the parent and the baby. We asked Shabs, the founder of Amawrap, to tell us why babywearing is so brilliant, and why so many parents choose to use an Amawrap organic cotton sling from birth. There are so many positives to babywearing, and you might be surprised by what you didn’t know!

Why baby should be kept close

Having your baby “close enough to kiss” in a sling or carrier means you will be more attuned to their expressions and gestures, which results in you being about to attend to their needs before they have to resort to crying to make themselves heard (and nobody wants that!).

There are also hormonal, pheromonal and scental exchanges that help to regulate baby’s heartbeat and temperature, leading to the reduction of stress hormones in their system. Not to mention the support of maturation and development of their prefrontal cortex in their brain, providing positive effects on cognitive and behavioural control.

What is Oxytocin and how does it help with bonding?

Another outcome of babywearing is the production of Oxytocin, a simply amazing hormone that leads to a more emotional response to your baby and therefore giving you a greater level of bonding.

It can be produced when doing something positive concerning family, or your baby etc. It also encourages reproductive functions, such as breastfeeding and even giving birth! While breastfeeding, this hormone also aids the production of milk and every time your body feels your baby on your skin, it will do everything it needs to for them, especially produce more milk.

How carrying baby battles Postnatal Depression

1 out of 10 women experience Postnatal Depression. This can include feelings of lack of enjoyment and loss of interest in the wider world, problems concentrating and making decisions and difficulty bonding with your baby. This can occur anytime during the first year of the baby’s birth and is totally normal, but not something you want to go through.

Babywearing can help battle that anxious or emotionally numb feeling after childbirth, by having your baby close to you, you are encouraging that bond with your baby that PND may have you lacking. Having a baby sling or a carrier handy if you go for a little walk for some fresh air, can benefit you and baby immensely.

Just pop them in the baby wrap and you can go and enjoy some one-on-one time together while enjoying the sunshine, they’re only little for a short time, enjoy it while you can!