I have three children now and thanks to my experience with the first one, I’ve babywear all of them.

You see, my oldest daughter had terrible colic. If she was awake, she was screaming. She wanted to be held all the time - not just held, mind you but bounced and walked.

It was exhausting because all I wanted to do was sit down and the minute I did, she would scream.

If she fell asleep, I never knew how long her little naps would be.

If she wasn’t crying, I knew it would only last a few minutes so I would race to eat or go to the bathroom, or try to keep up with dishes and laundry but I just couldn’t.

Holding her was a full time job and this pace of life just wasn’t sustainable.

I saw a woman in the grocery store using a Moby Wrap and baby wearing and it looked to be just the thing to help us with our fussy, needed-to-be-held-constantly baby.

At first, I just made a sling for my daughter. It helped but it wasn’t completely hands free and it hurt my back. So, I purchased the Moby Wrap.

It didn’t actually take that long to learn to wrap it and my daughter calmed down almost immediately when worn inside it.

Thus began a year or more full of wearing her everywhere and all the time and my life became a whole lot easier.

The following are 12 of the many benefits and reasons I have fallen in love with babywearing.

1. It’s Hands Free

I love the fact that baby wearing is usually hands free.

Once my fussy daughter was snug inside I could get myself something to eat, fold laundry, do dishes, go grocery shopping, even go to the bathroom.

My whole world suddenly opened up to life outside of caring for a fussy infant.

When I had my second and third children, this became even more important as I now had multiple precious children to care for.

I’ve done everything while baby wearing from preparing dinner, to changing diapers, to holding another child.

Loves the fact that my hands are free when wearing baby. Click To Tweet

2. It Encourages Bonding

I love baby wearing because of how it encourages bonding with my little ones.

They go from being in your womb all the time to being out and put in a bed or a carrier half of the time and it’s tough for them.

They just want Mommy.

Holding them near as much as possible helps them to maintain that bond that they started in utero.

They are close to your heart where they learn that Mommy is always there for them and that makes them feel comfortable.

They learn to trust that you will come when they call and be there when they need you.

3. It’s Good For Fussy Babies (My Favorite Reason)

My favorite thing about baby wearing is that it’s really good for fussy babies.

As a new mom, there is nothing that spurs you to action like the cry of your baby. You will move heaven and earth to give them whatever it is that they need.

It’s so hard when a baby is colicky and even your best attempts at soothing them fail.

Somehow, wearing a colicky baby really seems to help.

Baby wearing helps with soothing colicky and fussy babies. Click To Tweet

Maybe not at first - they’ll probably fight the restraint for a minute or two but they’ll quickly realize that it is exactly what they want or need and they’ll burrow down against you and relax.

Fussy babies, like my first daughter, who want to be held all the time can get that because you don’t have to put them down to do simple tasks.

This means that more will get done by Mommy and Daddy and both the parents and the baby will cry less.

4. It Helps Regulate Body Temperature

Little ones can’t regulate their body temperature very well.

In fact, I’ve heard that humans don’t regulate temperature well even as toddlers.

Being up against Mommy’s or Daddy’s body heat is a great way to help them maintain the right temperature.

It’s especially good for cold weather or a chilly air conditioned room.

In fact, even when my babies have a fever, I find that putting them against my body heat seems to help their temperature regulate, though I generally strip them naked and go with a baby carrier with lighter fabric like my Boba Air.

5. It’s Comforting

Baby wearing offers comfort for both the parent and the baby.

It’s like an all day snuggle.

We know that snuggles and hugs are actually good for your health which means that wearing your sweet little one helps both of you stay more healthy both physically and emotionally.

6. It’s Good For Newborn Transitioning

Baby wearing is a great way to help a newborn transition to life outside the womb.

As I mentioned before, they’re used to being held all the time when they’re inside Mommy, and then when they’re born, they get put down a lot more than they’d like and it’s hard for them.

Baby wearing your infant can help them get used to life outside the warm, soft comfort of the womb because they’re still feeling Mommy’s warmth and listening to her heartbeat and her voice constantly like they had been doing for nine months.

If they’re in a wrap, they’re still gently confined like they were in the uterus, yet they are also getting accustomed to breathing air, hearing outside noises, listening to Daddy’s heartbeat, and yes, even being put down.

7. It Makes Tons Of Baby Gear Unnecessary

Babies come with a lot of gears. A crib, pack-n-play, bouncer, walker, swing, stroller, carseat, high chair…that stuff takes up a lot of space!

I personally hate lugging my stroller into the car and bringing it along with me when I go to the park or the mall. It’s just more to carry and more to worry about.

My baby carriers take up much less space.

When I leave the house I like to use the Boba Air because it is light and folds up into a pocket that is about as big as one of my cloth pocket diapers.

I don’t have to lug the stroller in and out of the car and I don’t even take the baby carseat carrier out of the car when I get to my destination! I strap the Boba on, stick my baby inside, and I have my hands free from baby gear so I can hold my keys and grab the hands of my other two children.

Also, my shopping cart is free for holding groceries.

Wearing baby means less baby gears and less worries. Click To Tweet

8. Strangers Are Less Likely To Touch Your Baby

People love babies and somehow they feel more of a license to come up and touch a baby than they do to come up and touch you.

When I bring my babies out into public in their baby seat, someone will inevitably come up and touch them or kiss them, even grabbing their hand.

When I wear my baby, he or she is inside of my personal space bubble and culture dictates that others can’t enter that space.

I definitely feel that my children are safer from well-intentioned strangers and acquaintances when they are worn against my chest as opposed to sitting in the baby seat.

9. It Can Make It Easier To Breastfeed

Many baby carriers make nursing a breeze.

When I have my little one in the Boba, I just pull a boob out of the top of my shirt and let them nurse as I go about my business and almost no one is the wiser because I’m mostly hidden by the baby carrier.

I could dare to say that nursing in a baby carrier is easier because again, my hands are free to do what I need to do - which is usually grocery shopping if I don’t feel I can stop to sit down and nurse.

10. It Helps With Naps

If your little one is having a hard time getting into a napping schedule, baby wearing can help with that.

My children often fall asleep as I wear them while doing the dishes, the laundry, or taking a walk.

Being close to Mommy (or Daddy) and the gentle cadence and rhythm of her (his) movement can put them right down.

11. There Will Be Less Crying

There is less screaming and crying when the baby is being worn.

There will be less crying when you wear your baby. Click To Tweet

Usually my babies cry because they want to be held. Sometimes it’s because they’re over tired, hot, hungry, uncomfortable, etc.

If they want to be held, then baby wearing is an obvious solution.

If it’s something else, baby wearing will often hold them off for a few minutes until I can meet that need.

12. It’s Safe

When you baby wear, you are keeping your little one in a safe place.

My eight month old has just started to crawl.

When I’m cooking dinner I can either strap her to my back where she receives all the benefits I mentioned before, or I can constantly leave my work station to make sure she hasn’t gotten herself into trouble.

When she’s left to roam the house freely - even in the same room where I’m working, she finds every tiny crumb my broom missed and every little Barbie shoe that her older sister dropped.

She ingests everything, touches everything, and will destroy everything when left to explore on her own.

Granted, it’s good for her to wander and explore in that way, but if I’m not completely available to her to make sure that exploration doesn’t get her into trouble, then it’s just safer for her to be on my back or against my chest.

There are so many different wonderful options available to you if you want to baby wear.

Honestly, it’s as easy as finding a strip of fabric and tying your baby to yourself as simply as women all over the world do.

Of course, you can also purchase wraps, carriers and slings for every lifestyle and preference.

There are woven wraps and stretchy wraps, squishy carriers and thin ones, and fabrics with every print and color combination imaginable so that you can wear your baby in style.

There are also carriers for every budget, and you can often find them second hand as well.

If you feel that your baby is fussy or you’re struggling to bond with him or her in the craziness of life, consider baby wearing.

As a mom, it changed my life. Hopefully you will find it just as helpful too!