During August 1-7, the D.C. metropolitan area (and beyond) was abuzz with a number of activities to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. Healthcare professionals, community organizations, parents and local government agencies gathered for events like “Big Latch On” gatherings, a 3K run/walk, and a community health fair.
Needless to say, many of the parents maneuvered to and around the celebrations by using a great tool that can make breastfeeding easier—baby carriers!
One way that babywearing helps facilitate breastfeeding is by allowing a mother time to easily have some 
skin-to-skin time with her new baby. Lactation consultants and other professionals often advise taking off a baby’s onesie and carrying him to the mother’s bare chest in order to stimulate the hormones that influence a mom’s milk production. Skin-to-skin time also encourages a baby to feed by allowing him to smell his mother and her milk. Skin-to-skin with a dad is helpful for babies too!
Babywearing also helps facilitate breastfeeding by keeping the baby close enough so that mom can quickly respond to a hungry baby who may want to feed frequently. It’s preferable to nurse a baby who is just beginning to show hunger signs. On the other hand, it can be a challenge to first calm a screaming baby in order to get him to feed.
Of course an older child or toddler is not as dependent on nursing as a source of nutrition. However, babywearing still comes in handy for those hot days when a bigger kid instinctively knows that it’s important to stay hydrated. Or maybe a child just needs to reconnect after being hurt in a little accident or after being emotionally overwhelmed in some way.
Finally, babywearing helps with breastfeeding simply by allowing a mom the double convenience of carrying on with her daily activities while still having her child nearby. Making use of a carrier means that a nursing mom can be on the go (for errands, social events, volunteer work, etc.) without leaving her nursing child behind. I , for one, love to limit using my breast pump for those times when I have no other choice.
During August 1-7, the D.C. metropolitan area (and beyond) was abuzz with a number of activities to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. Healthcare professionals, community organizations, parents and local government agencies gathered for events like “Big Latch On” gatherings, a 3K run/walk, and a community health fair.
I love the t-shirt! And I love showing the versatility of that gorgeous wrap - start 'em on the hip, flip 'em on your back for nap time on the go.
ReplyDelete