"Stop carrying them all the time, you'll give them bad habits!", "You'll make them dependent!", "They won't be able to do without you!".
If you are reading this article, you have certainly already heard at least one of these phrases. But then, is your entourage right? Is carrying your baby a bad habit?
To answer this question, a return to the origins of the human species is in order!
Babywearing, this ancestral practice championed by young parents
Definition
Babywearing is the act of carrying your child against you using a piece of fabric. Through babywearing, your child benefits from optimal development on a physiological, motor and emotional level.
Babywearing: first and foremost a matter of survival!
Babywearing is a practice used since the appearance of the first hominids, 7 million years ago. At that time, it was in fact an essential condition for the survival of the human species. Because a baby who was not carried by its mother risked simply being devoured by a predator. Fortunately, today our living conditions have evolved!
Nevertheless, even if the survival of our babies is no longer threatened by predators, babywearing offers undeniable benefits. Now it is also for you, young parents with only 2 hands and 24 hours in a day, that it is a matter of "survival". By being attuned to your baby while remaining mobile and effective in all the daily challenges.
Its evolution over the centuries
The culture of babywearing was very present up until the Middle Ages. But in the 19th century, the invention of the pram caused this practice to decline, until the 1970s. It was then that researchers (Hassenstein, Nathalie Charpak, or Leboyer) once again became interested in the benefits of babywearing.
Today, the practice of babywearing is experiencing renewed interest from young parents who care about their child's wellbeing and are aware that a return to basics offers many advantages. And if you are reading this article, you are most likely one of them ;)
Why does your baby need to be carried so much?
For several reasons, a baby has a vital need to be in contact with their mother, their father or any other attachment figure.
From an anthropological point of view, your baby's brain is immature at birth
Unlike other mammals, the human baby has an immature brain at birth. From an anthropological point of view, this cerebral immaturity is due to the evolution of the human species. Over millions of years of evolution, the hominid gradually acquired the ability to walk upright, in other words bipedalism. The straightening of their posture modified their bone structure, notably by reducing the width of the female pelvis.
Thus, a narrower pelvis in the mother required the baby to be born "prematurely". Specialists estimate that for a baby to be born as mature as other young mammals, the gestation period would need to be 18 months. But after 18 months of gestation, the diameter of their head would no longer fit through their mother's pelvis.
The evolution of the species means that our babies are born prematurely. Consequently, carrying your baby in a wrap for at least the first months of life is in some ways a natural continuation of pregnancy and thus contributes to continuing their brain development.
From a neurological point of view, your baby needs optimal emotional security to grow well
Brain development begins in the very first months of pregnancy. The part that develops first is the so-called archaic or reptilian brain. The archaic brain is partly responsible for your baby's reflexes. On the other hand, the part of the brain responsible for fine and voluntary motor skills begins to develop towards the end of pregnancy and during the first months of your baby's life.
The immaturity of our babies' brains is the source of their dependence on adults. A baby giraffe can trot just a few minutes after birth. A human baby does not have sufficient motor development to achieve the same feats.
While waiting for their brain to develop enough to start crawling and then walking, your baby needs you to feel protected and discover the world. Babywearing thus offers your baby emotional security and optimal brain development.
More than a habit, a need!
In view of these scientifically grounded reasons dating back to the 1980s, babywearing appears as a natural response to a natural need expressed by the child.
Thus, more than a habit, babywearing is a need. It is also important to remember that a newborn grows at an incredibly fast pace week by week and does not develop habits. Let alone bad habits! Their rapid development constantly requires them to adapt to their new sensations and capabilities.
Your baby's cries express their need for contact and comfort. They are in no way "tantrums", but simply a natural and vital need.
Moreover, in the case of premature babies, babywearing and skin-to-skin contact offer very good results in terms of their development. It is practised daily in maternity wards.
The Kangaroo method
The Kangaroo method (el plan mamá canguro) was developed in 1978 in Bogotá, Colombia, by doctors Rey Sanabria and Martinez. They introduced this practice, as an alternative to incubators, for premature or low birth weight babies.
This method consists, in addition to breastfeeding and early hospital discharge, of prolonged skin-to-skin contact. In developing countries, this practice has the effect of:
- reducing the rate of disease infection
- reducing the rate of infant mortality.
Initially considered a method reserved for developing countries, the Kangaroo method is now practised throughout the world.
The WHO and the French Society of Neonatology (SFN) support this practice, whose virtues are clearly demonstrated in the scientific literature.
In brief
Dear parents, don't give too much weight or credibility to claims that carrying your baby gives them bad habits. Your baby needs to be carried, for their wellbeing, for their development and above all because it is natural! Soon enough they will discover their independence and the time spent in the carrier will reduce, until the moment when it will be you chasing after them for a kiss!
If the subject interests you, we recommend listening to the viewpoint on this topic from Céline, our psychomotor therapist.