As a first-time mom you’re bombarded with must-have baby products…many of which you never really end up using. When it’s just mama and baby, while tough, life is certainly more manageable than when you have a toddler to chase after on top of caring for your infant.
Related: Raising a Toddler While Pregnant
But as a second-time mom some baby products REALLY do make a huge difference. One of those products? A baby carrier or wrap.
There will come a period when you have to balance your time between two kids – for making meals, soothing a cranky baby or attending to your toddler. Wearing your baby makes all your daily to-dos more manageable.
Here are the top reasons babywearing is a MUST when you have a baby and toddler to care for:
Freedom
Isn’t it much easier to prepare yourself a snack, take a walk with your toddler or simply tackle some chores around the house when you have two hands? Well one of the biggest perks of using a carrier is the freedom it allows. There’s no more need to feel like you can’t get anything done with small children when your hands are free to multitask!
Less Stress
Let’s face it: newborns need their mamas and will most definitely let you know. Whether it’s for nursing, sleeping or simply comfort, a baby will cry to get that attention (and so may your toddler if you ignore him!). When cries become incessant, things can get a little stressful. This is especially true if you find yourself running back and forth to baby’s crib side to soothe their every need.
However, when you’re wearing baby, that skin-to-skin contact and proximity can do a number of things like help baby sleep comfortably, make on-the-go breastfeeding a breeze and soothe a needy child. All things that make life less stressful for an already sleep-deprived mama!
Related: Getting Baby & Toddler to Sleep at the Same Time
And with a happy baby and stress-free mama, you can spend more time with your toddler, giving him your undivided attention that he so longs for!
Bonding
Did you know that holding your child close for prolonged periods of time could facilitate bonding?
It’s true! That skin-to-skin contact has amazing benefits. The main one being a deeper emotional and physical connection between baby and mommy (or daddy). Baby becomes accustomed to your voice, heartbeat, movements and facial expressions and a strong attachment develops.
So while you bond with your new baby by that close contact, you can also continue bonding with your toddler with your newly free hands. Whether it’s simply guiding them through a sensory activity or reading a book together, that extra attention paid can go a long way!
Development
With the convenience of a baby carrier, you can now spend more time with each child simultaneously, fostering a healthy development.
For a toddler that may mean practicing language, numbers or color matching skills — all important learning and development qualities to prepare for preschool.
For your new baby, that means continuing to stimulate their senses.
In fact, when your baby was in utero, he learned to become in tune with all-things mommy: the rhythm of your breathing, the sound of your heartbeat, and the movements you made! Wearing your baby in a sling or carrier continues this process and helps baby to regulate his own physical responses like exercising his vestibular system — an important part of controlling balance. According to one site, the sling acts as a “transitional womb” for the new baby, who is still learning to control bodily functions and movements.
And according to Dr. Sears, babywearing enhances speech development. In the upright, heart-to-heart position (safest for newborns) baby is up at voice and eye level and more “involved” in conversations. This enables him to learn a valuable speech lesson – the ability to listen.
Further research has even shown premature babies who are touched and held gain weight faster and are healthier than babies who are not.
Related: How a Mother’s Touch Means So Much More
A Baby Wrap Worth Trying
With all the wonderful benefits of baby wearing, we had the opportunity to try out one very new baby carrier to hit the markets: the Wrapy®!
The Wrapy is a baby sling that offers outstanding comfort for both mommy and baby. The extra wide material, made from 95% cotton and 5% spandex, enables moms to securely wrap baby in various positions.
And unlike similar products, the Wrapy can be washed many times without all the wear and tear that comes with frequent washes.
We also love that it is one size to fit baby from infancy through toddlerhood!
You can read reviews and BUY one here!
If you’re a mom of a baby and toddler, a baby wrap, carrier or sling like this one is definitely something you’ll want to invest in, for your sanity and baby’s security!!
Wrapy Giveaway
Want a chance to win your very own Wrapy baby sling? Simply follow instructions below. Remember to earn extra entries by following on social media. Good luck!
Disclosure: I received a Wrapy sample for writing this post, but all opinions are my own.
The post Top Reasons You Need a Baby Carrier with Your Second Child appeared first on Mommy's Bundle.