The Carrying Matters blog page, enjoy reading my thoughts on carrying, social change and more!

The Carrying Matters blog page.. enjoy reading! If you have any topics you'd like to see covered, get in touch! I enjoy writing and am always keen to hear of new ideas, and to host guest blog posts too!

journeys to recovery

Journeys to Recovery?

3rd May 2021

congenital heart disease kanga

Carrying a child with congenital heart disease, Abbie’s story

3rd May 2021

Benefits of babywearing

Adversity and connectedness in the early months

29th April 2021

Parenting Criticism

17th April 2021

Skin to skin Skin to skin pic soft touch babywearing

The importance of soft touch for infant development

5th November 2020

babywearing in the time of coronavirus

Babywearing in the time of Coronavirus

20th March 2020

Babywearing for all

“Babywearing for All”- helpful or harmful?

28th November 2019

carrying with a weakened pelvic floor

Carrying with a weakened pelvic floor

15th September 2019

babywearing and autistic caregivers

Babywearing and autistic caregivers

1st September 2019

Babywearing and Breast Cancer

Babywearing and breast cancer

31st August 2019

sling FAQs wobbly head

Sling FAQs – How can I support my baby’s wobbly head in their sling?

21st July 2019

What is the pelvic tuck Sling FAQs

Sling FAQs – What is the pelvic tuck?

18th July 2019

how do i keep my baby safe in the sling

Sling FAQs – How do I keep my baby safe in the sling?

18th July 2019

which sling is the best, the best sling faqs

Sling FAQs – Which sling is the best?

18th July 2019

Ten FAQs about Slings part one

Ten FAQs (frequently asked questions) about slings – part one

2nd July 2019

carrying in the heat

Why Black Babywearing Week Matters, by Dr Ilhan Omar

21st June 2019

babywearing holds me together

How babywearing holds me together

29th April 2019

Breastfeeding infant mental health mother-baby dyad

Babywearing can support the essential formation of the mother-baby dyad

29th April 2019

way of the west vs the way of the rest

The Way of the West vs the Way of the Rest & how babywearing can help

27th April 2019

babywearing with fibromyalgia

Babywearing with fibromyalgia; meeting the challenge

27th April 2019

double amputee

Babywearing as a double amputee

20th March 2019

Infant mental health

Infant Mental Health; how to build a happy brain

5th February 2019

talipes boots and bar with Beco Gemini

Babywearing with talipes – or club foot

24th January 2019

premature babywearing twins

Babywearing Premature Babies

13th January 2019

surviving christmas

The Babywearer’s Guide to Surviving Christmas

17th December 2018

Seven Reasons why babywearing matters

Seven Reasons Why Babywearing Matters

24th November 2018

masculinity

Piers Morgan, masculinity and the real problem

16th October 2018

babywearing with multiple sclerosis

Babywearing with Multiple Sclerosis

5th September 2018

worth

Are baby carriers worth the money?

23rd July 2018

Babywearing dads rock – carrying matters for fathers too

16th June 2018

babywearing village

The babywearing village – something wonderful

13th June 2018

babywearing in ramadan

Babywearing in Ramadan

6th June 2018

end of babywearing

The end of babywearing…

1st June 2018

Babywearing and the 4th Trimester

31st May 2018

The unhelpful “rules” of babywearing

17th May 2018

A look at “In Arms Carrying” with Mel Cyrille

16th May 2018

fathers' mental health

Fathers’ mental health matters: for the whole family!

1st May 2018

reduce crying

A sling can calm your baby and reduce crying

30th March 2018

the learning brain

Carrying and the learning brain

24th March 2018

resilience

Carrying children can help build relationships and resilience, a buffer against adversity

19th March 2018

Babies who face-plant in slings

10th March 2018

antenatal depression

Carrying is connection; healing from antenatal depression

4th March 2018

wrapping your bump

Wrapping your bump in late pregnancy

31st January 2018

offering sling support

Offering sling support to a stranger

30th January 2018

carrying with autism

Carrying an autistic child

22nd December 2017

cultural appropriation

Is “Babywearing” Cultural Appropriation?

20th December 2017

carried baby

I am a Carried Baby

14th December 2017

Why do we carry our babies? We carry them because it is a biological, instinctive parental response, that blesses the children we carry, and that blesses us. I find myself blessed by the small part I…

Can I carry my baby in a sling if I have epilepsy?

16th November 2017

Guest Blog from a friend of mine about her choice to use a sling to keep her child close despite her diagnosis of epilepsy. It has worked out very well for her. Here she discusses the processes of…

Breast and Bottle Feeding Safely in a Sling

5th August 2017

I meet a lot of pregnant ladies in the course of my varied roles, and many new mums, and one of the questions I am most frequently asked is "Will I be able to feed my baby in a sling?" It's an…

mental health disorder

Carrying a child when you have a mental health disorder

9th January 2017

carryingmatters

Some of you may know that as well as being a famil

Some of you may know that as well as being a family doctor and running the Carrying Matters service, I also set up a small business in Sheffield - a sling library and babywearing shop. (Since the pandemic I have had much less to do with the library/shop, for obvious reasons!)
It’s #smallbizsatuk today - Small Business Saturday, a yearly event to celebrate and highlight the many small businesses in the UK, encouraging people to shop small and local, as small businesses are often the lifeblood of a community. Ours is no different.

So many babies and children across Sheffield and far further afield have been carried with the help of our service, so many new parents listened to and empowered via our 4th Trimester groups and our in-person sessions, lots of volunteers and staff given a supportive space to be as they help others… pregnant people, toddlers, preschoolers, families with extra needs, parents of multiples all helped, working with the Building Bonds Project, hosting dance and baby massage and hypnobirthing and nappy classes, so many tears wiped away and a lot of joy!

In 2019 Rob and I were invited to the Houses of Parliament as one of that year’s 100 featured Small Businesses - happy days, we had no idea what was about to arrive a year later. The Covid crisis has been hard on us as it has for so many, but we’re still here and recovering and growing. Much of that is due to the hard work of our team - Kiri, Jess, Will (and Sophie who’s currently on maternity leave!) as well as our ad hoc staff Sharon and Kim and Darelle.

Thank you for all your support here and to @slingspot and @sheffieldslingsurgery - we’re looking forward to continuing the good work!

Does your local sling service (which is likely being run as a small business by working parents) need a thank you and a shout out in the comments?

Rosie xx

#sheffieldissuper #smallbiz #smallbizlove #smallbusinesssaturday #slingspot #sheffieldslingsurgery #supportingparents #fourthtrimester #carryingmatters #buildahappybrain #connection

How long can my baby be in the sling? *Babies are

How long can my baby be in the sling?

*Babies are born to be held a lot, it’s how they grow optimally. A sling/carrier is in many ways a substitute for the arms of the community who would usually share all the holding.

*It’s normal for babies to spend all this time on one of the primary caregivers. It is not harmful or damaging for them in any way at all, to be receiving biologically normal parenting. As they “wake up” and begin to engage in the world more; they’ll want to see, move, get down and be carried less. Movement is good, and this should be encouraged!

*It is fine for your newborn to spend several hours in the sling/carrier if it works for both of you. It is fine for them to take all their naps in the sling if it works for you (and no, they won’t need the sling for naps forever). Are you comfy? Is baby happy? Is baby getting enough feeds? Be aware that babies can sleep longer and more deeply in the sling due to warmth so keep an eye on that. Older kids benefit from using their bodies and being in different planes to practice movement skills.

*The rate limiting factor may be you! remember that we tend to shift babies around a lot more with in arms carrying as our muscles protest so we rest one lot and use another. With a comfy carrier we’re often using the same muscles for prolonged periods of time. It’s good to take a break from babywearing - and give your muscles the care they need. Hours of babywearing can be hard on the postnatal body. If you’re aching, get a fit check to be sure all is fitting right, try shorter periods of carrying, delegate it to someone else, try a different position (eg early back carries), use a safe baby bouncer chair.

* there are no specific rules about time in the sling facing parent or on the back as they are soft and flexible items, not rigid.

Cont’d in caption

Do you think there should be better provision for

Do you think there should be better provision for parents to take babies to work? Kudos to Stella Creasy (one of our British MPs who took her 3month old to the House of Commons in a sling and was reprimanded).

There’s inadequate provision for MPs who are mothers to have maternity leave with cover for important debates/votes etc, so she brought her baby to work to do her job for her constituents. She deserves properly supported maternity leave.

On the other hand, many women need or wish to work when babies are little, and rules that forbid small children (who are in the key #4thtrimester and the #first1001days - where brains are shaped and relationships formed) at work are flying in the face of the government’s apparent commitment to protect and support the early years. Women should be allowed to choose and such archaic rules should be brought into the modern day.

When you compare this situation - a MP who is a mother, being forced to choose between nurturing her baby and doing a good job for her constituents by turning up and actually focusing on their needs - with other MPs focusing more on their external and very highly paid jobs rather than actually turning up in person… it’s not right - and betrays the true focus of organisations/governments. The contrast between what they do and what they say. What really matters to them? It’s not mothers and babies.

What do you think?

Cuddles are magic. You don’t need to ration th

Cuddles are magic.

You don’t need to ration them. You can’t have too many of them, or give too many of them. There’s an infinite supply, they don’t run out, they don’t spoil.

They’re all good, day or night, any age, anywhere.

If your arms need a break from your child’s entirely normal need to be held a lot (and you should ideally be surrounded by people to help with this) - a good comfy carrier that fits you both can be a life-saver. The sling/carrier is a tool to help provide this close contact (which is where the magic lies) and also frees you to do stuff (that again ideally you should have people around to help with!). Have you found your local sling library or enthusiast? And remember, safety and comfort are both important.

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#toptip #carryingmatters #carrythem #oxytocin #babywearingconsultant #closeenoughtokiss #connection #responsiveparenting #buildahappybrain #connectionmatters #4thtrimester #biologicalbaseline #nobodytellsyou #borntobecarried #consciousparenting #chemistryofcuddles #postpartum #secureattachment #nurtureneuroscience #emotionalhealth #babywearingforthewin

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