Sarah Harding has done a ton of interviews and guest posts as well as written about the benefits and the how-to’s of wearing your baby while you workout. Heck, she even created her own fitness company, Asobi Sport, as well as aided the Moby Wrap company in the proper safety of wearing your baby while you get your fitness on. For a great introduction into Asobi Sport and Sarah’s Jia-Yo philosophy, check out the Blog,
FamilyandLifeinLV.
I wanted to know a little bit more though, like, why would I do this?
Sarah (on the right) continuing her fitness even pregnant with twins!
What is the benefit for my baby? I’m thinking long term goal…what is this going to create for them. So, I asked Sarah, right before she gave birth to twin girls (she now has three beautiful daughters), and this is what she had to say:
RSMLV: What do you anticipate Emma’s personality to be like because of the baby wearing you did with her? In other words, do you suppose she will be more confident, more active, etc? What are the other benefits the kids will get by being “worn” so to speak.
STH: Many people want to know the benefits of babywearing. Is all that cumbersome tying of fabric actually worth learning?? As far as I’m concerned, it’s more than worth it. It can be a life-saver! You can read on
Dr. Sears site (along with many others) how babywearing promotes psychological health and physiological growth for the infant. Not to mention, it can be emotionally comforting for the parents and even help Mom with the baby blues. Having the luxury to wear my child and tend to her needs on demand was a saving grace for us.
I can tell you from my perspective as a new Mom, babywearing instilled confidence in ME. I felt more comfortable as a parent who could breastfeed on the go in the
Moby Wrap, have my hands free to get chores done around the house, run errands down town stroller-free, and even resume part-time work–all while snuggling with my daughter! I wish I could adequately convey how nice it is to feel some sense of familiarity in a very foreign world of motherhood AND to not feel guilty for it! I knew I could kiss, hug, and whisper sweet-nothings into my daughter’s ear the entire time I was tending to MY needs! What a blessing! Thanks to the joys of babywearing, I could relish in my motherhood experience and know the whole family would thrive!
Sharing her love of baby wearing fitness with other moms
It’s hard to say just how much babywearing has directly helped my daughter, Emma grow. All I can say is Emma is thriving! She is an awfully confident kid. Sometimes, I wish she were more cautious, especially when it comes to doing acrobatics on the playground! (Of course, it’s probably because her mother was doing Pilates both when Emma was in the womb and then in the wrap!) But Emma is extremely comfortable in both new physical and social environments. She loves making new friends and interacts more generously than one would expect for a two year-old with other children or adults. She giggles like crazy and is a genuinely happy kid. She’s also quite independent! The tantrums she throws are because she wants to do something by herself! She likes her freedom and independence and often tells me she doesn’t need my help anymore. She’s a “big girl” and is busy playing now on her own. I don’t know if these traits of confidence, independence, and social comfort are directly linked to the fact that she had a babywearing Momma or if its just a corralation. Either way, I can rest assured that babywearing was the right choice for our family. I’m looking forward to wearing Emma’s twin sisters soon!
RSMLV: And, I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how you do that!
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For more awesome sites on Sarah’s Asobi Sport Fitness, please visit:
