Did you / do you use a baby sling or carrier?
One of our volunteers has made this video for one of their Occupational Therapy Degree modules at Sheffield Hallam University. They are currently on an extended scope placement working to normalise baby wearing, particularly during the fourth trimester (the first 3 months of baby’s life).
Melissa comments:
‘Having a baby absolutely turned my life upside, this little being suddenly needed everything from me and I found it so overwhelming, with my past experiences and identity lost in a haze of sleep deprivation. A turning point for me was when a family member bought me a stretchy sling. I learnt that I could keep baby happy and content on me, whilst freeing up my hands to do other things. Even being able to make food or a hot drink without my baby screaming made such a difference, as well as getting out and going for walks. Using the sling also kept my baby happy in shops and I found I felt less panicked and stressed.
6 years on, I am now training to be an Occupational Therapist and I am surprised by how little research has been conducted particularly looking at the potential benefits to parental mental health. I have created this video as a simple introduction, to not only promote the benefits of keeping your baby close, but to also acknowledge how life changing becoming a parent can be.’ #matrescence #OT #PND #maternalmentalhealth
Locally Hull & East Riding Sling Library have free hire of stretchy slings for under 6 week olds, and a range of slings and carriers to hire from birth to preschool.
Here are some useful videos on how to safely use a stretchy sling, and make adjustments. This is a fantastic resource for for info on all carriers. Useful Videos – Carrying Matters