Your baby carrier can help you prevent your child from getting sick. And if s/he does catch a cold or the flu, your carrier is a great tool for helping both of you through it!
Baby carriers can help prevent illness
One of the lesser-touted benefits to wearing your child is that people are much less likely to touch or get close to your baby while you are wearing them. While it may have seemed that everybody and their mama was willing to touch your belly without permission when you were pregnant, the standard personal distance rules seem to get reasserted as soon as the baby is out. So people who would be likely to peer into a car seat or stroller (coughing, sneezing, touching and otherwise bringing unwanted germs near your child) are much less likely to get up close and personal with your baby if they are snuggled up on your chest. So your baby carrier helps you to keep some distance between your child and potentially contagious well-wishers.
You are also much more mobile and flexible while wearing your child, and can move, turn or easily cover her head if someone does come too near.
If you have an older child who is sick, wearing your baby in a sling or carrier will make it easier to keep them away from toys and surfaces that your older child has had contact with.
What babies and kids want when they are ill
It’s not possible (or desirable) to prevent all colds and inevitably, your baby will get sick sometimes. And when they do, they want one thing: to cuddle with you! Any mama who has ever had a sick baby (all of us!) has had the experience of the baby who cries every time he is put down or the toddler who whines and follows you around unless you are snuggling together on the couch. At these times, your baby carrier can save your sanity!
Many of us stop using our trusty carriers as our children get older and more independent, but don’t forget about babywearing when your toddler (or an even older child) wants to be nowhere but on top of you! Dust off that ring sling or your ERGO carrier from the back of the closet-it’s an invaluable tool for giving your child the TLC they need when you need to take care of other things.
Added bonus: wearing your little one close to you when they are sick, can also help you monitor any fever or other symptoms.
The Sling Lady’s favorite baby carriers when your child is feeling less than their best
The keyword here is snuggly! If your little one is feeling bad, they want to cuddle up with you. You still need to get things done, so your baby sling is the perfect tool for freeing up your hands while cuddling with your child. For an infant or young baby, we love stretchy wraps like the Moby Wrap and the Wrapsody Stretch baby wrap. Both of these carriers are super soft, stretchy and provide cuddle galore. You can tuck your baby inside or leave arms and legs out. Since they are two-shouldered, you can carry your baby for hours without taxing your body too much. And it’s easy to pop baby in and out of the carrier without much adjustment.
Ring slings are also great for cuddling, especially if your older baby or toddler prefers to be carried on your hip. If you need a two-shouldered carrier, we love a mei tai like the Kozy or Ball Baby mei tais. Mei tais are sleek and comfortable feeling, without buckles and tons of padding that can feel bulky.
What are your favorite carriers when your little one is sick?
