Attachment Parenting through Babywearing

What is attachment parenting?

Attachment parenting, a phrase coined by pediatrician William Sears, is a parenting philosophy based on the principles of the attachment theory in developmental psychology. According to attachment theory, the child forms a strong emotional bond with caregivers during childhood with lifelong consequences. Sensitive and emotionally available parenting helps the child to form a secure attachment style which fosters a child's socio-emotional development and well being. Less sensitive and emotionally available parenting or neglect of the child's needs may result in insecure forms of attachment style, which is a risk factor for many mental health problems. In extreme and rare conditions the child may not form an attachment at all and may suffer from reactive attachment disorder as defined in DSM-IV and ICD-10. Principles of attachment parenting aim to increase development of child's secure attachment and decrease insecure attachment.

I know this may start a lot of discussions from parents who view parenting differently depending on their culture or what they believe in. But please allow me to explain my stand on this.

Attachment parenting have Eight Principles of Parenting but I will not discuss all of those here for I am not really an expert on it and is still in the process of learning it all. If you have been reading my blog for quite some time now, you will also know that I am also a breastfeeding advocate. But for now, let's focus on the other principles.

Use Nurturing Touch

Old time parents would always tell me not tell carry my child too much. "She'll get attached and be clingy." But I would still carry my baby. You see, a mother's touch is one way of telling your child that you love them. It's a way of comforting them and telling them that they are safe. And personally I cannot bear seeing my child cry and not do something about it.

Skin-to-skin contact is a great form of providing a nurturing touch. The mother's warm body provides comfort and security. It is also advised for dad's to not wear a shirt while carrying the baby to also provide that warmth. That is also the reason babywearing is an effective form of attachment parenting.

Providing nurturing touch is not the only thing that we can achieve by baby wearing. With a sling like mine, I can breastfeed Una and still have enough coverage. I don't have to go look for a breastfeeding station to breastfeed her. I can do it in the middle of everywhere and no one would know what's happening under the sling. You also have both of your hands free making you do other tasks at the same time like going to the grocery, writing, typing on your computer or window shopping. Aside from the practicality of wearing your baby, it also helps with child's developmental growth.

I have been wearing Una on a sling since February and have been receiving stares for quite some time now. Some even made some disapproving and snide comments. Of course, those didn't stop me in baby wearing. What confuses me though is that baby wearing has been practiced for years, not only in other countries but also our natives here in the Philippines. I especially adored a Muslim family I once saw in Cubao. The father is carrying their baby on a beautiful batik sling.

Though I have noticed that quite recently there are some moms who would approach me and ask about the sling and I willingly tell them all about it's benefits and point them to where they could buy it. You might think that I am sales talking them in buying the sling with the way I encourage them to have their own asap.

If you are interested in learning more about baby wearing, visit The Baby Wearer.

For local moms who is interested in buying their first sling, visit the nearest SM Department Store in your area, I bought mine in SM City North Edsa. The slings are stocked with the other baby carriers in the infants section of the department store and comes with a tutorial video on how to properly wear your baby. If you prefer to order online, visit Indigo Manila. Cost is Php 1000 and Php 1500 depending on design and the type of fabric. Mine is made of cotton and bought it for Php 1000.