Try it without the stroller or car seat

A few weekends ago, I attended an event in which there were no strollers, no car seat carriers. There was only holding of the babies, swaddling the babies, or wearing the babies in the fourth trimester. If the babies were big enough to crawl, scoot, or walk, then the parents allowed them to do so. However, there was no keeping the baby at an arm’s length distance.

This event was fantastic. There was no screaming or yelling kids, no crying babies, and overall, everyone was happy. This is quite different from the Farmer’s Market we frequent on Sundays in Santa Monica in which parents are not scared to bring a stroller or even a doublewide stroller and take up the entire isle.

This is not a blog to bash strollers or car seat carriers. This is a blog to support baby wearing and carrying while providing a little information in regards to the fourth trimester.

The first three months of life outside the womb for an infant is full of not only developmental changes but also environmental and emotional changes, as well. There are all these new smells, noises, and textures that the baby must take in, at his or her own pace, compartmentalize, and learn. There is such a steep learning curve in the first three months. It’s like being thrown in the deep end of a pool and only knowing how to breathe.

When a baby cries and cries and cries while lying flat on his or back in a stroller or carrier, it’s not because something is wrong. It’s because life is completely normal and everything he/she has ever known is too far away to touch, smell, or even feel the vibrations of their sounds.

What is familiar to a newborn is life inside the womb. The flowing, aquatic environment, and the vibrations of the mother’s sound and music that was played are what the baby knows. The constant movement by the mother either through her workouts, bouncing on a ball, or even driving is familiar to the newborn.

Help your little one transition into this new crazy world by giving them a secure, comfortable foundation. The fourth trimester is life outside the belly and next to the breasts and definitely within arm’s reach.

• Wear the baby.
• Swaddle the baby.
• Walk, hike, and squat with the baby.
• Co-sleep with the baby.
• Take turns with your partner.